Rev. Zach

Ezekiel 37:1-14; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45  There is a lot to talk about in these texts today. I do hope that you will take some time for further reflection during the week because we would be here all day if I tried to address every morsel in the banquet of goodness that we find in the text today. I say that metaphorically, but did you know that Ezekial actually ate a scroll? That was back in chapter 3, and he said it was as sweet as honey!  You can say that I lack his level of commitment, and I will not argue that point. What I will say is that our reading in the Gospel of John is a tipping point in the ministry of Jesus. From this point, his destiny is set, and he is on his final journey to Jerusalem and the cross. We see that clearly in the beginning. Even Thomas gets it when he says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”  Of course, this passage is about more than the expectation of the cross. It is about the experience of resurrection and salvation! It is ab...

Ezekiel 37:1-14 John 15:26-27, 16:4b-11 Join me in a moment of silent reflection on the words we have received today… Amen. As we continue reflecting on these stories together, I want you to take a slow, deep breath – in through your nose and out again slow. Now take another… just three more. What you have just experienced is the Holy Spirit moving in and through each of us together. The gift of this day is the recognition of God’s active presence in our midst, and the scriptures – particularly the Old Testament – refer to the breath of God as the creative force that shaped the heavens and made order out of chaos. Chances are good that we have just exchanged that breath in between us, or we will have by the time we leave. Think of that next time you’re on a plane or a bus! I’m not saying you shouldn’t still take a heavy dose of vitamin C first. I’m just saying that there is more between us than just air or particulate matter or even oxygen. Breathing certainly d...

Ezekiel 37:1-14      Acts 2:1-21     John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 By now most of you know that I am of the genus and species known as the “Extravertus Maximus.” As was once noted by a member of my kind – who happen to be my General Presbyter when I began seminary – we think by speaking. For us, a conversation is much like working out a math problem on a black board with a group of people helping.  It is for this reason that there are few words that terrify me more than hearing someone say, “It’s like that time when you said…” because the good Lord may be the only one who knows what I truly said. Likewise, one of the most affirming experiences I’ve had in ministry was from a friend in Virginia who would occasionally respond to something I said in a discussion with, “Tell the truth!” Given that sometimes it is only God that knows  our hearts, and sometimes we only know that we have spoken truth when someone tells us that we did, I think we can all take...