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...]
Baptismal Candle
4 Pentecost A—7/2/17 Matthew 10:40-42 Pr. Scott Kramer Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Hospitality is at the heart of what it means to be Christian. But through the example of Jesus himself we discover that the welcome we extend to family or friends is only the barest beginning of God’s welcome. God’s welcome is more than a handshake or a greeting. Christian hospitality represents the wide embrace of God’s love that sets aside one’s own … [Read more...]
God’s Welcome
2 Pentecost A—6/18/17 Ex. 19:2-18a; Psalm 100; Romans 5:1-8; Matt. 9:35-10:8[9-23] Pr. Scott Kramer One of the highlights of this past week for me was a reunion with a friend I hadn’t seen in many years. Liz and I taught English in China together 30 years ago. She and her family are from Sacramento but I’d never met her husband so it was a joy to meet them and their 15 yr.-old son over dinner at our house. Next month we will welcome other visitors; this time, friends from Hong Kong that we … [Read more...]
Stranger on the Road
3 Easter A—4/30/17 Acts 2:14a,36-41; Psalm 116:1-4,12-19; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35 Pr. Scott Kramer A week and a half ago I stopped by the Renton History Museum for the first time. The museum features a traveling exhibit titled, “Sorting Out Racism,” which is excellent and continues through May 17th. While I was at the museum I learned about an event held at the museum this past Thursday, a panel discussion titled, Undoing Racism in Renton. The panel was an African-American pastor … [Read more...]
Signs of God’s “KIN-dom”
Northwest Washington ELCA Lutheran churches recently received from our regional office a statistical study that describes neighborhoods by racial representation. Included in this study is a profile of Lutheran churches within those zip codes according to racial distribution. The percentage of people of color within our Lakeridge Lutheran neighborhood—the 98178 zip code—is higher than any other neighborhood in the survey: 68.94%. The percentage of people of color within our congregation is … [Read more...]
Living Water
3 Lent A—3/19/17 Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42 Pr. Scott Kramer In last month’s issue of National Geographic magazine was a story titled, “For Widows, Life After Loss.” In some cultures, the article reports, “the death of a husband has meant exile, vulnerability, and abuse.” In Uganda, for example, if a woman’s husband dies, her in-laws typically take away everything from her: not only her land and property but even her children! One day Jesus was traveling with his … [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...]
Red Carpet Treatment
12 Pentecost C—8/7/16 Genesis 15:1-6; Psalm 33:12-22; Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16; Luke 12:32-40 Pr. Scott Kramer Following worship every Sunday many of us head downstairs for coffee hour. There your attention likely is on the coffee, the food and the conversation. It may be, though, that on occasion you’ve happened to glance at the floor and if you have you’ve probably noticed the red carpet. Well, it’s not so red anymore. These days it’s more like shades of red mixed with shades of black. And you … [Read more...]
Gospel Hospitality
6 Easter C—5/1/16 Acts 16:9-15; Psalm 67; Revelation 21:10,22-22:5; John 14:23-29 Pr. Scott Kramer Each year our bishop invites the rostered leaders of our synod to spend two days on retreat. This year’s event took place earlier this past week. At the end of each retreat day, the bishop invites us to what he calls a “hospitality room,” a place of conversation where there is beer, wine, sodas, snacks and other refreshments. What do you think of when you think of hospitality? Maybe something … [Read more...]