1 Kings 17:8–16 [17–24]; Psalm 146; Galatians 1:11-24; Luke 7:11-17 It was good to see Alan & Anne Compaan in worship last week. Not everyone here knows Alan & Anne. Alan is the grandson of a former Lakeridge pastor. Today he’s chief of police for the City of Edmonds. It’s tough to be a police officer these days. It’s never been easy to be in law enforcement but lately it’s seemed especially difficult. In times of crisis, we hope, our faith & most of all, our faith community, … [Read more...]

Proverbs 8:1-4,22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15 Did you hear about the woman who became a Catholic priest? Sounds like a set-up for a joke, doesn’t it?--but it’s not! Yesterday’s Seattle Times reported that an Olympia woman was the first woman in Washington state to be ordained as a Catholic priest. The ordination was performed by an organization called Roman Catholic Womenpriests. It isn’t considered valid by the Pope or the mainline Roman Catholic Church because the Roman … [Read more...]

Acts 2:1-21; Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 104:24-34,35b; John 14:8-17, 25-27 Most of you already know that I‟m planning to climb Mt. Rainier in July. In order to prepare for that climb I need to do training climbs. Yesterday my wife & I climbed Mt. Si near North Bend. The forests of the Northwest are always beautiful, especially this time of year. Everything is green. As you walk through the woods, you might get the idea that because it‟s all green it‟s all pretty much the same. But as a … [Read more...]

Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 After the loss of a loved one, life is never the same. And yet, hopefully over time we settle into a routine that helps us move forward. After he rose from the dead, Jesus appeared to his terrified friends twice behind locked doors. In today’s reading he appears once more. By this time, they’ve ventured out from behind their locked doors. In fact, they’re beginning to get back into a routine that feels somewhat normal. “I’m going … [Read more...]

Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 118:14-29; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31 What do you think about Thomas? He’s been called “doubting Thomas” because he didn’t believe that Jesus was alive. But is that fair? In today’s reading John tells us that the other disciples didn’t believe until they saw for themselves. And put yourself in their shoes. Who of us would’ve believed such a story as resurrection from the dead? Not me! It’s tempting to think that this Easter story is about belief—belief that Jesus … [Read more...]

Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 118:1-2,14-24; 1 Cor. 15:19-26; Luke 24:1-12 If you’re a parent, maybe you remember a time when you took your kids on a long trip—maybe a vacation, maybe a family visit. There might have been a time once, or even many times, when the child said, “Are we there yet?” Or, maybe you were the child who asked the question: “Are we there yet?” On this Easter Sunday we hear this promise from the prophet Isaiah: I am about to create new heavens & a new earth; the … [Read more...]

Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8 Have you ever been invited to a dinner where the host used the best dishes? Maybe you’ve been a guest at a fancy meal? Or, maybe there have been times when you invited guests for a special occasion. Nothing any of us has experienced is likely to compare to what happens in today’s reading from John. Can you imagine showing up at someone’s house for dinner as the guest of honor & they break out a $30,000 bottle of wine? That’s … [Read more...]

Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3,11b-32 Everyone knows the name of today’s parable, which is... The Prodigal Son. This is a story in need of a new name. The Prodigal Son implies that the most important character in the story is the youngest son. But this story is not about the youngest son. It’s not about the oldest son, either. It’s about the unconditional love of the father. This story should sound familiar because it involves family. Take the parents, for … [Read more...]

Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-19 The people of Haiti & Chile could use some good news. I hope many of them are in worship today to hear the readings for this Sunday. Our reading from Luke is a conversation among people of faith following a tragedy. At that very time there were some present who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2. He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this … [Read more...]

Genesis 15:1-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35 For those of us who are fans of the Winter Olympic Games, today is a bittersweet day. On the one hand, today the U.S. & Canada will play for the gold medal in hockey; it’s one of the highlights of the Olympics. On the other hand, today is the final day of the Olympic Games. If we want to see more, we’ll have to wait another four years. And in four years I expect that my wife & I will turn on the TV as we have for the … [Read more...]