Rev. Kamakura reflects on Advent as a season of hope, awakening, and preparation—not through fear, but through trust in God’s love. Though the Gospel speaks of unexpected endings, she recalls her childhood encounter with fear-based preaching and contrasts it with the Jesus who welcomed children, healed, and said, “Be not afraid.” She cautions that fear-based theology still lingers in churches and echoes the fears shaping our world today. Yet Scripture offers a different way: “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Stay awake not in anxiety, but in hope—living with compassion, justice, and mercy. Quoting Corrie ten Boom, she reminds us: “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Preaching on the Feast of St. Francis, Rev. Kamakura weaves together the Gospel parable of the rich farmer (Luke 12:13–21) and Francis’s life of simplicity and compassion to explore what it means to be “rich toward God.”

Jesus’ warning against greed and self-centeredness, she notes, is not about condemning wealth itself but about restoring right relationships—with God, with others, and within creation. True richness is found not in possessions or success, but in generosity, humility, and love.

Drawing on St. Francis’s example—“Preach the Gospel at all times; use words when necessary”—Rev. Kamakura calls the congregation to live their faith through concrete acts of mercy: feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, and nurturing peace and justice.

She concludes by inviting reflection on how each person might “gather riches toward God” in the coming week, offering a Jewish prayer that celebrates creation, community, and hope lived out “not by our words but by our deeds.”

Preaching on the Feast of St. Francis, himself a deacon, Rev.  Kamakura celebrates Laura’s ordination and reflects on the deacon’s call: “to bring the world into the church and to carry the church into the world.”

She describes the deacon’s prophetic duty to confront the church with the world’s suffering—poverty, injustice, fear—and to remind the faithful that God is both love and justice. Deacons also lead the church outward, serving the hungry, imprisoned, and marginalized, carrying God’s hope and peace into daily life.

Citing St. Francis’s words, “Preach the Gospel at all times; use words when necessary,” Rev. Kamakura charges Laura to live her ministry through action and compassion, proclaiming God’s love with her life.

Rev. Kamakura wrestles with one of Jesus’ hardest sayings: “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother… cannot be my disciple.” Rather than dismissing or softening the text, she places it in context—Jesus warning eager followers that true discipleship comes with a cost. Through examples of family fractures in our own polarized society, she shows how following Christ’s call to justice, mercy, and compassion may strain even our closest relationships. Discipleship, she reminds us, is not rejection of love but a recognition that allegiance to God sometimes requires sacrifice, loss, and perseverance. Yet in this difficult calling, God does not abandon us; we walk together, upheld by the Spirit and by the community of faith, deeply held in the love and goodness of God.

In response to national grief over the dismantling of USAID and growing injustice, Rev. Kamakura reflects on Paul’s charge in Galatians: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked… for you reap whatever you sow.” Drawing from her own diplomatic service, she mourns the suffering caused by policy failures and warns against despair, bitterness, and misinformation.

Yet the sermon offers hope: Paul urges us not to grow weary in doing good. Rev. Kamakura calls the church to faithful action—feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, and sowing justice and compassion. Even when change feels out of reach, we are called to work for the good of all and trust that God will bring the harvest.

Rev. Kamakura’s Pride Sunday sermon reflects on Jesus’ rebuke of his disciples in Luke 9, when they responded with anger after a Samaritan village rejected him. Rather than condemn the villagers, Jesus corrected his own followers—highlighting that true leadership involves empathy, not retaliation.

Drawing parallels to the LGBTQIA+ community, Rev. Kamakura challenges the Church to go beyond acceptance to celebration. She calls for ongoing transformation—listening, learning, and changing—to ensure all people are fully included and affirmed. The sermon ends with a prayer celebrating God’s diverse creation and our shared call to uphold every person’s dignity.

This Good Shepherd Sunday sermon reflects on the enduring biblical image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the challenging implications of seeing ourselves as sheep. While sheep are often portrayed as foolish or docile, a deeper look reveals that they are social, emotionally complex, loyal creatures who thrive in community. Like sheep, we are capable of strong bonds, empathy, and shared strength—but also prone to exclusion and misjudgment.

