3rd Sunday after Pentecost, June 14, 2026

Scriptures: Exodus 19:2-8a; Psalm 100; Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)

Reflection by Rev. Hannah Moderow, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Anchorage, AK

Unfortunately, there were technical issues with the video recording and it’s not available.

THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE: A VACATION SERMON

It is such a joy to be here among you today. This is my fourth year coming to Sitka with my kids for the Sitka Fine Arts camp, and I love wandering into your sanctuary each year… finding home in this place… and out in the forest and beaches and sea beyond. 

I almost didn’t reach out about presiding today because I thought: no, Hannah, you’re on vacation. Don’t sign up to work.

But that’s the thing about coming to the table on Sunday mornings. It’s a calling—for all of us—not a job, and I felt a strong pull to be here… I also have felt connected and supported by your parish over the years. Your former rector, Julie, was on the Standing Committee that approved my ordination earlier this year, and I love how our churches across the state of Alaska lift up one another, no matter the geographical distances between us.

We are one Body. That is one of the great mysteries of our faith.

We are all one body.

It’s the mystery that we reenact at our tables, across time, space, and even the generations.

We are one Body.

Last Sunday in the lectionary, we heard an intense miracle passage from Matthew’s gospel: the story of the girl restored to life and the story of the woman healed after twelve years suffering from hemorrhages.

Two stories of women who experienced Jesus’ transformational healing.

I preached last Sunday at St. Mary’s, my home church, on the passage, highlighting just how tricky it can be to interpret Jesus’ miracle stories to our world today…

Our world where we don’t typically witness people restored back to life…. and our world where medical technology is significantly more advanced than in the ancient world.

When reading these so-called “miracle stories,” it’s also critical to remember that, in the ancient world, it was a common belief that illness and disability came as a result of sin. And therefore, those who were sick or disabled were outcasts in society.

If we’re not careful with the miracle stories, we can inadvertently adopt ancient beliefs about illness and disability… or oversimplify what we mean by healing and prayer.

Like when a well-meaning Christian says to someone in the hospital: “I’m praying only for a complete recovery” which insinuates that anything less than a complete recovery would reflect God’s judgment.

And so, while the miracle stories we heard last weekend, and also this weekend, are something to celebrate and bear witness to in our lives of faith, I think we can and must also face the hard theological questions that they stir up. Like:

·        How should we apply these miracle stories to our world today where we have a very different understanding of disability and illness?

And

·        What does it mean when some of us do not experience the healings that we desire and faithfully pray for?

These healing stories call us to look beyond the ‘spectacle’ healings of the ancient world and to consider:

What the miracle stories tell us about God’s healing presence, in and among a suffering community, even today.

Healing today doesn’t necessarily unfold like the spectacles that we read about in the gospels; often healing is quieter, more spiritual, and yet always in faithful community.

And, in our faith tradition, healing repeatedly returns to the table.

Where we gather to break bread… and give thanks.

***

Since I’m on vacation this week, I vowed not to spend a lot of time researching gospel passages and writing an academic sermon. I purposefully did not go down the rabbit hole of our gospel for today, and the continuing healings and miracles… and the wild complexity of what it meant when Jesus told his disciples: “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves;” 

Instead, I gave myself permission to take a deep breath… to acknowledge the complexity of Jesus’ healing stories, and to instead write a summer vacation sermon.

That’s right, a summer vacation sermon.

And there it was Psalm 100. Isn’t Psalm 100 a perfect vacation Scripture?

The joy.

The gladness.

The singing.

A perfect description of Sitka as I have experienced it with my family this week: Joy, Gladness, Singing.

In our opening hymn for today, “All People That on Earth Do Dwell,” we sang a version of Psalm 100 that captures a deep and abiding sense of gratitude to God.

This Psalm and hymn felt like the permission I needed—and maybe all of you need it, too—to take a deep breath in summer—and simply be joyful and give thanks.

Thanksgiving. Eucharist.

These words are interchangeable.

Eucharist. That’s what we call our meal at the table, and Eucharist comes from the Greek word which literally translates as “thanksgiving.”

Thanksgiving. That’s what we do at this table in the sanctuary, and the tables of our lives.

We bring our whole selves—the parts that have been already healed, and the parts of our selves still in need of healing—and we break bread and give thanks in community.

Always in community.

Jesus shows us, again and again in the gospels, that Thanksgiving doesn’t happen when we break apart into separate groups, but when we come together—a whole ragtag bunch—and insist on a bold and inclusive Way-of-Love community.

A Love that sits at table with tax collectors and sinners and anybody else that wanders in in need of healing.

This week, during my time away from home and work, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the tables of our lives…

Tables that hold our best moments and worst, our joys and our sorrows.

These tables hold it all—and I don’t think it’s any accident that in our faith tradition, we come to a shared community table to give thanks to God.

I’d like to close with a beautiful poem, written by former U.S. poet laureate, Joy Harjo. Her poem about tables… and all they hold.

