Sermons from Grace Cathedral

Sunday Sermons from San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, home to a community where the best of Episcopal tradition courageously embraces innovation and open-minded conversation. At Grace Cathedral, inclusion is expected and people of all faiths are welcomed. The cathedral itself, a renowned San Francisco landmark, serves as a magnet where diverse people gather to worship, celebrate, seek solace, converse and learn.

A More Powerful Force (Love & Nonviolence) 05/10/2026

A More Powerful Force (Love & Nonviolence) The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 6 Easter (Year A) 11:00 a.m. Eucharist Sunday 10 May 2026 Acts 17:22-31 Psalm 66:7-18 1 Peter 3:13-22 John 14:15-21 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/41240825

Making Our Spiritual Beds 05/03/2026

Making Our Spiritual Beds The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 5 Easter (Year A) 11 a.m. Eucharist Sunday May 3rd, 2026 Acts 7:55-60 Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 1 Peter 2:2-10 John 14:1-14 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/41133455

The Right Rev. Austin Keith Rios - Sermon from Diocesan Confirmation 05/02/2026

The Right Rev. Austin Keith Rios - Sermon from Diocesan Confirmation The Right Rev. Austin Keith Rios, Bishop of California Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 Isaiah 30:18-21 Psalm 119:33-40 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 John 14:6-14 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/41128570

In the Presence of Enemies, The Table is Set 04/26/2026

In the Presence of Enemies, The Table is Set The Rev. Canon Mary Carter Greene Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 4 Easter (Year A) 11:00 a.m. Eucharist Sunday April 26th, 2026 Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 23 1 Peter 2:19-25 John 10:1-10 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/41022960

More Than a Meal 04/19/2026

More Than a Meal Remembering is the heart of the Eucharist. When we share bread and wine, we remember the Last Supper, the crucifixion, and the resurrection all at once. We taste both the brokenness of the world and God's victory over death. We glimpse the kingdom. But remembering is not the point. The point is the encounter the remembering makes possible — the moment, like the disciples in Emmaus, when we recognize who has been walking beside us all along. The Rev. Dr. Mees Tielens Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 3 Easter (Year A) 11:00 a.m. Eucharist Sunday April 19th, 2026 Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Psalm 116:1-4, 10-17 1 Peter 1:17-23 Luke 24:13-35 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40928085

Faith Is Not Certainty. It’s Something Deeper 04/12/2026

Faith Is Not Certainty. It’s Something Deeper What does it really mean to have faith? In this Easter season sermon from Grace Cathedral, Malcolm Clemens Young explores the story of Thomas—often called “Doubting Thomas”—to discover that faith is not about passing a test of certainty. Instead, it is about becoming the kind of person who is open to trust, loyalty, and relationship with God. Looking closely at the Greek text of John’s Gospel, this sermon challenges the false choice between “literal” and “metaphorical” readings of the Bible, and reframes belief as something lived over time rather than proven in a moment. In a world marked by isolation, skepticism, and declining community, this message invites us to receive something deeper: the breath of the Holy Spirit, the gift of peace, and the possibility of new life. “Do not become faithless, but faithful.” Topics include: · Doubt vs. faith: what’s the difference? · Why belief is more than intellectual agreement · The meaning of “the eighth day” in Christian life · Loneliness, community, and modern skepticism · Receiving the Holy Spirit as a lived experience Grace Cathedral, San Francisco Second Sunday of Easter The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2G11 2 Easter (Year A) 11:00 a.m. Baptism Sunday April 12th, 2026 Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Psalm 16 1 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40819835

The Right Rev. Austin Keith Rios - Easter Sunday Sermon 04/05/2026

The Right Rev. Austin Keith Rios - Easter Sunday Sermon The Right Rev. Austin Keith Rios, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of California Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2G10 Easter Sunday (Year A) 11 a.m. Eucharist Sunday 5 April 2026 Acts 10:34-43 Ps. 118:1-2, 14-24 Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:1-18 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40739000

