2 Lent C—2/21/16 Genesis 15:1-12,17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35 Pr. Scott Kramer You may recall that Sunday readings for the season of Lent began last week with the story of Jesus’ temptations. We were reminded that the temptations Jesus experienced during his life were much like those that we face: very ordinary, very every-day. One of the greatest of these ordinary temptations is the desire to create a God in our own image. You may remember from the Book of Genesis that … [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...]
Word(s) to Live By
2 Christmas C—1/3/15 Jeremiah 31:7-14; Psalm 147:12-20; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 1:1-18 Pr. Scott Kramer Week after week we hear these words: Word of God. Word of Life. And the people respond: Praise to you, O Christ. This morning when you hear “Word of God, Word of Life…” your response is: Thanks be to God! As we conclude the Christmas season, what is the word of God for us? What is the word of life that will feed and sustain us as we move forward into this New Year? Each of the readings for … [Read more...]
Higher and Lower
4 Advent C—12/20/15 Micah 5:2-5a; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-55 Pr. Scott Kramer Something earthshaking happened in Paris, France, recently. Do you remember? Did you notice? Maybe it’s the terrorist attacks a little over a month ago that come to mind, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Soon after that tragedy, from November 30th to December 12th, the nations of the world came together in Paris for the 2015 Climate Change Conference. By the end of the conference, each nation had agreed to … [Read more...]
Go to Zarephath
24 Pentecost B—11/8/15 1 Kings 17:8-16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44 Pr. Scott Kramer How many times in your life have you been fired from your job? Football coach Jim White had been fired three times. He'd burned his bridges. The only job he could get was in the small town of McFarland, at a public school for the children of Latino farm workers in California’s Central Valley. The year was 1987. McFarland’s football team was hopeless. But the new coach realized that … [Read more...]
Eye of the Needle
Mark 10:17-31 By Melody Kroeger October 11, 2015 It is, for all intents and purposes, a compelling image: the camel going through the eye of a needle. In my experience sitting in churches, both large and small, this verse from the Gospel of Mark always raises eyebrows. And, when it is proclaimed the text will almost invariably come with a generic defense of riches, to allow the financial comfortable to remain comfortable. This sort of defense usually takes one of several options. The … [Read more...]
Blessing of the Animals
Blessing of the Animals by Melody Kroeger October 4, 2015 At least 10 years ago, a friend of mine and fellow animal lover, sent me a series of photos that still makes me laugh. I’m betting some of you have seen it making the Internet and email rounds. Two churches in an unnamed town got to arguing. And it was a very public argument, played out on the large signs in front of their buildings—you know, the kind we have on our front lawn? The kind of sign with movable letters that can be … [Read more...]
A Rabbi Walks Into a Bar…
18 Pentecost B—9/27/15 Numbers 11:4-6,10-16,24-29; Ps. 19:7-14; James 5:13-20; Mark 9:38-50 Pr. Scott Kramer (a story, based on Mark 9:38-50) So, a rabbi walks into a bar… It had been a long day of preaching and teaching. The rabbi looks around, and sees that it’s a mixed crowd. Some in the crowd are movers and shakers in the local community. They’re well-heeled, accustomed to getting what they want, successful, respected, and they are religious. Most in the crowd, though, … [Read more...]
Love and Justice
15 Pentecost B—9/6/15 Isaiah 35:4-7a; Psalm 146; James 2:1-17; Mark 7:24-37 Genesis 1:1-25; Romans :18-23; John 1:1-14 Pr. Scott Kramer Over the past couple of Sundays we have heard Jesus teach that religion, tradition, and ritual are “worthless”…unless they lead us to a deeper understanding of God’s love and a deeper practice of God’s love for all people! Today we begin the Season of Creation, which congregations of many denominations around the world observe this year—and every … [Read more...]
Beyond Tradition
14 Pentecost B—8/30/15 Deut. 4:1-2,6-9; Psalm 15; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23 Pr. Scott Kramer This morning’s gospel reading from Mark picks up where last week’s reading from John left off: All the Jews do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it and there are also many other traditions that they observe…So the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why do your … [Read more...]
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