Rev. Zach

Job 42:1-6, 10-17      Hebrews 7:23-28      Mark 10:46-52 So far, if you’ve been keeping score over the past few weeks, God has allowed Satan to tempt Job by taking away everything and leaving him in physical agony, and Job’s friends have all blamed him for it. Job has shaken his fist at God for the unfairness of it all, and God has asked who Job thinks he is to question the one that spoke creation into being.  Today we read that Job becomes humble, repents, and even prays for his friends. God hears his prayers and Job’s fortunes are restored. Isn’t that nice? Somehow that last part seems to be all that we really want to know about. Somehow, when I hear it, I can’t help but hear it as a part of what many calls the “prosperity gospel”. That’s the idea that if you are generous to God, God will be even more generous to you. That doesn’t sound so bad on the surface, but when we extend that idea it simply becomes “giving to get”. It’s als...

Isaiah 50:4-9     Romans 12:1-8      Mark 12:28-34 Today is “Dedication Sunday,” and there are things that I love and things that I don’t love about this day. One thing that I love is that I get to to tell my bacon and eggs joke. Do you know how bacon and eggs demonstrate the difference between involvement and commitment? Because the chicken is involved in getting your breakfast to you, but the pig is committed to it! Of course we are assuming the egg is unfertilized. I’m not sure that the pig was all that excited about the idea, either, and I would guess that if given the chance the pig would decline the invitation. Christian faith is, however, an “all in” kind of thing – or at least that is the description we get in scripture. Our passage from Isaiah was written to a conquered people to demonstrate the hope that remained in their identity as the people of God. The “Suffering Servant” demonstrates perseverance and faith as a testimony to the people, b...