Harrowing Of Hell

Our Collective Calling in Jesus

I am Kelli Martin, and I have been a parishioner at Epiphany for over 2 years. A group of us at Epiphany were talking recently about today’s Scripture: we talked about how a child getting lost during the time of Jesus’ childhood would not have been alarming at first. Parents wouldn’t go from 0-100 in

Rules and Regulations

Today’s reading from Galatians got me started thinking about rules and regulations. Paul is talking about the Mosaic laws, the covenant between God and God’s people. My thoughts, however, went immediately to the law in another sense, to the framework of secular rules and regulations in which we currently live our lives. In particular, how

Hope in a Time of COVID

Merry Christmas. Tonight, I am going to preach about hope, the hope we experience through the birth of Jesus. It is a good time to talk of hope. We are in a moment that feels hopeful, doesn’t it? We are like that dove perched on the widow of Noah’s ark, poised, ready to flap back

Let it Be

Good morning Christians, seekers, and friends! One of the things I most appreciate about our God is that God, my creator, really loves the real “me.” God is a down-to-earth, lover of all humanity and creation kind of God, who, even though I have spent years trying to live up to my idea of what

God Loves the Small Things

Something very small is about to take place. Something small, yet personally significant, at least to the parents, Mary and Joseph. A baby is going to be born. Certainly, in their hearts, there is a stirring, there is hope.  In their imagination and conversation, they speculate and anticipate. Both have had dreams and visions around

Coming of Age

The season of Advent brings us back to the familiar. The familiar decorations around the house. The familiar music on the radio. For us here in Seattle; the familiar long nights and short days. Maybe even familiar food and holiday drinks appear. And we experience, here in church, very familiar Bible stories. Today we find

Seeing Yourself Being Seen; Gratitude Unveiled

I was at a Commission on Ministry retreat last week, and there I heard a most interesting sermon from Karen Haig, Rector at St. Barnabas Church, on this text, and her words and bell ringing have formed this sermon in my mind. She said: “This is not a Gospel message about gratitude, primarily, but more