Newest Posts

• Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
  8 Feb 2026
  

  saiah declares that when we loose the bonds of injustice and share our bread with the hungry, the light breaks forth like the dawn. In another passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus, the light of the world, calls his followers to let the light of their good works shine before others. Through baptism we are sent into the world to shine with the light of Christ.

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• Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
  1 Feb 2026
  

  Who are the blessed ones of God? For Micah, they are those who do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. For Paul, they are the ones who find wisdom in the weakness of the cross. For Jesus, they are the poor, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who mourn, and those who hunger for righteousness. In baptism we find our blessed identity and calling in this countercultural way of living and serving.

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• Third Sunday after Epiphany
  25 Jan 2026
  

  Jesus begins his public ministry by calling fishers to leave their nets and follow him. In Jesus the kingdom of God has come near. We who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. We see this light most profoundly in the cross—as God suffers with us and all who are oppressed by sickness, sin, or evil. Light dawns for us as we gather around the word, the font, and the holy table. We are then sent to share the good news that others may be “caught” in the net of God’s grace and mercy.

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• Second Sunday after Epiphany
  18 Jan 2026
  

  Today’s gospel opens with further reflection on Jesus’ baptism. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and the one anointed by the Spirit. In the liturgy we come and see Christ revealed among us in word and meal. We go forth to invite others to come and worship the Holy One and to receive the gifts of grace and peace made known among us.

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• Pastoral Message from Bishop Keith Marshall
  17 Jan 2026
  

  Beloved Members of the Southwestern Washington Synod, I find myself at a loss for words in this moment. I sit shocked and heartbroken, crying out to God, asking where we are to turn in a time as our divisions continue to grow and what has become normalized is so shocking and startling. As your bishop, I find myself deeply concerned for our hearts, our communities, our families, and ourselves. Along with the violence and hate we see on display daily, I am concerned to what extent that level of dehumanization and desensitization has taken hold among us. I am troubled and concerned that violence, hate, and rhetoric have become so normalized that we risk embracing the very things we claim to be crying out against. I am troubled that these efforts to dehumanize others may lead many to walk away from what we hold as Lutherans to be true: that two things can be true at the same time, for we are people of “and,” not “either/or.” The gospel calls us to live in this tension, not to escape it. We are called to resist the normalization of dehumanizing those with whom we disagree and to rise above the forces that would harden our hearts. There is nothing more antithetical to the gospel than denying the humanity and Imago Dei of another. When we begin to do so, we begin to embrace that which we know is not true and not of God. In this moment, I invite you to guard your hearts and minds from the violence and hate. Do not blind yourself to it, nor ignore it, hoping it will simply go away. Rather, I invite you to follow the way of Christ: praying for all who grieve, naming injustice wherever it occurs, and refusing to let fear, anger, or ideology eclipse our calling to love our neighbor, to stand with the marginalized, and to bear faithful witness to the gospel. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:7 Rev. Keith Marshall Bishop, Southwestern Washington Synod

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• ELCA Presiding Bishop Offers Statement on ICE Shooting in MN
  15 Jan 2026
  

  Learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:17). Alongside our siblings in Christ in Minneapolis and throughout Minnesota and all who have been impacted by aggressive immigration enforcement and violence by federal law enforcement agents, I mourn the shocking shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Jan. 7, 2026. I join calls for a thorough investigation into this case, accountability for the shooting and a de-escalation of ICE enforcement across the United States. Alongside the Lutherans who have held vigils in Minneapolis and around the country, our church prays for God’s peace in this community and justice in this case. The ELCA is committed to upholding and guaranteeing basic human rights for the safety of migrants and their families. Our church works toward just and humane policies affecting migrants in and outside the United States. We decry language that dehumanizes immigrants who are beloved children of God and escalates tensions between federal agents and communities. Surges of immigration enforcement and violent encounters like we are seeing in Minneapolis — as well as in Chicago; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; and Washington, D.C.— have indiscriminately targeted our neighbors, creating fear and uncertainty. This has created conditions where immigrants, those accompanying them and federal agents are all at risk. ELCA social teaching provides guidance in complex situations: “Public safety depends upon trust in law enforcement to respect and protect the rights of all” (“Gun-related Violence and Trauma”). As a church, we are concerned by the trend of law enforcement and federal agents involved in immigration enforcement relying on the use of force in our communities without sufficient accountability or oversight. God calls us to be witnesses to God’s presence, healing and hope. I invite ongoing prayers, vigils and advocacy for peace and justice, and I affirm the ELCA’s “pledge to continue our church’s historic leadership in caring for refugees and immigrants” (For Peace in God’s World).  In Christ, The Rev. Yehiel Curry Presiding Bishop Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Resources are available from the ELCA’s migration strategy AMMPARO (Accompanying Migrants with Protection, Advocacy, Representation, and Opportunities). Bishop Curry Issues Statement on ICE Shooting About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.7 million members in more than 8,400 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther. For information contact: Candice Hill Buchbinder Public Relations Manager Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org

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• Baptism of Our Lord
  11 Jan 2026
  

  In the waters of the Jordan, Jesus is revealed as the beloved Son of God. Through this great epiphany, Jesus fulfills all righteousness and becomes the servant of God who will bring forth justice and be a light to the nations. In the waters of baptism, we too are washed by the Word, anointed by the Spirit, and named God’s beloved children. Our baptismal mission is to proclaim good news to all who are oppressed or in need of God’s healing.

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