Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

Worshiping God, living in community, reaching out to the world.

Category: Bulletin Inserts

The bulletin insert for January 19, 2025
This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Epiphany Bible Study: Week 2

During the season of Epiphany, The Episcopal Church’s Office of Global Partnerships is offering a weekly Bible study prepared by writers across the church and Anglican Communion. Each piece, consisting of the Sunday readings, can be studied alone, in small groups, or even with a congregation. You can find the whole study for each week at www.sermonsthatwork.org.

This week’s study for Epiphany 2 (C) was written by the Most Rev. Ian Ernest, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s personal representative to the Holy See and the director of the Anglican Centre in Rome.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be ignorant. ²You know that when you were gentiles you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. ³Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, ⁵and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, ⁶and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. ⁷To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰to another the working of powerful deeds, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

Commentary from Ian Ernest

I wish to lay emphasis on one part of this text which refers to the unity of the Church. Being the Body of Christ, the Church is called to allow every part of it to play its role so that it can bear true witness to the love of God as revealed in Christ. There is no place for uniformity in the Church, as within it people are bestowed with different gifts and have different tasks to attend to. The gift is offered by the Holy Spirit and is designed for an interdependent life in unity and harmony which brings glory to God.

As all gifts come from God, each one is therefore invited to use his or her competence in the service of God. Unfortunately, we have an erroneous perception that the gifts we receive are limited to the spiritual or the academic realm. Thus, it would be important for us to acknowledge that no distinction is to be made regarding the gifts we freely receive. A person who is a worker in a skilled trade, for example, a carpenter, an electrician, a plumber, and others, should be encouraged to see that the talent he or she possesses comes from God.

The Church would then be enriched if all were given the opportunity to dedicate their skills to serve God and his people. This teaching of Paul also gives a detailed view of the gifts graciously offered to us; from it, we learn about the work and nature of the early Church. It informs us that, as members of the Body of Christ, we have to possess the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. This means that we have to know the deep things about God and simultaneously apply them to our daily lives.

Discussion Questions
- Do we have a full understanding of how we could serve God and God’s people with the potential we have?
- What is the distinction between wisdom and knowledge?
Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

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.
January 17, 2025
The bulletin insert for January 12, 2025
This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Epiphany Bible Study: Week 1

During the season of Epiphany, The Episcopal Church’s Office of Global Partnerships is offering a weekly Bible study prepared by writers across the church and Anglican Communion. Each piece, consisting of the Sunday readings, can be studied alone, in small groups, or even with a congregation. You can find the whole study for each week at www.sermonsthatwork.org.

This week’s study for Epiphany 1 (C) was written by the Rev. David Copley, director of Global Partnerships and Mission Personnel. He has served on the churchwide staff since 2006.

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

¹⁵As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, ¹⁶John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

²¹Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, ²²and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Commentary from David Copley

I can imagine the scene: A long line of people who have heard the preaching of John, a voice crying in the wilderness to all who would listen. His calling was one of repentance and forgiveness as he baptized the throng of humanity with water along the banks of the Jordan. Jesus arrives and joins the end of the line, waiting patiently for his baptism by John. Fully God and fully human, Jesus lines up with the brokenness of humanity and in solidarity with them. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he becomes of part of who we are in our humanity as wounded people, not fully saint or fully sinner, just human beings in all our frailty. Jesus become part of who we are in this world. After John’s baptism, Jesus is filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit and declared the Son of God. Fully human as he lined up with the people to receive John’s baptism and fully the Son of God through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism marks the beginning of our faith journey with our siblings in Christ and our journey as children of God. Baptism reminds us that we are filled with the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever. Learning to fully experience and live into that reality is a lifelong adventure with Christ. As children of God, we are called to live out our baptismal vows in prayer and action, recognizing that all humanity and creation are part of God’s care and that we are siblings in Christ with our neighbors in all the world.

Discussion Questions
- Where in your life have you lined up with those who are different than yourself and joined in solidarity with others who are also broken and needy?
- How are you stretching yourself in your life journey into experiencing the Holy Spirit through the presence of others?
Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

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.
January 10, 2025
The bulletin insert for January 5, 2025

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer

The below is the weekly calendar produced by the Anglican Communion for 2025. Over the course of each year, we pray for each of the provinces of the Communion. For more information, visit iam.ec/prayercycle.

