The Preaching Moment

The Reverend Suzanne Weidner-Smith
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

The Preaching Moment Podcast shares the weekly sermons of The Rev. Suzanne Weidner-Smith, Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Alvin, Texas—a church where faith is lived out in real, tangible ways. At Grace, worship doesn’t end at the church doors. Each week, hundreds of families are served through a drive-through food distribution; homebound seniors receive not just groceries but also companionship; and neighbors experiencing homelessness are welcomed with hot meals, clean clothes, and dignity. What began as meeting physical hunger has grown into something deeper: a ministry of presence, relationship, and hope. Mother Suzanne’s preaching is shaped by this reality. Drawing from scripture, story, and her years as a hospice chaplain, she speaks to a faith that meets people where they are—in uncertainty, in struggle, and in everyday life. Her sermons are grounded, compassionate, and rooted in the belief that the Gospel is not just something we hear, but something we live. These are sermons from a community becoming a sanctuary—where compassion is practiced, stories are honored, and the good news of Jesus is made real, week after week.

  1. Bending Crooked Paths Straight - Ed Carrette's Homily for the Third Sunday After Pentecost - May 14, 2026

    2d ago

    Bending Crooked Paths Straight - Ed Carrette's Homily for the Third Sunday After Pentecost - May 14, 2026

    SummaryCommunity Missioner Ed Carrette challenges the common notion that blessing equals good fortune or material comfort, offering instead a richer, gospel-rooted understanding: blessing is God's faithful presence with us, in both the good times and the hard ones. Drawing on Genesis, Matthew, and the lived experience of Grace's ministries, Ed invites the congregation to see God showing up not in the absence of struggle, but right in the middle of it. We are blessed, he reminds us, not because life is easy, but because God refuses to leave us. The Gospel Matthew 9:35-10:8 Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.  Artwork:  Calling of the Apostles, painted by Domenico Ghirlandaio in 1481–1482

    17 min
  2. Faith, Healing, and New Life: From the Fringe to the Family of God - Mother Nan Doerr's Sermon for the Second Sunday After Pentecost, June 7, 2026

    Jun 11

    Faith, Healing, and New Life: From the Fringe to the Family of God - Mother Nan Doerr's Sermon for the Second Sunday After Pentecost, June 7, 2026

    SummaryMother Nan Doerr reflects on three condensed stories from Matthew's Gospel, exploring how Jesus reaches out to sinners, the sick, and the outcast with mercy and compassion. Through the calling of Matthew, the healing of Jairus' daughter, and the woman suffering from bleeding, she reminds us that Jesus came to restore the lost and the forgotten. In return, we are called to share that same love and mercy with those on the fringes of our own society. The Gospel Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district. Artwork: "The Resurrection of Jairus' Daughter" by Vasily Polenov, 1871

    9 min
  3. Pursuing Love: A Trinity Sunday Sermon - May 31, 2026

    Jun 2

    Pursuing Love: A Trinity Sunday Sermon - May 31, 2026

    SummaryOn Trinity Sunday, Mother Suzanne leads her congregation through an exploration of one of the Christian faith's most central and mysterious doctrines — the Trinity. Drawing on images like St. Patrick's shamrock and the concept of the "divine dance," she unpacks the three-in-one nature of God as not merely a theological abstraction, but an intimate, living reality that shapes how believers relate to God, to themselves, and to one another. Ultimately, she reminds her congregation that we are forever pursued by a God whose very nature is love and relationship. THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                              Matthew 28:16-20 The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Artwork: The Trinity, Laurent Girardin - 1455

    16 min
  4. They Dared to Inhale: God’s Breath and the Birth of the Church - Sermon for Pentcost Sunday, May 24, 2026

    May 26

    They Dared to Inhale: God’s Breath and the Birth of the Church - Sermon for Pentcost Sunday, May 24, 2026

    SummaryOn the Day of Pentecost, Mother Suzanne invites her congregation to celebrate the birthday of the church — the moment when the Holy Spirit transformed a small, frightened group of 120 disciples into a fearless, Spirit-filled body of thousands. Just as the disciples were empowered to go into the world as the hands and feet of Jesus, so too are believers today called to inhale God's breath and carry that same Spirit into their communities. Mother Suzanne closes by inviting those who have been led to Grace Church to sign the Book of Belonging and claim it as their spiritual home. THE GOSPEL John 20:19-23 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Artwork:  The Pentecost

