St. Thomas Episcopal Church Sermons

The God Who Is Always More | June 15, 2025 | The Rev. Edmund Harris

This Trinity Sunday, Father Edmund Harris invites us into the mystery of a God who is more than any single image, more than any one name. With warmth and honesty, he reflects on how the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is not just a theological concept, but a vibrant relationship of love into which we are invited. As we begin the season after Pentecost, this sermon challenges us to reclaim our own divine imprint: to live, love, and relate as those made in the image of a relational God. 
What old images of God might you be invited to release?
#TrinitySunday #SeasonAfterPentecost #StThomasMedina #EpiscopalChurch #RelationalGod #FatherSonSpirit #ImageOfGod #OrdinaryTime #FaithAndLove #MadeToLove #HolyTrinity #FatherEdmundHarris

The Everlasting Gift of Belonging | June 8, 2025 | The Rev. Liz Costello

On this Pentecost Sunday, the Rev. Liz Costello weaves together the power of the Holy Spirit and the deep significance of baptism in our lives. Mother Liz invites us to remember that baptism is more than a rite; it is a lifelong, living gift that we return to again and again. As we welcome new members into the body of Christ, we are invited to revisit our own baptismal promises and to remember: We are already known and loved by God.
Whether we are navigating seasons of grief, striving for justice, or feeling the weight of high expectations, our baptismal identity grounds us in the belovedness of every human being.
Join us in celebrating the mystery and beauty of God’s Spirit moving in our midst.
#PentecostSunday #StThomasMedina #Baptism #HolySpirit #BelovedCommunity #EpiscopalChurch #FaithJourney #YouAreLoved #BaptismalCovenant #JusticeAndPeace #ChildOfGod #EpiscopalLife #StThomasEpiscopal
📚📚The baptismal covenant is a small catechism for use during the rite of initiation into the Church. Armentrout and Slocum, in their 'An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church,' note that the baptismal covenant “is widely regarded as the normative statement of what it means to follow Christ” (p. 37); in these questions and answers, the congregation expresses the ways each of the faithful will live their faith both inside and outside the church walls. The first four questions are patterned on the Apostles’ Creed, with the liturgy’s celebrant asking the people about their beliefs in each of the members of the Trinity, along with a concise understanding of their natures. Following these questions, the covenant includes five questions regarding how we, as Christians, are called to live out our faith: with firm commitment and a reliance on God’s help. 🗣✝🗣 🗣✝🗣 Celebrant: Do you believe in God the Father? People: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Celebrant: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? People: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. Celebrant: Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit? People: I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Celebrant: Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? People: I will, with God’s help. Celebrant: Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? People: I will, with God’s help. Celebrant: Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? People: I will, with God’s help. Celebrant: Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? People: I will, with God’s help. Celebrant: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? People: I will, with God’s help.

Closer Than Your Breath | June 1, 2025 | The Rev. Edmund Harris

On this Ascension Sunday, Father Edmund explores the tender threshold between absence and presence. As Jesus ascends, his friends are left grieving and afraid, feeling alone. But in this in-between space—this space of uncertainty—the Spirit draws closer. Father Edmund invites us to see how our own places of fear and vulnerability become sacred ground, where God breathes new life and whispers, “You are not alone.”

Imperfectly Perfect Faith | June 1, 2025 | Guest Preacher: Cate Fitzgerald

On Youth Sunday, Cate Fitzgerald, a graduating senior, shared her heartfelt reflections on change, faith, and the journey to college. Drawing on personal experiences with anxiety, transitions, and questions of faith, Cate shows us that an “imperfectly perfect faith” is one that welcomes doubt, embraces uncertainty, and still believes. In her vulnerability, Cate invites us to trust that God’s love holds us steady through every new chapter.
#YouthSunday #GraduatingSenior #ImperfectlyPerfectFaith #FaithJourney #GodWithUs #StThomasMedina #EpiscopalChurch #SpiritualGrowth #YoungVoices #FaithAndDoubt #CourageousFaith #ChurchOnline

Release and Renewal: Seeing with Mountaintop Eyes | May 25, 2025 | Rabbi Daniel Weiner

What practices—spiritual or practical—help you resist systems that define people by wealth, productivity, or success?
In a world that runs on exhaustion, profit, and performance, Rabbi Daniel Weiner brings a timely and powerful word: We were never meant to live this way.
Drawing from the ancient Jewish practices of Shmita and Jubilee—sacred pauses for the land, for laborers, and for debtors—Rabbi Weiner calls us to imagine a different kind of world. One where the land gets to rest. One where people are freed from systems that dehumanize them. One where every person is treated with sacred worth.

