Rev. Zach

2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33     Psalm 130:1-8     Ephesians 4:25-5:2     John 6:35, 41-51 Our scripture passages speak to us today of things that are both terrible and wonderful.  They speak to us of consequences that are immediate and eternal.  And they remind me of a time when I had the opportunity to sit before a judge who was dispensing wisdom and mercy. On this particular occasion, my dear wife had been in a fender bender that was the result of a momentary misunderstanding of the actions of the driver in front of her and a confusing traffic pattern.  On advice from others, she decided to go to court and plead “no contest,” as this was a minor offense on an otherwise spotless driving record.  I came with her – expecting to do some work while we waited – and found the bailiff to be quite clear in the expectation that my open note pad was not welcome.  Instead, I enjoyed one of the most interesting days of listening to...

2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a     Ephesians 4:1-16     John 6:24-35 Whenever I read these passages that describe Jesus in conversation with a crowd, I must admit that I can’t help but think of it as a little bit like a Monty Python sketch.  I mean no disrespect to the Lord, or to the text.  It simply seems slightly comical to have a crowd speaking as one with Jesus.  I think that there is some implicit humor in the text, though. They had all gotten in boats to follow him across the Sea of Galilee.  When they catch up to him they say something like, “Hey, Rabi.  Fancy meeting you here!”   Of course Jesus calls them to account by telling them that they are working awfully hard for something that is not going to last.  That is the core of the Gospel teaching today – the tension between things that are temporary and things that are eternal.  All of us get caught up in that same struggle from time to time.  In fact, the str...