Salt House Sermons

Today we practice Lectio Divina together, an ancient way of dwelling in scripture that invites us to listen deeply—for God, for one another, and for the light already stirring within us. In these dark and heavy times, we gather trusting the promise of Epiphany: And yet the light grows. Come slow down, breathe, and open your heart to the Word that still shines

Pastor Sara invites you to explore the "curious journey" of discipleship by responding to Jesus’s simple yet profound call to "come and see" (John 1:29-42). In a world where the human heart was never meant to carry the weight of global suffering alone, this message explores how faith begins with curiosity rather than certainty as we take small, human steps to follow Jesus together.

Pastor Terry Kyllo preaches on the baptism of Jesus as a vision and prophetic fulfillment of our common humanity. Step into the waters of Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3 and discover a third way of engaging a broken world—neither retreating from it nor trying to dominate it. We are invited into a public faith shaped by belovedness, courageous love of neighbor, and a “soul force” that honors human dign...

Epiphany invites us to discover a light that shines not through perfection, but through the cracks of our lives. Pastor Sara explores the Magi’s “political dynamite,” inviting us to follow another road—away from violence and toward mercy—by noticing small breadcrumbs of grace and naming the star that guides us to live with courage and love in a world that needs it.

Do you ever feel like your life is a collection of mismatched puzzle pieces? This Christmas Eve, we invite you to listen to a soul-stirring message from Pastor Sara. In a season that can feel rushed and fragmented, this sermon offers a moment to settle in and breathe with a community that recognizes God’s love enters the world not through power, but through the vulnerability of a child. Merry Chri...

It's the fourth and final Sunday of the Advent season and we turn our hearts and minds to the story of Jesus' earthly father, Joseph. It's a story of acceptance and openness in the face of truly challenging circumstances ( Matthew 1:18-25 ). What can we learn from Joseph's posture in this story? Come Sunday and find out. 

The Magnificat—Mary's revolutionary anthem of divine justice—shows us how God consistently chooses the lowly and unlikely to bring real, astonishing transformation into the world. Pastor Sara's invites us to learn to practice the Advent posture of 'lifting,' allowing God to lift our courage and compassion so we can become lifters for others.

Our guest preacher for the Second Sunday of Advent, Rev. Priscilla Paris-Austin invites us to explore the profound spiritual invitation to "turn and see," moving beyond self-absorption and recognizing God's presence in others; the magnificent variety of the world. As we personally turn toward communal commitment, we are invited to consider what it means to truly surrender and let God move us into...

This Sunday we begin our Advent journey—a season of honest waiting, deep hope, and watching for God’s arrival in the real pieces of our lives. All season long, we’ll bring our prayers, questions, grief, and gratitude to God through four Advent postures of holy waiting: Watch, Turn, Lift, and Open. In a season of what can feel like "too much" (or when we feel "too little"), it’s a beautiful, ground...

Christian Nationalism is not the way of Christ! This Sunday at Salt House, the  Northwest Washington Bishop Shelly Bryan-Wee  will be preaching an inspiring message calling Christians to unite in faith and join a growing national and global movement of faithful resistance—standing in solidarity to protect the integrity of our democracy, Christian values, and our shared future. We believe that Chri...

Today we welcome Salt House member Jacqueline Cuayo to the Salt House microphone. Jacquie is a soul care provider, ritual maker, and visitation minister whose life's privilege is coming alongside people as they journey through life's highs and lows. She’ll guide us as we engage Matthew 9:6–13 — commonly known as The Lord's Prayer — which shapes how we seek God’s provision, forgiveness, and liberat...

Throughout the first eight chapters of Mark, we’ve watched Jesus reveal—through word, action, and mystery—what the Kingdom of God looks like. Mark has invited us to see through the eyes of those encountering Jesus, letting these stories help us make up our own minds about who he really is. This Sunday, we reach a turning point: Peter’s bold declaration, “You are the Messiah!” But is Jesus the Mess...

