24 Pentecost B—11/8/15 1 Kings 17:8-16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44 Pr. Scott Kramer How many times in your life have you been fired from your job? Football coach Jim White had been fired three times. He'd burned his bridges. The only job he could get was in the small town of McFarland, at a public school for the children of Latino farm workers in California’s Central Valley. The year was 1987. McFarland’s football team was hopeless. But the new coach realized that … [Read more...]
Into the Boat
4 Pentecost B—6/21/15 By Melody Kroeger Have you ever been in a boat, a raft, a fishing vessel or even a ferry, set upon by heavy swells? Imagine the disciples, trapped between the savage forces of wind, waves, and water. Their small fishing boat rolls from side to side and pitches up and down like a see-saw. At any moment, the accumulation of waves breaking over the boat’s bow will become too much for the small boat to carry and it will be dragged under the water by its sheer … [Read more...]
Choose Love
5 Pentecost B—5/3/15 Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 22:25-31; 1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8 Pr. Scott Kramer Some of us are old enough to remember when Bruce Jenner won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics. Almost forty years later he’s back in the news again, making headlines for a very different reason: Bruce Jenner is transitioning to a woman. Meanwhile, in our nation’s capital the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments for and against the constitutionality of gay marriage. In … [Read more...]
Holy Impatience
3 Easter B—4/19/15 Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36b-48 Pr. Scott Kramer Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have! Jesus is impatient. Easter is a season of holy impatience. Earlier in Luke, the first ones at Jesus’ tomb were some women. When they arrived at the tomb, they saw “two men in dazzling clothes.” … [Read more...]
From Distraction to Focus
4 Epiphany B—2/1/15 Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28 Pr. Scott Kramer Kick-off for the Super Bowl is just a few hours away. It’s been a wild ride getting to this point, hasn’t it! Early in the season it was looking like the Seahawks wouldn’t even make the playoffs, but here they are, back in the Super Bowl! What’s the difference in the team between now and last September? As the coach and players tell it, individuals were getting into arguments with … [Read more...]
Time for Love
Julia Stewart Memorial 1 Corinthians 13 1/3/14 Earlier this week Amie texted me: If you have about an hour of time… I recommend reading through all the journal entries in CaringBridge. Many of you who gather this day have been part of that amazing online community of support. August 29, 2012. Amie writes: “I asked Julia if she would like some lunch. Julia replied, I don’t have time for this.” It wasn’t the only time she said those words. I don’t have time for this. That … [Read more...]