“I want a divorce!”
Bill was so fed up with the church in the early 1980s that he just wanted nothing to do with it anymore. Having found a warm, embracing evangelical faith in the late 1960s, Bill was dismayed at the rise of televangelism, increased bigotry, and mega churches focused on material wealth. Bill wanted to walk with Jesus, just not the church that used His name.
Bill kept his faith private until, in 2009, the televised Catholic funeral of Edward Kennedy piqued his interest in a different expression of Christianity. With some wariness, since he had always been taught that “organized” religion is the evil Babylon, his spiritual hunger had him try the Episcopal Church. Bill came to Redeemer and found a table ready for him to eat.
“The Eucharist is what makes God present to me.” The home churches would occasionally have a Lord’s Supper but having it regularly is so much more meaningful. What made it even more credible is that real humans, people just like Bill, were the ones leading service. [The] Rev. [John] Ferguson, Bishop [Greg] Rickel, [the] Rev. [Jed] Fox all spoke to how grace makes us whole, not legality.
While Bill feels fed by the common worship at Redeemer, it is the one-on-one stories he hears at gatherings, like the Spiritual Companions, where he sees God working in everyday lives. It is the two sides of the coin—Eucharist and fellowship—that Bill cherishes about Redeemer.
As Christians we are story tellers. We have an ancient narrative, one that describes the beginning of time and the relationship between God and God’s Creation. We see this story grow through the prophetic tradition until our story recounts the life and gifts of the Son of God. Today the story of God’s work in the world continues in each of us as we encounter and are transformed by the Good News. Collectively we, the Church of the Redeemer, carry on in God’s mission to bring God’s transformative love into our time and place. We magnify the Lord!
Church of the Redeemer
Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
The Episcopal Church welcomes you.