Meet Pastor Kevin Beebe, Executive Director of Lutherwood Camp and Retreat Center ( www.camplutherwood.org/ ). Originally from Pullman, WA, Kevin has spent many years serving in congregations and communities across the western United States. This Sunday, we will hear about the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26).

Forming now: The Salt House LOVE IN ACTION TEAM to meet the immediate, practical needs of individuals and families, both at Salt House and at Kirkland Place.   We are responding to increasing community needs due to a lack of public resources with the goal of creating a mobilized group of helpers ready to respond to specific requests for support. And we need you – your YES – to create a new system...

This Sunday is a special one! In this often despairing time in our world, we'll ground ourselves in four central teachings from Martin Luther that have such a potential impact on how we see God, ourselves and our world now - all in celebration of Reformation Sunday. A special Sunday indeed! See you then!  

Did you know that every Monday morning Sofia and Lisa and a crew of faithful volunteers gather in the Salt House parking lot to do one thing: feed people. This is the mission of  Platefull  is to partner with local resources and grocery stores that donate food and help distribute that food to families in need! They aim to foster a community where all people have enough to eat and no one goes hungr...

Did Jesus really just call that woman a dog? Jesus’ odd conversation with the Greek, Gentile woman in Mark 7 is one for the books, and one that, when we look more closely, stirs up compelling questions about Jesus’ vocation – and ours. Join us Sunday for an engaging time together over this text, that will lead to a few surprising opportunities for how to love and serve at Salt House and beyond!

In a world obsessed with appearances, Jesus cuts to the heart. This week, we hear a challenging and liberating word from Mark 7—a reminder that what defiles isn’t about rituals or rules, but what flows from within. Come explore how grace reshapes our inner lives - which then becomes our outer lives! - and reorients us toward love, justice, and wholeness.

Deacon Liz Colver has been a member of Salt House for years and serves the Northwest Washington Synod in the ministry of Transition. One important aspect of transition ministry is the awareness that there's nothing new under the sun, and regardless of the discomfort and uncertainty we might be feeling, Jesus reminds us to "be encouraged, I'm here. Don't be afraid. " Join us Sunday as we continue t...

In Mark 6, Jesus feeds 5000+ in a remote place; a miracle indeed! But God invites into an even deeper miracle; embracing the fullness of our humanity by sharing resources and recognizing the divine image in others, especially when hierarchical systems implore us to be stingy and label others as less than human - and less than worthy of God's love.

In Mark 6:1-13, Jesus sends his disciples out without him for the first time, and he doesn’t send them out alone. We’re not meant to go it alone either. In a world that tells us to be independent, self-reliant, and endlessly strong, this week’s gospel reminds us that we’re called to lean on each other, and to walk and to carry what really matters—together.

This Sunday, we’ll explore the powerful stories woven together in Mark 5:21–43—the healing of a long-suffering woman and the raising of a young girl. Whatever fear and desperation we carry, Jesus meets us - as he met them - with compassion and power. Join us as we consider how Jesus draws us out of fear and into faith, reminding us that healing and new life are possible—even when all seems lost.

Terry is a Lutheran pastor here in the region and is also Executive Director of Paths to Understanding, an organization which fosters interfaith dialogue and tackling the tough issues of Christian nationalism in this time. He's the author of Go and Do Likewise - Following Jesus into Our Common Humanity. In a word, he is a fantastic servant-hearted leader we are privileged to call a friend. We've h...

We turn to Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus calls the storm, and we welcome a guest preacher who is one of our own, Kimberly Janous. In her Salt House story, Kimberly will share both a message grounded in the gospel text and part of her personal journey of navigating life's storms with candid honesty. In a world full of uncertainty and disruption, what does it mean to trust that God is with us -- even whe...

Jesus' parables in Mark 4 show us that the Kingdom of God does not ask us to discriminate. It's not our role to decide who is in and who is out. It does not come to us by force but by invitation. How we receive it and engage with it is up to us. This Sunday, we will consider what a gift it is to be invited to partake in the revealing of God's Kingdom on Earth.