PERHAPS THE WORLD ENDS HERE, by Joy Harjo[1]

The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.

The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.

We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.

It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.

At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.

Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.

This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.

Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory.

We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.

At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.

Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.

Thank you for welcoming me to your wild and beautiful community—and welcoming me to this table, that connects us mysteriously, across time and space.

This table that restores us, in community, again and again and again.

A miracle to behold. Amen.

 [1] https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49622/perhaps-the-world-ends-here

2nd Sunday after Pentecost, June 7, 2026

Scriptures: Hosea 5:15-6:6; Psalm 50:7-15; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Reflection by Kit Allgood-Mellema

7 June 2026, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 5A

When I have a lot going on at one time, I tend to become very focused on the task at hand or the person I’m with, to the point that I sometimes lose sight of what’s going on around me. Those moments can consume a lot of energy, and those are the times I wished I’d planned my schedule a little better. That’s what I thought about when I read today’s lesson. It’s an exhausting lesson to read, and by the way, who overbooked Jesus’s schedule and managed his calendar? This might be a gospel lesson in organization. Or maybe it’s a lesson about love?

The gospels of evangelists Mark and Luke include passages similar to the one we heard today, but Matthew is the only evangelist who also includes Jesus’s call to the tax collector named Matthew in the same setting as the other people of this gospel reading: the woman who was bleeding, the leader of the synagogue and the daughter who had died. Unlike Mark and Luke, Matthew minimizes the mention of the crowds found in Mark and Luke; if you pay careful attention though, you get a sense of the numbers of people gathering around Jesus wherever he went. Somehow in the midst of the throngs and commotion, Jesus managed to stay focused on one thing.

In today’s reading, we are introduced to four people. Three of them were among those who were most often found on the margins of society. Tax collectors were shunned as traitors of their own people. They worked for – or in reality they were used by - the Roman occupiers and were known to take more than what was due in order to line their own pockets, always at the expense of those who bore the burden of taxation, especially the poor.

Women were at best third-class citizens who had very few rights. They were not allowed to associate with men outside their families. The woman in today’s reading, physically exhausted and emotionally depleted, was even more of an outcast because of her illness. No selfrespecting man would allow himself to be touched by her. Even her family would have been forbidden to embrace her.

The synagogue leader, known as Jairus in the other two gospels, was one of a group opposed to Jesus’s activities. In spite of his influence, he was helpless in the face of the loss of his daughter. And as a female child, his daughter was fully under the control of her father and not allowed to make decisions for herself or associate with people outside her family on her own. Four different people.

Four different circumstances. One response.

Each of these four, whether they came to Jesus or Jesus came to them, whether they were packed in a bustling crowd or in a small gathering, became the center of Jesus’s attention, the focus of his gaze and his space. These were intimate moments, those times when even in a crowd, there were only two people facing each other. At that moment they were open and honest and vulnerable. And at each of those moments, the only response was love. Love passing from one person to another and back. Love passing from Jesus to Matthew and back, the despised tax collector, the only one named in this reading, who was offered a place among Jesus’s closest followers, to the horror of many. Love passing from Jesus to the outcast woman and back to Jesus, when she was made whole and well, and could rejoin her community and loved ones. Love passing from Jesus to the synagogue leader and back, as the leader accepted that Jesus spoke truth to power and brought compassion and mercy to a heavy, cruel world. Love passing from Jesus to the little girl and back to Jesus as he restored her breath and health, fully alive and in the arms of those who loved her.

This reading from Matthew’s gospel so beautifully illustrates this most amazing love, this love that could be given and accepted and given back and given forward. And this love didn’t stop in Matthew’s gospel. This love is how Jesus meets each of us today - directly, face-on, open, honest and vulnerable, holding us in his sight, loving us just as we are. This love is how we are to love one another.

It’s the love of Creation, the love of baptism. It’s the love of Jesus suffering and dying on the cross and the love of the resurrection. It’s the love of sharing the good news. It’s the love we find in the eyes of every person we see. It’s the love we find in spite of the noise and crowds and turmoil that often surround us. It’s the love that brings light in the midst of darkness and peace in the midst of chaos. It’s the love that guides us through the hard times as we do all we can to help the most vulnerable everywhere. It’s the love that gives life and changes lives in ways we may not comprehend.

There was one more thing that each of the four people in the gospel shared. They all said, ‘yes!’ At a singular moment, when Jesus invited them to join the sacred journey of life-giving and lifechanging love, they all said a holy Yes! And we can as well, say yes to this love that cannot be held in one place and one time. We can say yes to this love that is so precious and so dynamic it cannot stay still. We can respond with a holy Yes! and together keep it moving!

Thanks be to God! Amen!

