St. Peter’s by-the-Sea is an Episcopal Church in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
Each week we share our Sunday sermons and portions of our worship rooted in Anglican liturgy, scripture, and thoughtful preaching.
If you are exploring churches, curious about the Episcopal tradition, or looking for a spiritual home along the South County coast, this podcast offers a window into who we are and how we worship.
Our services follow the Book of Common Prayer and center on the Eucharist, scripture, and prayer. We value reverent liturgy, strong preaching, and a welcoming community grounded in historic Christian faith.
Learn more or plan a visit at https://www.stpetersbythesea.com.
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: "Wrestling with God" — Genesis 32:22–31 | St. Peter's by-the-Sea
Is it okay to wrestle with God? To doubt, to question, to demand a blessing before you let go?
In this sermon for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, The Rev. Craig Swan turns to Jacob's night at the Jabbok (Genesis 32:22–31) — the moment his past finally catches up with him, and he is left alone to wrestle with a stranger until daybreak. Fr. Craig traces this as both a physical struggle and a spiritual one: will Jacob run from the consequences of his choices, or step into the role he schemed his way into? He connects Jacob's limp — carried away "injured but secure" — to Paul's own hard-won faith in 2 Timothy, arguing that the "victor's crown" was never about accomplishment, but about never letting go of trust through doubt and darkness.
The sermon closes with an invitation: growing into a mature faith means moving past childhood certainty and owning a faith tested by our own struggle — just like Jacob at Peniel.
Scripture Readings
Genesis 32:22–31 — Jacob wrestles with God at the Jabbok
Psalm 17:1–7, 15 — "Show me your marvelous, loving-kindness, O Savior"
Romans 9:1–5 — Paul's anguish for his own people
Matthew 14:13–21 — Feeding of the five thousand
St. Peter's by-the-Sea is an Episcopal Church in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
Sunday worship rooted in Anglican liturgy, scripture, and thoughtful preaching.
Plan a visit: https://www.stpetersbythesea.com (https://www.stpetersbythesea.com/)
29 Jun 2026
"A Cup of Cold Water"
What does it mean to treat every person as made in the image of God? In his sermon at St. Peter's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Narragansett, Rhode Island, Bishop Nicholas Knisely unpacks Matthew 10:40-42 — Jesus' promise that even the smallest act of kindness, a cup of cold water offered in his name, carries an extraordinary reward.
Bishop Knisely makes the case that true kindness flows not from what someone has done to deserve it, but from who they are in relationship with God. Every human being carries the image of God, and if we could see each other the way angels do, we would treat every person with the dignity that is already theirs.
His challenge: start with your neighborhood. Treat people as worthy of respect not because of how they vote, what they believe, or how they behave — but simply because they are human and they are a child of God.
12 Apr 2026
Second Sunday of Easter: "Peace Be With You" — John 20:19-31 | St. Peter's by-the-Sea
What does it mean to receive peace from someone you failed?
On the Second Sunday of Easter, Fr. Craig Swan preaches on one of the most striking moments in John's Gospel: the risen Christ walking through locked doors to stand before the disciples who had abandoned him — and offering not judgment, but peace.
Fr. Craig explores the shame the disciples carried on that first Easter evening, why forgiveness is less about the other person than about freeing yourself, and how the church's long history of division stands in direct tension with the risen Christ's first words: Peace be with you.
The sermon closes with a challenge for this congregation and this moment: in a time marked by conflict and the need to be right, can we choose relationship over certainty?
Scripture Readings
Acts 2:14a, 22–32 — Peter's witness to the resurrection
Psalm 16 — "You will not abandon me to the grave"
1 Peter 1:3–9 — A living hope through resurrection
John 20:19–31 — The risen Christ appears; Thomas's doubt and faith
St. Peter's by-the-Sea is an Episcopal Church in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Sunday worship rooted in Anglican liturgy, scripture, and thoughtful preaching.
Plan a visit: https://www.stpetersbythesea.com (https://www.stpetersbythesea.com/)
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