1 Lent B—2/18/18 1 Peter 3:18-22; Gospel: Mark 1:9-15 Pr. Scott Kramer I’ve been enjoying the Olympics, and maybe you have been, too. One of the most surprising events of the first week was the women’s Super-G Slalom. This is a downhill ski race, and American Mikaela Shiffrin was the favorite to win gold. Earlier in the week she’d won gold in a different event, but this Super-G Slalom is her specialty. In the end, though, she failed in that event even to make the podium—no medal at all! Part … [Read more...]
Just Showing Up
5 Epiphany B—2/4/18 Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39 Pr. Scott Kramer I shared with you last week that my Uncle Rod died at the age of 85, following a few brief months of living with leukemia. Here’s a line from his published obituary that gives you an idea of what he was like: He loved meeting new people and would often choose to go in the “singles” line at the chair lift while skiing just to have the opportunity to meet and talk with others on the ride up to … [Read more...]
Saints
2 Advent B—12/10/17 Isaiah 40:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8 Pr. Scott Kramer Can you imagine John the Baptist driving a sleigh through the night with eight tiny reindeer? Imagine John, dressed not in red and white winter gear but camel’s hair. Imagine John dropping down the chimney and happy to find not milk and cookies but a plate full of locusts and wild honey! Hard to imagine? It’s not difficult to see why John was not chosen as the model for our modern-day Santa Claus. But St. Nicholas … [Read more...]
Big Vision, New Beginning
1 Advent B—12/3/17 Isaiah 64:1-9; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37 Pr. Scott Kramer In our reading from words of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian church: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! It’s the first Sunday in Advent, but today we start with the Christmas story! In our reading from Mark's gospel Jesus cautions his followers to be alert, to be awake. Wise words, for Christmas sneaks up on us fast! There were no shopping malls in Jesus’ day. There was … [Read more...]
Seasons of New Beginnings
24 Pentecost A—11/19/17 Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30 Pr. Scott Kramer It’s that time of year in the church when we hear a lot about the end of the world. And, it makes sense! Next week marks the end of our church year, before the season of Advent signals the beginning of a new year. A few weeks after that, in the natural world, the season of autumn comes to an end, marking the beginning of winter. And soon after that, the end of one year and the … [Read more...]
For All the Saints
All Saints Sunday—11/5/17 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12 Pr. Scott Kramer Last Sunday we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. I have learned that this is an event with which my family has a close connection. I have here this morning a large volume that is a summary of family history on my dad’s side. My dad is our family genealogist and he has traced his ancestors back to Germany 500 years ago, both the time and the place of the Lutheran Reformation. This book is only … [Read more...]
Reformation to Transformation
Reformation Sunday—10/29/17 Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-36; Matthew 22:34-46 Pr. Scott Kramer (Below in italics is content provided to the congregation as a reference for the sermon following) Christian Formation Personal faith: God’s love for me and mine Work: Christian basics of prayer, Bible study, worship, service Emphasis: Keeping laws and following rules Goal: Personal salvation Christian Reformation (RE-formation) Public faith: God’s love for me and many others Work: Changing or … [Read more...]
Imitators of Christ
20 Pentecost A—10/22/17 Isaiah 45:1-7; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22 Pr. Scott Kramer This past week I made a pastoral visit to one of our own who as some of you know is recovering from a fall she experienced a few weeks ago. She is at a physical rehab center for at least the next six weeks; at the time of my visit she gratefully pointed out that the TV in her room plays the country music she enjoys. As a country music fan, she would no doubt recognize the name Billy Ray Cyrus. He’s … [Read more...]
Peace On Earth
Peace on earth, goodwill to all. Our church lawn features a traditional-looking sign that displays the church’s name and web page. It’s nothing fancy, just an old-school variety with an open field on which messages have to be manually created, letter by letter. That’s part of the reason the message doesn’t change very often! Last fall, in anticipation of the Christmas season, we posted a simple message that’s often associated with Christmas: Peace On Earth. It hasn’t been changed … [Read more...]
Every Knee Shall Bend
17 Pentecost A—10/1/17 Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32 Pr. Scott Kramer Last Sunday we began our 9:00 a.m. study of “Living Buddha, Living Christ.” The book is written by a Buddhist monk who describes the many things that Buddhism and Christianity have in common. As I ponder these similarities I’ve reached the same conclusion as many other Christians that this is one of the most Christian books I’ve ever read! One of many teachings the Buddha and Jesus have in common is warnings against … [Read more...]
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