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A LIGHT AND EASY GRACE?

This sermon was preached on July 5, 2026, at Beechmont Presbyterian Church on Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30. Cheap and Costly Grace The word for today’s sermon is grace. This word is one of my favorites because it explains how God relates to creation. If I spend time trying to understand it fully, I will better understand the measure of gratitude that creation should feel toward God. I remember working on a curriculum called Growing in Grace and Gratitude, and one of our biggest ch

Marissa Galvan

6 days ago5 min read

Who Needs Mercy?

Introduction On Sunday, June 7, 2026, Beechmont Presbyterian Church gathered to reflect on Jesus’ words: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice. (Matthew 9:9-13)” In a world often shaped by judgment, division, and exclusion, this Gospel passage invites us to consider what it truly means to live with compassion, curiosity, and grace. This sermon explores the importance of asking genuine questions—not questions rooted in accusation or superiority, but questions that open us to understa

Marissa Galvan

Jul 16 min read

Hospitality With a Cold Cup of Water

This sermon was preached on June 27, 2028, at Beechmont Presbyterian Church on Matthew 10:40–42. In these verses, Jesus teaches that welcoming others is also a way of welcoming him. This reflection explores the call to hospitality, the challenge of loving the stranger, and the sacred possibility that Christ often meets us in those we least expect. Beauty and the Beast The other day, I was rewatching Beauty and the Beast with my mom. If you remember, the reason the Beast becom

Marissa Galvan

Jun 285 min read

Calls and Sendings

The following sermon was preached by Pastor Marissa Galván-Valle on June 14, 2026, at Beechmont Presbyterian Church. Reflecting on Matthew 10, Pastor Marissa invites us to consider both the beauty of God’s call and the challenge of being sent into the world as disciples of Jesus. Calls We Like. Sendings? Not So Much As many of you know, I grew up in the Presbyterian Church. My mom told me stories about family members who were pastors, stories about her life in the church, and

Marissa Galvan

Jun 246 min read

The Cost and the Hope of Discipleship

Sunday Sermon Reflection: In this week’s sermon (June 21, 2026), we reflect on the difference between cheap discipleship and costly discipleship. Jesus calls us not into comfort or safety, but into faithful discipleship marked by courage, justice, and hope. Through Jesus’ teaching about sparrows in Matthew, we are reminded that even in difficulty, we are seen and loved by God. Disciple First, Perfect Later This week I was reading an article about Donald McGavran. He is known

Marissa Galvan

Jun 227 min read

Disruptive Blessing

This is the sermon preached on March 1, 2026, the second Sunday of Lent, adapted for our blog. Imagine You Are a Disciple Imagine you are a new disciple who has decided to study under Jesus. You are on the Galilean plain outside Capernaum in early spring. There is a huge crowd gathered to hear Jesus. Sometimes you feel like you are understanding his teachings, and sometimes you get totally lost. Jesus often turns things upside down. You had heard about blessings before. When

Marissa Galvan

Mar 27 min read

A Pastry Shop Christianity?

This is the sermon for February 8, 2026, based on 1 Corinthians 2: 1-16 Francis of Assisi In 2013, Pope Francis chose to visit the site believed to be where Francis of Assisi stripped himself of everything—no inheritance, no status, no fine clothing. He wanted to follow Jesus, and his understanding was that doing so required poverty. The Pope, who chose the name Francis precisely because of Francis of Assisi, said these words: “In recent days the newspapers and media have bee

Marissa Galvan

Feb 86 min read

Fear to Joy

This is the sermon for Christmas Eve, preached on December 24, 2025 by the Rev. Marissa Galván Valle, based on Luke 2: 1-14. DO NOT FEAR During this Advent season, we have been invited to listen to passages from Scripture that have led us to think about fear. I remember that the sermon on the first Sunday of Advent mentioned that there are more than 100 instances of the words “Do not fear,” or, in the case of the passage that we just read, “Do not be afraid.” The author of th

Marissa Galvan

Jan 137 min read

Perseverance, Patience, Endurance

This is the sermon for Advent 4, preached on December 21, 2025 by the Rev. Marissa Galván Valle, based on Hebrews 12: 1-2. MILDRED LISSETTE NORMAN Mildred Lisette Norman grew up on a poultry farm in Egg Harbor City, NJ. She was a normal young woman who might have been considered rebellious: she bobbed her hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted her disdain for prevailing codes of decent behavior. It is said that, following an unhappy marriage, she embarked on a personal transfor

Marissa Galvan

Jan 135 min read

The Wind and the Waves

This is the sermon for Advent 3, preached on December 14, 2025 by Merry Anne Hood, based on Matthew 14: 22-32. Today is the third Sunday of Advent, which is traditionally the Sunday of “Joy.” So it is fitting that our scripture text for today is one of Jesus’s funniest miracles. Unfortunately – and I apologize – I am not funny. Three out of our four gospels report the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. They are unusually consistent in their telling. This is a story the di

Marissa Galvan

Jan 136 min read

Do Not Fear: Listen and Speak

This is the sermon for Advent 1, preached on November 30, 2025 by the Rev. Marissa Galván Valle, based on Luke 1: 26-56. Fear is Real In her foundational essay for the study we’ve chosen for this Advent season, MaryAnn McKibben Dana writes that... “the reminder not to be afraid is one of the pivotal threads in the Bible, along with the commandment to love and the assertion that God is abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Why do you think that is? Throughout Scriptur

Marissa Galvan

Jan 136 min read