Last Thursday evening was movie night at the Kramer household. My brother lives in Colorado and I stayed at his house for a few days while attending a pastor’s conference. Last month he, his wife and two young daughters traveled to Disney World in Florida so they had slides and videos to show me. My brother and I had recently climbed some high peaks in the Rocky Mountains so we also had pictures to share. Thursday was my last night at their house. Our two nieces, ages 6 and 8, were very … [Read more...]
Homecoming
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin, mother and child Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace. It’s been almost six months since we sang those words on Christmas Eve. At Christmas our focus was on the joy of a newborn baby. Our imaginations at Christmas led us toward those things which we crave in this life but which remain elusive: calmness, rest and peace. Fast forward six months after Christmas and we’ve … [Read more...]
Getting Down to Business
On Friday of this past week, and again yesterday, Velma Mullen and I attended Synod Assembly in Everett. This is the annual business meeting for ELCA Lutheran churches in Northwest Washington. Synod Assemblies used to be marked by controversy. For a span of about ten years we braced ourselves each year for angry, emotional fights, often over homosexuality. This year, however—as in recent years—the business meeting of our Synod had a different tone: peaceful, joyful, hopeful, Spirit-filled, … [Read more...]
Going Through the Motions
This past week we had a load of compost delivered to our house. Two workers from the Millionair Club in downtown Seattle helped me haul it from the street to our back yard, and as we worked I listened to their stories. Dan had been working hard over the past week, trying to make up for over $400 he’d lost when his wallet went missing. But that wasn’t the end of the story. One day his boss at the Millionair Club called him in and showed him a package that had arrived in the mail. It was—you … [Read more...]
Just the Facts
There are always three truths in every situation: yours, mine, and what actually happened. The same is true of the life of Jesus. Each gospel writer tells the story a little bit differently. The way that Luke tells the story means that even contemporary Christians who have never seen the resurrected Christ have a story to tell. Their own story of repentance and forgiveness. … [Read more...]
Locked Door…and More!
Let’s hear It Again!
Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? A song that you find yourself humming or singing over and over again? A song that no matter how hard you try and forget it just doesnʼt go away? That song is what Easter should be for the church. Every year we come back to this same story of Jesus being crucified, buried, and raised again. But it isnʼt just today that we hear this story, we are going to be hearing about Christʼs resurrection for the next 7 weeks as we move through a season of the … [Read more...]
A Rock and a Hard Place
Aron Ralston was an experienced, 27-yr. old outdoorsman and he was looking for adventure. One day in April of 2003 he decided to drive to a remote desert area of southeastern Utah to explore one of its many deep and narrow slot canyons. Aron went by himself and he didn’t tell anyone where he was going because he thought he could handle just about anything. But Aron wasn’t ready. A large boulder came loose from the canyon he was exploring. Both he and the boulder fell to the bottom of the … [Read more...]
A New Commandment
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." A new commandment. A new commandment?? God gave the commandment to love one another centuries before Jesus came on the scene. In Deuteronomy, ch.6 we hear this commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength, and your neighbor as yourself. So why does … [Read more...]
The Hunger Games
It is good to have children in worship this morning! It is good to hear them sing! Children, according to Jesus, represent the very kingdom of heaven. Unless you change and become like children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, he said. How can we understand what that means unless they are among us to study and to ponder? Let the little children come unto me, and do not forbid them, for to such as these belongs the kingdom of heaven... Whoever welcomes one such child in my name … [Read more...]
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