2 Advent A—12/8/19 Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-7; Matthew 3:1-12 Pr. Scott Kramer If you’re a local sports fan, you know what the big story was this past week. Chris Petersen, Husky coach over the past six years, suddenly resigned. Well, coaches do resign, but typically in order to take a more prestigious, challenging, and usually better-paying coaching position somewhere else. What made this announcement such a big deal is that Petersen resigned without any new coaching … [Read more...]
Sermons Archive
God is Our Strength
23 Pentecost C—11/24/19 Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 46; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43 Pr. Scott Kramer It is game day, and kick-off in Philadelphia was forty minutes ago. Congratulations to you if you are a rabid Seahawks fan but are here at worship! This week, I found inspiration from the Seahawks for today’s Christ the King readings; in particular, this Seattle Times article from Thursday about Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney is … [Read more...]
Distractions to Justice
22 Pentecost C—11/10/19 Job 19:23-27a; Luke 20:27-38 Pr. Scott Kramer Susan Goldberg is the tenth editor of National Geographic magazine and the first woman to hold the post. It’s good timing. Next year marks 100 years since the United States Congress ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. The November issue of the magazine is titled “Women: A Century of Change,” and reflects the struggles and successes of women around the … [Read more...]
Keys to Transformation
18 Pentecost C—10/13/19 2 Kings 5:1-3,7-15c, Luke 17:11-19 Pr. Scott Kramer What would you do if you were Naaman? Today’s reading from 2 Kings is the story of a powerful general who has everything going for him. Everything!--except for one important thing: He has leprosy. Leprosy—Hansen’s disease, as it’s called today—is not on our radar. It seems like an exotic disease from … [Read more...]
At the Gate
16 Pentecost C (Michael & All Angels)—9/29/19 Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3; Revelation 12:7-12; Luke 16:19-31 Pr. Scott Kramer This past Thursday night, my wife and I drove to the movie theaters at The Landing to watch Downton Abbey. Any fans here? We have been fans from the very beginning of the TV series and were not disappointed by the movie! I admit that I am conflicted. I call Downton Abbey a sort of guilty pleasure. Why do many of us so enjoy this series … [Read more...]
Faithful in Much
15 Pentecost C—9/22/19 Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13 Pr. Scott Kramer As many of you know, September for many churches around the globe, including ours, is a Season of Creation. On the face of things, today’s readings on wealth and poverty don’t seem to have much of a connection. With a little effort, however, we may find a powerful connection. Jesus tells a story about choices and consequences: A rich man fires his business manager, accusing him of … [Read more...]
Bigger Than That
13 Pentecost C—9/8/19 Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33 Pr. Scott Kramer When I was born sixty years ago, I was the center of the universe. I soon learned, however, that this was not quite true. My family was bigger than that. Mom and Dad took good care of me. But over the next few years I discovered, sometimes to my dismay, that I wasn’t the center of their attention. Two more siblings came along and we became a family of five. As the … [Read more...]
Broken Laws, Broken Bread
12 Pentecost C—9/1/19 Proverbs 25:6-7, Sirach 10:12-18; Hebrews 13:1-3, Luke 14:1, 7-14 Pr. Scott Kramer This past Friday I was invited to the home of one of my hiking buddies for dinner. Those who gathered had hiked together some weeks ago over a hundred miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. Tonight, my wife and I are invited to another dinner, this time for an end-of-summer gathering with pastor and deacon colleagues. I meet with these folks every week to study and discuss the Bible … [Read more...]
Freedom for All
11 Pentecost C—8/25/19 Isaiah 58:9b-14; Psalm 71:1-6; Luke 13:10-17 Pr. Scott Kramer [Bewick's wren song recording] Yesterday I was at home working on this sermon, when I went upstairs for a break. There in the dining room was something I’d never before seen inside our house. A Bewick’s wren, one of the great songbirds native to the Pacific Northwest, somehow had slipped through our flimsy screen door and was frantically, desperately trying to fly out through the plate … [Read more...]
Hammer & Fire
10 Pentecost C—8/18/19 Jer. 23:23-24,29; Psalm 82; Heb. 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56 Pr. Scott Kramer Does anyone here this morning know what the weather forecast is for this afternoon? Many of us do have an idea. But, how do we know? Well, of course it’s because we’ve watched the news, or read the newspaper, or, most likely, checked our phone app! What would we do modern folk do without these things? Can you imagine forecasting the weather yourself? June 18th, 1974, started out … [Read more...]
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