16 Pentecost C (Michael & All Angels)—9/29/19 Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3; Revelation 12:7-12; Luke 16:19-31 Pr. Scott Kramer This past Thursday night, my wife and I drove to the movie theaters at The Landing to watch Downton Abbey. Any fans here? We have been fans from the very beginning of the TV series and were not disappointed by the movie! I admit that I am conflicted. I call Downton Abbey a sort of guilty pleasure. Why do many of us so enjoy this series … [Read more...]
Sermons Archive
Faithful in Much
15 Pentecost C—9/22/19 Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13 Pr. Scott Kramer As many of you know, September for many churches around the globe, including ours, is a Season of Creation. On the face of things, today’s readings on wealth and poverty don’t seem to have much of a connection. With a little effort, however, we may find a powerful connection. Jesus tells a story about choices and consequences: A rich man fires his business manager, accusing him of … [Read more...]
Bigger Than That
13 Pentecost C—9/8/19 Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33 Pr. Scott Kramer When I was born sixty years ago, I was the center of the universe. I soon learned, however, that this was not quite true. My family was bigger than that. Mom and Dad took good care of me. But over the next few years I discovered, sometimes to my dismay, that I wasn’t the center of their attention. Two more siblings came along and we became a family of five. As the … [Read more...]
Broken Laws, Broken Bread
12 Pentecost C—9/1/19 Proverbs 25:6-7, Sirach 10:12-18; Hebrews 13:1-3, Luke 14:1, 7-14 Pr. Scott Kramer This past Friday I was invited to the home of one of my hiking buddies for dinner. Those who gathered had hiked together some weeks ago over a hundred miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. Tonight, my wife and I are invited to another dinner, this time for an end-of-summer gathering with pastor and deacon colleagues. I meet with these folks every week to study and discuss the Bible … [Read more...]
Freedom for All
11 Pentecost C—8/25/19 Isaiah 58:9b-14; Psalm 71:1-6; Luke 13:10-17 Pr. Scott Kramer [Bewick's wren song recording] Yesterday I was at home working on this sermon, when I went upstairs for a break. There in the dining room was something I’d never before seen inside our house. A Bewick’s wren, one of the great songbirds native to the Pacific Northwest, somehow had slipped through our flimsy screen door and was frantically, desperately trying to fly out through the plate … [Read more...]
Hammer & Fire
10 Pentecost C—8/18/19 Jer. 23:23-24,29; Psalm 82; Heb. 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56 Pr. Scott Kramer Does anyone here this morning know what the weather forecast is for this afternoon? Many of us do have an idea. But, how do we know? Well, of course it’s because we’ve watched the news, or read the newspaper, or, most likely, checked our phone app! What would we do modern folk do without these things? Can you imagine forecasting the weather yourself? June 18th, 1974, started out … [Read more...]
Where Your Treasure Is
9 Pentecost C—8/11/19 Isaiah 1:1,15-20; Luke 12:32-40 Pr. Scott Kramer Some of you may remember the story of Moses receiving from God the Ten Commandments. The story is not one of our readings for today, and yet, in response to today’s readings, I have found renewed sympathy for Moses. In the story, Moses climbs a high mountain, where God gives him a set of laws intended to order a newly-liberated people’s life together. But in the view of the people, Moses is gone too long. They … [Read more...]
Healed by Love
5 Pentecost B—7/14/19 Deuteronomy 30:11-14; Colossians 1:11-14; Luke 10:25-37 Pr. Scott Kramer Did you see the Pearls Before Swine comic in yesterday’s paper? Rat: I think the world’s religions are right. The key to life is to love other people. Goat: Do you think you can do that? Rat: Yes…Except the annoying ones. Those I’ll hit with a stick. Goat: I don’t remember that in scripture. Rat: Yes, you only have to love the … [Read more...]
Healing for Ourselves
4 Pentecost C—7/7/19 2 Kings 5:1-14; Luke 4:22-30; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 Pr. Scott Kramer So—what was the miracle in the story of Naaman? Naaman, the powerful foreign general, was healed of the one thing he had no power over: a skin disease. But when Jesus told the story of Naaman, his own people almost killed him. Something else must be going on here; you don’t get killed for telling a healing story! Today’s readings, as usual, involve insiders and outsiders. Although Naaman was … [Read more...]
First Things First
3 Pentecost B—6/30/19 Galatians 5:1,13-25 Pr. Scott Kramer On the Sunday before Independence Day it seems appropriate that our reading from Galatians is all about freedom: Christ has set us free to live a free life. So, take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you! Well, what does freedom mean to you? If we were to take a survey this morning, some familiar responses likely would rise to the top: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom of the … [Read more...]
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