Easter and What Heaven Really Is 04/05/2026

Easter and What Heaven Really Is What do we mean when we say “heaven”? In this Easter Sunday sermon from Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Malcolm Clemens Young explores a deeper, richer vision of heaven—not as a distant place we go someday, but as God’s dimension breaking into our world here and now. Drawing on scripture, theology, and memory—from childhood Easters to Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Christ—this sermon invites us to see Easter as the moment when heaven and earth meet. Featuring reflections inspired by N.T. Wright, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the poetry of Anne Porter, this message challenges modern assumptions and opens a vision of grace that is already present among us. Heaven is not far away.It is closer than we think.It is where God calls your name. “Alleluia. Christ is risen!” The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2G10 Easter Sunday (Year A) 8:30 a.m. Eucharist Sunday 5 April 2026 Acts 10:34-43 Ps. 118:1-2, 14-24 Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:1-18 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/41288215

Why Do We Have an Easter Vigil? 04/05/2026

Why Do We Have an Easter Vigil? Why do Christians gather in the dark on the night before Easter? In this Easter Vigil sermon from Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Malcolm Clemens Young explores the meaning of one of the Church’s most powerful and ancient services. Moving from the fourth century conversion of Augustine, to the critique of Christendom by Søren Kierkegaard, to the modern revival of the Vigil at Grace Cathedral, this sermon shows how baptism draws us into God’s story. Through fire, water, scripture, and song, the Easter Vigil proclaims that Christ’s resurrection is not just something we remember—it is something we enter. This is the night of mystery. This is the night of new life. This is the night we step into the story. “Alleluia. Christ is risen!” Grace Cathedral, San Francisco  Easter Vigil (Year A) – April 4, 2026 The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2G9 Easter Vigil (Year A) 9:00 p.m. Saturday 4 April 2026 Gen. 1:1-2:4a / Gen. 7:1-5, 11-18, 8:6-18, 9:8-13 Exodus 14:10-31 /Ex. 15:20-21 Ezekiel 36:24-28 / Ez. 37:1-14 / Rom. 6:3-11 John 20:1-18 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40734780

The Abstract Cross - A Reflection for Good Friday 04/04/2026

The Abstract Cross - A Reflection for Good Friday The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer, Precentor Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA Friday, April 3rd, 2026, 3p Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9 Psalm 22:1-11 John 18:1-19:42 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40732090

Nobody Asked Judas Why 04/03/2026

Nobody Asked Judas Why The Rev. Canon Mary Carter Greene Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA April 2nd, 2026 6 pm Maundy Thursday Exodus 12:1-14 Psalm 116:1, 10-17 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13;1-17, 31b-35 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40719990

The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios 03/31/2026

The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA March 31st, 2026 10:30a.m. Chrism Mass Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 71:1-14 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 John 12:20-36 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40688670

Hosanna Means Help Us 03/29/2026

Hosanna Means Help Us What does Hosanna really mean? On Palm Sunday, we shout “Hosanna in the highest”—but this ancient word is not a cheer of celebration. It is a cry for help: “Save us, we pray.” In this sermon, we explore how that cry Is answered in impossibly to imagine ways, from Psalm 118 to the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in Gospel of Matthew to our own day. In a time marked by fear, division, and loss of trust, “Hosanna” becomes our own prayer. Drawing on voices as diverse as John Calvin, Mikhail Bulgakov, and Maya Angelou, this sermon reflects on: • Our need for help in a fractured world • The loss of faith in one another • God’s unexpected way of saving us—not through power, but through love Holy Week reveals a surprising truth: God’s rescue comes not by force, but through the suffering, love, and self-giving of Christ. As the world trembles, we join the ancient cry: Hosanna — Help us, God. The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2G8 Palm Sunday (Year A) 11a.m. Eucharist Sunday March 29th 2026 Matthew 21:1-11 Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11 Matthew 26:14-27:66 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40659600

