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Pr. Kristin Schultz - 5th Sunday after the Epiphany – Salt and Light

2017-02-06T12:47:56-07:00

Today’s gospel lesson continues the Sermon on the Mount –
Jesus’ on-the-job training for his disciples.
He has just finished telling them that God blesses those who are rarely seen as blessed,
– the meek, those who mourn, the merciful, the peacemakers,

Now he says to them – You are salt of the earth. You are light of the world.

Pr. Kristin Schultz 1.29.17 Sermon on the Beautitudes

2017-01-30T12:45:44-07:00

The lessons we read this morning work together to tell us something about God,
and what God values.
Micah reminds us:
What does God require of you?
Do justice; love kindness; walk humbly with God.

Kristin Schultz 12.18.16

2016-12-19T12:44:45-07:00

Today’s gospel lesson starts at the 18th verse of chapter 1 of Matthew’s gospel.
Does anyone know what’s in the first 17 verses of Matthew?
It’s a text rarely read in church.

Pastor Kristin Schultz, November 13, 2016: Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost

2016-11-15T12:43:17-07:00

It has been a difficult week.
After months of deep division, news casts filled with hate and bitterness,
we have elected our next president.
Now streets are filled with protestors, and the news is filled with fear.
I’m sure that, had the election gone the other way, the streets would still be filled with protestors, and different people would be afraid.
Perhaps, after such a divisive, bitter campaign, there could be no truly good outcome to this election.

09.18.16 Pr. Kristin Schultz

2016-09-19T12:38:51-06:00

The parable Jesus told his disciples in this morning’s gospel lesson
has been mystifying readers for centuries.
Is Jesus really lifting up a dishonest steward as an example for his followers?
And how do the words of Jesus following the story relate to the story itself?

A friend of mine said this parable is like when you get a knot in your shoelace
and it’s pulled really tight.
Getting it loose is very tedious and it takes lots of patience.

Pastor Kristin Schultz, September 11, 2011

2016-09-12T12:40:00-06:00

Our Gospel story today begins where many stories begin –
with the scribes and Pharisees – the good religious folks of Jesus’ time – grumbling.
They know there is something special about Jesus –
something important going on here.
But they just can’t figure him out!

Pastor Kristin Schultz, August 28, 2016: The 15th Sunday after Pentecost

2016-08-30T12:33:37-06:00

The first lesson this morning is from the book of Proverbs
It’s not a book we read very often in church, and today’s brief and obscure lesson
doesn’t exactly encourage us to come running for more.
It is chosen to go with the gospel lesson, as Jesus could easily be referring to this proverb when he gives his advice about where to sit at a dinner party.

Pastor Kristin Schultz, August 14, 2016: Feast of St Mary the Virgin

2016-08-15T12:34:48-06:00

A few weeks ago, I got in the car and the radio came on in the middle of an interview with Sister Simone Campbell, a Sister of Social Service, as well as a lawyer, poet,
and executive director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice.

Sister Simone leads a group called Nuns on the Bus.

Pr. Kristin Schultz - The Seventh Sunday After Pentecost - July 3

2016-07-09T12:58:16-06:00

In the gospel story today Jesus sends 70 of his followers on a mission.
It sounds like Mission Impossible.

            Go as lambs among wolves – the radical message of Jesus is not always welcome
            Carry no purse, bag or sandals
            Remain in one house, eat what is set before you, and cure the sick

Who would take such a mission?

Pr. Kristin - The Sixth Sunday After Pentecost - June 26 6/23/2016 0 Comments 00:0000:00 Pr. Kristin Schultz 0 Comments Fr. Joe Britton - The Fifth Sunday After Pentecost - June 19 6/20/2016 0 Comments 00:0000:00 The Rev. Joe Britton 0 Comments Pr.Kristin Schultz-The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost-June 12

2016-06-13T12:31:06-06:00

The Gospel story and the psalm this morning dwell on the same theme –
forgiveness.
Specifically, God’s forgiveness of our sins – and our need for God’s forgiveness.

Pr. Kristin - The Second Sunday After Pentecost - May 29

2016-05-31T12:29:40-06:00

“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”
This is the greeting Paul uses to begin his letter to the Galatians,
which we begin to read this morning, and continue reading over the next five weeks.
As we read these opening paragraphs – and, further into the letter, Paul’s words about law and freedom, circumcision and uncircumcision, Jews and gentiles – we might wonder what is going on for Paul and those long-ago followers of Jesus.

