14 Pentecost C—8/21/16 Isaiah 58:9b-14; Psalm 103:1-8; Hebrews 12:18-29; Luke 13:10-17 Pr. Scott Kramer It seems appropriate that Aidan’s baptism is today. He is the son of athletes, and the Olympic Games closing ceremony is today. Some of my favorite events over the past 16 days have been water sports: swimming, diving, water polo. Of course, there’s rowing and sailing. And, yes, kayak! Michelle and Derek, you are runners and rock climbers, but you are also water people! Today’s worship is … [Read more...]
Sermons Archive
Red Carpet Treatment
12 Pentecost C—8/7/16 Genesis 15:1-6; Psalm 33:12-22; Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16; Luke 12:32-40 Pr. Scott Kramer Following worship every Sunday many of us head downstairs for coffee hour. There your attention likely is on the coffee, the food and the conversation. It may be, though, that on occasion you’ve happened to glance at the floor and if you have you’ve probably noticed the red carpet. Well, it’s not so red anymore. These days it’s more like shades of red mixed with shades of black. And you … [Read more...]
Loyalty or Love?
8 Pentecost C—7/10/17 Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Psalm 25:1-10; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37 Pr. Scott Kramer On our day off this past week my wife and I did what we often do this time of year: head into the mountains for a hike. Hikers have a list of what’s called the Ten Essential systems: Map and compass (navigation), sunglasses and sunscreen (sun protection), extra clothing (insulation), headlamp (illumination), matches (fire), repair kit, extra food (nutrition), extra water … [Read more...]
Cause for Pride
7 Pentecost C—7/3/16 Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66:1-9; Galatians 6:1-16; Luke 10:1-11,16-20 Pr. Scott Kramer This weekend we observe the birth of our nation, but what I notice in one of today’s readings is a hint at the birth of our congregation! As many of you know, 2016 marks Lakeridge Lutheran’s 70th anniversary. In our scriptures the number 70 is significant. At the very beginning of today’s gospel reading, for example, Luke writes that in addition to his twelve core disciples he … [Read more...]
Border Crossings
5 Pentecost C—6/19/16 Isaiah 65:1-9; Psalm 22:19-28; Galatians 3:23-29; Luke 8:26-39 Pr. Scott Kramer On this Father’s Day, I’d like to share with you a story about one father in particular, shared with me by a pastor friend of mine. Over the past year, and again with the Orlando shooting last week, there have been threats against Muslims, even by Christians, so one Muslim father’s daughter was afraid. Last Sunday this father did an amazing thing: he brought her to my friend’s church because … [Read more...]
Power to Change
3 Pentecost C—6/5/16 1 Kings 17:17-24; Psalm 30; Galatians 1:11-24; Luke 7:11-17 Pr. Scott Kramer Over the past few weeks the church calendar has made a transition from the season of Easter to the season of Pentecost. We are now in the long season of green, in which God’s Word instructs us in the ways of spiritual growth and maturity. And yet, both our reading from 1 Kings and our reading from Luke are very similar resurrection stories. This sounds like Easter! What’s going on here? The first … [Read more...]
Perfect Community
Holy Trinity C—5/22/16 Proverbs 8:1-4,22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15 Pr. Scott Kramer Close your eyes for a few seconds. Take a couple of deep breaths. Imagine that you’re walking up to a closed door. As you approach, the door opens and there…is God. What do you see? You can open your eyes now. When the door opened, what did you see? When some folks think of God they see an older man with long white hair and beard, sitting on a big throne in the clouds—the one who shows up … [Read more...]
Gospel Hospitality
6 Easter C—5/1/16 Acts 16:9-15; Psalm 67; Revelation 21:10,22-22:5; John 14:23-29 Pr. Scott Kramer Each year our bishop invites the rostered leaders of our synod to spend two days on retreat. This year’s event took place earlier this past week. At the end of each retreat day, the bishop invites us to what he calls a “hospitality room,” a place of conversation where there is beer, wine, sodas, snacks and other refreshments. What do you think of when you think of hospitality? Maybe something … [Read more...]
Pete, and Repeat!
5 Easter C—4/2416 Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35 Pr. Scott Kramer “How many times do I have to tell you…!?” What child has not heard that question? “How many times do I have to tell you…to take out the trash…to not hit your sister…to do your homework…to turn down the music?" If you were a model child, maybe you didn’t experience this. The rest of us did! “How many times do I have to tell you? Parents ask the question out of exasperation. No doubt our heavenly … [Read more...]
Goodness and Mercy
4 Easter C—4/17/16 Acts 9:36-43; Psalm 23; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30 Pr. Scott Kramer When I go to the gym I like to listen to audiobooks while I’m working out. One book this past week was about a famous person you might recognize [play audio]. Yes, it’s My Brief History, a short autobiography of Stephen Hawking, the famous cosmologist. As you may know, when Hawking was a young man he developed ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak for most of his … [Read more...]
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