Rev. Kamakura reflects on the question posed to John the Baptizer—“Who are you?”—and his humble response: “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness.” Not the Messiah or prophet, but a voice preparing the way for God.

She connects this to her own journey, having spent 27 years as a U.S. diplomat, speaking not her own words but those of her government. That experience left her yearning to rediscover and express her own voice—one shaped by a life lived across cultures and continents.

Now in ministry, she embraces the call not to be the answer, but to be a voice—bearing witness to truth, grace, and the coming of unexpected peace.

Rev. Kamakura explores the theme of divine calling through the story of the prophet Jeremiah’s commissioning, drawing a parallel to the dynamic nature of a jazz ensemble. Like Jeremiah, who initially resists God's call due to his youth and perceived inexperience, individuals often hesitate to step forward when called, doubting their ability or readiness. Rev. Kamakura uses the concept of "call and response" in jazz music to illustrate how each person has a unique role to play in life. Just as musicians take turns expressing themselves in a jazz ensemble, contributing something special to the whole, each individual is called to contribute their unique gifts to the world. The sermon emphasizes that when we resist our calling—whether from fear, inadequacy, or distraction—something beautiful and essential is lost, just as a missed solo weakens the music. The message encourages listeners to listen attentively to their divine call, respond with courage, and add their own voice to the greater harmony of love, peace, and purpose in life.

St. Anne Episcopal Church, Washougal, Washington

On Christ the King Sunday, Rev. Kamakura invites the congregation to look beyond traditional images of royal thrones and heavenly choirs and consider a more grounded, relevant understanding of Christ’s reign. Drawing on Jesus’ parables and ministry, she challenges the Church to imagine Christ not as a distant monarch but as an engaged, justice-centered leader—perhaps even a President—who prioritizes healing, feeding the hungry, economic fairness, and care for the vulnerable.

Rather than waiting passively for a future kingdom, Rev. Kamakura urges us to live out Christ’s values now. Her “ask” is simple but powerful: choose one area of concern—healthcare, education, housing, food security, or immigration—and take one action this week. Through small, intentional steps, we help bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth, aligning our lives with the reign of Christ the Servant-King.

Rev. Kamakura explores the parable of the bridesmaids, often interpreted as a warning about death and judgment. Reflecting on her childhood experience of hearing it preached with fear, she challenges the idea that God wants us to live in anxiety about being “left out” of heaven. Instead, she invites us to understand the parable as a call to live fully and faithfully now, not out of fear, but out of love.

​Jesus, she reminds us, came to bring life and light—not dread. The parable points not only to an afterlife but to the presence of God’s kingdom here among us. Like a wedding, it requires preparation—not perfection, but effort. We are invited to participate in building the kingdom through love, justice, mercy, and community.

Drawing from her chaplaincy experience and the wisdom of Sister Joan Chittister, Rev. Kamakura affirms that we are born for this moment. We don’t need to fear our inadequacies. “You are enough, because God is enough.”

On the parish feast day of St. Luke~San Lucas, Rev. Kamakura invites the congregation to reflect on a central question: What brings us to church? While much attention is given to why people leave church, she shifts focus to why people stay—why they show up, week after week, to pray, sing, and serve in community.

​Drawing from Pew Research Center findings, she highlights the top reasons Americans attend church: to find comfort in sorrow, to become better people, to raise children in a caring moral community, and above all, to grow closer to God.

St. Luke~San Lucas, she affirms, responds to each of these needs—with worship and healing ministries, formation programs, music and youth engagement, and deep spiritual grounding. She concludes with a call to look forward. As the parish plans for its future—budgeting, selecting leaders, sustaining its mission—Rev. Kamakura reminds us to keep our purpose at the center: to be a community of faith that comforts, transforms, uplifts, and draws all nearer to God. God is already at work. We are simply called to walk in that direction.

Rev.  Kamakura reflects on a gospel passage in which Jesus’ authority is questioned by religious leaders. Drawing on a personal story from her early career in the U.S. Department of State, she recounts how her own sharp retort to a public challenge damaged a working relationship and undermined the task at hand—an example of how reactive responses, however satisfying in the moment, can derail both relationships and progress.

In contrast, Jesus responds to challenges not with defensiveness or insults, but with wisdom, grace, and a teaching moment. By asking a question—"Was John’s baptism from heaven or human?"—Jesus invites reflection rather than confrontation. When the religious leaders dodge the question, he tells a parable about two sons to reveal a deeper truth: true obedience and transformation come from listening, learning, and acting with integrity.