Trinity Sunday/Year A - May 31, 2026

Scriptures: Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20

Reflection by Kate Winslow (PDF)

Holy Trinity Sunday Reflection by Kate Winslow

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Pearl of the Week

‘ . . . . in the end, knowing God is as elusive as predicting a firefly's trajectory over a field of hay after dusk, as futile as keeping track of a drop of rain fallen into the ocean in a storm, as blinding as gazing directly at the sun. But contemplating Trinity offers lessons in the dynamism of creation, incarnation, delight, genesis, the inter-relationship of being, of nothing, of everything, of darkness, of light. Image. Silence. And, again, nothing.’

Rev. Suzanne Guthrie

What is the significance of Holy Trinity Sunday?

What does it mean to you?

What are some sets of three you see?

            symbolic of the unity of the Trinity.

We may eat three meals a day. That can be a reminder that holy Trinity Sunday is a feast day. It is one of the few feasts that are celebrated as a doctrine, instead of an event.

 We study God, Jesus’s life and on Easter ascended, last Sunday was Pentecost and the Holy Spirit descends as a dove.  “The Spirit intercedes for us, with sighs too deep for words to express. “Trinity Sunday is today, the Triune God, three in one, the Unity of the Trinity.

Braided River up north, Denali has many.

Woven together, like a braid. Braided River, braided hair, braided Sweetgrass. Our lives are woven together as community.  We have various relationships with each other. Another member may also be a co-worker, and a mentor or friend. A mother is also a daughter, and a wife. Overall, they are the same being, a part of each other, yet separate, and their roles and relationships to others may be different.

“The Lord’s Prayer …The Aramaic original decoded line by line,” on Substack, on Earth Mastery, by Nabu, April 8, 2026

Abba and further meaning in Aramaic.   

“Abwoon does not describe a static paternal deity sitting on a throne. It describes the dynamic, breathing, generative force through which all life continuously emerges into existence.

The most accurate single English translation is closer to the breathing life of all.” (Nabu)

To me, In other words, Creator. And oh, isn’t the Holy Trinity “a dynamic, breathing, generative force?”

The creator’s will, Jesus’ redemption, & spirit giving breath. Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer.

Three verses supporting the Trinity:

1. John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” It establishes the Son’s deity from eternity past. That’s a verse I always contemplate on when I hear it.

2. Genesis 1:26: today’s lesson;

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make humankind in Our image, according to Our likeness”...

*          ”Our likeness” What does that mean?

Father, Son, & Holy Spirit…. While the fullness of the Trinity is not explicitly spelled out in this earliest passage, it alludes to it.

And a bit later in today’s lesson, “He blessed them.” The triune God blesses us. Sit on that a moment.

3. Matthew 28:19: Today’s Gospel:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This verse presents a unity shared by three Persons.

Some translations say make Disciples, some say Teach;. We’re teaching people and we may be learning about the multi facets of God, and carrying the Word of God in our heart; however, being a disciple of includes not just learning, but also demonstrating love, grace, and mercy, and then teaching others.

This verse - Matthew 28:19- has 3 instructions:

1 Therefore GO

2 MAKE Disciples

3 BAPTIZE: in name of

                        1) Father,

                        2) Son,

                        3) Holy Spirit.

4 “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We search, pray and bless in the three aspects of God. We can relate to seeking the will of the creator of land and sea, we can relate to the made in flesh human Jesus who talked, laughed, traveled, taught, wept. We relate to the Spirit on times we connected more with God without knowing how, or had intuitions and deep understanding and guidance we cannot describe.

More Items of 3:

            1.         Sun, Moon, stars,

            2.         The 3 primary colors, red, yellow, blue… can make other colors from these, and limitless representations, as in paintings.

            3.         Terrific trio, the cellist knows the cello and the parts for the violin and piano, need all 3 for the trio. The cellist is not the violin or piano player, yet knows the parts. Need all 3 to play together for it to work.

A 3-Legged stool. Need to have all three legs to hold everything/one up.

            The Creator or Father is of God,

            Jesus the Son is of God,

            The Holy Spirit is of God….

            But the Son is not the Father, or the Spirit. The Spirit is not Jesus, is not the Creator.

*Side note: And if we are weary on our journey, we can trust all the components of the Triune God will give us what we need and hold us up.  (Sit down on the stool)  

⏰TikTok, on the clock, a second, a minute, an hour -three things the clock tells us. And yet each is separate and connected to a whole. The second hand is part of the clock and time, it is not of the minute or hour hand. Knowing all parts, components- gives us more learning time and encompasses more Diversity of learning style, and types of people. Getting to know God as father, son, Holy Spirit,

and the Holy Trinity knows us very intimately, knows how we learn, what we need, when we need it, leads us, guides us, loves us.

The Triune God who meets us in ways only the Holy Trinity can, knowing our learnings style, (3 key learning styles! Auditory, visual, kinesthetic!) God knows our circumstances, asks us to emulate… going out amongst the people, teaching, making all disciples, baptizing… Learning and worshipping, living out the love, grace and mercy, and sharing with others. 

(Blessing at end: . 2 Corinthians 13:14: This blessing invokes the three Persons together, indicating their equal role in our life.)

