7 Easter A—5/31/20 Acts 2:1-21 Pr. Scott Kramer This past Friday, I returned from a two-night camping trip with friends. Backcountry camping is finally allowed—thanks be to God! One of the great joys of the trip was breathing fresh mountain air. That’s always a joy for me, but now more than ever! Part of wearing a mask in public these past three months has meant breathing stale air. I’m happy to do that for the sake of other people’s health and well-being but it does get old. … [Read more...]
Eyes On the Prize
7 Easter A--5/24/20 Acts 1:6-14; John 17:1-11 Pr. Scott Kramer During ordinary times, many thousands of souls around the world every day say good-bye for the last time to close friends and family. People die, their loved ones grieve. Over the past three months many thousands more have experienced not only grief but trauma. The COVID-19 virus has suddenly and unexpectedly separated many who are living with the virus from their loved ones. Today’s story from Acts is the story of … [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...]
Focus!
Jeremiah 15:15-21; Psalm 26:1-8; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28 This morning we begin where we left off last week. One of you came up to me after worship last Sunday and asked, “What’s this about Jesus warning his friends not to tell anyone that he was the savior.” It’s a good question! Over and over in the gospels he seems to want to keep his identity a secret. There are different opinions about this but the one that makes the most sense to me can be summed up in one word: distractions. … [Read more...]
Beloved of God
I remember my first day of confirmation class. It was the beginning of three years of instruction before being confirmed as a full member of the church. We had a curriculum to follow and the title of the first chapter was, “Who Am I?” Now, as a seventh-grade boy, I thought this was the dumbest question in the world. Who am I? Easy! I’m Scott Kramer, son of Lyle and Eloise. D-uh! But over time I’ve grown to appreciate the importance of that question. Long before I was a confirmation student a … [Read more...]
Children Seen and Heard
Good Will Hunting. Mrs. Doubtfire. Patch Adams. These are films I really enjoyed, so I was as surprised as anyone this past week to learn that actor Robin Williams had died. But those of us who associated him with joy, humor, and love of life were shocked to hear that at age 63 he had taken his own life. This past week we’ve learned a bit about Robin Williams’ background. I hadn’t known that he’d grown up in a house of privilege. His father was an auto executive and his mother a former model. … [Read more...]
Get Out of the Boat
Last week I was talking to my friend Derek about kayaking. Kayaking is one of his favorite sports. It’s also a dangerous sport, even for experienced kayakers. It’s easy to tip over in a kayak. If you’re stuck in a boat upside down with your head in the water it can be hard to get right-side up. One of the most important moves a kayaker learns is something called a “combat roll,” but here’s the thing: The natural thing to do is try to get your head above water so you can breathe, right? Well, … [Read more...]
Send the Crowds Away?
Many of you remember April 29th, 2010, when a 12 yr.-old boy was shot and killed as he returned home to Skyway after shopping for football cleats. His name was Alajawan Brown. This past Thursday I met his mother Ayanna when she stopped by the church office. Here is a tragedy that like so many others could have faded from the news headlines and been forgotten. Well, like all news stories this young man’s death did fade from the headlines but his memory did not. In the midst of her grief his … [Read more...]
Discernment
For those of us who garden last week’s rain was a godsend. Along with the sunshine and warmth we’ve had since then, the rain has caused an abundance of new life and growth and energy in our gardens and in the world around us. Our scripture readings for the past weeks have been stories from the natural world. We have heard stories about seed and soil, wheat and weeds. The timing couldn’t be better! During summer, we experience the wonder and the beauty of God’s creation in all its glory In our … [Read more...]
Something For Everyone
Today, just as on every Sunday, Christians around the world gather for worship. Those who gather for worship include Christians from the Netherlands, Malaysia and Australia. These may include the families of some who died in the airliner that was shot down over the Ukraine a few days ago. Those who gather for worship may be fathers or mothers or sisters or brothers of the 298 people who died. If one of the readings they hear this morning is our gospel reading for today, those shocked and … [Read more...]
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