She encourages us to follow Jesus’ example. When our authority or value is challenged, we are called not to escalate or humiliate, but to stay grounded in relationship, focused on truth, and open to growth. The way of Christ calls us to respond with humility, grace, and the hope that even difficult conversations can lead to reflection and change.

Rev. Kamakura’s sermon invites us to reflect on the pervasive presence of fear in our lives and how we might respond as people of faith. Using the familiar story of Jesus walking on water, she shifts focus from Peter’s bold (and faltering) attempt to walk toward Jesus, to the fearful disciples who remained in the boat—paddling, bailing, and clinging for safety.

With wisdom and empathy, she explores how fear—though a natural and God-given response to danger—can, when chronic, take a toll on our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Drawing on contemporary research and real-life experiences, she names the many sources of fear that afflict us today: illness, caregiving, financial insecurity, violence, and global instability. But she also reminds us of Jesus’ words spoken across the storm: “Take heart. It is I. Be not afraid.” These words offer not dismissal of fear, but a path through it—anchored in God’s presence, strength, and unwavering love.

In closing, she invites the congregation into quiet reflection: to name their fears, to feel them honestly, and to receive Christ’s reassuring promise. We are not alone. We are held. We are loved—just as we are.

Building on the season of agricultural parables, Rev. Kamakura reflects on Jesus’ story of the wheat and the weeds. She shares a vivid memory from her youth—how this parable once led her to mentally sort people into “team wheat” and “team weeds.” But with time and perspective, she recognizes how such judgment leads to pride, anxiety, and division within faith communities.

The deeper message of the parable, she emphasizes, is that we are not called to judge or separate—that role belongs to God. We are seeds, and our task is to grow: to root ourselves in Scripture, to turn toward God’s light, and to bear fruit that nourishes others.

Rev. Kamakura reminds us that we grow not in isolation, but in community—sometimes alongside weeds. Still, we are not to worry about the weeds. Instead, our call is to love, to do justice, to show mercy, and to trust God with the rest. Our job is not to judge—but to grow.

Rev. Kamakura explores the “Comfortable Words,” a set of scripture passages traditionally read after the confession and absolution in Rite I of the Episcopal Eucharist. These beloved texts—offering assurance of God’s mercy, love, and advocacy—serve as a theological arc of reconciliation, reminding us that we are never beyond the reach of grace.

She contrasts the common, punitive view of confession as guilt-driven and fear-based with the Episcopal understanding of confession as part of the Rite of Reconciliation—an act meant to restore right relationship with God, self, and community. Drawing on scripture, tradition, and even a Jewish ritual of casting sins into water, Rev. Kamakura highlights confession not as a burden, but as a liberating path toward healing and renewal.

With the Comfortable Words as a guide, we are reminded that Christ came not to condemn, but to save; not to shame, but to redeem. As forgiven people, our call is to extend that grace to others—to live as ambassadors of reconciliation in a world in need of hope and healing.

In a heartfelt departure from her original Father’s Day sermon, Rev. Kamakura reflects on a conversation at a Juneteenth event that called her to speak directly to the joys and struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month. Using the story of Abraham and Sarah’s reactions to divine news in Genesis, she explores human responses to unexpected truths—Sarah’s disbelief and Abraham’s distraction—as metaphors for how families and communities often respond to the coming out of loved ones.

Drawing on mental health research and lived experiences, Rev. Kamakura highlights the deep anxiety and fear many LGBTQIA+ individuals face: fear of rejection, violence, and loss of family or community. These moments, she insists, should be occasions of celebration and love, not silence and shame.

She calls on the church and its members to be more than passive allies—to listen, learn, affirm, and love with intention. Acknowledging past failings, she offers hope: just as Abraham and Sarah grew in faith, so too can we. Through humility, openness, and God’s call to love all neighbors as ourselves, we can build a community of radical welcome where all can flourish.

The sermon closes with a prayer affirming God’s image in every person and a renewed commitment to justice, dignity, and compassion for all of God’s children.

Rev. Kamakura reflects on the lesser-known yet deeply meaningful Christian observance of Ascension Day—the moment when Jesus ascends into heaven, leaving his followers both awestruck and uncertain. Though often overshadowed by major feast days like Easter and Christmas, Ascension offers profound insight into how we face change, loss, and ambiguity.