Reflecting the Creator’s will, the Son’s redeeming work, and the Holy Spirit’s active presence in believers.

            *The Triune God: Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. To whom do you relate most to?

3 items around to remind me of the Holy Trinity,

3 rows of stained glass panels,

3 instruments,

3 circles on the edge of every pew….These are here to remind us of the aspects of God; Father, Son, & Holy Spirit are all around us, inviting us to contemplate the complexities of our “dynamic, breathing, generative” Lord.

The Epistle

2 Corinthians 13:11-13 suggests

It’s not only the unity of the trinity, but the desire for the unity of humanity. The Lord who is with us always, to the end of the age.

And completes the blessing:

(Finally, Put things in order,

1) listen to my appeal,

2)agree with one another,

3)live in peace;)

The god of love and peace be with you

“1.The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,

            2.         the love of God, and

            3.         the communion of the Holy Spirit

be with all of you.”

Day of Pentecost/Year A - May 24, 2026

Scriptures: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; John 20:19-23

Reflection by Kit Allgood-Mellema, Worship Leader

May 24, 202, Day of Pentecost Yr A

When the sun set last night, we said farewell to the season of Easter. Those seven weeks are one long liminal moment when we are balanced between the astonishment and joy of the Resurrection and the reality of what it means to live life centered in the love of Jesus. Perhaps, like the disciples, we have been staying close to one another, venturing out when necessary but mostly waiting for what we hope is to come, for what has been promised – a new life, an advocate to guard, guide and inspire us, for the love of Jesus, the love of the Kingdom of God.

Welcome to Day of Pentecost! I love that we are given such a rousing, exciting launch into this new season that, on the surface, seems to be a bit long and tedious. Even the online lectionary page calls it ‘the long green season.’ I think the disciples would take issue with that. I’d agree with them. We may be here for twenty-six weeks, through November 28th, but this is hardly a mundane time.

Let’s check in with the disciples. We heard from the Book of Acts last week that they were in Jerusalem following Jesus’s ascension into heaven, the men and women together in the upper room, constantly praying, waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus. They had no idea how or when that would happen. That is, we heard today, until early in the morning on the 50th day after the Resurrection, sitting together, they were enveloped by the sound of rushing wind, crowned by tongues of flame and filled with the promised Holy Spirit, encouraged to speak out and be witnesses to the love of Jesus and the promise of God’s Kingdom.

This is where the story gets really interesting. The disciples, moved as they were by the power of the Holy Spirit, were faced with some questions and decisions. Was this really happening as Jesus had promised? Should they take a few steps back and assess the situation? Should they ask questions? Or should they start moving? Thanks be to God, they chose to move, to act, to be led by the Spirit into a new life. They chose to be witnesses to God’s Kingdom and focus on the love of Jesus. They chose to put that love into action in everything they did.

Love in action. The way of love. What does love look like? I could tell you what love looks like for me, but I think you’ve heard it from me once or twice before. For someone else’s thoughts on love - in her book Church Tomorrow? Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers asks, ‘how could we . . . . welcome the vital presence of the Holy Spirit?’ She answers that Jesus did that by ‘forming communities where people were deeply loved and deeply known. . .’ Again, she asks, ‘What if churches were known . . . as communities where people can reliably experience and practice radical love?’ And then she asks us to ‘imagine if we welcomed the mysterious and powerful Holy Spirit to fill and shape our lives, our churches and our world.’

I’m inviting you to pause for a moment and imagine love. Close your eyes if you’d like, or look around you in this beautiful space. Take a moment and let an image of love come to you. Feel it in your heart – that’s the Spirit finding room in you. Print the image of love in your heart, in your mind, in your soul. Get up and move around the room if you want to – that’s the Spirit moving you. Speak of your image of love if the Spirit moves you to give voice to the love you hold. Bring love to this room. Take love out to the world. What you’re seeing, feeling, hearing – make it move. Make it visible. Make it loud or soft or joyous or tender but make that love live and live wildly! Like the disciples, bear witness to love. Give it life and let it bring life! Become the vital presence of the Holy Spirit in the world.

Most importantly, know that you yourself are love, and are always held in love and are never alone.

Thanks be to God!

Easter 7/Year A - May 17, 2026

Scriptures: Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36; 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11; John 17:1-11

Reflection by The Rev. Kathryn Snelling

Today is the seventh and final Sunday of Easter. 

It is also known as Ascension Sunday.

The feast of the Ascension comes 40 days after Easter - after the resurrection. 

And as Kit pointed out last week, it will always fall on a Thursday

But for those who do not have a service to attend on Thursday, we transfer the Feast day of the Ascension to the following Sunday

The Ascension is far too important an event to go unobserved, being one of the seven Principle Feasts of the church.

And I see the Ascension as particularly closely connected to two of the other principal feasts:

Christmas Day, when we celebrate God becoming human in the baby Jesus

and Easter when Jesus defeated sin and death through the resurrection of his human body

Christmas, Easter and the Ascension form a complete circle—the completion of the work he was given to do. 

