13 Pentecost B—8/23/15 Joshua 24:1-2a,14-18; Psalm 34:15-22; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-59 Pr. Scott Kramer A few years ago my wife and I returned to visit her family in China. This particular visit coincided with the Chinese holiday known as Ching Ming Jie (“Pure Brightness Festival”). In English it’s called the “Grave-sweeping Festival.” This is the traditional festival that honors Chinese ancestors. Families return to the family grave, tidy it up and often have a picnic right … [Read more...]
Sourdough Starter
11 Pentecost B—8/9/15 1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34:1-8; Ephesians 4:25-5:2; John 6:35,41-51 Pr. Scott Kramer One of my pastoral visits this past week was to see Jim. Some of you know Jim. Before reading the scripture lessons for the week I explained to Jim that this time of year the gospel readings are all about Jesus as Bread of Life. Jim thought about that and then said, “I make bread. Sourdough bread.” In fact, Jim told me he has sourdough starter in the fridge. And guess how old … [Read more...]
Bread for the Journey
August 9 Homily by Melody Kroeger John 6:35, 41-51 (A sermon delivered in both English and Spanish at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Seattle) Sometimes the biblical texts selected for a particular Sunday seem to be chosen randomly. The Hebrew scripture and the Gospel readings don’t seem to belong to one another, to inform or support one another. But today, it would be difficult to miss the rich theology in the Hebrew and Christian texts. A veces los textos bíblicos seleccionados para … [Read more...]
Leaving Home
10 Pentecost B—8/2/15 Exodus 16:2-4,9-15; Psalm 68:23-29; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:24-35 Pr. Scott Kramer Have you ever felt homesick? Maybe it was summer camp as a child, going away to college or work, or getting married. For some, moving to a new city or even a new country can leave a person longing for the familiar faces and foods and things of home. If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread. It’s … [Read more...]
Family Reunion
9 Pentecost B—7/26/15 2 Kings 4:42-44; Psalm 145:10-18; Ephesians 3:14-21; John 6:1-21 Pr. Scott Kramer A couple of weeks ago I spent a few days with my family. From Iowa, from Texas, from Colorado, from Washington we gathered in Oregon for rest, relaxation and sightseeing. These family reunions at their best are a time of renewing our relationships. We remember who we are by telling stories from the past, breaking bread and spending time together. Holy Communion is our weekly … [Read more...]
Perfect In Weakness
6 Pentecost B-7/5/15 Ezekiel 2:1-5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13 Pr. Scott Kramer “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Wow! Such a big family. If you’re in the habit of imagining the Christmas Eve version of Jesus’ family—Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus—this passage might come as a surprise. Jesus may have been the firstborn but according … [Read more...]
For You
5 Pentecost B—6/28/15 Mark 5:21-43 By Melody Kroeger Many of you, maybe even most of you, have read the great American novel Grapes of Wrath. If you haven’t read the novel, perhaps you’ve seen the movie – John Ford’s adaptation, starring a very young Henry Fonda. The novel lays out the story of one Oklahoma family, the Joads, leaving their devastated Dust Bowl home to find work picking fruit in California. As the family pulls out of a gasoline station, one attendant, remarking on the … [Read more...]
Who Am I?
Rachel Dolezal is the latest to make headlines by raising important questions about human identity. Whereas Caitlyn Jenner’s much-publicized transition challenges traditional notions of sexual identity, Dolezal, who recently resigned as head of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP, challenges common assumptions about race. Like Jenner, Dolezal places less stock in biology than in the dictates of her heart. Dolezal’s DNA may settle the matter of her European ancestry but her primary emotional … [Read more...]
The Law of Love
2 Pentecost B—6/7/15 Genesis 3:8-15; Psalm 130; 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35 Pr. Scott Kramer Three weeks ago in New Zealand a five year-old boy was hit by a car in front of the home of Harman Singh. Harman Singh is a Sikh and, like all practicing Sikh men, he wears a turban in public. But when he saw the little boy bleeding on the pavement he unwrapped his turban and used it to cushion the boy’s head and neck until the medics arrived. What makes this act of compassion … [Read more...]
I Spy
Holy Trinity B—5/31/15 Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17 Pr. Scott Kramer Funny the things we remember from childhood. I don’t remember much but for some reason I think of toys. Some of the first toys I remember were spy toys. Those of you of a certain age may remember decoder rings, invisible ink pens. One of my favorites was a toy gun from 1964. I didn’t know anything about the Cold War but I knew that I liked this spy gun. It looked like a portable transistor … [Read more...]
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