January

5          The Church in Wales
12         The Church of the Province of West Africa
19         The Church in the Province of the West Indies
26         The Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria

February

2          The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia
9          The Anglican Church of Australia
16         The Church of Bangladesh
23         Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil

March

2          The Anglican Church of Burundi
9          The Anglican Church of Canada
16         The Church of the Province of Central Africa
23         Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America
30         Province de L’Eglise Anglicane Du Congo

April

6          Iglesia Anglicana de Chile
13         The Church of England
20         Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui
27         The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean

May

4          The Church of Ireland
11         Nippon Sei Ko Kai
18         The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem & The Middle East
25        The Anglican Church of Kenya

June

1           The Anglican Church of Korea
8          The Anglican Church of Melanesia
15        La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico
22         Igreja Anglicana de Mocambique e Angola
29         The Church of the Province of Myanmar (Burma)

July

6          The Church of Nigeria
13         The Church of North India (United)
20         The Church of Pakistan (United)
27         The Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea

August

3          The Episcopal Church in the Philippines
10         Eglise Anglicane du Rwanda
17         The Scottish Episcopal Church
24         The Church of the Province of South East Asia
31         The Church of South India (United)

September

7          The Anglican Church of Southern Africa
14         The Anglican Church of South America
21         Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan
28         Province of the Episcopal Church of Sudan

October

5          The Anglican Church of Tanzania
12         The Church of the Province of Uganda
19         The Episcopal Church
26         The Church in Wales

November

2          The Church of the Province of West Africa
9          The Church in the Province of the West Indies
16         The Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria
23         The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia
30         The Anglican Church of Australia

December

7          The Church of Bangladesh
14         Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil
21         The Anglican Church of Burundi
28         The Anglican Church of Canada

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

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.

January 3, 2025
The bulletin insert for December 29, 2024
This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

The Presiding Bishop’s Christmas Message

Dear People of God in The Episcopal Church:

Among the Christmas Gospels, Luke is surely the crowd pleaser. Nearly our entire visual vocabulary of Christmas—the manger, the shepherds, the angels—comes from the second chapter of Luke. Thanks to Luke, we all know the answer to the trivia question, “Who was Quirinius?”

But if you go to church on Christmas morning, or if your congregation’s custom is to read a last Gospel on Christmas Eve, you will hear the beginning of the Gospel of John, which includes other words we all know: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” Christmas does not truly begin for me until I hear those words.

While Luke paints us a picture of a noisy and chaotic birth, in John we encounter the powerfully quiet mystery of the Incarnation. John brings us the astonishing truth that God lived among us as a person, “full of grace and truth,” ready to share the pain and sorrow of being human.

Especially this year, our hurting and divided world is desperate for the Incarnation. We live, as have many generations before us, in a time of fear, division, and instability. The Enemy has turned us against one another, sometimes in our own families and communities. The land of Jesus’ birth is torn apart by violence and tremendous suffering, and across the globe, we have hardened our hearts against the strangers among us. All too often, we hear voices that claim the mantle of Christianity calling most loudly for exclusion and conquest.

As Episcopalians, we must resist the urge to retreat from this broken world. Instead, we have been called to model our life together on a different vision of God’s kingdom. Contrary to the world’s expectations, we have bound ourselves together in a global community, following the Risen Christ together despite our differences. We know that death, suffering, and enmity are not the last word, and we proclaim it every time we gather at God’s table.

At Christmas, we can make our unity a witness to the world. Every day, in congregations and communities across our church, you are feeding the hungry, binding up the brokenhearted, caring for the vulnerable, and transforming lives through the power of the gospel. We can also proclaim God’s presence by giving to our church’s historic ministries that are working to alleviate suffering at home and abroad:
- Episcopal Migration Ministries, which is working to resettle refugees and create welcoming communities for migrants in the face of fear.
- American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which brings hope and healing to vulnerable families across the Holy Land.
- Episcopal Relief & Development, which advances lasting change in communities affected by injustice, poverty, disaster, and climate change.
Most of all, we can commit our lives to creating a world that is more just and more loving, in which the grace and truth that came down to us at Christmas is kindled all year long. Especially this year, as we begin our ministry together, I am grateful to be working toward this vision with you.

May God bless you and all those you love this Christmas and always.

