15 Pentecost C—8/28/16 Proverbs 25:6-7; Psalm 112; Hebrews 13:1-8,15-16; Luke 14:1,7-14 Pr. Scott Kramer Last Sunday was an occasion for the baptism of Aidan William Rippe, and we explored the risky nature of baptismal water. Holy baptism can make our lives complicated, even dangerous! This was the case for a man named Dirk Willems. The year was 1569. Dirk Willems was a Dutch Mennonite imprisoned for refusing to participate in violence, and for arguing against infant baptism. After months of … [Read more...]
Fail…safe
3 Easter C—4/10/16 Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 Pr. Scott Kramer This past Thursday Elon Musk announced that after only one week over 325,000 pre-orders had been made for the much-anticipated Model 3. Elon Musk is CEO of American electric carmaker Tesla Motors, and the Model 3 is the company’s first vehicle priced under $40,000. Elon Musk was co-founder of Paypal and SolarCity and is currently CEO of SpaceX, the company that a couple of days ago successfully landed a … [Read more...]
Through the Cross
Palm Sunday—3/20/16 Luke 19:28-40; Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Phil. 2:5-11; Luke 23:1-49 Pr. Scott Kramer The whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully… “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven.” If it weren’t Palm Sunday you might think it’s Christmas. Remember what the angels sang on the eve of Jesus’ birth? Something similar: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he … [Read more...]
The Father’s Love
4 Lent C—3/6/16 Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3,11b-32 Pr. Scott Kramer Our bank statement came in the mail a few days ago. This month, just like every other month, we need to check to see if the bank’s figures and our checkbook figures agree. You do this, too. We call it reconciling the checkbook. The word “reconcile” shows up in some form no fewer than five times in today’s short reading from 2 Corinthians. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: … [Read more...]
Hen and Chicks
2 Lent C—2/21/16 Genesis 15:1-12,17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35 Pr. Scott Kramer You may recall that Sunday readings for the season of Lent began last week with the story of Jesus’ temptations. We were reminded that the temptations Jesus experienced during his life were much like those that we face: very ordinary, very every-day. One of the greatest of these ordinary temptations is the desire to create a God in our own image. You may remember from the Book of Genesis that … [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...]
Word(s) to Live By
2 Christmas C—1/3/15 Jeremiah 31:7-14; Psalm 147:12-20; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 1:1-18 Pr. Scott Kramer Week after week we hear these words: Word of God. Word of Life. And the people respond: Praise to you, O Christ. This morning when you hear “Word of God, Word of Life…” your response is: Thanks be to God! As we conclude the Christmas season, what is the word of God for us? What is the word of life that will feed and sustain us as we move forward into this New Year? Each of the readings for … [Read more...]
Love and Justice
15 Pentecost B—9/6/15 Isaiah 35:4-7a; Psalm 146; James 2:1-17; Mark 7:24-37 Genesis 1:1-25; Romans :18-23; John 1:1-14 Pr. Scott Kramer Over the past couple of Sundays we have heard Jesus teach that religion, tradition, and ritual are “worthless”…unless they lead us to a deeper understanding of God’s love and a deeper practice of God’s love for all people! Today we begin the Season of Creation, which congregations of many denominations around the world observe this year—and every … [Read more...]
Beyond Tradition
14 Pentecost B—8/30/15 Deut. 4:1-2,6-9; Psalm 15; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23 Pr. Scott Kramer This morning’s gospel reading from Mark picks up where last week’s reading from John left off: All the Jews do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it and there are also many other traditions that they observe…So the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why do your … [Read more...]
Rules of the Game
23 Pentecost A—11/16/14 Zephaniah 1:7,12-18; Ps. 90:1-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matt. 25:14-30 American Idol. The X Factor. The Voice. Top Chef. America’s Next Top Model. And, America’s Got Talent! Growing up, I thought of talent shows as something you’d find at summer camp, or church events. Today on television they’re big business! "The kingdom of heaven is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to … [Read more...]