Rev. Sarah Zuniga Preaches Chapel Oct. 16

Each month, the CTS community gathers for Chapel—a time to pause, pray, and lift our hearts together in worship. It is a rhythm that roots us in God’s presence and reminds us that our life together is centered in Christ. This year, we are celebrating stories of salvation with a special symbolic focus on water. From the waters of creation to the waters of baptism, Scripture brims with images of God’s saving presence flowing like streams through the desert. 

On Thursday, October 16 at 11:00 am Eastern, we invite you to join us for Chapel in Sweeney Chapel or via livestream on CTS’s YouTube channel. Our preacher will be Rev. Sarah Zuniga.

The theme for the day comes from Ezekiel 47:1–12, a striking vision of water flowing from the temple. This passage offers a picture of healing, abundance, and life made possible through God’s presence. As the water deepens and spreads, it transforms barren landscapes into flourishing places filled with trees, fruit, and renewal. 

The Year of Water: Stories of Salvation 

For the 2025-2026 academic year, CTS Chapel is turning to stories of salvation in Scripture, focusing particularly on the imagery of water. Water is one of the most enduring biblical symbols of God’s grace and power. It carries us through danger, as with the Israelites crossing the sea. It washes us clean, as in the waters of baptism. It sustains us in wilderness places, as living water springing up from the rock. 

By reflecting on water, we reflect on the many ways God brings renewal and life when all seems dry or broken. Each month, our Chapel preachers are helping us to draw connections between these rich scriptural images and the work of ministry, justice, and discipleship in our own time. 

Rev. Zuniga’s text from Ezekiel points us to a vision of restoration that begins in the house of God but flows outward, far beyond the temple walls. It is a reminder that the Spirit’s work is never contained or limited but is always moving, always transforming, always bringing life where it is needed most. 

Meet Rev. Sarah Zuniga 

We are delighted to welcome Rev. Sarah Zuniga (they/she) as our preacher for this Chapel service. Sarah serves as Associate Minister of Outreach & Growth at Allisonville Christian Church in Indianapolis, where they bring a heart for building community and a deep commitment to justice. 

Originally from northwest Illinois, Sarah is at home in the Midwest. They hold a BS from Eureka College and an MDiv from the University of Chicago. “I found the Disciples of Christ in college and resisted until I could no longer ignore a call to ministry. I’ve been at ACC for almost two years,” Zuniga shares.

Before joining Allisonville Christian Church, Sarah worked with Crossroads Antiracism Organizing & Training, beginning as an intern in 2019. In that role, they gained experience consulting and facilitating with religious institutions, nonprofits, and higher education communities, always with an eye toward justice, equity, and inclusion. She shares, “I worked with congregations and middle judicatories as an antiracism consultant and facilitator.”

Sarah is also deeply engaged in the wider church, having served as Co-Moderator of Disciples Peace Fellowship’s Executive Committee and as a former member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation’s National Council. Their leadership reflects a consistent theme: building bridges of peace, justice, and faithful community. “Being a Disciples Peace Intern was the final push I needed to stop ignoring a call to ministry. It’s a paid summer experience for folks 21 years and older to spend the summer at various Disciples of Christ church camps, congregations, and general ministries leading sessions rooted in peace and justice topics of their choosing. DPF helps prepare you with the tools to lead well. Currently, I serve as DPF interns’ chaplain along the way.”

When asked about their passions and what is most important to her in ministry, Sarah says, “Justice, peace, liberation and servant leadership are a few important values in my ministry. Artistic expression and freedom to create is a crucial spiritual practice for me.” She has previously been a studio member at Yellow Door Ceramics Studio in Indianapolis, and their master’s thesis focused on theological anthropology and tattooing. Their artistry and ministry often overlap, drawing from the same well of creativity, embodiment, and expression. Recently, Sarah contributed to sacred incantations: rituals of trans wisdom for every season, a collaborative publication through enfleshed. 

Rev. Zuniga first connected with CTS when they met President David Mellott in 2023. She recalls, “I was impressed with how CTS is visioning itself as a convening institution for lifelong learning, not just for seminarians, but for the greater Indianapolis community. Less than two years later, this feels more imperative than ever.” She is a regular participant in CTS Chapel services and has become part of the CTS community. She encourages students to be their authentic selves and “bring some whimsy to this world. We are in a severe shortage of whimsy right now.”

With this rich blend of pastoral ministry, justice advocacy, creative expression, and relational connectedness, Sarah brings a unique voice to the pulpit—one that speaks with both conviction and imagination. 

Ezekiel’s Vision: Water as Renewal 

In Ezekiel 47, the prophet is led on a visionary journey outside the temple. What begins as a small trickle of water becomes a mighty river, flowing outward to bring healing and renewal wherever it goes. Trees grow along its banks, bearing fruit every month, and their leaves provide healing for the nations. Even saltwater seas are made fresh by the temple’s living waters. 

For the CTS community, this passage resonates with the ways we long for renewal in our own lives, our churches, and our world. We know what it is to see landscapes of despair, division, and decay. We know how easy it is to feel parched in times of injustice and uncertainty. And yet, the vision of water flowing from the temple invites us to believe that God’s Spirit is already at work, transforming dry ground into flourishing places. 

In this Chapel service, Rev. Zuniga will guide us into this text, inviting us to imagine where the waters of God’s renewal are already flowing—and how we might participate in that life-giving current. 

Worship with Us 

Chapel at CTS is more than a monthly service; it is the gathering place of our community. It is where students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends convene to listen for God’s Word, to pray for the world, and to celebrate the many gifts of our community. 

Whether you join us in person in Sweeney Chapel or online via livestream, you are part of that gathered body. We believe worship connects us across distances and reminds us that the Spirit flows freely wherever we are. 

We hope you will journey with us, week by week, as we reflect on the ways God’s grace flows into our lives and into the world. And we hope you will mark your calendars for October 16 when Rev. Sarah Zuniga will preach from Ezekiel 47 and remind us that water is still flowing from the temple—bringing healing, life, and hope for all creation. 

 

    CTS Chapel – Water flowing from the temple

    🙌 Preacher: Rev. Sarah Zuniga
    📖 Ezekiel 47:1–12
    📅 Thursday, October 16, 11:00am Eastern
    📍Sweeney Chapel, Christian Theological Seminary
    💻 Livestream available on the CTS YouTube Channel