Meet Our Clergy
The Rev. Kelly Kirby
Rector
The Rev. Suzanne Barrow
Dir. Congregational Life
The Rev. Jan Scholtz
Deacon
Listen to Sermons
Click on the links for SERMON to listen.
All are videos or mp3 audio files, unless the link says “Text” or “PDF."
Le sermon sur la montagne (The Sermon on the Mount, 1878), oil painting on canvas by Guillaume Fouace (1837-1895). Church of Notre-Dame de Montfarville, Manche, Normandy, France.
Read the Illuminations
Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for Epiphany 5A, Sunday, February 8, 2026
First Reading: Isaiah 58:1-12
To follow in God’s way, we are called to be righteous and to practice justice; to be light to the world and the salt that flavors and preserves our lives. These themes resonate through Sunday’s readings. In our first reading, Isaiah tells the people returning from exile that righteousness and justice are the essence of God’s call. But righteousness and justice, we hear throughout Scripture, require more than fasting and ritual practice. We are to feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked, and above all, stand against oppression.
Psalm: Psalm 112:1-9, [10]
Psalm 112, an ancient worship hymn, imagines God rewarding the righteous with earthly power and riches in exchange for their good acts. This is no simplistic “Prosperity Gospel,” though. These verses echo Isaiah’s call in the first reading: The righteousness of those who follow God and delight in God’s commandments will endure forever. Those who are gracious and merciful, who deal with others generously and act with justice, will rise in the darkness as a light for the upright. The wealth we gain by living justly is not measured in gold and silver but by the example we set for others, illuminating the way toward God.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
Continuing through the opening chapters of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, we hear him make his pastoral case to his bickering, divided, yet beloved church community. Paul urges the people to be humble. He reminds them that Christians appear foolish in the eyes of the world because they follow a Messiah who suffered the shame of crucifixion. And yet, he declares, there is no shame, but glory, as we share in God’s hidden and secret wisdom: The Holy Spirit provides us new life through the mind of Christ.
Gospel: Matthew 5:13-20
Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount occupies three full chapters, so we hear portions of it over three weeks of Epiphany. In this, the second portion, Jesus has just taught the crowd the Beatitudes, promising God’s kingdom to the poor, the hungry, the thirsty; those who mourn, the meek; the humble, and all who are persecuted and oppressed. Now he assures the people that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. But, he continues, with those gifts comes responsibility: Those who follow Jesus are called to show God to the world through our good works. Jesus has not come to abolish the Torah – “the Law and the Prophets” – but to fulfill its call to be just and righteous: We are to love God, and love our neighbors as ourselves.
First Reading: Isaiah 58:1-12
To follow in God’s way, we are called to be righteous and to practice justice; to be light to the world and the salt that flavors and preserves our lives. These themes resonate through Sunday’s readings. In our first reading, Isaiah tells the people returning from exile that righteousness and justice are the essence of God’s call. But righteousness and justice, we hear throughout Scripture, require more than fasting and ritual practice. We are to feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked, and above all, stand against oppression.
Psalm: Psalm 112:1-9, [10]
Psalm 112, an ancient worship hymn, imagines God rewarding the righteous with earthly power and riches in exchange for their good acts. This is no simplistic “Prosperity Gospel,” though. These verses echo Isaiah’s call in the first reading: The righteousness of those who follow God and delight in God’s commandments will endure forever. Those who are gracious and merciful, who deal with others generously and act with justice, will rise in the darkness as a light for the upright. The wealth we gain by living justly is not measured in gold and silver but by the example we set for others, illuminating the way toward God.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
Continuing through the opening chapters of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, we hear him make his pastoral case to his bickering, divided, yet beloved church community. Paul urges the people to be humble. He reminds them that Christians appear foolish in the eyes of the world because they follow a Messiah who suffered the shame of crucifixion. And yet, he declares, there is no shame, but glory, as we share in God’s hidden and secret wisdom: The Holy Spirit provides us new life through the mind of Christ.
Gospel: Matthew 5:13-20
Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount occupies three full chapters, so we hear portions of it over three weeks of Epiphany. In this, the second portion, Jesus has just taught the crowd the Beatitudes, promising God’s kingdom to the poor, the hungry, the thirsty; those who mourn, the meek; the humble, and all who are persecuted and oppressed. Now he assures the people that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. But, he continues, with those gifts comes responsibility: Those who follow Jesus are called to show God to the world through our good works. Jesus has not come to abolish the Torah – “the Law and the Prophets” – but to fulfill its call to be just and righteous: We are to love God, and love our neighbors as ourselves.
Dimensions of Faith Lectures
Dimensions of Faith invites thinkers and writers to explore the interface of religion and culture, as we continue as a parish to challenge our minds and renew our spirits.
Upcoming Speakers: Bob Hower and Ted Wathen, February 22, 2026 "Kentucky Documentary Photographic Project"
Previous Speakers Include:
Nadia Bolz-Weber / Diana Butler Bass / Sarah Bessey / Steve Crump Ruby Sales / Dr. Amy-Jill Levine / Marcus Borg / Sara Miles
Robert Putnam / John Dominic Crossan / Brian McLaren / Scott Gunn
John Philip Newell / Silas House/Bishop Marianne Budde / Elizabeth Schrader-Polzcer / John Dear / Dr. Lewis Brogdon
Upcoming Speakers: Bob Hower and Ted Wathen, February 22, 2026 "Kentucky Documentary Photographic Project"
Previous Speakers Include:
Nadia Bolz-Weber / Diana Butler Bass / Sarah Bessey / Steve Crump Ruby Sales / Dr. Amy-Jill Levine / Marcus Borg / Sara Miles
Robert Putnam / John Dominic Crossan / Brian McLaren / Scott Gunn
John Philip Newell / Silas House/Bishop Marianne Budde / Elizabeth Schrader-Polzcer / John Dear / Dr. Lewis Brogdon
