Rev. Zach

Sermon Delivered July 8, 2012 – Pentecost (6B)  2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 Acts 5:27-42 Luke 2:1-15 There are some things in this life that you just can’t stop. We like to think that we can control and channel the elements of nature - and to some extent we always have. Crops have used the power of the sun and rain to feed our families. Winds have been harnessed to blow ships through the sea and air for centuries. We have even used the gravitational pull of the earth to balance out the thrust and and extension of our hand into the depths of space. We can do all of these things. We have done all of these things, and we will do more. But we still can’t stop the tide. We can use inertia, but we cannot change the fact that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Likewise, we can not always predict the reaction we are going to illicit! When it works the way we want it to we call that a job well done. When the reaction exceeds our expectations we might even call it provid...

Don't  you just love a good scandal? I mean - as long as it is not wrecking my life it has a certain entertainment value, no? I would love to earmark this as a sign of the downfall of modern civilization, or perhaps trash the feaux reality dramas like Desperate Housewives and GCB . Don't get me started on either of these or the way in which they do more to re-enforce negative images of women - and Christianity - than they do to empower real people who might actually be lacking in their options in life. Anyway, the reality they point to is that both Ecclesiastes and Carl Jung are right. There is nothing new under the sun and our collective conscience does love repetition - both for good and for ill. Scandals are just plain yummy - whether they are real or imagined. Still, I'm not entirely sure where the need for the narrative of scandal comes from, but I would guess it is something close to schadenfreude - the sick pleasure of watching someone else get busted when you k...

Sermon Delivered Sunday, March 25, 2012 Jeremiah 31:31-34 Hebrews 5:5-10 John 12:20-33 Everything is about social networking these days. Yoono you can Yelp a Tweet to your Facebook page about a place you found out about through FourSquare , but be sure to tell everyone about the deal you got through Groupon (which may or may not be as good as the one you found through LivingSocial ). Now, chances are that many of you sitting in the pews have no idea what I am talking about; however, most of the folks that read my blog (yes, both of you) know exactly what I am talking about. In fact most savvy social networkers (a term itself that is becoming passé) would roll their eyes as though I have just proclaimed 2+2 to be a complex equation! Even though Betty White rightfully proclaimed on Saturday Night Live (in one of the funniest opening monologues EVER) that these social networks (particularly Facebook - where the campaign to have her on was started) are a colos...

This was my newsletter article for June/July. It came out just before Memorial Day, so I thought I would share it here... Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name. Psalm 103:1 “America, Bless God!” I remember seeing this phrase on a homemade sign in Chester, VA in the days following September 11, 2001. I thought it interesting and strange at the time. I don’t know who wrote it or why, but I believe they were trying to make a different statement than “God, Bless America.” It reminds me of a time during prayer when Zoe said, “Daddy, you’re being kind of demanding to God.” Of course there is more to it than all of that. Scripture tells us “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” So, there is nothing wrong with asking God to bless America, but there is more to it than that. A blessing can mean many things. We often think of it as getting something good. Som...

For most of her life my daughter has claimed that she wants to be a dance teacher when she grows up because then I can build her a studio and she can teach me to dance. Well, today was "dress up like the profession you want" day at school. When deciding between the pink and black leotard she said, very thoughtfully, "A Ballet teacher wears black." Putting her hair in a bun was an adventure (Treva was at work, and I had not done this before.), but I think it worked. I asked her for a picture and she immediately got into 1st position with head turned to profile. She had a great day and would not take off her dance clothes until bath time. During prayers she asked God to bless her litany of best friends that live all across the Eastern Seaboard, and one I did not know. Turns out it was a little girl she met at First Christian Church last night. We went over because they were hosting a few families through Family promise (for...

One of the things I love about being southern is the fact that we are more than ourselves. Just before leaving Savannah, GA to move to Lafayette, LA I was at the bank finishing up some business and had some small talk with the teller about the  move.  As I left she said, "Good luck, y'all!" Clearly there was no one else there but me. There is something strangely comforting to me to be part of a society that understands and expects our reality to be couched in relationships.  Of course our language does not always reflect our reality.  The south is often a segregated society.  We are kind and hospitable, but we keep to our own. Paul told the church in Corinth, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Cor 66:19-20)"  Of course this was at the end of a section on sexual morality, but how often do we consi...

First Presbyterian Lafayette, Louisiana August 22, 2010 - Ordinary 21C Isaiah 58:9b-14 Hebrews 12:18-29 Luke 13:10-17 Today’s scripture passages speak of justice and of healing. The combination of these two topics has become, for many in this country, much like the command in the movie Ghost Busters not to cross the streams. These were, of course, two fields of molecular energy that, if they came in contact with one another could rip apart the fabric of the universe much like some feel the health care debate is ripping us apart. I do not believe the pulpit is the place to engage in this debate that so many of us are struggling with, but I do think we would be well advised to consider God’s word in the midst of it. With that in mind, let us turn our thoughts to the connection between God’s word and our own needs. All of us, in some way at some point, long for healing. Maybe it is for ourselves. Maybe it is for a loved one. Maybe it is something physical, and there is de...

The other day Sam, my 3 yr. old son, did something that ended with him in time out. I don't even remember what he did, and it doesn't really matter at this point. Regarding the behavior of our children, we try to positively reinforce good behavior and deter bad behavior by limiting the options for it. Of course, most of you probably know that children can be quite creative, and you can not limit every negative experience. Nor should we. How else can you learn to walk without falling down a few times. When we punish bad behavior we try to make sure the consequences are clear beforehand and that the punishment fits the crime. We also try to make sure that they know what behaviors, attitudes, or actions they are being punished for, why these things are not good, and what a better choice might have been. After the punishment we are sure to affirm our love for them and our dissatisfaction with the offense. We want to make a clear distinction between being bad and doing something bad...

