Rev. Zach

Jeremiah 23:1-6      Colossians 1:11-20      Luke 1:68-79 Well, the holidays are upon us. As proof, I recently saw a commercial with children acting ridiculously happy over toothbrushes. It reminded me of stories from mission coworkers about children receiving washcloths and toothbrushes in hygiene kits that were prized like gold because they had not seen one in a while. It occurred to me that even a toothbrush can hold the tender mercies of God. The tender mercies of God are mediated by relief workers sorting clothes, by a hospice chaplain visiting the still living, and by you and me in our everyday interactions. In the case of Zechariah, the tender mercies of God can even be found in our limitations and the opportunities they hold within. Think of it this way. If your mouth had been sealed and your tongue shut for nine months, what would be the first thing that you might say? Maybe it would be related to a need that you had not been able to communicate....

Isaiah 2:1-5       Romans 13:11-14     Matthew 24:36-44 “Do you have the time To listen to me whine About nothing and everything All at once” So begins the song, Basket Case , released by the band Green Day in 1994. They were one of many voices in pre-September 11 America that lamented the loss of value and meaning in our culture. One might even call them somewhat prophetic if you consider the function of a prophet as speaking the uncomfortable truth that we do not want to see or hear. I must admit that sometimes I feel like the task of preaching to a disinterested world and the discussions of becoming a church that is sensitive to every need, leave me feeling like we might be whining about everything and nothing, all at once. Either that or maybe we are like Bugs Bunny in that old cartoon when he comes up in a forest full of creatures, fleeing from the Tasmanian Devil trying to get someone to stop and tell him what is going on! We surfa...

Jeremiah 23:1-6      Colossians 1:11-20     Luke 1:68-79 Well, the holidays are upon us. As proof, I recently saw a commercial with children acting ridiculously happy over toothbrushes. It reminded me of stories from mission coworkers about children receiving washcloths and toothbrushes in hygiene kits that were prized like gold because they had not seen one in a while. It occurred to me that even a toothbrush can hold the tender mercies of God. The tender mercies of God are mediated by relief workers sorting clothes, by a hospice chaplain visiting the still living, and by you and me in our everyday interactions. In the case of Zechariah, the tender mercies of God can even be found in our limitations and the opportunities they hold within. Think of it this way. If your mouth had been sealed and your tongue shut for nine months, what would be the first thing that you might say? Maybe it would be related to a need that you had not been able to communicate. Ma...