PentecostC19—6/9/19 Acts 2:1-21 Pr. Scott Kramer On Tuesday of this past week I met with my synod diversity team. (“Synod” is the name for the 100 Lutheran churches in our part of Washington state.) Our team’s job is to identify needs and opportunities for raising awareness within our synod concerning issues of race, sexuality and, more generally, power. When I say I “met” with the team, I don’t mean face-to-face. Team members serve in different parts of our synod … [Read more...]
Grown-up Conversations
20 Pentecost B—10/11/15 Amos 5:6-7,10-15; Psalm 90:12-17; Hebrews 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31 Pr. Scott Kramer I have learned from parents of young children that one of the things they miss most is a “grown-up” conversation. I was talking this past week with one of my pastor colleagues in the area whose children are now teenagers, and I asked how they were doing. “Oh,” she said, “it is so nice to be able to have adult conversations with them!” The past two weeks we have heard Jesus praise … [Read more...]
Leaving Home
10 Pentecost B—8/2/15 Exodus 16:2-4,9-15; Psalm 68:23-29; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:24-35 Pr. Scott Kramer Have you ever felt homesick? Maybe it was summer camp as a child, going away to college or work, or getting married. For some, moving to a new city or even a new country can leave a person longing for the familiar faces and foods and things of home. If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread. It’s … [Read more...]