The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe
Presiding Bishop

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

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.
December 27, 2024
The bulletin insert for December 22, 2024

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Journeying in the World

As we come closer to the joy and promise of the Incarnation, we invite you to continue journeying the Way of Love. Consider this week which of the seven practices captured your imagination this Advent. Which challenged you or brought the most joy? Where did you find blessings or cross boundaries? Where is God calling you to witness to salvation being birthed into the world today?

For more Advent resources related to the Way of Love, visit episcopalchurch.org/wayoflove. There, you’ll find links to the full Advent curriculum Journeying the Way of Love, as well as Living the Way of Love in Community, a nine-session curriculum for use anytime.

Sunday, December 22: WORSHIP

Linger before leaving your worship time today. How is God calling you to hear and sing along with Mary’s Song? Read Luke 1:39-55.

Monday, December 23: PRAY

Pray along with the Collect for Advent 4, found on page 212 in The Book of Common Prayer. Pick three or four of your beloveds to focus your prayers on today. Make sure to leave some silent space for God to offer you some wisdom about what they may need right now.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation,
that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a
mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Tuesday, December 24: REST

The conventional wisdom is that new parents should rest when the baby is resting. Make sure you take some time out to rest with Baby Jesus — and marvel in the wonder of a fresh, new, clean, shiny, tiny, precious start. Take a nap and thank God for the gift of Jesus and for peace at Christmas.

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

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.

December 20, 2024
The bulletin insert for December 15, 2024

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Journeying with Community

As we continue our Advent walk, we invite you to see the Way of Love as a journey that includes the community. The witness of Zechariah and Elizabeth who bring infant John to the Temple to be circumcised reminds us of the importance of our faith community to sustaining the Way of Love. Just as the community did for John’s family, communities provide a place for discernment, sometimes challenging us and other times affirming us. Communities celebrate and mark important moments along the journey.

For more Advent resources related to the Way of Love, visit episcopalchurch.org/wayoflove. There, you’ll find links to the full Advent curriculum Journeying the Way of Love, as well as Living the Way of Love in Community, a nine-session curriculum for use anytime.

Sunday, December 15: WORSHIP

Imagine the faces you’d like to see at church—an all-star list of folks you want to worship with. This could be people you know from summer camp when you were a kid, people who might have already died, people you work with — all your favorites. Commit to pray for those folks this week. And make a commitment to ask one of your all-stars to come to church with you in the next month.

Monday, December 16: PRAY

Pray along with the Collect for Advent 3, found on page 212 in The Book of Common Prayer. How will prayer guide you through the rest of the week? Set aside special time today to focus your intentions on stirring up peace and spreading joy.

Third Sunday of Advent

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come
among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins,
let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver
us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and
the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Tuesday, December 17: TURN

Turn away from the busyness of the world right now. Turn your heart and mind toward giving thanks for this time of reflection, refreshment, and renewal.

Wednesday, December 18: BLESS

Spend a significant amount of time today discerning if there is a special blessing or gift you can share with your church, a local ministry, or with your community. Ask God to inspire and equip you with the fortitude and tools to make this gift something truly memorable and heartfelt.

Thursday, December 19: REST

Spend at least 45 minutes outside today, without doing yard work or fixing lights or redoing bows on the garland. Take some time to just sit outside and let the air wash over you, taking away the stress and worry of the moment. Read Psalm 100 before and after your outside time. See how this psalm may help you rest and recharge your spirit.

Psalm 100 (BCP)

Jubilate Deo

1     Be joyful in the LORD, all you lands; *
          serve the LORD with gladness
          and come before his presence with a song.
2     Know this: The LORD himself is God; *
          he himself has made us, and we are his;
          we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
3     Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
     go into his courts with praise; *
          give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
4     For the LORD is good;
     his mercy is everlasting; *
          and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

Friday, December 20: GO

Read or watch your local news. Ask God to open your heart and eyes to ways you can promote reconciliation and healing in your community.

Saturday, December 21: LEARN

Read Matthew 4:18-22. How do these verses from Matthew inspire you to read Scripture with new eyes? Try reading several different translations of this passage. See how the language might change your reading of it.

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

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.

December 13, 2024
The bulletin insert for December 8, 2024

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Journeying with Family and Friends

As we continue our Advent walk, we invite you to see the Way of Love as a journey that can expand to include family and friends. Mary said “yes” to the call to birth Jesus, God’s Word, into the world and immediately went in haste to share her good news with her cousin, Elizabeth—a four-day journey into the Judean hills. Isn’t that what happens when we hear good news? We are driven to go and tell others. The Way of Love is good news that demands to be shared.