O Lazarus!: Resurrection, Immigration and the Soul 03/22/2026

O Lazarus!: Resurrection, Immigration and the Soul What is resurrection—and what does it mean to truly live “in the Spirit”? In this powerful Lenten sermon from Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Malcolm Clemens Young explores the raising of Lazarus (John 11) and the deeper meaning of resurrection—not just as life after death, but as a transformed way of seeing and living now. Drawing on the Gospel of John, contemporary historian Ana Racquel Minian, Jon Levinson, Kevin Madigan, Athanasius and early Christian witness, this sermon wrestles with a pressing ethical question: Is it ever acceptable to cause someone to suffer for the sake of the greater good? From the tears of Jesus at Lazarus’ tomb to modern immigration detention policies, this message challenges us to reject systems that justify cruelty—and instead embrace the liberating, life-giving Spirit of Christ. ✨ Themes include: * The meaning of resurrection in John’s Gospel * “I am the resurrection and the life” explained * Christian ethics and the danger of utilitarian thinking * Immigration, human dignity, and moral responsibility * What it feels like to live “in Christ” Like Lazarus, we are called out of our tombs—unbound and set free. 📍 Grace Cathedral, San Francisco📅 Fifth Sunday of Lent (Year A) The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2G6 5 Lent (Year A) 11:00 a.m. Eucharist Sunday, March 22nd, 2026 Ezekiel 37:1-14 Psalm 130 Romans 8:6-11 John 11:1-45 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40578515

The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush 03/15/2026

The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, California March 15th, 2026, 11 a.m. Eucharist Deuteronomy 6:1-9 Psalm 119:1-8 Hebrews 9:11-14 Mark 12:28-34 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40490660

Thirst, Baptism, and the Woman at the Well 03/08/2026

Thirst, Baptism, and the Woman at the Well The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer, Precentor Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA The Third Sunday in Lent, March 8th, 2026, 11 a.m. Eucharist Exodus 17:1-7 Romans 5:1-11 Psalm 95:1-7 John 4:5-42 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40358700

Faith After Dark 03/01/2026

Faith After Dark The Rev. Canon Mary Carter Greene, Canon Pastor Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA Sunday, March 1st, 2026 11 a.m. Eucharist Genesis 12:1-4a Psalm 121 Romans 4:1-5,13-17 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40285720

Desire, Safety, Power: The Three Temptations that Rule Us 02/22/2026

Desire, Safety, Power: The Three Temptations that Rule Us The Very Rev. Malcolm Clemens Young Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2E4, O5 1 Lent (Year A) 11:00 a.m. Eucharist Sunday February 22nd, 2026 Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7 Psalm 32 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40192255

How to Become a Better Person 02/19/2026

How to Become a Better Person The Very Rev. Malcolm Clemens Young, Dean Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2G3, V5 Ash Wednesday 6 p.m. Imposition of Ashes & Eucharist Wednesday, February 18th, 2026 Joel 2:1-2,12-17 Psalm 103:8-14 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6,16-21 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40169650

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants 02/15/2026

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer, Precentor Grace Cathedral San Francisco, CA The Last Sunday after the Epiphany, February 15th, 2026, 11am Choral Eucharist Exodus 24:12-18 Psalm 99 2 Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40116860

The Very Revd Andrew Tremlett 02/08/2026

The Very Revd Andrew Tremlett The Very Revd Andrew Tremlett Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, London UK "But we speak God’s wisdom, a hidden mystery" (1 Cor. 2.7) At the heart of the Christian gospel is Christ crucified – a message which baffles the wise and the powerful. But how does this Gospel speak into an era of deep cultural change, where the old norms are passing away before our eyes and yet the future is uncertain. St Paul encourages to ‘own’ the message of redemption; to realise that this Gospel will confound many; and, as we prepare for Lent, to know that Christ’s redeeming love begins in the transformation of our own lives. Preached on Sunday February 8th, 2026 Grace Cathedral San Francisco, CA /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/40037200

