Spiritual Growth

Our October sermon series explores how our faith provides a solid foundation during times of political and social turbulence, focusing on principles like truth, justice, and compassion while navigating the challenges of a divided world. October 6th – World Communion SundayPsalm 8 “Grounded in Wonder: Creation, Communion, and the Glory of God”Being “grounded” means recognizing our place in God’s vast creation, which is celebrated through unity around the communion table and in sacred relationship with the world itself. October 13th…

Our September sermon series is “The Art of Being Together: How Jesus mends and strengthens broken relationships.” We live in a time when people are afraid, relationships are frayed, and our instincts draw us into our bunkers. We might make snap judgments and see others through the lens of suspicion rather than grace. This happens in our politics but even more in our interactions with family and friends. We are left feeling lonely and invisible.  In the month of September,…

Our August sermon series is “Run the Race: Building Spiritual Muscles for the Long Run”. In August, the world will cheer on Olympic athletes, many of whom overcome intense obstacles to meet their moment. But in our lives, we all face events and challenges that require profound spiritual strength, sometimes beyond what we think we possess. Hurdles at work, a marathon election season, the sprint of parenting, and the gymnastics of change require strength and flexibility, and no one can…

Our July sermon series is “Read It Again”. In the summer, we often read our favorite books again. We may visit with family and hear those favorite stories again, stories about when you were a baby or where the grandparents met or maybe even new insights from that uncle who is doing the genealogy. This July at BPC, we will dust off some of the formative stories of our faith. Moses in the bulrushes and then startled by the burning…

Our June sermon series is The Gospel According to Pixar. “The Gospel According to Pixar” – Starting with Toy Story in 1995, Pixar Studios has created animated movies that are both entertaining and surprisingly wise. They tell very human stories while making us laugh, and along the way, many Gospel themes emerge. This June, we are highlighting four of those movies in our sermons. You don’t have to have seen the movies to understand the stories they tell. But, perhaps you…

Our spring sermon series is Show Me Love. Christians often think we are known for being loving. But, in a recent study of the religious landscape of our country, many people have left churches because they did not feel love there. They see Christians on the news promoting exclusion and violence. However, the church started on the foundation of radical love. This series will explore the contours of what love requires and how that shapes our lives, our relationships, and…

Our early fall sermon series is Things Jesus Never Said. We’ll interrogate some of the sayings that have often been misattributed to Jesus, such as “follow your heart” and “God never gives people more than they can handle.” We hope that this will bang off some of the cultural litter that we may not even realize is affecting our faith.  Join us on Sunday mornings for worship and Sunday School! For more information, contact the church office at 703-764-0456 or…

“Games People Play” is a sermon series that uses fun board games to open up the various internal maneuvers that often dominate our relationship with God. For example . . .  Balderdash: Remember that dictionary game where you say a definition for a big complicated word and it might be the real definition or completely made up? Some words in our faith context are like that. What, for example, does the word “blessed” mean? Hear Jesus define it.  The Game of Life: This game…

“Life Worth Living” is the title of our early summer sermon series, which runs June 4 through July 2, 2023. It’s inspired by a recently published book, Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most, written by Yale faculty Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz. We invite you to We hope you can join us at some point along the way!  For more information, please contact the church office at 703-764-0456 or office@BurkePresChurch.org.

Burke Presbyterian Church is participating in the Northern Virginia Interreligious Communities Project (ICP) with Sharing Sacred Spaces and local host Rumi Forum. The ICP brings together religious and spiritual communities to visit one another’s sacred spaces, learn about each other, extend hospitality, and build an interfaith community. Join us as we collaborate to explore sacred architecture, get to know one another, heal divides, deepen understanding of self and others, create community, and build an inspiring future. The ICP will be…