Rev. Zach

Genesis 39:1-23 ; Matthew 5:11-12 TRIGGER WARNING: GENESIS 39:1-23 REFERS TO AN ACCUSATION OF RAPE. Hey, Sarah [Liturgist]! I got a joke for you. How do you put milk in the refrigerator? Ok, how do you put bacon in the refrigerator? Would you put a whole pig in the refrigerator the same way? What about an alligator? No, silly, first you take the pig out so the alligator can fit! Thanks for playing, Sarah! [She sits.] That joke reminds me that some time ago my mom taught me that there are times when it is really important to tend to big issues first – like when you are packing a car, or paying bills, or trying to sus out a conflict with someone you love. Sometimes the “big things” can help you make sense of the best way to do the little things. There are, of course, exceptions. Everyone has their own way to load the dishwasher, and many of us would come to blows over it if challenged. All of that is to say that there is an elephant that came into the room with the Old Testament reading,...

Genesis 12:1-9 ; Matthew 28:19-20 Last week we began a new cycle of readings through the Narrative Lectionary, which is the list that determines our text each week in worship. If you were here, then I am sure you remember Jackie Cummings telling you not to let your boat get rocked by the wind and the waves – whether literal or metaphorical – because our faith in God will see us through! What a great way to start off this cycle of the Narrative Lectionary, which will focus on Matthew’s Gospel paired with readings from the Old Testament. These readings also begin in Genesis with stories of covenant relationships and the promise of blessing. Last week we began with a reading of the story of Noah (which is a little more problematic than we often tell our children when we give them the Noah’s Ark playset). I won’t go into great detail about that except to say that the traditional understanding was that suffering had increased so much throughout the earth that God felt the best way to fix it...

Sermon preached by guest preacher, Jackie Cummings (RE) The New Testament Lesson today comes from Matthew 8: 24-27 which reads: A gale arose on the lake, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?’ The word of the Lord…… Let’s have a general chat for a second. Thank you very much for inviting me back again… I find this hilarious that you all are punishing yourself this way. Please see the disclaimer from last month, I am not a minister of the Word and Sacrament and yada yada yada… but seriously, thank you for having me back again. I am glad to be here in worship with you again. As I mentioned to you last month, I like to have themes or titles to give ...