For more Advent resources related to the Way of Love, visit episcopalchurch.org/wayoflove. There, you’ll find links to the full Advent curriculum Journeying the Way of Love, as well as Living the Way of Love in Community, a nine-session curriculum for use anytime.

Sunday, December 8: WORSHIP

Read Luke 3:1-6. How does the story of John the Baptist fill your heart with hope?

Monday, December 9: PRAY

Pray along with the Collect for Advent 2, found on page 211 of The Book of Common Prayer. As you are out and about for the rest of this week, notice the people you pass. Ask God to bless them in their lives and work. See how this changes the way you go about your week.

Second Sunday of Advent

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to
preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our
Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Tuesday, December 10: TURN

Do you have amends or apologies or adjustments you need to make? Ask God to open your heart and mind to those opportunities for reconciliation and growth. Thank God for the gifts of mercy and love, and the courage to make the changes necessary. And then do your best, with God’s help, to make those changes.

Wednesday, December 11: BLESS

We know that angels are God’s special messengers to us, and that Gabriel spent intentional time with Mary, helping her to understand her part in God’s story. Who has shared an important lesson or their presence with you this week? Thank them today with a call or note.

Thursday, December 12: REST

Set aside 30 minutes to spend in silence with your best friend today. Sure, it may feel a little weird to be silent on the phone or while sitting next to each other on the couch or across the table. Just give it a try. Make sure to set aside time after your silence to pray for each other and to say thanks for the time of rest.

Friday, December 13: GO

Go out of your way to have a conversation with someone you might not normally visit with today. Ask God to open your heart to hear this person as God does.

Saturday, December 14: LEARN

Read Luke 1:45. Share your faith story with one new person this week. It can be someone you have known for a while who has not heard the faith part of your story.

Luke 1:45 (NRSV)

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

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.

December 6, 2024
The bulletin insert for December 1, 2024

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Saying “Yes” to the Journey

As Advent begins this week, we invite you to orient yourself to the coming of Jesus at Christmas through the practices of Journeying the Way of Love. This journey begins by saying “yes” to God’s call to birth new life into the world—a call that is both powerful and gentle, a call that will, if fully embraced, grow beyond our imaginations, spilling out of ourselves and into our family, friends, community, and the whole world. Over the course of this holy season, we invite you to respond to that call using these daily practices, and encourage you to offer them to your friends, family, and neighbors.

For more Advent resources related to the Way of Love, visit episcopalchurch.org/wayoflove. There, you’ll find links to the full Advent curriculum Journeying the Way of Love, as well as Living the Way of Love in Community, a nine-session curriculum for use anytime.

Sunday, December 1: WORSHIP

Read Luke 21:25-36. How do the symbols of the Advent season help you understand the story of Jesus? Where do you see them in your worship today?

Monday, December 2: PRAY

Pray along with the Collect for Advent 1, found on page 211 of The Book of Common Prayer. Set a timer for three minutes to sit in silence and hear what God might be saying back to you.

First Sunday of Advent

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of
darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit
us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come
again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.

Tuesday, December 3: TURN

Read Isaiah 58. How does this reading challenge you to think about feasts and festivals differently? How might this lesson change the way you celebrate or recognize this holy season?

Wednesday, December 4: BLESS

Call or write a letter to a family member with whom you would like to have a closer relationship. Make plans in the new year to chat on the phone or meet over Zoom or in person. Let them know how much you love them and look forward to knowing them better.

Thursday, December 5: REST

Put your phone on airplane mode and leave it in a dresser drawer for an hour or two. Whatever happens in that time, you can handle later. Give this time to yourself and Jesus, to rest and recharge for the week ahead.

Friday, December 6: GO

Go out into your neighborhood today. Where is God at work? Ask God to show you how you can celebrate that good work and name God’s presence in your community.

Saturday, December 7: LEARN

Read Luke 1:59-80. When Zechariah’s speech returns, he praises God. If you lost the power to speak for nine months like Zechariah did, what would be your first word of praise? Share this with your family, friends, and on social media.

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

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.

