Epiphany 8A17—2/16/17 Isaiah 49:8-16; Psalm 131; Matthew 6:24-34 Pr. Scott Kramer (Preached at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Seattle) "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" This past week I’ve been thinking a lot about the “birds of the air.” My wife and I just returned on Friday from a few days in Arizona, which included some fine bird-watching. It’s too early for spring … [Read more...]
Greatness
23 Pentecost C—10/23/16 Jer. 14:7-10,19-22; Psalm 84:1-7; 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18; Luke 18:9-14 Pr. Scott Kramer “There but for the grace of God go I.” In response to another person’s misfortune or tragedy, have you ever found yourself saying or thinking these words? “Sucks to be you!” is how we might put it in contemporary language. This is the spirit of the Pharisee in Jesus’ story, a man who has ordered his world into familiar categories of good and bad. I thank God that I am not like those … [Read more...]
Lessons from Rialto
19 Pentecost C—9/25/16 Job 39:1-8,26-30; Psalm 104:14-23; 1 Cor. 1:10-23; Luke 12:22-31 Pr. Scott Kramer One of the headline news stories this past week had nothing to do with Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. The news is that Rialto has a new home! Rialto, in case you don’t know, is the baby sea otter who was found on Rialto Beach along the Washington coast. This little guy was almost dead when some big-hearted humans rescued him and gradually nursed back to health at the Seattle Aquarium. … [Read more...]
A Holon One
18 Pentecost C--9/18/16 Cosmos Sunday Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalm 148; Colossians 1:15-20; John 6:41-51 Pr. Maggie Breen My dad died to alcoholism when he was 65. He had struggled with the loss of life much earlier. The ways of the world caused him great anxiety. He couldn’t work out how he fit, couldn’t find a way to the life he was made for, and so he drank. He lost his job, a job that never really used the gifts he had, in his early 40s. He never worked again, and he slowly, and painfully drank … [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...]
Perfect Community
Holy Trinity C—5/22/16 Proverbs 8:1-4,22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15 Pr. Scott Kramer Close your eyes for a few seconds. Take a couple of deep breaths. Imagine that you’re walking up to a closed door. As you approach, the door opens and there…is God. What do you see? You can open your eyes now. When the door opened, what did you see? When some folks think of God they see an older man with long white hair and beard, sitting on a big throne in the clouds—the one who shows up … [Read more...]
Go to Zarephath
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...]
Whatever You Want…
21 Pentecost B—10/18/15 Isaiah 53:4-12; Psalm 91:9-16; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45 Pr. Scott Kramer Imagine being a teacher in a classroom, when two of the students stand up and say, Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. What were James and John thinking!? On the other hand, maybe they knew Jesus better than we do! In John’s gospel, chapter 14, for example, Jesus says: I will do whatever you ask in my name... If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do … [Read more...]
Sourdough Starter
11 Pentecost B—8/9/15 1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34:1-8; Ephesians 4:25-5:2; John 6:35,41-51 Pr. Scott Kramer One of my pastoral visits this past week was to see Jim. Some of you know Jim. Before reading the scripture lessons for the week I explained to Jim that this time of year the gospel readings are all about Jesus as Bread of Life. Jim thought about that and then said, “I make bread. Sourdough bread.” In fact, Jim told me he has sourdough starter in the fridge. And guess how old … [Read more...]
Faith and Doubt
2 Easter B—4/12/15 Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133; 1 John 1:1-2:2, John 20:19-31 Pr. Scott Kramer Before we gathered here for worship last Sunday many of us gathered around a fire by the lake before dawn and as we worshiped the sky grew brighter and the sun eventually rose above the horizon. Light and darkness are Easter themes and the author of our gospel and epistle readings this morning loves the language of light and dark. For example, in today’s second reading John assures us that God is … [Read more...]
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