Pr. Kristin Schultz - Second Sunday of Easter - April 3

2016-04-04T12:28:32-06:00

In the church year, today is the second Sunday of Easter.
We have just celebrated the greatest festival of the church year.
The day we remember God’s triumph over death and sin.
The day we celebrate our own entry into eternal life and salvation
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Palm Sunday Sermon - Pr. Kristin Schultz - March 20

2016-03-21T12:27:12-06:00

What just happened?
How did we get from “sing Hosanna to the King of Kings” to “crucify him” so quickly?

That is the question Palm Sunday lays out in front of us,
when we celebrate the procession of palms,
then minutes later read the story of Jesus’ arrest and execution.

Sermon, The Rev. Kristin Schultz, December 6

2015-12-06T12:05:54-07:00

Last weekend after church, a parishioner told me he misses good, old-fashioned hellfire preaching, so I told him I’d see what I could do. Lo and behold, the lectionary cooperated, and we get to hear from John the Baptist today.

Thanksgiving Eve, The Rev. Kristin Schultz, November 25

2015-11-25T12:04:47-07:00

I am one of those people who lives a lot in my head.
I carry so much – my calendar, the church calendars, the calendars of my three children, thoughts for the class I’m getting ready to teach and what I need to say to Noah’s teacher as his conference and whether we can pull off dinner with what we have in the refrigerator --
With all this noise in my head,
I don’t always see what’s right in front of my face.

Sermon, The Rev. Kristin Schultz, October 25

2015-10-25T12:02:37-06:00

Jeremiah was a prophet in Judah in the years leading up to, and following, it’s destruction. He warned the people that they would be destroyed for their unfaithfulness to God. He is known for his lament, his bitter wailing over the destruction and exile, and is credited with writing the book of Lamentations. But in today’s reading, toward the end of his book, Jeremiah has a different message.

Sermon, The Rev. Kristin Schultz, September 13

2015-09-13T12:01:05-06:00

Each week in our Thursday morning service we focus on a saint from the Christian tradition – ancient and contemporary, Catholic and Anglican and other forms of Christian, from all around the world.

It’s been wonderful exploration for me these past four years –

learning more about the ancient traditions of the saints, and hearing stories of faithful people I’d never heard of before.

This past week we heard the story of Sister Constance and her companions.

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, AUGUST 16

2015-08-17T11:59:11-06:00

Jesus said, I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. The Jews disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Perhaps it is comforting to know that the things Jesus is saying about bread and flesh and eating his body didn’t make any more sense to those first listeners than they do to us today.

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, JULY 5

2015-07-06T11:56:13-06:00

Three years ago, my first summer at St Michael’s, I went with a group of high school students to Chicago. We had lined up a series of service projects to do while we were there The first was that we spent two mornings at a child care center for low-income families. It was a mixed experienced. Some of our youth really connected and had fun with the kids. But the adult leaders at the day care center were sick of working with a never-ending series of volunteers, and they didn’t really need us, so most of our group felt useless and uncomfortable.

Pentecost Sunday

2015-05-24T11:53:48-06:00

Today is Pentecost – one of my favorite days of the church year.
This day is all about the work the Holy Spirit in the community of believers.
What is interesting is that the community has preserved two very different stories about the Holy Spirit, and that today we read them side by side.

Easter Sunday

2015-04-07T11:52:20-06:00

Alleluia! Christ is Risen The Lord is Risen indeed, Alleluia Grace and peace are yours in the name of our Risen Savior Jesus Christ It is a beautiful Easter morning - welcome We have been enjoying beautiful spring weather We have put on our fancy Easter clothes – some of us have hunted for eggs or will hunt for eggs – some of us will go on to fancy Easter brunch or dinner later today.

Good Friday

2015-04-03T11:51:24-06:00

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon

Our culture has become adept at avoiding darkness. Electric lights make it possible to never be truly in the dark – indeed, the lights in our city make it almost impossible to experience real darkness. We can dull our pain with medicine or other drugs, or comfort ourselves with sugary, salty food . We can distract ourselves with myriad different kinds of entertainment. We know many ways to try to escape the darkness, both external and internal, which threatens our peace and well-being. This day strips away the distractions and brings us face to face with the darkness.