November 29, 2024
The bulletin insert for November 24, 2024
This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Christ the King Sunday

Today, many parishes within The Episcopal Church celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. This feast day falls on the last Sunday of the liturgical year, the Sunday before the beginning of Advent. The feast is a relative newcomer to the liturgical calendar. It was first instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, when he wrote the encyclical Quas Primas. Here, he lays out the different understandings of kingship that Jesus Christ possesses.

Pius XI also explains how Christians ought to live as a result of Christ’s kingship: “He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, as instruments of justice unto God.”

By the 1970s, the Feast of Christ the King had been more or less institutionalized throughout many Christian denominations and was fixed as occurring the last Sunday before Advent.

The lessons for the Last Sunday after Pentecost

The lessons for this day support the understanding of Christ as sovereign.
- Jeremiah writes, “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”
- The Song of Zechariah bridges the seasons beautifully as we hear the prophecy foretelling the ministry of St. John the Baptist, from whom we’ll hear more very shortly.
- The Letter to the Colossians explains, “[The Father] has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
- It is only in the Gospel reading that we see the most difficult aspect of Jesus’ kingship: “The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’” We remember that Jesus’ kingship is not distant and remote in some capital city thousands of miles away. His kingship is not detached nor aloof. No, he reigns for now in the very hearts of the faithful, freeing us and bringing us together under his most gracious rule.
Collect for the Last Sunday after Pentecost

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen (BCP 236).

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

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.
November 22, 2024
The bulletin insert for November 17, 2024
This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Presiding Bishop Sean W. Rowe Investiture

Episcopalians around the world and in various time zones gathered to welcome the Most Rev. Sean Rowe as the church’s 28th presiding bishop in a first-of-its-kind virtual investiture service, livestreamed November 2, 2024, from the Chapel of Christ the Lord at The Episcopal Church Center in New York City.

Rowe, formerly bishop of the Episcopal Dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York, was elected and confirmed as the next presiding bishop at the 81st General Convention on June 26, 2024.

Soon after his election, Bishop Rowe requested a simpler, scaled-down ceremony of Holy Eucharist and Investiture to encourage wider church engagement and reduce carbon footprint. A limited number of in-person attendees participated from inside the chapel.

The investiture service

The rich diversity within the multinational Episcopal Church was highlighted in several ways.
- A special “roll call” preceding the 11 a.m. ET ceremony featured video greetings from many of the church’s 106 dioceses.
- Water gathered from various provinces of the church was combined in the baptismal font.
- The Litany for the Mission of the Church featured 15 intercessors who shared prayers in the following languages:
  - Eastern Shoshone
  - Mandarin
  - Juba
  - German
  - Arabic
  - Hebrew
  - French
  - Anishinaabemowin
  - Spanish
  - English
  - French
  - Xhosa
The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, who served as the church’s 27th presiding bishop from 2015-2024, presided over the first half of the service. This part of the service included the following:
- A land acknowledgment from the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, who served as 26th presiding bishop.
- A welcome from diocesan and investiture committee representatives and House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris.
- The renewal of baptismal vows
- The presentation of the primatial staff.
- Bishop Jefferts Schori joined youth presentative Maya Lattimer in offering prayers for the new presiding bishop, whom Bishop Curry presented along with Bishop Rowe’s family.
Bishop Rowe presided over the service of Holy Eucharist and delivered a sermon based on the Gospel passage of John 11:32-44. “I believe that it is in our gathered communities across our church where we come closest to glimpsing the real power of the story of Lazarus,” he said. “Every time we feed the hungry, care for the sick, and welcome the stranger, we are reaching for life in the face of death. As we baptize and bury God’s people, as we make disciples and proclaim the gospel, as we soothe the suffering and shield the joyous, we are unbinding our congregations and setting our hurting world free.”

For more information

Find links at iam.ec/investiture to the following and more:
- Recorded service
- Worship service booklet
- Bishop Rowe’s sermon
Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds, and the resources we provide are used in small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between.

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.
November 15, 2024

Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2026. Services at 12:00 noon and 7:00 pm. Gethsemane Watch Vigil from about 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Good Friday, April 3, 2026: Services at 12:00 noon and 7:00 pm.

Holy Saturday worship at 9:30 am.

The Great Vigil of Easter, Saturday, April 4, 2025. Service at 8:00 pm. This is the night....

The 3rd Sunday of Easter (Year A), April 19, 2026. Services at 8:00 am (no music) and 10:30 (music). Education classes for adults (9:15 am) and children (9:30 am).