Rather than focus solely on the theological grandeur of the Incarnation or eschatological fulfillment, Rev. Kamakura anchors her sermon in the disciples’ very human reaction: confusion, uncertainty, and waiting. Drawing parallels to her own experiences navigating a shifting and unclear path to ordination, she invites the congregation to see in the disciples’ story a model for faithful waiting—returning to community, praying, blessing God, and showing up for one another.

This sermon speaks not just to clergy in formation, but to all who find themselves in seasons of uncertainty—those awaiting news, healing, direction, or peace. In a time when we long for clarity, Ascension reminds us that spiritual growth often happens in the pause before the promise is fulfilled. We are called to be present, to lean on our community, and to bless God—even while we wait.

Rev. Kamakura reflects on Peter’s denial of Jesus and how fear can cause even the faithful to freeze in critical moments. Drawing from a personal experience during worship, she explores how silence—even unintentional—can cause harm, especially to marginalized communities.

She urges the congregation to recognize where they, too, may have stayed silent and challenges them to speak up with love and courage. As Holy Week begins, the sermon is a call to action: to move from silence to witness, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide our voices in proclaiming God’s love for all.

Drawing on the Book of Exodus, Rev. Kamakura explores the repeated complaints of the Hebrew people in the desert—not as signs of faithlessness, but as symptoms of deep communal trauma after centuries of slavery. She reframes these complaints not as weakness, but as honest cries for help that God hears and responds to with guidance, provision, and mercy.

Rev. Kamakura connects this ancient journey with our modern reality, identifying post-pandemic grief, social unrest, and anxiety as sources of contemporary communal trauma. She invites us to approach Lent not as punishment, but as a time of healing and honest engagement with God—a season in which our “wilderness complaints” can become the starting point for renewal, strength, and deeper trust in God’s enduring presence.

On the third Sunday of Advent, a day themed around joy, Rev. Lynette Kamakura reflects on the unlikely Gospel story of John the Baptist—imprisoned, isolated, and full of doubt. Rather than condemning John for his questioning, Jesus affirms his calling and responds with compassion, offering assurance and hope.

This sermon reframes doubt not as failure but as a human response to hardship, and lifts up John’s example of turning directly to Jesus for answers. Through the lens of trauma, struggle, and divine response, Rev. Kamakura challenges the Church to recognize and support those for whom the holidays are difficult, and reminds us that God still sees, hears, and provides exactly what we need—even in our wilderness moments.

On Christ the King and In-Gathering Sunday, Rev. Kamakura challenges common ideas of kingship—power, glory, control—and contrasts them with the example of Jesus. Drawing on the Davidic model, she describes Christ as a King who protects the weak, brings justice, and draws people closer to God.

Reflecting on Jesus’ ministry of healing, compassion, and inclusion, Rev. Kamakura urges the community to consider how we use our own resources—time, talent, and treasure—not for dominance, but in service to others. As the church looks ahead, she calls us to align our actions with Christ’s servant kingship: protecting the vulnerable, seeking justice, and nurturing deeper relationship with God.

On Christ the King Sunday, Rev. Kamakura invites the congregation to reimagine what kind of king Jesus truly is. Unlike worldly rulers defined by wealth, power, and domination, Jesus embodies the Davidic model of kingship: one who protects the vulnerable, brings justice, and draws people closer to God.

The sermon contrasts Jesus’ humble, healing ministry with the oppressive rulers of his time, challenging the faithful to examine how we use our own power—our time, talent, and treasure. As the church looks ahead to a new year of ministry, Rev. Kamakura calls on the community to follow Christ’s example: to care for the weak, seek justice, and deepen our relationship with God.

In this reflection on the parable of the dishonest manager, Rev. Kamakura does not offer tidy answers but instead invites the congregation into shared questioning. Framing the sermon with the realities of modern debt—from student loans to credit cards—she connects the biblical world of lenders and borrowers to the struggles of today’s society.

While scholars debate whether the rich man or the manager is at fault in the parable, Rev. Kamakura focuses on the deeper moral question: What do our systems of debt say about justice, mercy, and power? Drawing from Jewish law’s emphasis on fairness and regular debt forgiveness, she challenges listeners to evaluate modern lending practices and how they impact the vulnerable.