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, JANUARY 11

2015-01-12T11:49:21-07:00

In Mark’s gospel, Jesus’s baptism is the beginning of everything.
It is literally the beginning – the very first thing that happens once Mark announces that he is telling “the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River, and the heavens open.
A voice from heaven says,
“You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
This is not only the first thing that happens –
it is the foundation for everything else that happens in the gospel.

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, AUGUST 17

2014-08-17T11:45:49-06:00

This week as I was thinking about healing and God’s healing presence in our lives, I remembered a story I heard this summer. I have been gathering weekly with a small group of St Michael’s folks for a series called Animate Faith, which includes videos by nationally known teachers and writers. Shane Hipps shared this story:

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, JULY 13

2014-07-13T11:43:30-06:00

The other day I came across this short post by author and blogger Seth Godin,             Fast, easy, guaranteed.
            Pick none.             That’s the work worth doing.
I laughed at myself a bit, because at the time I was procrastinating –             checking my email again to put off the work of writing a sermon. I was reminded that there is a reason preparing to preach is not fast, easy, or guaranteed. And it is work worth doing.

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, JULY 6

2014-07-06T11:41:33-06:00

Chances are good that sometime in your life you have written – or received – an acrostic poem. Do you remember those? You start with the letters of someone’s name, and then write the poem by writing something good about the person for each letter of their name. It’s a classic for mother’s day in preschools and kindergartens.

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, JUNE 22

2014-06-22T11:40:38-06:00

Today’s gospel lesson picks up right in the middle of a story. Jesus is sending out his disciples to continue his mission. They are to share the good news that the kingdom of God has come near to them, to heal the sick, and to cast out demons. Jesus has been giving them instructions, such as, take no bag on your journey, and receive no payment. He says, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Not a very comforting image. Not a great recruiting strategy.

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, MAY 4

2014-05-04T11:38:16-06:00

Cleopas and his friend are on a journey. They are walking through the afternoon, to a place called Emmaus. They trudge along, heads down, dejected and lost. A stranger joins them on the road. “What are you talking about?” he asks.

Easter Sunday

2014-04-20T11:36:27-06:00

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen indeed! Alleluia! How many of you are back to eating chocolate today – did anyone get into the kids’ Easter baskets already this morning for that first taste of chocolate in forty days? Or back to drinking coffee? What else are you going back to this morning?

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, MARCH 9

2014-03-09T11:34:47-06:00

Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (sung)

I’ve been singing those words ever since Wednesday. Those words from the prophet Joel are often read on Ash Wednesday, and in the church I grew up in we sang this refrain every Sunday throughout Lent. For me, these words hold within them the whole purpose of Ash Wednesday and Lent: God’s invitation to turn away from all that distracts and misleads and tempts us, and return our attention to God’s steadfast love and grace.

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, MARCH 2

2014-03-02T11:34:02-07:00

Do not be afraid These words echo throughout the Scriptures, appearing time and again in the stories of the lives of God’s people We hear these words when someone is facing a particular challenge or change, like Abraham waiting decades for a son in an unknown land, or Joshua taking on leadership of God’s people after Moses dies. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah, struggling with the very difficult task of bringing God’s call to repentance and faithfulness to the people of Israel, are told, “Do not be afraid, because I am with you.” And they in turn bring that message to the people – Do not be afraid – times are hard, but God has not forsaken us.

ERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, FEBRUARY 9

2014-02-09T11:31:46-07:00

A few weeks ago I went to Minnesota for a conference at Luther seminary where I attended many years ago. One of the speakers was Paul Hoffman, pastor for 15+ years at Phinney Ridge Lutheran church in Seattle. In one of his presentations, Paul told a simple story of church life. Some years ago, as Advent approached, the children’s ministry leaders discovered that the Christmas pageant costumes were missing.

2nd Sunday after Epiphany

2014-01-19T11:30:48-07:00

Last February about 30 youth from around the DRG gathered in Ruidoso for what we call Snow Slam. We went snow tubing, had a dance with karaoke, ate and played games and watched movies together. We also shared worship and prayer, and did skits portraying parables of Jesus. On the way home, Father Brian Winter was driving a van with about 12 young people. On the sidewalk next to the road, they saw a man in obvious distress – lying on the sidewalk, shaking.