As we heard in John’s gospel - as Jesus prayed during those final hours with his disciples - even before he went to the cross he prayed; “I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. Now Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory I had in your presence before the world existed.”

Then after the resurrection we have been reading the accounts of Jesus appearing to the disciples on various occasions - assuring them that he was truly alive; showing them his wounds, eating with them and opening their minds to understand the scriptures that were written about him.

Now it was probably unlikely that the disciples were counting the days Jesus was with them.

 But if they had they may have gotten an inkling that something momentous was about to happen.

Forty is a number that pops up throughout scriptures when something significant is happening: Noah was in the ark 40 days- the Israelites wandered in the desert 40 years- Jesus was in the wilderness 40 days and nights and so on.

But instead it appears that some thought that maybe now Jesus was going to oust the Romans and restore the kingdom of Israel.

Not yet quite understanding that he had established HIS Kingdom, the Kingdom of God 

A lot of focus is given to the disciples on the ground, staring up as Jesus ascends - their Rabbi and friend, leaving them again.

But there is another view - the one from heaven where all the angels and heavenly hosts are looking down, watching Jesus returning home as triumphant King.

Whereas the disciples watched with awe and probably a mixture of sadness and bewilderment—I imagine heaven watched with pure joy.

Before Jesus ascended, he again assured them that they were not being left alone - 

but that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon them — and says to them, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth.”

And of course they do and we will talk more about next week.

But today we understand that this is the same work we have been given to do:

We who have received Jesus into our hearts and know his transformative love - are

now to be witnesses and bearers of that love in our world.

To proclaim Jesus’s work of redemption and reconciliation - his showing and paving the way to a right relationship with God.

To spread the Good News, In our “Jerusalem”, our local neighborhoods, “Samaria” our connections in the wider community and “to the ends of the earth”, beyond our imaginations.

It is the  Church, the people who are Jesus’s body on earth.

I  finish with these words from Saint Teresa of Avila , a 16th century nun and priory of her convent.

Christ has no body but yours 

No hands, no feet on earth but yours

yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on the world 

yours are the feet with which he walks to do good

yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world

yours are the hands

yours are the feet 

yours are the eyes

you are his body

Christ has no body on earth now but yours  

Amen

Easter 6/Year A - May 10, 2026

Reflection by Deacon Kathryn Snelling

Easter 6 - May 10, 2026

The Rev Kathryn Snelling, Deacon

Happy Mother’s Day, again.

Now I ask you, was your mother like most mothers who often told you what to do?

She may not have called them commandments, but rules or sometimes just,  “Do what I say, young lady”

Often it was something like; say thank you or clean up your room, or do homework before going out to play, or eat your vegetables!

Did you eat your vegetables?

I didn’t. I do now. I love vegetables. But as a kiddo, not so much.

In fact I found a clever way to hide some of my vegetables. 

Growing up in a large family we had a long dining table with all the leaves extended.

Which provided some very nice little ledges - very handy for slipping in a few veggies.

And I got away with it. Until we were taking the table apart to move it and all these wizened up green beans came tumbling out onto the floor. Right where I had always sat. And right next to them were wizened up peas, where my baby brother sat.

Well, we were all grown by then and our mom just rolled her eyes.

But we do understand why our moms tell us to do these things. They want us to learn good manners. They want us to form good habits that will help us as we continue in school and through life. They want us to eat foods that nourish us so we grow strong and healthy. So, they don’t do it just to be bossy? No, it’s because they love us and want what is best for us. And when we are honest we realize that those “rules” did help and probably at least some stayed with us.

Jesus likened himself to a mother. A mother hen, actually. When he was lamenting about the people straying away from God. He said he wanted to be like a mother hen, gathering her chicks under her wings, but they would not come. He wanted to comfort and guide them.

In the Gospel reading today Jesus continues to prepare his disciples for a life without him being physically present. He wanted to comfort them and guide them. 

And he says to them, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

And although I will leave this world, you will see me because I will come to you.

I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.

He tells them that they know this Advocate already because he abides with them - as the person of Jesus.

But now, he, this Advocate, will abide in them. 

Now this is an amazing thing to say. And I wouldn’t be surprised if their eyes were starting to glass over. 

But he continues to say : On that day….. and I think we know what day that day is… it is fast approaching.  The day the Advocate arrives.

On that day you will know… that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you and the Advocate is in there and we start talking that triune language that makes the head spin when we try to put into words.

But then he brings it all back down to earth…

And says, “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me and will be loved…”

Jesus is now speaking in the plural…beyond time and space – speaking to all disciples of every age and community.

So this wasn’t an exclusive club Jesus was addressing. He was addressing all who would come to put their trust in him.

Assuring all that we are not left alone. 

And just as the Holy Spirit guided and comforted the early disciples as they moved forward after the resurrection and ascension… through all sorts of challenges and struggles, some to martyrdom as they carried out their missions;

So, too does the Holy Spirit abide in each of us today who have his commandments and keep them. All who follow Jesus in his way of love.

