Rev. Zach

Isaiah 9:1-4 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23 Well, friends, what we have before us in the gospel text is a clear and present example of a no-brainer. You know what I mean? A no-brainer is one of those things you don’t even have to think about. You just do it! The only problem is that this only looks like a no-brainer for those who know the rest of the story. How in the world was following Jesus a no-brainer for these guys? I think it’s doubly hard for us to understand because we look at this story from an entirely different lense of decision making. We tend to make decisions based on what we can understand logically, or what we consider to be practical, or (unfortunately, we do this last one the most) how we feel about something. If you don’t believe me, just think about the way toothpaste is sold. We’re told that 9 out of 10 Dentists agree, or that this one fights cavities and bad breath, or this one leaves your mouth feeling clean and kissable all day long. That’s r

Isaiah 49:1-7 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 John 1:29-42 While I’ve appreciated the comments over my quarterly hair cut, there is a more subtle change that I made to my appearance this past Fall that many of you have not noticed. It was my glasses. I really did not expect anyone to notice because they are almost the exact same style as my old ones. They are, I confess, trifocals. My old ones were, too, but they were just a hair off and I always felt like I had to move my head in a certain way to see things. Maybe that’s just how it is with trifocals. Maybe I’m just now getting used to it. They are, of course, progressive lenses so that no one knows they are trifocals unless I tell them, because I am just that vain. That term – progressive lenses – has me thinking, though. It makes me wonder about the idea of progressive looking and progressive seeing. Does it matter if we are seen as “progressive”? For that matter, are we even able to see the world through the right part of the r

Before I get too far into things I want to say thank you to the congregation and to those who stepped into leadership roles while my family and I went to spend time with our extended family in Georgia and Tennessee. It was good to getaway. It is also good to be home, take down the lights and just get back to living the best life we can. 2020 has been a bit of shock, though. I came home to an oil leak in my car and a fridge with a backed-up overflow valve, then we had a storm that took out part of a fence I share with a neighbor. Those are all manageable things though. The real shocking stuff is in the news. We have an impeached president assassinating a foreign general, a police chief that’s been asked to resign and the list goes on. I tell you, coming off of the holidays into this mess can feel, well, Mo can you help me illustrate how it feels? [Mo stands up and throws water in my face and then offers me a towel] Thank you, Mo! I know that I can always count on you. It’s