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...]
Where Your Treasure Is
9 Pentecost C—8/11/19 Isaiah 1:1,15-20; Luke 12:32-40 Pr. Scott Kramer Some of you may remember the story of Moses receiving from God the Ten Commandments. The story is not one of our readings for today, and yet, in response to today’s readings, I have found renewed sympathy for Moses. In the story, Moses climbs a high mountain, where God gives him a set of laws intended to order a newly-liberated people’s life together. But in the view of the people, Moses is gone too long. They … [Read more...]
Rewriting the Story
Pr. Sara Yoos, Guest Pastor and Preacher Lakeridge Lutheran Mark 8:27-38 9/16/18 You may have noticed that I’m pregnant. Now, the first few months, people were really cautious about asking. But after 4 months, it was pretty obvious this was more than just a big lunch. But once it was obvious that I am pregnant, it became especially awkward around strangers. See, I’m a foster parent as well to an eleven month old baby girl. So when people see me carrying around a baby – then notice that I’m … [Read more...]
Faithful Thomas
2 Easter B—4/8/18 1 John 1:1--2:2; John 20:19-31; Mark 16:1-8 Pr. Scott Kramer Our gospel reading for this second Sunday in Easter picks up where last Sunday’s Easter reading left off. Last Sunday we heard John’s account of the Easter story. But Mark’s account is the gospel that we follow this year. It, too, has an Easter story. (Read Mark 16:1-8) So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid. The … [Read more...]
Chip Off the Old Rock
12 Pentecost A—8/27/17 Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20 Pr. Scott Kramer I have here a receipt that proves that I recently shopped for groceries at Fred Meyer. Nothing unusual: bread, cheese, fruit, milk, cereal. But down near the bottom of this receipt—and every Fred Meyer receipt I’ve seen recently—is this message: Tell Us How We Are Doing! The company provides a link to a survey which enters me in an online sweepstakes for gift cards ranging from $100 to $5000. I … [Read more...]
Keep Awake!
Advent1A—11/27/16 Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44 Pr. Scott Kramer Anybody remember the 1970 book “The Late Great Planet Earth?” Some of you who are younger might be more familiar with the “Left Behind” series of novels and movies that appeared in the 1990s and early 2000s. These best-sellers used today’s reading from Matthew, with other Bible passages, to describe the “end of history.” The idea is that God will suddenly one day appear in the clouds to snatch away … [Read more...]
Love to the Very End
Christ the King—11/20/16 Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 46; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43 Pr. Scott Kramer Last Sunday, you may recall, was the end of the world—as has every day since! That includes today, and it’s a special ending. Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday of the church year. Today’s gospel reading may seem strange. Although we’re still weeks away from Christmas, today’s reading from Luke is from Holy Week, the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, which we won’t hear again until next … [Read more...]
End of the World
26 Pentecost C16—11/13/16 Malachi 4:1-2a; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19 Pr. Scott Kramer In case you hadn’t noticed, today is the end of the world! Some of you have been feeling that way since Tuesday’s election. If the election had turned out differently others of you would have felt the same way! Today’s gospel reading, as it happens, is about the end of the world. The days will come, Jesus said, when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown … [Read more...]
Stranger Blessings
22 Pentecost C—10/16/16 Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8 Pr. Scott Kramer A couple of days ago I went to the gym and jumped on the treadmill. To me, the treadmill is frankly boring! However, there are TV screens with football games and other sports events, news programs and talk shows to watch. Sometimes I have an audiobook loaded on my phone and I’ll listen to that. All of these things make the time pass more quickly and the treadmill a little less boring. Imagine … [Read more...]
Asleep In The Boat
17 Pentecost C—9/11/16 Job 28:20-27; Psalm 29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; Luke 8:22-25 Pr. Scott Kramer When many people my generation and younger hear the term “U2 incident” we might imagine some disturbance at a rock concert by the Irish band of the same name. Some of you, though, are old enough to know that the original “U2 incident” involved an American spy plane that was shot down in 1960 over Soviet airspace. The 2015 movie Bridge of Spies is based on this event. Some time before the … [Read more...]