Through all the challenges and struggles, ups and downs, joys and sorrows, the easy-pezie and the-bang-our-head against-a-rock kind of days.

Jesus is with us.

We have the

Advocate

Comforter

Intercessor 

Guide

Friend

Good Shepherd

Mother Hen

Holy and undivided Trinity

Come Holy Spirit

Easter 5/Year A - May 3, 2026

Scriptures: Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14

Reflection by Kit Allgood-Mellema, Worship Leader

Easter 4/Year A - April 26, 2026

Scriptures: Psalm 23; Acts 2:42-47; 1 Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10

Reflection by Marianne Gould

The 23rd Psalm Through New Lenses

Many of us have probably had the opportunity to experience the wonderful world of optometry. My apologies to any eye doctors who might be in attendance. My first visit to the eye doctor was in 2nd grade as the letters on the chalkboard seemed fuzzy. The chalkboard... that's kind of a clue as to how many years I've been around. In middle school, it wasn't cool to wear glasses, so unless I was at home doing homework, I didn't wear them. Thankfully, the glasses I wore earlier in my life corrected my eyesight and for many years, I was able to function without any help.

But fast forward a few decades and the print was getting smaller and smaller, so I decided to get contacts. If I didn't tell anyone, no one would know I was wearing them! But... then came cataracts... the bane of aging America and the gift to Optometrists! New lenses were actually implanted in my eyes so I was able to navigate life with no glasses...until. As surely as winter will eventually turn to spring, I found that driving at night was not safe, even on familiar roads.

So why am I talking about eyesight? What does that have to do with the biblical text this morning? While the text this morning is from John 10: 1-10, there are many references throughout the Bible that refer to Jesus as the shepherd. In fact, google says that there are over 200 of them.

While I enjoy reading the familiar stories year after year, I am always trying to find new ways to experience the familiar. After all, each of us changes from day to day. And each time we read scripture, we see the text through our own changed lenses... through newly experienced perspectives.

The 23rd Psalm which has been attributed to David, is probably one of the best known Psalms in the Bible. Over the centuries, it has brought comfort to people in exile, people in celebration, and people in death. How could we ever see anything new and different in those words? But what if we looked at the words in that psalm through a lens of those who face poverty, food insecurity, injustice and marginalization?

In The Book of Common Prayer, the psalm's pivot is in the line about paths and "for God's sake." The lines before lead up to that couplet-and the lines after flow from it. .. The pivot reads: He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways/or his name's sake. In the King James version ... that phrase reads: He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

"right pathways" where God guides us on life's journey is very comforting.

With God in charge, we are comforted, assured that there's no way we can go astray. But that really isn't what life is about. There is still much suffering and anxiety on our journey!

I subscribe to a daily meditation published by the Center for Action and Contemplation lead by Father Richard Rohr. A few weeks ago when I was preparing today's message, Diana Butler Bass, author and Christian historian, wrote about the 23rd Psalm from the perspective of Robert Alter, a 90 year old, professor emeritus of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California at Berkeley. His perspective on this psalm opened my eyes and helped me to see this part of scripture through new lenses.

He points out that in scripture, the words right and righteousness are interchangeable with the word justice. In our North American context, we would not think to understand it that way! Very few middle-class church people would ever think of substitutingjustice for either word. Using the word justice in the sentence changes and contrasts sharply with the way we've always understood it.

Alter's version, however, grabs our attention as justice becomes the pivotal word in the psalm. Verses 1-3 reads:

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. In grass meadows

He makes me lie down,

by quiet waters guides me. My life He brings back.

He leads me on pathways of justice

for His name's sake.

The psalmist proclaims, This is the reality of the Lord's government, the beloved community, over and against all oppression and exploitation. Through it, we humans are restored to what was always indeed: My life He brings back: Our lives He brings back.

Looking at Psalm 23 through this lens doesn't mean that we should remain content to lay in grass meadows by quiet waters. We are called and challenged to be citizens of the sacred realm of God... to walk with Jesus on these pathways of justice to make God's reign known throughout the world.

So... just how should we go about practicing this justice in today's world? I would like to suggest that we return to scripture and follow Jesus our shepherd.

Feed the hungry: collect food for those in need. (Salvation Army, manna meals, etc.

Clothe the naked: Support the White E, go through your closet and donate what you no longer wear

Speak up for those being taken advantage of: Challenge racism, ageism, sexism, misogyny, or any "ism" that separates us from neighbor.

Heal the sick: While many of us are not health professionals, we can all support clean water, clean air, promote healthy habits and perhaps drive people to doctor appointments.

Support your non-profits: Work together as a community... to benefit the community.