Seventh Sunday of Easter; John 17

2012-05-20T11:18:10-06:00

Jesus is at dinner with his disciples. It is a Thursday night – the night of Passover. It is the last meal Jesus will eat with his friends before he dies Like so many teachers, or parents, given one last chance to hand over some package of wisdom for their charges to remember, Jesus tries to tell the disciples what it has all been about. For three chapters, John’s Jesus preaches to his disciples – trying to sum up three years of ministry together and prepare them for the next step.

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, APRIL 15

2012-04-15T11:17:11-06:00

Happy Easter! Our bulletins this morning say “2nd Sunday of Easter,” and our Easter season will last seven weeks and end with Pentecost. But does it really feel like Easter any more? The eggs have been colored, found, and made into egg salad. The chocolate bunnies have been eaten and Easter baskets put away. For most people, Easter is over. Which is a shame. Because we live in world that needs Easter. Not just one day, but every day.

SERMON, THE REV. KRISTIN SCHULTZ, MARCH 18

2012-03-18T11:13:40-06:00

For God so loved the world that God gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

This is perhaps the #1 best known bible verse, and it would be easy to hear this in the gospel reading and say, ”Oh, yeah, that again. I know all about that.”

Miracles - 13th Sunday after Pentecost

2007-08-26T11:11:06-06:00

I few years ago I attended a retreat focused on Russian Orthodox practices
of praying with icons and praying the Jesus Prayer.
The presenter, Fr. Simeon, is the abbot of a Russian Orthodox monastery
70 miles outside Madison, WI.
It was a wonderful weekend, and the opportunity to pray with icons was particularly moving.

Baptism by Fire - 12th Pentecost

2007-08-19T11:10:02-06:00

When you were a kid, how did you know you were really in trouble?
For many of us, the answer is – when Mom used our middle name.
“Kristin Marie Schultz!”
It’s that tone of voice – you know the one,
the one that says, “pay attention, and pay attention now, because I’m not saying this again

Saint Mary Magdalene, Apostle

2007-07-22T11:08:52-06:00

Since the publication of Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code, in 1993,
interest in and speculation about Mary Magdalene have surged.
At the neighborhood branch library I visited this week,
I found six works of fiction about Mary Magdalene written in the last five years,
and another five books with themes related to the Da Vinci code,
such as Mary Magdalene: Bride in Exile.

Nativity of St. John the Baptist

2007-06-24T11:07:14-06:00

Once there was a priest named Zechariah.
He was an Israelite, serving in the temple in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship.
His wife was named Elizabeth, and she was also from a family of priests.
They were an important and respected couple in Jerusalem, except for one thing.
They did not have a child, and they were elderly.

God’s Gift of Grace 2nd Sunday after Pentecost - Luke 7:11-17

2007-06-10T11:04:52-06:00

Last week I took my kids to Omaha to visit my cousin and her three young boys.
We had a great week –
the kids enjoyed each other and we packed a lot of fun in five days.
But I was on my own with two active and, as the week went on, very tired boys.
To top it off, the airline consistently – on three of four flights,
failed to seat us together.

Seventh Sunday of Easter: On Revelation

2007-05-20T11:03:05-06:00

In the video series “How Lutherans Interpret the Bible,”
Dr. Mark Allan Powell tells this story.
I was riding a city bus.
Sitting next to me was this guy with long hair, a hippie kind of guy.
On his lap he was holding a big bible.
I leaned over and asked him, “Have you read that?”
“Not all of it,” he replied. Then he grinned and said,
“But I’ve read the ending and you know what?
We win.”

Fifth Sunday of Easter

2007-05-06T11:01:49-06:00

In my reading on the internet this week, I read this brief story.
It was described as a true Presbyterian miracle –
but it could easily be called a Lutheran miracle as well.

The story tells of a man coming back to church one Sunday after the death of his wife.

Fourth Sunday of Easter - Good Shepherd Sunday

2007-04-29T11:00:40-06:00

The Lord is my Shepherd –
these words begin one of the most beloved passages in the Bible.
It is certainly one of the best known and most often memorized,
read at so many hospital bedsides and funerals
that it carries deep memories for many of us.
It is so well known, so rich in personal meaning, that I hesitate to preach on it.
Yet I don’t think we always hear the words of comfort and care it offers us
in the midst of our busy, often stressful lives.