    17 min
  5. Pilgrimage of the Heart: Finding God in the Everyday - Ed Carrette's Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter - May 10, 2026

    May 12

    Pilgrimage of the Heart: Finding God in the Everyday - Ed Carrette's Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter - May 10, 2026

    SummaryIn this Mother's Day sermon, Grace Community Missioner Ed Carrette draws on the image of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage to remind us that the spiritual life cannot be rushed. Drawing from Jesus' promise, "I will not leave you orphaned," Ed calls us to slow down, pay attention, and discover that God has been walking beside us all along. The goal, he reminds us, is not to arrive faster, but to become aware of the presence that has never left us. A reading from the Gospel of John                                                                                                   John 14:15-21     Jesus said, ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. ”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” Artwork:  Mother Suzanne and Andrew at km. 0.000 The Camino De Santiago

    9 min
  6. Chosen and Precious: Living Stones in Faith - Mother Nan Doerr's Sermon for the Fifth Sunday of Easter - May 3, 2026

    May 5

    Chosen and Precious: Living Stones in Faith - Mother Nan Doerr's Sermon for the Fifth Sunday of Easter - May 3, 2026

    SummaryMother Nan Doerr draws on the letters of Peter and the Gospel of John to remind believers that even when rejected by the world, they are chosen and precious in God's sight. Just as the early followers of the Way were cast out of synagogues yet continued to spread the Gospel, so too are we called to become living stones in God's spiritual house. To know God, we need only look to Jesus — the way, the truth, and the life. THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                                            John 14:1-14 Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”  Artwork:  Carl Bloch (Collection 1865-1879)

    11 min
  7. Pots, Dr. Pepper, and God's Abundant Grace - The Fourth Sunday of Easter - April 26, 2026

    Apr 28

    Pots, Dr. Pepper, and God's Abundant Grace - The Fourth Sunday of Easter - April 26, 2026

    SummaryMother Suzanne draws on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd to remind her congregation that Christ came not to offer a half-hearted, mediocre existence, but a life that is overflowing and abundant. Through the moving story of Roxanne, a single mother in recovery, she illustrates how the economy of God works through small, intentional acts of love — a snack, a Dr. Pepper, and a cooking pot. Living abundantly, she reminds us, is not about worldly goods, but about choosing hope, generosity, and trust in a God who desires good for each of us. THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                              John 10:1-10 Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  Artwork: The Good Shepherd, Bernhard Plockhorst (1878)

    19 min
  8. Emmaus and the Everyday Divine - The Third Sunday of Easter - April 19, 2026

    Apr 21

    Emmaus and the Everyday Divine - The Third Sunday of Easter - April 19, 2026

    SummaryIn this Easter season sermon, Mother Suzanne walks us through the road to Emmaus, reminding us that the risen Christ shows up quietly and humbly in the small, ordinary moments of our lives — often without us even realizing it. Just as the disciples only recognized Jesus when he broke bread in his own unmistakable way, we too are invited to open our eyes and hearts to his presence in the everyday rhythms of our lives. Mother Suzanne calls us to lay down what no longer serves us, trusting that in that surrender, space opens up for new life, new love, and personal resurrection. THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                                Luke 24:13-35 Now on that same day two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.  Artwork: “The Road to Emmaus” Robert Zund, 1877

    15 min
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About

The Preaching Moment Podcast shares the weekly sermons of The Rev. Suzanne Weidner-Smith, Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Alvin, Texas—a church where faith is lived out in real, tangible ways. At Grace, worship doesn’t end at the church doors. Each week, hundreds of families are served through a drive-through food distribution; homebound seniors receive not just groceries but also companionship; and neighbors experiencing homelessness are welcomed with hot meals, clean clothes, and dignity. What began as meeting physical hunger has grown into something deeper: a ministry of presence, relationship, and hope. Mother Suzanne’s preaching is shaped by this reality. Drawing from scripture, story, and her years as a hospice chaplain, she speaks to a faith that meets people where they are—in uncertainty, in struggle, and in everyday life. Her sermons are grounded, compassionate, and rooted in the belief that the Gospel is not just something we hear, but something we live. These are sermons from a community becoming a sanctuary—where compassion is practiced, stories are honored, and the good news of Jesus is made real, week after week.

Information

  • Creator
    The Reverend Suzanne Weidner-Smith
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    211
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Preaching Moment
  • Show Website
    The Preaching Moment