"Down Under" Reflections for Lent: Alpha Centauri Having returned from a recent trip to visit family in Australia, Pr. Scott offers reflections on highlights of the experience in light of the season of Lent. In my last post I reflected on my experience of seeing the Southern Cross, a famous feature of night skies in the Southern Hemisphere. Shining brightly nearby are two “pointer” stars, one of which is Alpha Centauri, our sun’s nearest neighbor. “Near” and “neighbor” are relative terms. … [Read more...]
“Down Under” Reflections for Lent: Southern Cross
Having returned from a recent trip to visit family in Australia, Pr. Scott offers reflections on highlights of the experience in light of the season of Lent. Australia hosts many animals unique to that continent—kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypus, Tasmanian devils—but there are some unique things you can’t see in zoos anywhere. One of my hopes for our recent visit to Australia was a chance to see the Southern Cross. Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere might recognize the Southern Cross … [Read more...]
Remembering
3 Lent B—3/8/15 Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22 Pr. Scott Kramer Well, what would have been your response if you were one of Jesus’ disciples? There he is, apparently having lost his mind, chasing animals, turning over tables, scattering money everywhere—in church! What would have been going through your mind? Surprisingly, on this occasion, Jesus’ disciples keep it together. Mark writes that His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your … [Read more...]
Promise Amidst Temptations
The promise amidst the temptations in the wilderness By Melody Kroeger There is a lot of action packed into the readings this first Sunday of Lent. We began today with Noah and the “everlasting covenant between God and Noah and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” (Genesis 9:8-17) A covenant not just for Noah and his sons and their son’s generations but for ALL future generations – that God remember God’s promise and never again send flood waters to destroy the earth … [Read more...]
Game On
5 Epiphany B—2/8/15 Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147:1-11; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39 Pr. Scott Kramer So, how are you doing today, Seahawks fans? Sorry to bring that up!—but I’m guessing you’re feeling a little better than when you woke up last Monday! The headline in Monday’s Seattle Times read, “DEFLATED.” Football fans recognize that as a reference to the underinflated football scandal leading up to the Super Bowl, but it was also an accurate description of how Seahawks fans … [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...]
3. Self-Awareness
The “Be Still” spiritual practice that I’m following in response to our church’s health plan is divided into six weeks, two weeks for each practice. The third practice is: "Make Intentional Choices to Strengthen Your Well-Being" Ancient Roots: Prayer Labyrinth For centuries, the labyrinth has been found in religious traditions around the world. Ours follows the pattern in the 13th century floor of Chartres Cathedral in France. The winding path of a labyrinth acts as a mirror for our … [Read more...]
2. Strength & Vulnerability
The “Be Still” spiritual practice that I’m following in response to our church’s health plan is divided into six weeks, two weeks for each practice. The second practice is: "Claim Your Strengths and Vulnerabilities" Ancient Roots: Lectio Divina Started in early monastic communities, Lectio Divina invites slow and prayerful reading of scripture as Living Word. Read the day’s scripture three times. Allow the repetition to draw you deeper into the text, hearing it differently and opening … [Read more...]
1. Gratitude
The "Be Still" spiritual practice that I'm following in response to our church's health plan is divided into six weeks, two weeks for each practice. The first is gratitude. Deepen Your Awareness of God’s Grace Ancient Roots: Examen Developed in the 16th century by St. Ignatius Loyola, Examen invites you to review the day’s events to detect God’s presence and direction for you. Choose from the following daily gratitude practices. Consider one that pulls you outside your comfort zone. … [Read more...]
Be Still
A healthy spiritual life is intimately related to healthy practice in all other areas of human life. "Wellness" refers to healthy practice of mind, body and spirit. With that in mind, our church's health plan provides incentives for healthy living. For example, in each year that participants complete a health assessment and commit to a disciplined spiritual practice for at least 6-10 weeks we receive a financial reward. We're given three options: One is meal tracking and calorie counting. … [Read more...]
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