18Sep 2017 by Kirsten Sauey Hofmann

Sermon from September 10, 2017

Pastor, Sermons
Gospel text: Matthew 18:15-20 Let’s start off by articulating some things that Jesus does not say in Matthew 18 (articulated by my colleague, Nate Sutton): “If another member of the church sins against you, withdraw quietly yet in disgust, go home in a huff, and stew about it for a few months.” “If another member of the church sins against you, silently hold it against the ministries they love, and decline to support any of them for a year or two.” “If another member of the church sins against you, grumble about it to your friends, or better yet, to the pastor (but don’t mention the name of the offending person), or better yet, to your various online communities.” “If another member of the church sins against you, bottle up…
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31Jul 2017 by Kirsten Sauey Hofmann

Sermon from July 30, 2017

Pastor, Sermons
Gospel text: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Jesus has many parables to tell us today that give us glimpses of the kingdom of heaven. But to start, I wonder if Matthew’s phrase, “the kingdom of heaven,” is problematic? Because we’re not talking about heaven as that place in the sky you think you might get to go to someday. We’re talking about the kingdom of God, the holy realm, the place where God dwells, which would include, but not be limited to this earth in this present time. Jesus is opening our understanding, or challenging our understanding of how we might envision God’s kingdom to be. We like to think God’s kingdom is full of rule followers, law-abiders, people who are nice to each other, and hopefully our animals. But what Jesus…
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17Jul 2017 by Kirsten Sauey Hofmann

Sermon from July 16, 2017

Discipleship, Pastor, Sermons
Gospel text: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Today we get to hear the Parable of the Sower. This is one of those famous passages from scripture. And it happens to be the first parable in each of the Synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It may have been Jesus’ first parable, but it certainly paves the way for the Gospel writers in telling the parables of Jesus. In the middle of what we read, in the verses we skipped, Jesus explains to the disciples why he uses parables to speak to the people. Jesus says that the crowds have indeed fulfilled the prophecy - if you remember, fulfilling prophecy or what was written in the Old Testament is Matthew’s thing. That prophecy comes from Isaiah and says, “You will indeed listen, but…
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17Jul 2017 by Kirsten Sauey Hofmann

Thoughts from the Pastor – VBS

Newsletter, Pastor
This past week a bunch of our kids were over at Kennewick First Lutheran for Day Camp run by three counselors from Lutherhaven. I got to be over there regularly, checking in and helping to make sure things were running smoothly. From what I can tell, all kids of every age had a great time! They learned new songs, played games and created crafts, and explored what it means to be God's masterpiece, created in the image of God. I am grateful for this opportunity for our kids, and for our youth and adults as well. There are many that deserve our thanks for investing in our kids this past week! One thing that excites me about our day camp is that it is a wider-church event! There were at…
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27Jun 2017 by Kirsten Sauey Hofmann

Sermon from June 25, 2017 – PK

Baptism, Discipleship, Pastor, Sermons
There were a number of people who wondered how my sermon might be able to be passed on. I've been thinking about this topic - posting sermons, and how that should be done. I wrestle with posting the written word because the sermon is much more about proclamation - it's about the hearing, and the experience, and even where it takes you while you're listening (yes, some of those tangents in your mind may be the Spirit at work!). I don't think sermons are meant to be scrutinized the way we do the written word, and yet I am reminded over and over that God has given me words to speak, to preach, to proclaim. And I am hearing that there is desire to pass them on, or hear them…
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26Jun 2017 by Kirsten Sauey Hofmann

Thoughts from the Pastor

Pastor, Stewardship
June 25, 2017 Stewardship is a way of life. It is not just about tithing our money, but a mindset that recognizes that all we have is a gift from God: who we are, our families, our friends, our jobs, our income, our abilities and skills, our talents, life itself. How we use each of these things, or what we do with them, reflects how we see ourselves as children of God. Jesus calls us to mission, to service, to giving (financially and otherwise). In the interest of stewardship not being something we talk about once or twice a year (for pledges, the budget, or Time &Talent sheets), I wanted to put a summer bug in your ear to encourage you in your giving for the second half of this…
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