Not only is Jesus our Good Shepherd, we are encouraged to be a Good Shepherd to others by putting others before self, showing mercy to anyone in need, breaking down barriers, and showing love not just to those who look like us, think like us, or vote like us... but to all those people who just like us... were made in the image of the Divine. Let us follow Jesus on pathways of justice, over and against all oppression and exploitation. Through it we are restored to what God always intended for us. "My life He brings Back: Our lives He brings back.

Easter 3/Year A - April 19, 2026

Scriptures: Acts 2:14a,36-41; Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35

Reflection by Kit Allgood-Mellema, Worship Leader

19 April 2026, 3rd Sunday of Easter, Yr A

The Apostle Luke really knows how to tell a story – the best kind of story, one that leaves you waiting for more, that begs you to ask questions and look deeper. In today’s gospel, Luke tells a story about a mystery but he leaves the mystery for us to explore. So I began to look at today’s gospel in the spirit of that storytelling expertise.

In today’s reading, there were two disciples on the road. Who were they? One was named Cleopas. Or maybe Clopas. There is debate about his identity. His wife might have Mary who was present with Jesus’ mother Mary at the crucifixion. He might have been the brother of Joseph. His companion’s identity is lost to us, but they must have been good friends, friends who were on what might have been a deserted road going to a village called Emmaus, about 7 miles from Jerusalem. Emmaus means ‘hot springs,’ and there were several hot springs around Jerusalem. The exact location is a mystery.

I guess the walk would have been about 2 ½ hours. But in those fear-filled days, what were they doing out on the road? Why were they not in hiding with the others? Were they going home and planning to hide with their families? They were so engrossed in their grief and sadness, in deep conversation about the events of the past few days, they barely realized there was someone walking alongside them! Fortunately, it was not a Roman soldier who might have arrested them, or someone who meant them harm. When the stranger asked about their discussion, they willingly shared their story about the death of the teacher, the messiah they had been hoping for, the prophet who had died. But, they shared, some of the women of our group claim to have seen his tomb empty earlier in the day. Maybe he had risen and is alive? Maybe there is still hope?

The stranger listened to them, and then they listened to him as he began to tell them the things they should have remembered from the scriptures, the stories they had forgotten in their grief, the stories and lessons of the prophets that were about the teacher they were mourning. And the three continued walking.

As was common hospitality in those days, when they arrived at the village, the two men invited the stranger to come home with them, to stay them and share a meal. The story of the two disciples suddenly recognizing Jesus as he began to bless and share their meal is awesome and startling, as is the image of Jesus suddenly disappearing from their sight. As shocked as they were, they knew this was a story to be shared. The two immediately began a hurried 7-mile journey back to Jerusalem as night was falling. When they arrived and began to tell the others Jesus had appeared to them in the breaking of the bread, they heard that others had seen Jesus too.

This was the last we heard of Cleopas and his companion in the gospels, but these two leave us with a lot of questions. As I thought about some of the mysteries – and clues - Luke gave us, I realized Cleopas and his companion were more than just two people in a short passage of the Bible. These two left us a blueprint for discipleship!

Our faith, our being disciples of Jesus, doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and Cleopas and his companion show us that. Even in their grief and later in their amazement, they were sharing the words that would bring Jesus to the world, the good news, the hard news, the news of love. When a stranger appeared, they openly and honestly shared with him. And then they listened!! They didn’t assume the stranger had nothing to say about Jesus. They listened to the words the stranger offered and they learned from him. They offered companionship and a meal. And when they realized their companion was the risen Christ, they immediately returned to share the story.

Our baptismal covenant could have been written from the story of Cleopas and his companion. Let’s take a look at the covenant - I invite you to turn to page 293 of our prayer book and follow along.

The covenant begins: ‘Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers?’ Cleopas and his friend lived this promise as they walked, shared words of good news, and shared a table, a home, a meal with a ‘stranger.’

And the covenant continues: ‘Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?’ The two disciples did not give in to the snare of fear and grief, or to the idea that they might know everything about Jesus. They allowed their eyes to be opened to the presence and blessings of Jesus.

‘Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?’ In all their actions, Cleopas and his friend showed us what sharing the Good News looks like.

‘Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?’ Greeting strangers and showing hospitality, sharing a meal and a safe refuge are some of the many ways we can show love to our neighbors.

‘Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?’ Not knowing who he was, the disciples treated the stranger on the road as an equal, as someone who deserved to be heard, fed and given sanctuary. They didn’t question his beliefs, his origins, or his intentions. They saw someone like themselves, with needs to be met and a story to tell.

They showed us how to be disciples.

Thanks be to God!

Easter 2/Year A - April 12, 2026

Scriptures: Psalm 16: Acts 2:14a,22-32: Canticle 13, A Song of Praise; 1 Peter 1:3-9; Canticle 18, A Song to the Lamb: John 20:19-31

Reflection by Marianne Gould

“I'll believe it when I see it!” - Walking the trail - Trusting in the Resurrection

Reflection by Marianne Gould

The Apostle Thomas, the primary topic of the Gospel today, is often referred to a Doubting Thomas... as someone less than... someone who is a day late and a dollar short of witnessing the Resurrected Jesus... the Christ. I guess if I had to choose an adjective to go with my name, "Doubting" isn't the worst thing to be known by. The Risen Christ first appeared to Mary Magdalene and the women.

