Rev. Stuart Higginbotham, DMin
The Feast of Pentecost reminds us that the Spirit of God blows into our lives, breaking open the rigid constructs we hold to so tightly. We see that unity and diversity are not opposing realities; rather, they are held together within the deep flow of the Spirit. Our challenge continues to be to do our inner work so that we can be nimble and participate with the Spirit's transforming work in the world.
For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Rev. Brandon Nonnemaker, Ed.D.
Ascension Sunday invites us into mystery—not a farewell, but a new beginning. In the swirling clouds, we are reminded that Christ reigns with love, not domination, and calls us to live with eyes lifted and hearts open. Even in a broken world, joy takes root, for the Lord is King—and that changes everything.
For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Rev. Stuart Higginbotham, DMin

Today’s Gospel reading emphasizes the way Jesus engaged with those who are seeking healing. Jesus never assumes; rather, he offers us an opportunity to participate fully in God’s healing actions. How are we called to pay attention to the Spirit’s work in our lives, and what do we need to name in order to share more fully in God’s compassionate embrace?

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Rev. Stuart Higginbotham, DMin

Like Peter, we often inherit frameworks—beliefs and assumptions passed down through family, tradition, or culture—that offer comfort and a sense of control. But God’s movements, the Divine Economy, does not operate on our terms or within our boundaries. It is expansive, surprising, and rooted in love that refuses to be contained. What happens when God’s grace flows beyond our fences?

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Evelyn Higginbotham

We are called by Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to love one another as He loves us. He asks us to engage in an active relationship with Him in order to make the world a better place. Are we willing to sacrifice our own wants and desires, to take His hand and trust that He will lead us to green pastures?

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Rev. Brandon Nonnemaker, Ed.D.

In the wake of awe-filled moments when God feels near, we often return to ordinary routines wondering what comes next. This sermon explores the disciples’ post-resurrection confusion and Jesus’ quiet recommissioning—an invitation to live out faith not just in the extraordinary, but in daily acts of love and service. Discipleship, we discover, means casting the net again and again, trusting that Christ meets us there.

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This sermon was originally delivered on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025. We recorded Rev. Brandon Nonnemaker, Ed.D., on 4/29/2025 to add them to this podcast series.

Easter doesn’t restore order—it upends it. This sermon celebrates the holy disruption of resurrection, where death is defeated, power is reversed, and grace runs wild. In a world shaped by control and conformity, we are invited to live as dis-orderly people of love, proclaiming that everything has changed—because Christ is risen.

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This sermon was originally delivered on Saturday, April 19, 2025 for Easter Vigil. We recorded Rev. Brandon Nonnemaker, Ed.D., on 4/29/2025 to add them to this podcast series.

At the Great Vigil of Easter, we stand not in full light, but on the threshold—between darkness and dawn, between death and new life. The first Easter did not come wrapped in triumph but in trembling, as faithful women carried spices and sorrow to a tomb already empty. This sermon names the sacred truth that resurrection meets us not in perfection, but in our dis-ease—and promises that even here, even now, love has the final word.

For episode transcripts and more about Grace Episcopal Church, visit online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gracechurchgainesville.org⁠/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.