5 Easter B—4/29/18 Acts 8:26-40; 1 John 4:7-21 Pr. Scott Kramer Years ago my wife and I went on a hike in an area south of here called Indian Heaven Wilderness. This is a beautiful, remote area in south-central Washington near Mt. Adams, and we decided at one point to drive on a forest road through the wilderness to see where that would take us. Well, we thought we knew where we were but there were no road signs and after a while we knew we were lost. It was getting late in the day and … [Read more...]
Short, Changed
24 Pentecost C—10/23/16 (Reformation Sunday) Isaiah 1:10-18; Psalm 32:1-7; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4,11-12; Luke 19:1-10 Pr. Scott Kramer I grew up in the church so I often heard the word “stewardship”--and I didn’t like it. This was before I even understood what it meant! I just didn’t like the sound of the word. I guess to my young ears it sounded too much like the word “sewer,” which is neither a beautiful-sounding word, nor a beautiful thing! What I learned just recently didn’t help those … [Read more...]
Whitewater and Thin Ice
15 Pentecost C—8/28/16 Proverbs 25:6-7; Psalm 112; Hebrews 13:1-8,15-16; Luke 14:1,7-14 Pr. Scott Kramer Last Sunday was an occasion for the baptism of Aidan William Rippe, and we explored the risky nature of baptismal water. Holy baptism can make our lives complicated, even dangerous! This was the case for a man named Dirk Willems. The year was 1569. Dirk Willems was a Dutch Mennonite imprisoned for refusing to participate in violence, and for arguing against infant baptism. After months of … [Read more...]
God’s Generosity and Goodness
Second Sunday After Epiphany 1/17/16 By Melody Kroeger “They have no more wine,” Mary, mother of Jesus, tells Jesus. What happens to a celebration – any celebration - when the wine runs out? Yikes! Weddings were large, raucous communal events in the ancient Jewish world and the feast was a big part of the celebration – involving entire villages and often lasting beyond the week. Our readings today illustrate for us how weddings and feasts loom large throughout scriptures as metaphors for the … [Read more...]
Oil Crisis
22 Pentecost A—11/09/14 Amos 5:18-24; Psalm 70; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13 Of all the things you could have done this morning you came to worship. There are any number of reasons for showing up on Sunday morning but whatever our personal motivation, weekly Christian worship is a response to a very ancient Jewish teaching. It’s the Eighth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. The Eighth Commandment is a response to an even more basic teaching. In the … [Read more...]