2 Pentecost A—6/18/17 Ex. 19:2-18a; Psalm 100; Romans 5:1-8; Matt. 9:35-10:8[9-23] Pr. Scott Kramer One of the highlights of this past week for me was a reunion with a friend I hadn’t seen in many years. Liz and I taught English in China together 30 years ago. She and her family are from Sacramento but I’d never met her husband so it was a joy to meet them and their 15 yr.-old son over dinner at our house. Next month we will welcome other visitors; this time, friends from Hong Kong that we … [Read more...]
Sermons Archive
The Language of Love
PentecostA17—6/4/17 Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; John 20:19-23 Pr. Scott Kramer When the day of Pentecost had come, the apostles were all together in one place…All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. When I visit China, or if I simply visit a local Chinese restaurant, when I say a few words of Chinese the person I’m speaking to smiles, and surprised, might say, “Oh, you speak Chinese!” Well, I … [Read more...]
Cast All Your Anxiety On Him
7 Easter A—5/28/17 Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10,32-35; 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11; John 17:1-11 Pr. Scott Kramer It’s already been over six months since the election but in some parts of the country you might think we are still in campaign season! Driving through rural Washington recently I’ve seen huge signs still in place on barns and fences: “Make America Great Again.” We live in anxious times, and once anxiety takes hold of human hearts it’s not easy to let go! As those campaign signs and … [Read more...]
The Spirit of Truth
6 Easter A—5/21/17 Acts 17:22-31; Psalm 66:8-20; 1 Peter 3:13-22; John 14:15-21 Pr. Scott Kramer If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. The “Spirit of truth.” Was there ever a time when we were more in need of the Spirit of truth? Was there ever a time more than now when the world could not … [Read more...]
Mother’s Milk
5 Easter A—5/1417 Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5,15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14 Pr. Scott Kramer Father. Father father. Father Father Father. Father Father Father Father Father. Today, as you know, is Mother’s Day. Evidently, Jesus didn’t get the memo; in today’s gospel reading he mentions not his mother but his Father no fewer than eleven times! And yet…on this Mother’s Day, we remember that God is not a man. Did you notice? The first words from our second reading are about “mother’s milk!” … [Read more...]
Stranger on the Road
3 Easter A—4/30/17 Acts 2:14a,36-41; Psalm 116:1-4,12-19; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35 Pr. Scott Kramer A week and a half ago I stopped by the Renton History Museum for the first time. The museum features a traveling exhibit titled, “Sorting Out Racism,” which is excellent and continues through May 17th. While I was at the museum I learned about an event held at the museum this past Thursday, a panel discussion titled, Undoing Racism in Renton. The panel was an African-American pastor … [Read more...]
A Living Christ
EasterA17—4/16/17 Jeremiah 31:1-6; Psalm 118:1-2,14-24; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18 Pr. Scott Kramer Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again! This is the message of Easter morning. Death gives way to new life. Despair gives way to hope. Forty days of Lent have led to this day. Forty days in which again and again God’s people have been invited to the task of repentance. We have been reminded that repentance is not about feeling weighed down by guilt for what we have or … [Read more...]
Saving the World
2 Easter A—4/23/17 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31 Pr. Scott Kramer (Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Seattle) A couple of weeks ago I was in the checkout line at our local hardware store and overheard a conversation behind me. It was between a store employee and a young man and woman who are fairly new to the area. When he learned that the young woman works in a local research lab, this store employee said, “Oh, my daughter works in the city as an epidemiologist.” And then he chuckled, “She’s trying … [Read more...]
Living Water
3 Lent A—3/19/17 Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42 Pr. Scott Kramer In last month’s issue of National Geographic magazine was a story titled, “For Widows, Life After Loss.” In some cultures, the article reports, “the death of a husband has meant exile, vulnerability, and abuse.” In Uganda, for example, if a woman’s husband dies, her in-laws typically take away everything from her: not only her land and property but even her children! One day Jesus was traveling with his … [Read more...]
Born Again
2 Lent A—3/12/17 Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5,13-17; John 3:1-17 Pr. Scott Kramer The Lord said to Abram, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” God had big plans for Abram. But what was required of Abram in return was a big move. Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you, God commands. Abram … [Read more...]
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