4 Pentecost A—7/2/17 Matthew 10:40-42 Pr. Scott Kramer Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Hospitality is at the heart of what it means to be Christian. But through the example of Jesus himself we discover that the welcome we extend to family or friends is only the barest beginning of God’s welcome. God’s welcome is more than a handshake or a greeting. Christian hospitality represents the wide embrace of God’s love that sets aside one’s own … [Read more...]
Cast All Your Anxiety On Him
7 Easter A—5/28/17 Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10,32-35; 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11; John 17:1-11 Pr. Scott Kramer It’s already been over six months since the election but in some parts of the country you might think we are still in campaign season! Driving through rural Washington recently I’ve seen huge signs still in place on barns and fences: “Make America Great Again.” We live in anxious times, and once anxiety takes hold of human hearts it’s not easy to let go! As those campaign signs and … [Read more...]
Born Again
2 Lent A—3/12/17 Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5,13-17; John 3:1-17 Pr. Scott Kramer The Lord said to Abram, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” God had big plans for Abram. But what was required of Abram in return was a big move. Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you, God commands. Abram … [Read more...]
Just Business
4 Epiphany A—1/29/17 Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12 Pr. Scott Kramer As you know, after worship this morning we will hold our congregation’s annual meeting for 2017. Likewise, on May 20th, Lutheran congregations from around Western Washington will come together for what we call Synod Assembly. These two gatherings are often described as the church’s annual “business meetings.” What would you say is the church’s “business?” Some of us might talk about budgets, … [Read more...]
Keep Awake!
Advent1A—11/27/16 Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44 Pr. Scott Kramer Anybody remember the 1970 book “The Late Great Planet Earth?” Some of you who are younger might be more familiar with the “Left Behind” series of novels and movies that appeared in the 1990s and early 2000s. These best-sellers used today’s reading from Matthew, with other Bible passages, to describe the “end of history.” The idea is that God will suddenly one day appear in the clouds to snatch away … [Read more...]
End of the World
26 Pentecost C16—11/13/16 Malachi 4:1-2a; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19 Pr. Scott Kramer In case you hadn’t noticed, today is the end of the world! Some of you have been feeling that way since Tuesday’s election. If the election had turned out differently others of you would have felt the same way! Today’s gospel reading, as it happens, is about the end of the world. The days will come, Jesus said, when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown … [Read more...]
Cause for Pride
7 Pentecost C—7/3/16 Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66:1-9; Galatians 6:1-16; Luke 10:1-11,16-20 Pr. Scott Kramer This weekend we observe the birth of our nation, but what I notice in one of today’s readings is a hint at the birth of our congregation! As many of you know, 2016 marks Lakeridge Lutheran’s 70th anniversary. In our scriptures the number 70 is significant. At the very beginning of today’s gospel reading, for example, Luke writes that in addition to his twelve core disciples he … [Read more...]
Border Crossings
5 Pentecost C—6/19/16 Isaiah 65:1-9; Psalm 22:19-28; Galatians 3:23-29; Luke 8:26-39 Pr. Scott Kramer On this Father’s Day, I’d like to share with you a story about one father in particular, shared with me by a pastor friend of mine. Over the past year, and again with the Orlando shooting last week, there have been threats against Muslims, even by Christians, so one Muslim father’s daughter was afraid. Last Sunday this father did an amazing thing: he brought her to my friend’s church because … [Read more...]
Power to Change
3 Pentecost C—6/5/16 1 Kings 17:17-24; Psalm 30; Galatians 1:11-24; Luke 7:11-17 Pr. Scott Kramer Over the past few weeks the church calendar has made a transition from the season of Easter to the season of Pentecost. We are now in the long season of green, in which God’s Word instructs us in the ways of spiritual growth and maturity. And yet, both our reading from 1 Kings and our reading from Luke are very similar resurrection stories. This sounds like Easter! What’s going on here? The first … [Read more...]
Stoned Prophets
Second Sunday in Lent February 21, 2016 Luke 13:31-35 Melody Kroeger The Attorney General of the United States came to warn him. “We have reports that there’s a sniper in the outskirts of Montgomery waiting to shoot Dr. King.” King refused to leave his supports behind and seek safety in a northern state. “I don’t care what happens,” Dr. King told his advisors, “I have to march and I have to be in the front line”. Martin Luther King was in trouble. The same sort of trouble that … [Read more...]