When they told of the resurrection, the disciples did not believe. The Risen Christ appeared to the disciples, later that day, when they were locked away in an upper room. They saw Jesus. They talked with him, they spent time with him. They saw...they believed. Mary Magdalene and the women saw Jesus

resurrected... they believed! The disciples saw Jesus resurrected in the upper

room ... they believed! Thomas did not see the Risen Christ. He only heard about it. It is not surprising that Thomas was doubtful of their story! It seems that even in Jesus' time... seeing was believing.

In verse 25, Thomas said "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." Thomas could not believe that Jesus was alive, even though that's what his friends were telling him! He hadn't seen it! How could he be sure!

Can you relate to Thomas' predicament? This event happened thousands of years ago, but even in today's world, how can we be sure that what we hear is the truth? Isn't it more likely that we are skeptical of what we hear? We prefer to see it for ourselves and hear it with our own ears... then, and only then... perhaps we can believe. With all the misinformation and disinformation floating around these days on social platforms, it is more than a challenge to separate fact from fiction.

What and Who can we believe ... and what needs to be thrown out and locked away? Is our faith one that blindly believes what we are told...or do we sometimes doubt. .. just like Thomas?

As a part of my study in writing sermons, it has become my practice to read several translations of the text. I don't do this because I do not believe what the text says. I read several texts in order to help me understand what is being said.

Looking through a different perspective may shine a light on the text and help me look deeper into God's word.

One of the translations I used for this text is The First Nation's Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament. l Peter 1: 9 says: "For your trust in him is bringing you to the end of the trail, where your whole being will be set free and made whole." Isn't that a beautiful way of looking at the Resurrection? In thinking about all the beautiful hiking and walking trails in Sitka... stepping forward along these trails with Jesus, we can affirm our faith even when we cannot see. "For your trust in him is bringing you to the end of the trail, where your whole being will be set free and made whole." That translation, especially within all the beauty in Sitka, feels much more meaningful than "for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

The next thing I noticed is that when Thomas was able to be with Jesus, Jesus did not ridicule him, belittle him, laugh at him or chastise him in any way. Jesus merely said, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.''

In the Indigenous Translation of the New Testament John 20: 27 says "Look closely at my hands and touch my scars with your finger. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Then put away your doubts and trust in me."

Hearing Jesus' voice encouraging Thomas to see and feel his wounds is so reaffirming. Jesus is giving Thomas (and us) permission to doubt, to ask questions, to be skeptical. Jesus is not ashamed of his wounds. He shows the signs of the wounds to his disciples, all the external wounds Jesus experienced at the hands of the Roman Empire.

In the book Barking to the Choir, Father Gregory Boyle, who leads an organization for gang members trying to get their lives straight, he tells the story of Sergio. "I wore 3 t-shirts to school to hide my mother's beatings, cuz I was ashamed of my scars....But now I welcome my wounds. I run my fingers over my scars. My wounds are my friends. After all, how can I help others heal if I don't welcome my own wounds?"

We too all have wounds... some that can be seen and some that are hidden in the recesses of our psyche. Thomas' story is a reminder that we are not alone. Jesus had wounds too. The disciples had wounds from this as well. They had run from perceived danger. They had fallen asleep when he prayed. They had disappeared when he needed them... and they had even denied knowing him ... yet he showed no anger. Jesus did not seek retribution for their lack of faith. He did not chastise them for the weakness of their faith. Jesus had already embraced his wounds.

A few Sundays ago, Nancy Jo Bleier in her meditation, gave some beautiful examples of how different cultures embrace their wounds. I spent some time that following week thinking about my own wounds, both those you might see or even those I try to keep hidden. Have I learned to embrace them ... no longer feeling shame or anger? Have I worked through those wounds enough that I can help others to heal? Or do I try to hide them and hope that no one will notice them? Am I willing to be in conversation with the Holy Spirit so that I can help others by sharing my experience, strength and hope?

In verse 22 of the NRSV, Jesus breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." In the first nation version "He blew his breath on them and said, "You will breathe in and receive the Holy Spirit." Accompanied by the Holy Spirit all the disciples are S EN T out to share their experience, strength and hope. You might be saying to yourself.. .I cannot do that. I am afraid of speaking of Jesus and his resurrection.

Rumi, a 13th century Persian Sufi wrote "Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?" The disciples' experience of being locked in a room out of fear is one that many of us understand. Fear often feels like a prison, and what we are afraid of can truly be a threat to our mental and physical well-being. The resurrection, however, opens the prison door, and the Spirit that Jesus breathed on the disciples enabled them to be sent. The Spirit that Jesus breathed on them that day is the same Spirit that Jesus B R E A T H E S on us today. You are called and sent into the world today to make a difference. "Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?" Amen