Jeremiah 15:15-21; Psalm 26:1-8; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28 This morning we begin where we left off last week. One of you came up to me after worship last Sunday and asked, “What’s this about Jesus warning his friends not to tell anyone that he was the savior.” It’s a good question! Over and over in the gospels he seems to want to keep his identity a secret. There are different opinions about this but the one that makes the most sense to me can be summed up in one word: distractions. … [Read more...]

I remember my first day of confirmation class. It was the beginning of three years of instruction before being confirmed as a full member of the church. We had a curriculum to follow and the title of the first chapter was, “Who Am I?” Now, as a seventh-grade boy, I thought this was the dumbest question in the world. Who am I? Easy! I’m Scott Kramer, son of Lyle and Eloise. D-uh! But over time I’ve grown to appreciate the importance of that question. Long before I was a confirmation student a … [Read more...]

Good Will Hunting. Mrs. Doubtfire. Patch Adams. These are films I really enjoyed, so I was as surprised as anyone this past week to learn that actor Robin Williams had died. But those of us who associated him with joy, humor, and love of life were shocked to hear that at age 63 he had taken his own life. This past week we’ve learned a bit about Robin Williams’ background. I hadn’t known that he’d grown up in a house of privilege. His father was an auto executive and his mother a former model. … [Read more...]

Last week I was talking to my friend Derek about kayaking. Kayaking is one of his favorite sports. It’s also a dangerous sport, even for experienced kayakers. It’s easy to tip over in a kayak. If you’re stuck in a boat upside down with your head in the water it can be hard to get right-side up. One of the most important moves a kayaker learns is something called a “combat roll,” but here’s the thing: The natural thing to do is try to get your head above water so you can breathe, right? Well, … [Read more...]

Many of you remember April 29th, 2010, when a 12 yr.-old boy was shot and killed as he returned home to Skyway after shopping for football cleats. His name was Alajawan Brown. This past Thursday I met his mother Ayanna when she stopped by the church office. Here is a tragedy that like so many others could have faded from the news headlines and been forgotten. Well, like all news stories this young man’s death did fade from the headlines but his memory did not. In the midst of her grief his … [Read more...]

For those of us who garden last week’s rain was a godsend. Along with the sunshine and warmth we’ve had since then, the rain has caused an abundance of new life and growth and energy in our gardens and in the world around us. Our scripture readings for the past weeks have been stories from the natural world. We have heard stories about seed and soil, wheat and weeds. The timing couldn’t be better! During summer, we experience the wonder and the beauty of God’s creation in all its glory In our … [Read more...]