In closing, she reflects on Jesus’ warning that we cannot serve both God and wealth. This perplexing parable becomes an invitation to discern where our loyalties lie: with systems of economic gain or with God’s call to justice, compassion, and love.

This bilingual Easter Vigil sermon reflects on the journey from darkness to light, from grief to joy, as told through scripture and the Christian experience. Rev. Kamakura emphasizes the power of vigil—of pausing in the stillness of loss and uncertainty, just as Jesus' followers did after his death. She invites the community to acknowledge personal and collective grief, especially from recent years of pandemic, division, and change. Yet, amid the sorrow, the sermon holds space for the hope of resurrection and the renewal it brings. Drawing from the biblical narrative and her own experiences accompanying the dying, Rev. Kamakura reminds us that while death is real, it is not the end. Together, upheld by love, we bear witness to the promise of new life in Christ—joyful, eternal, and shared.

Rev. Kamakura reflects on the dual themes of triumph and sacrifice. While acknowledging the modern practice of combining Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem with the Passion narrative, she chooses to focus on the original meaning of Palm Sunday: Jesus’ humble yet powerful entrance into a city under Roman occupation.

Rev. Kamakura contrasts the crowd’s expectation of a political savior with Jesus’ true mission—to bring salvation through spiritual transformation, not military might. Drawing on her diplomatic career, she reflects on the limitations of worldly power and emphasizes that true peace and salvation are found not in palaces or garrisons, but in right relationship with God and one another.

The sermon calls listeners to seek transformation and strength in the church, where faith is nurtured and from which justice and peace are carried into the world.

On this first Sunday of Advent—also the start of the church’s liturgical year—Rev. Kamakura explores the tension between hope and hardship in a world still marked by injustice, suffering, and fear. While the lectionary readings speak of apocalyptic signs and deep distress, she reclaims “hope” not as a fleeting emotion, but as an action—something we can offer and embody, even in hard times.

Through stories from hospital chaplaincy, reflections on injustice, and the compassionate ministries of St. Anne’s, Rev. Kamakura encourages the congregation to become sparks of hope in the darkness. By small daily acts of love and kindness, we actively bring hope to others and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.

Rev. Kamakura reflects on the well-known story of the rich young man and the “camel through the eye of the needle,” inviting the congregation to look beyond its traditional interpretation about money. With humor and personal memory, she explores the deeper implications of Jesus’ words—not as a blanket condemnation of wealth, but as a challenge to use privilege and resources in service of justice.

Jesus’ call to “sell what you own and give to the poor” is not about asceticism, but about redressing social imbalance. The young man’s sorrowful reaction reveals how difficult it is to let go of comfort and status, even when seeking eternal life. Yet Jesus does not condemn him; he looks at him and loves him.

The sermon affirms that salvation is not something we can earn through perfection or sacrifice, but a gift from God, “for whom all things are possible.” Still, in moments when we are able to let go, use what we have for others, and follow Jesus with open hands and hearts, we catch a glimpse of the kingdom—and of the life that is truly life.

In this powerful reflection marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Rev. Kamakura weaves memory, emotion, and scripture into a call for honest self-examination and spiritual grounding. Beginning with the question, “Where were you twenty years ago today?” she explores how this collective trauma is not simply remembered but re-felt, surfacing emotions of shock, grief, anger, and confusion that remain just below the surface.

She recalls both the heroism and failures of the post-9/11 response—the acts of courage and compassion alongside the bureaucracy, injustice, and misjudgment. Through the lens of Proverbs 21 and Micah 6:8, she challenges the congregation to consider whether our collective and individual responses were driven by justice or vengeance, compassion or fear.

As one who served in government during those years, she speaks with humility and personal accountability, asking what truly lay in our hearts at the time. The sermon ultimately calls us to reflect anew on what it means to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God”—not only in moments of crisis, but as a path of daily, faithful living.

n this sermon delivered on the Second Sunday after Pentecost, Rev. Kamakura reflects on the contrast between the liturgical season of "Ordinary Time" and the extraordinary challenges of 2020, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a renewed reckoning with systemic racism. Drawing on Matthew’s Gospel, she highlights Jesus’ response to suffering: compassion and action. She challenges the congregation to embrace that same compassion—not just for those suffering visibly, but for all, including those we may find difficult to understand. She invites the community to envision a new kind of “ordinary”—one shaped by healing, justice, and love that reflects the kingdom of God.