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...]
Sermons Archive
A Gracious Feast
19th Sunday after Pentecost Lakeridge Lutheran Church Matthew 22:1-14 Nathan Black Most of the time, when we contemplate the words of scripture, especially the words of Jesus, the message seems clear, the good news is directly declared, the promise of forgiveness and reconciliation is right there in the text, clear as day. And sometimes, the text leaves us conflicted, questioning, wondering. That has been my experience with this morning’s text. Is this really what the kingdom of … [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...]
Judged Worthy of Love
Pentecost 16A—9/24/17 Jonah 3:10--4:11; Matthew 20:1-16 Pr. Scott Kramer When I was a child, one of my favorite Bible stories was the tale of “Jonah and the Whale.” What little kid wouldn’t love the story of someone on a ship who was thrown overboard, swallowed by a huge fish, and spit out unharmed onto dry land? As an adult, this story is still one of my favorites, but not because of the big fish. The story of Jonah represents a very grown-up and difficult truth that all of us eventually must … [Read more...]
Power to Choose
15 Pentecost A—9/17/17 Genesis 50:15-21; Exodus 14:19-31; Matthew 18:21-35 Pr. Scott Kramer This past Friday my wife and I returned from a visit to Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana. Over the course of the week we put almost 1800 miles on the car! Turns out that it was more than just a road journey. For me, it was a spiritual journey, as well. I’d like to share some of that road-trip with you this morning because a lot of what we experienced over the past week ties in with our … [Read more...]
Love or Fear
13 Pentecost A—9/3/17 Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 26:1-8; Romans 12:19-21; Matthew 16:21-28 Pr. Scott Kramer In the September issue of National Geographic magazine is a short interview with Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General of the United States. This month’s issue is dedicated to the “Science of Addiction” and Murthy was asked what it means to be healthy, and he speaks specifically about emotional health: I am deeply concerned about the level of stress that our country is experiencing…I have long … [Read more...]
Chip Off the Old Rock
12 Pentecost A—8/27/17 Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20 Pr. Scott Kramer I have here a receipt that proves that I recently shopped for groceries at Fred Meyer. Nothing unusual: bread, cheese, fruit, milk, cereal. But down near the bottom of this receipt—and every Fred Meyer receipt I’ve seen recently—is this message: Tell Us How We Are Doing! The company provides a link to a survey which enters me in an online sweepstakes for gift cards ranging from $100 to $5000. I … [Read more...]
Words for Our Time
11 Pentecost A—8/20/17 Isaiah 56:1,6-8; Psalm 67; Romans 11:1-2a,29-32; Matt. 15:10-28 Pr. Scott Kramer Did you ever think you’d hear Jesus call someone stupid? Matthew 15 is a hard-hitting chapter in which Jesus exposes the hypocrisy and screwed-up priorities of religious people, including his own followers. It’s a chapter that speaks to American Christians in 2017, maybe especially over the past week following the events of Charlottesville, Virginia. The Christian who is deeply convinced of … [Read more...]
Wheat & Weeds
7 Pentecost A—7/23/17 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Pr. Scott Kramer I invite you to turn in your pew Bibles to the very end of John’s gospel, ch. 21. Beginning with v.24: This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Now please turn back a … [Read more...]
Baptismal Candle
4 Pentecost A—7/2/17 Matthew 10:40-42 Pr. Scott Kramer Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Hospitality is at the heart of what it means to be Christian. But through the example of Jesus himself we discover that the welcome we extend to family or friends is only the barest beginning of God’s welcome. God’s welcome is more than a handshake or a greeting. Christian hospitality represents the wide embrace of God’s love that sets aside one’s own … [Read more...]
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