Acts 2:14a,36-41; Psalm 116:1-4,12-19; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35 The big story, of course, this past week was the death of Osama bin Laden. In Tuesday’s Seattle Times there was an article titled, “Despite DNA evidence, some doubt bin Laden [is] really dead”. The article began: “Conspiracy theorists on the left and right were quick to insist bin Laden was either still alive or had been dead for years...” This comes as no surprise, does it? Almost 50 years after President Kennedy was … [Read more...]
The Gift of Forgiveness
Acts 2:14a,22-32; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31 This past week I attended a breakfast fundraiser for DAWN. DAWN stands for Domestic Abuse Women’s Network. As the name suggests, this organization supports women in abusive relationships with resources that help them and their children find safety from violence. Over 200 people attended this year’s fundraiser. But what impresses me most is not just how many people attended but who attended. The state attorney general was there. So … [Read more...]
Angels
Jeremiah 31:1-6; Psalm 118:1-2,14-24; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 28:1-10 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. What comes to mind when you think of angels? They show up a lot in the Bible. They show up a lot in our culture, too. Maybe that’s what you think of: someone dressed in white, with wings and golden hair, sometimes holding a trumpet, or a harp. It’s the stuff of Hollywood and greeting cards. We often … [Read more...]
Created Good
Matthew 27:45-54 This morning Minjing and I drove to North Bend to hike Mt. Si. Mt. Si is one of the best training hikes for people who are planning to hike higher mountains. In fact, three months today I will be my ascent of Mt. Baker for the Climb to Fight Breast Cancer. It was a good day to be outside—not just to get in shape but because, as many of you know, today is Earth Day. Earth Day is an opportunity to recognize the beauty of the earth and our human responsibility for stewardship … [Read more...]
Cycle of Grace
Exodus 12:1-14; Ps. 116:1,10-17; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; John 13:1-17,31b-35 “[Jesus knew that]...he had come from God and was going to God.” –John 13:3 I want to share with you something that I received through my classes at Seattle University. It’s called the Cycle of Grace. It describes the life of faith as intended by God for each of us. When John describes Jesus he describes a man who knew from the beginning that he was loved and accepted. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I … [Read more...]
Put Your Sword Back
Matthew 26:14–25, 31–56, 69–75 51. Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 52. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” This past Tuesday marked the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War. It was a war that testified to the truth of Jesus’ words: All who take the sword will perish by the sword. 610,000 people … [Read more...]
Ripples in the Universe
by Maggie Breen Ann Weems. Ann is a poet. She is person who can craft words and the images they carry in a way that invite the reader to thoughts and feelings and insights that can be hard to grasp, hard to acknowledge perhaps, hard to pay attention to. In 1995, 13 years after the death of her 21 year old son Ann Weems writes.... “And still I weep. On that day in 1982 the stars fell from my sky and still I weep.”i The years have passed and she has been loved and cared for by those dear to her … [Read more...]
Body Fluids
1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41 This past week I drove down to a Renton casino to get my food handler’s permit. The food handler’s permit is required in order to work at Luther’s Table. When I arrived at the testing site I sat through a 45-minute class covering the rules for food handling and preparation. Our instructor emphasized the importance of washing hands often—especially after going to the bathroom: Wash once before leaving the bathroom and then again … [Read more...]
Three Strikes and You’re…In??
Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42 Baseball season is just around the corner. Whether or not you’re a Mariners fan—or even a baseball fan!—you know at least some of the lingo. We use baseball terms every day without even thinking about it. If someone gives an answer that’s close to the best answer we say that she’s in the ballpark. If he answers several questions in a row and gets them all right, we say he’s batting 1000. If she makes it to the highest level of her profession … [Read more...]
Leaving Home
Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5,13-17, John 3:1-17 As the people of Japan respond to the continuing crisis in their nation one of the big questions for many Japanese has been: Stay or leave? Do I stay home and risk radiation poisoning or disease or hunger or cold—or, do I leave? Some have no choice. Their homes are destroyed. Or, the government has ordered them to evacuate. Thousands are now homeless. We hear stories of homeless people around the world. Like the people of eastern … [Read more...]
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