This coming Tuesday I will once again visit the Renton Farmers Market. Since early June it’s been fun to buy strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries; these are some of my favorites but you can find all kinds of fresh produce to grace your table! What a great time of year to hear the parable of the sower! Planting, growing, harvest—it’s all here! One of the problems with this story for people who have heard it countless times is that we think we know what it means … [Read more...]
Prisoners of Hope
This past week two movies have been on my mind. Each year Minjing and I enjoy attending the Seattle International Film Festival. This year our favorite film was from Poland. It’s called Life Feels Good. The film is based on the true story of Mateusz, a man who was born with cerebral palsy, which meant he had little control over his body. Many of his basic bodily functions needed to be taken care of by others. This was back in the middle of the 20th century when people didn’t know much … [Read more...]
Escape from Prison
In this past Friday’s Seattle Times was a story about a man named Ronald Dwaine Carnes, who committed armed robbery in Winston-Salem, NC, in 1970. Carnes was caught, convicted and sent to prison. In 1973 he escaped from prison until he was arrested in Iowa earlier this year. Carnes avoided prison for over four decades. And yet, we might ask: During the time he evaded the law, was he really free? Being out of prison is better than being in; but is hiding, deceiving, looking over your shoulder the … [Read more...]
Amazed and Astonished
Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?” Back in 1996 my wife and I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There were about a dozen of us on the tour. My wife and I stuck out in our group, for two reasons; because, a) we were the only Americans—the rest were Europeans—and, b) in our mid-30s, we were by far the youngest in our group. As we traveled through Israel, over and over I experienced amazement and astonishment. In response to buildings and people … [Read more...]
The Power of Amazement
Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?” Back in 1996 my wife and I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There were about a dozen of us on the tour. My wife and I stuck out in our group, for two reasons; because, a) we were the only Americans—the rest were Europeans—and, b) in our mid-30s, we were by far the youngest in our group. As we traveled through Israel, over and over I experienced amazement and astonishment. In response to buildings and people … [Read more...]
King of Love
by Rick Pribbernow … [Read more...]
Grow One Step
by Brian Kirby Unti … [Read more...]
Willing to Share
by James Leistikow … [Read more...]
An Inheritance to Give Away
Take your pencil and circle these words: inheritance, all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you. Thanks to Alan and Anne Compaan for offering us a glimpse into their journey. What a gift they are to our congregation as a bridge between past and future! They are helping lead the way in our financial stewardship emphasis, One Step Up, which we will celebrate on Sunday, November 17th. You just heard these words from Ephesians: In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance...You … [Read more...]
First Mad, Then Free
by Anthony Robinson It is a joy and a privilege for me to be part of this service and celebration of the 20th anniversary of Scott Kramer’s ordination. I believe I have known Pastor Kramer -- Scott -- for about half of those twenty years. During that time I have come to know him as a person and a pastor who is both gracious and courageous. He is unfailingly gracious in his treatment of others and his way of being in the world. And he is courageous in his passion for Christ and the … [Read more...]
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