Peacemakers During a Spiritual Crisis: What Does Blessing Mean Anyway? 02/02/2026

Peacemakers During a Spiritual Crisis: What Does Blessing Mean Anyway? The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2E1 4 Epiphany (Year A) 11:00 a.m. Eucharist Sunday 1 February 2026 Micah 6:1-8 Psalm 15 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Matthew 5:1-12 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/39955155

The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios 01/26/2026

The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios Bishop, Diocese of California Preached on Sunday, January 25th, 2026 Grace Cathedral San Francisco, CA Isaiah 9:1-4 Psalm 27:1-9 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/39872305

The Rev. Canon Dr. Stephanie Spellers 01/19/2026

The Rev. Canon Dr. Stephanie Spellers The Rev. Canon Dr. Stephanie Spellers Canon in Residence, St. Bartholomew's, New York Preached Sunday January 18th, 2026 The Second Sunday After the Epiphany Grace Cathedral San Francisco, CA /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/39776160

Beloved - No Exceptions 01/12/2026

Beloved - No Exceptions The Rev. Joe C. Williams, Succentor Grace Cathedral San Francisco, CA January 11th, 2026 Isaiah 42:1-9 Psalm 29 Matthew 3:13-17 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/39691235

Another Way Home: Gospel Truth in a Time of Imperial Violence 01/05/2026

Another Way Home: Gospel Truth in a Time of Imperial Violence The Rev. Mary Carter Greene, Canon Pastor Grace Cathedral San Francisco, CA The Second Sunday After Christmas, 11a Eucharist Sunday January 4th, 2025 Jeremiah 31:7-14 Psalm 84:1-8 Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a Matthew 2:1-12 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/39608190

What the Incarnation Demands 12/29/2025

What the Incarnation Demands The Rev. Joe C. Williams, Succentor Grace Cathedral San Francisco, CA Sunday, December 28th, 2025 11 a.m. Eucharist Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Psalm 137:13-21 Galations 3:23-25, 4:4-7 John 1:1-18 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/39547835

A Beginning for All 12/26/2025

A Beginning for All The Rev. Canon Mary Carter Greene, Canon Pastor Grace Cathedral San Francisco, CA December 25th, 2025 11 a.m. Eucharist Isaiah 52:7-10 Psalm 98 Hebrews 1:1-12 John 1:1-14 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/39534595

The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios 12/25/2025

The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of California Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2025 Grace Cathedral San Francisco, CA Isaiah 9:2-7 Psalm 96:1-4, 11-13 Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-20 /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/39533865

Are We Living in a Computer Simulation? A Christmas Message 12/25/2025

Are We Living in a Computer Simulation? A Christmas Message Are we living in a computer simulation, or are our lives more meaningful? In this Christmas Eve sermon from Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Malcolm Clemens Young explores how the Christmas story offers a powerful counter-narrative to our technological age. Drawing on philosophy, literature, and personal experience, this sermon addresses: The difference between digital consciousness and embodied spirituality How God speaks through silence, ordinary moments, and even tragedy Finding meaning beyond the "American dream" narrative Experiencing God's presence rather than just proving God's existence The Christmas message: "You are loved by God" Featuring insights from Nick Bostrom's simulation theory, The Matrix, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and reflections on grief, joy, and the peace that surpasses understanding. Perfect for anyone questioning meaning in modern life, seeking spiritual depth during the holidays, or exploring how ancient wisdom speaks to contemporary challenges. 📍 Grace Cathedral, San Francisco 📖 Scripture: Isaiah 62:6-12, Psalm 97, Titus 3:4-7, Luke 2:8-20 🎄 Christmas Eve 2025 #ChristmasSermon #Philosophy #Spirituality #GraceCathedral /episode/index/show/gracecathedralsermons/id/39532260

Sermons from Grace Cathedral

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