What Matters Most Is Love Like This | May 18, 2025 | The Rev. Liz Costello

"Love one another as I have loved you."
These words from Jesus—simple, familiar, often sentimentalized—land differently in today's world. In this sermon, the Rev. Liz Costello explores what agape love actually looks like in practice: tender, embodied, and sometimes controversial. From washing feet to resisting unjust systems, this kind of love doesn’t avoid the mess—it kneels down in the middle of it. Drawing on the Gospel of John and a powerful example from the Episcopal Church’s recent refusal to participate in a discriminatory refugee program, this sermon invites us to see love not as a feeling, but as a radical, daily commitment.
📖 Scripture: John 13:31-35 | Revelation 21:1-6 | Acts 11:1-18 📍 Preached at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Medina, WA 🕊 Learn more at www.stthomasmedina.org

Recognizing the Voice of the Shepherd | May 11, 2025 | The Rev. Edmund Harris

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, Father Edmund Harris explores what it means to hear and follow the voice of Jesus in a world full of competing noise. Through penguin parenting, childhood obsessions, and the call to resist the narratives of productivity and consumerism, we’re invited to remember the deeper truth: the Good Shepherd still speaks. Are we listening?
#GoodShepherdSunday #RecognizingHisVoice #StThomasMedina #EpiscopalChurch #ListenAndFollow #FaithInAChaoticWorld #ChristianFormation #EasterSeason #MothersDaySermon #Eastertide

We Have Seen the Lord: Fear, Faith, and the Full Meal Deal | Rev. James McEachran | April 27, 2025

In this second Sunday of Easter sermon, the Rev. James McEachran invites us into the story of resurrection through the eyes of Mary Magdalene, Thomas the Doubter, and our own trembling hearts. In a world often shaken by fear, uncertainty, and disbelief, Father Jim reminds us that Easter is not just a moment—it’s a wake-up call. From the alleluias of sunrise to the quiet wonder of “my Lord and my God,” this sermon is both tender and triumphant, full of humor, honesty, and spirited hope. Gather with us to remember, be renewed, and leave ready to say: We have seen the Lord.
🕊️ Delivered at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Medina, WA.
#EasterSeason #SecondSundayOfEaster #DoubtingThomas #WeHaveSeenTheLord #Episcopal #Episcopalian #IAmEpiscopal #StThomasMedina #EpiscopalChurch #ResurrectionHope #ChristianFormation #HolySpiritPower #AlleluiaIsBack #FaithAndDoubt #PeaceBeWithYou #MyLordAndMyGod

From Philia to Agape: A Farewell Sermon | May 4, 2025 | The Rev. Shane Carlson

In his final sermon at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, the Rev. Shane Carlson reflects on the sacred beauty of being loved well—and what it means to love like Jesus. With tears, laughter, and deep wisdom, Father Shane explores John 21’s “charcoal fire” moment, where Peter is invited not only to confess his love for Christ but to grow into it. This is more than a goodbye; it’s a sending. As Father Shane and his family prepare to move to Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Flagstaff, Arizona, he invites us to follow Peter’s path from philia to agape—toward the sacrificial, unconditional love that Jesus modeled. Through storytelling and scripture, he challenges us to live with the mind of Christ: seeing Jesus in everyone and feeding his sheep. Whether you've known Father Shane personally or are hearing him preach for the first time, this message is a powerful reminder of what it means to lead, to serve, and to love like Christ.
📖 Gospel Reading: John 21:1–19
#FatherShaneCarlson #StThomasMedina #EpiscopalChurch #AgapeLove #PhiliaToAgape #FarewellSermon #ProgressiveChristianity #LoveLikeJesus #John21 #CharcoalFire #JesusIsHere #SeeJesusInEveryone

Defiant Hope: Easter in an Uncertain World | Easter Sermon 2025 | The Rev. Liz Costello

Alleluia! Christ is risen! In this radiant Easter sermon, the Rev. Liz Costello invites us into the heart of Easter hope—fierce, defiant, and deeply needed in today’s world of uncertainty. Drawing from scripture, real-life disappointments, and the enduring witness of figures like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mother Liz preaches a resurrection hope that doesn’t deny struggle, but rises in the midst of it. Whether your confidence has been shaken by the markets, elections, illness, or fear, this Easter message is an anchor in the storm. Come be reminded that the tomb is empty, death is defeated, and hope is not a naïve feeling—it is a faithful practice rooted in the risen Christ. This is a sermon for anyone who needs to remember: we are not at the end of the story. We’re living in the middle of God’s redeeming love.
#Easter2025 #ChristIsRisen #DefiantHope #EasterSermon #ResurrectionHope #StThomasMedina #EpiscopalChurch #ProgressiveChristianity #Alleluia #EmptyTomb #FaithInUncertainty #GodOfLove #HolyWeekToEaster #HopeintheWilderness