Grace For the Old Too Anthony B. Robinson "Do not be afraid, Zechariah . . . Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness . . ." - Luke 1: 13 - 14 With these words the angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he and his wife, Elizabeth, were going to have their first child. It was an improbable announcement as both Zechariah and Elizabeth were by now far too old for such things and had given up hope. And yet, they would become the parents of … [Read more...]
New Year’s Eve
New Year's Eve Maren Tirabassi "May God send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion." - Psalm 20 Where are you on New Year's Eve? I'm in an AA meeting, one of God's strong sanctuaries, even though they are often located in church basements. Some of you will be there, too, later today – it's the kind of holiday that is hard to take "one day at a time." Others of you will be in Watch Night services, Weight Watcher meetings, airplanes headed back to college, Alzheimer's … [Read more...]
Hail Mary Full of Grace
Advent, Week 4 Luke 1:26-38 By Melody Kroeger In the late 15th century, the gifted Italian Renaissance master Sandro Bottecelli, commissioned by the Church, painted the Annunciation scene. His painting, hanging in the main gallery in the Uffizi in Florence, is so powerful and beautiful that, 600 years later, people still travel across the world to see it. Bottecelli’s painting is unique because it captures, at least for me, that moment of hesitation - between Gabriel’s announcement and Mary’s … [Read more...]
Rules of the Game
23 Pentecost A—11/16/14 Zephaniah 1:7,12-18; Ps. 90:1-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matt. 25:14-30 American Idol. The X Factor. The Voice. Top Chef. America’s Next Top Model. And, America’s Got Talent! Growing up, I thought of talent shows as something you’d find at summer camp, or church events. Today on television they’re big business! "The kingdom of heaven is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to … [Read more...]
Manhattan or Mayberry?
Reformation Sunday 14—10/26/14 Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 46; Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-36 If you don’t commute to work every day you may not know it but traffic has gotten worse in recent years. In his Seattle Times column this past week, Danny Westneat wrote that “Seattle’s got the traffic of a big-time city, but the spirit of a small town when it comes to doing anything about it.” In another article he says we’re like Manhattan, but when it comes to traffic we act like Mayberry. “We’re … [Read more...]
An All-Inclusive Feast
18 Pentecost A—9/12/14 Isaiah 25:1-9; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14 Have you gotten any dinner invitations lately? I have. Over the past month Lutheran Community Services, REACH, Faith Action Network, Communities In Schools in Renton, Open Door Ministries, and the Church of Steadfast Love have invited me to dinner—fundraising dinners! In today’s reading from Matthew Jesus tells a story about an invitation to a banquet. The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king … [Read more...]