7 Pentecost A—7/19/20 Wisdom of Solomon 12:13, 16-19; Romans 8:18-25; Pr. Scott Kramer One week ago I joined seven teammates on the Pacific Crest Trail. This is the fifth year in a row that we’ve chosen a section of the trail, with the goal of completing all 500 miles in the State of Washington. This year’s plan was to hike the 99 miles between White Pass and Snoqualmie Pass. We usually leave in early August, which has been practically ideal for weather and trail conditions. … [Read more...]
Signposts of Joy
3 Advent A—12/15/19 Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11 Pr. Scott Kramer 1The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom. Recently my wife and I made a visit to the Amazon Spheres. The Spheres sit in downtown Seattle--glass and steel geodesic bubbles that house four floors of subtropical garden. Admission is free but they are so popular that you have to book well in advance. I love green living … [Read more...]
Fork in the Road
2 Advent A—12/8/19 Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-7; Matthew 3:1-12 Pr. Scott Kramer If you’re a local sports fan, you know what the big story was this past week. Chris Petersen, Husky coach over the past six years, suddenly resigned. Well, coaches do resign, but typically in order to take a more prestigious, challenging, and usually better-paying coaching position somewhere else. What made this announcement such a big deal is that Petersen resigned without any new coaching … [Read more...]
Freedom for All
11 Pentecost C—8/25/19 Isaiah 58:9b-14; Psalm 71:1-6; Luke 13:10-17 Pr. Scott Kramer [Bewick's wren song recording] Yesterday I was at home working on this sermon, when I went upstairs for a break. There in the dining room was something I’d never before seen inside our house. A Bewick’s wren, one of the great songbirds native to the Pacific Northwest, somehow had slipped through our flimsy screen door and was frantically, desperately trying to fly out through the plate … [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...]
Abundance
10 Pentecost B—7/29/18 Ephesians 3:14-21; John 6:1-21 Pr. Scott Kramer A week and a half ago there was a knock at the door and it was Sam, who works for Full Circle Farms. Full Circle Farms is a cooperative of 15 farms in the Northwest that together provide fresh, organic produce that they deliver to households that have signed up for regular delivery. Sam was enthusiastic and convincing. He’s only 23 years old and it was obvious that he wasn’t just a salesman but believes in the company he’s … [Read more...]
Natural Trust
Holy Trinity—5/27/18 Romans 8:12-17; John 3:5-17 Pr. Scott Kramer Every morning one of the first things I do is open the front door and pick up the Seattle Times that’s been delivered. (We’re old-fashioned that way!) When I scan the paper I don’t need to tell you that what experience is a lot of bad news. It’s not all bad news, but there’s enough each day that over time it can have the effect of wearing down a person’s trust of other people. My wife and I have been enjoying a TV series called … [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...]
Onto the Podium
1 Lent B—2/18/18 1 Peter 3:18-22; Gospel: Mark 1:9-15 Pr. Scott Kramer I’ve been enjoying the Olympics, and maybe you have been, too. One of the most surprising events of the first week was the women’s Super-G Slalom. This is a downhill ski race, and American Mikaela Shiffrin was the favorite to win gold. Earlier in the week she’d won gold in a different event, but this Super-G Slalom is her specialty. In the end, though, she failed in that event even to make the podium—no medal at all! Part … [Read more...]
Seasons of New Beginnings
24 Pentecost A—11/19/17 Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30 Pr. Scott Kramer It’s that time of year in the church when we hear a lot about the end of the world. And, it makes sense! Next week marks the end of our church year, before the season of Advent signals the beginning of a new year. A few weeks after that, in the natural world, the season of autumn comes to an end, marking the beginning of winter. And soon after that, the end of one year and the … [Read more...]
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