Second Sunday of Easter

2007-04-15T10:59:33-06:00

Happy Easter!
No, I don’t have the day wrong.
In the church year, Easter is a season, not a day –
a season that lasts for seven weeks, and ends with Pentecost.
While the stores filled with Easter candy and cards and cute bunnies,
we were recognizing the solemn season of Lent.
Now that we’re celebrating Easter,
the stores are probably stocking up for the fourth of July.

Easter Sunday

2007-04-08T10:58:20-06:00

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

It is spring – although it is hard to tell from the weather today –
and it is Easter.
The season of new birth and new life.
A day of celebration, in many ways.

How many of you are back to eating chocolate today,
or back to drinking gourmet coffee?
What else are you going back to this morning?

Maundy Thursday April 5, 2007

2007-04-05T10:57:07-06:00

While I was in seminary, I had the privilege of traveling in Africa and taking a class at the Maryknoll Institute for African Studies in Nairobi. Each international student was paired with a Kenyan field assistant, and part of the learning experience was to spend a weekend with that student in their rural home. So one weekend Lucy and I left Nairobi via public transportation, then walked for what seemed like miles over red, dusty ground to her parents’ home. I was welcomed and shown great hospitality by her family.

Transfiguration of Our Lord: Exodus 34:29-35, Luke 9:28-43

2007-02-18T10:56:03-07:00

In Celtic countries, there are certain places which Celtic people call “thin places.”
They are places where “the veil between this world and the other world is thin.”
In fantasy literature, of which I’m a big fan,
these thin places are where people stumble into the world of fairy,
or mythical creatures cross over into our world.
In Celtic Christianity, thin places
are places where the presence of God is felt especially strongly.

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany - Jeremiah 17:5-10, Psalm 1, and 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

2007-02-11T10:54:45-07:00

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is in the Lord.
Their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and they meditate on God’s teaching day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season.

Fifth Sunday After Epiphany - Isaiah, Luke 5: 1-11

2007-02-04T10:53:17-07:00

Our lessons this morning include two stories of people who saw God,
and their lives were never the same.
Their experience of God caused them to follow God into new vocations,
reflecting the inner reality that their very lives were beginning anew.

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany - 1 Corinthians 13

2007-01-28T10:50:33-07:00

There was a hushed tone in the gathered congregation as they listened to the reader:

“Love is patient; love is kind.
Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.”

We all think we know what these words say.
We’ve all heard them many times – most often, perhaps, at weddings.
We’ve used them to celebrate the beautiful, inspiring love between two people who have chosen one another above all others.

Third Sunday after Epiphany - Luke 4:14-21

2007-01-21T10:06:02-07:00

“Today,” said the angel, “in the city of David, the Messiah has been born.”
And the shepherds rushed to be the first to meet Jesus,
and went away glorifying God for all they have seen and heard.

“Today,” Jesus said to Zacheus, “I will have dinner at your home.”
And Zacheus, the despised tax collector, knew a love he’d never known before.

Second Sunday after Epiphany - John 2:1-22

2007-01-14T10:04:00-07:00

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through him,
and without him not one thing came into being.

Baptism of Jesus - Luke 3:15-22

2007-01-07T10:02:28-07:00

This morning is the first Sunday in the season of Epiphany,
the season which celebrates the revelation of Jesus to the world.
The church calendar skipped right over the three wise men this year,
And this morning we celebrate one of those few events which appears
in 3 of the 4 gospels: the Baptism of Jesus.
In these gospels, Jesus’ baptism and the Holy Spirit descending upon him marks the beginning of his public ministry.

Christmas Eve

2006-12-24T09:56:23-07:00

“While they were [in Bethlehem], the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

It’s a story we all know.

Fourth Sunday in Advent

2006-12-24T09:55:18-07:00

An angel came to Mary with an announcement.
“You are going to have a baby!”
What joyful news!
What a gift from God!

Third Sunday in Advent - Zephaniah 3:14-20, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18

2006-12-17T09:50:59-07:00

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say Rejoice!
Rejoice and sing praises
Rejoice and give thanks
Rejoice and exult with all your heart!

Now, that's more like it.

First Sunday in Advent - Luke 21:25-36

2006-11-26T09:45:41-07:00

I always think it’s strange to start out the season of advent with apocalyptic sayings
about the end of the world.
While everyone else is listening to Christmas carols and shopping for all they’re worth,
here we are reading about the signs of the end times.
And yet, it really isn’t so strange, when we remember what Advent really means . . .