Rev. Kamakura calls us to consider whom we choose to follow, especially in a world of competing voices. Jesus, unlike the leader many expected, offers guidance not by domination but through compassionate presence and community care.

She concludes by urging listeners to embrace their identity as members of God’s flock: to care for one another, walk through hardship together, and faithfully follow the example of the Good Shepherd, knowing we are held securely in God’s love.

Rev. Kamakura celebrates the life of Joseph Alexander Ziemba, a man of deep faith, humor, and love. Carefully planned by Joseph himself, the service reflects his devotion to God, his community, and his beloved wife, Elizabeth. Through chosen scriptures, traditional hymns, and cherished memories, the homily honors Joseph’s enduring spirit, his joy in beauty and history, and his confidence in God’s steadfast love. Even in grief, we rejoice—knowing Joseph is now reunited with Elizabeth, embraced by the mercies of each new morning.

This Maundy Thursday sermon, rooted in themes of memory, service, and sacred dignity, explores how the evening’s rituals invite us into deep remembrance—of liberation, covenant, and love made real.

Drawing on readings from Exodus, Corinthians, and John, Rev. Kamakura reflects on how communal acts of remembering connect us to God’s enduring presence. At its heart is a moving story of “Patrona,” an elder in a Spanish-speaking church in Virginia.

The tender act of removing her shoes echoes Jesus washing the disciples’ feet—an act of grace and sacred care. Through this memory, the sermon affirms that no one is unworthy of love, and that service offered in vulnerability is a holy privilege. 

This Palm Sunday sermon contrasts two parades: Pontius Pilate’s display of imperial power and Jesus’ humble entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. Rooted in Isaiah, Psalms, Philippians, and Luke, the message highlights Christ’s peaceful defiance of oppression and his bold call for justice. Drawing connections to modern-day marches and protests—including those in Esther Short Park—the sermon invites reflection on the church’s legacy of nonviolent resistance. It challenges the faithful to choose which parade they will join and to live out Christ’s values of compassion, justice, and peace. If we are silent, even the stones will cry out.

This sermon invites a fresh look at the familiar parable, moving beyond traditional themes of repentance and forgiveness. Inspired by scholar Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, it reframes the story within the context of its companion parables—the lost sheep and the lost coin—where the lost are actively sought out. Unlike the shepherd and the woman, the father in this story does not search for his son, highlighting a failure of relationship and responsibility.

The message shifts from personal redemption to communal care and restoration.

Jesus’ parable becomes a challenge: Are we willing to seek out the lost in our midst and restore our community? It’s a call to action, offering both a warning and a hope.

This sermon for the First Sunday in Lent explores Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness as a pivotal time of discernment, testing, and spiritual clarity. Drawing from Luke’s account of the temptation, it reflects on how Jesus, fresh from his baptism and filled with the Holy Spirit, wrestled with questions of identity, purpose, and power.

Rather than pursuing glory, authority, or comfort, Jesus chooses the path of faithfulness, humility, and service—refusing to misuse his power, reject his calling, or compromise his values.

The sermon invites us to consider not just what we are called to do—love God and neighbor—but how we will live that calling in a world marked by fear, division, and a hunger for power. Echoing Jesus’ wilderness journey, we are challenged to spend this Lenten season in our own time of discernment, listening for the Spirit’s voice, and seeking how we, both individually and as a community, will embody God’s love in a hurting world.

This sermon, centered on the Presentation of Our Lord and the canticle of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis), reflects on the promise and presence of divine peace and light in the midst of uncertainty and fear. It explores the symbolism of Jesus as the Light of the world, bringing wisdom, salvation, and hope to all people, and challenges the faithful to step into that light with courage and faith.

Drawing from the example of Simeon’s trust and fulfillment, the message juxtaposes moments of light and shadow in our contemporary church and societal contexts—highlighting both bold prophetic witness and heartbreaking institutional retreats.

The sermon further connects with the deeply human journey of the apostle Peter, whose faith, failings, and restoration reflect our own wavering between courage and fear. Ultimately, Rev. Kamakura is an invitation to embrace God’s enduring promise: that whether we are boldly stepping out in faith or faltering in the dark, God is with us—reaching out, lifting us up, and guiding us toward peace.