I learn a lot from my kids. Sam is three, so his influence is primarily that of reminding me about how blissful it is to know that you are valued, loved, and provided for. I often forget that I am a child of the most capable Father. Well, it's not that I forget it. Maybe it's more that I do not act like I am. Of course, Sam has little conscious thought about being provided for. He simply is. Yet the providence and freedom give him the luxury of bliss. How do I respond to the luxury and freedom of forgiveness, grace, and providence? Quite differently than Sam does, I can tell you that. Then there is Zoe, our resident theologian at five. Night time is often the time of discovery and revelation. Of course part of that is because she is stalling going to bed and daddy is a sucker for conversations about God. Earlier this week she was wrestling with the concept of the divinity of Christ and the mystery of the virgin birth. "Daddy, is Jesus...Jesus is God, right?...

I have a blister on my left hand ring finger. I was trimming the shrubs the other day without work gloves, and I got a blister. I'll spare the overly trite metaphors about work gloves, protection, and injury resulting from inattentiveness. Instead I want to share what occurred to me in reflecting on the blister and its location. It's not a bad blister, but all the same I could not resist picking it. Foolish, I know, but I just couldn't help it. As I look at the resulting blemish and the wedding ring that covers it I can't help thinking about my marriage. I have a wonderful partner and a great marriage. All the same, there are times when focusing on my needs before her causes damage. Yet there is something deeper that we cling to. Something unending and unchanging, like the circle of the ring. The scripture we chose for our wedding was Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: 10 If one falls down,...

So, I'll be getting back to that book soon, but today has other thoughts.  Obviously I am not an avid blogger.  My family and my work tend to be higher priorities. Today is Mother's Day.  The youth led worship, we honored mothers and graduates.  The sermon included a live painting as a literal illustration.  Fun was had by all!  My mother was in town, and I'm glad she got to see it.  Afterwards we all went out for lunch.  I wear a collar in worship, and I have to admit that it's always weird wearing it in public.  For one, I don't normally wear it outside of worship.  For another, I get a lot of stares.  Especially when I am out with my family.  Every now and again I get addressed as "Father."  It's an odd mix between being in a position of undeniable faith expression and feeling like a representative of a cultic practice that is disconnected with real life.  What I mean by that is that we separate life and faith in our culture.  When people see a prie...

I live in Savannah, Ga.  We had a pretty good storm last night.  It was the kind that wakes you up off and on and makes a person living in a costal city wonder about evacuation routes.  There were a few minutes of calm after I woke for the day.  I noticed it when I got out of the shower.  There was a different sound, and a different tension, in the air.  Things seemed calmer, but yet still excited.   The sound I heard was the sound of birds singing, and I wondered if they were louder.  Were they checking to see who was still there?  Were they boasting about there skill in surviving the night?  Were they in there own way shaking an angry fist at the heavens?  Who knows if a bird has a concept of deity that we can understand.   What about us?  What sound escapes our lips when we first realize a storm has passed?  Praise? Thanksgiving? Care for others?  Do we in our own way shake an angry fist at God when our children or parents fall ill?  I wonder, sometimes, if we have a concept of a de...

A friend sent me this link from Brian Jones , and I think it makes some valid points. Primarily he is arguing that the term "Christian" is only used in the Bible by non-believers who are describing people as Christ Followers. Not a bad term, but he is arguing the point that its not all that scriptural in the first place, and that it says nothing of function. Disciple, however, is used routinely in the New Testament and, he says, has a more active connotation and root meaning. My question is this... Is anyone outside the circles of Christianity (non-believers, un-churched, what have you) going to care? Is there truly a connotation of activity with one word over another? And what activity is conjured in the mind of those not already in the community of faith? Not that we tailor to the needs of those outside the community, but the question (at least for me) is whether we are practicing a theology of inclusivity or exclusivity. I think this speaks to the quagmire of fa...

Her face held the burden of knowing, Knowing her faults and fears. Yet in her eyes was a fire, A sense that in spite of these things she survived. A sense that because of these things she had survived. Still there was a sadness over the cracks in her vessel. I smiled, seeing that we shared this knowledge of self. Though hers was deeper, from many more years. All I could say is that our cracks... If we really believe in God's grace, If we really believe our cup runs over, Then our cracks are simply the means for grace, To spill on and fill up others. She laughed and said, "I sure am spilling a lot!"

OK, I'll admit it. I'm a big Dr. Who fan. In the last episode he goes to a planet of the slave race known as the Ood. When his human counterpart, Donna, asks if there was ever a time they were free or what are they like when they are born, the Dr. says he's never thought of it. When she remarks that a future human empire has been built on slavery, he says, "Where do you think your clothes come from?" I hate to admit, but I was stunned. I'm still wrestling with that. Really I have been for a while. The reality of the matter is that our lives as US citizens are so intertwined with forced labor that we have no practical way of freeing ourselves. Most of us don't know because we don't think to ask. From clothes to car and computer parts we are consumers of slave labor. What to do...what to do? Part of me wants to start a mass movement rejecting forced labor products. Maybe just start with clothing alone and start a movement of wearing forced la...

I saw this on a card at the beach while on a clergy retreat. This and Matthew 7:7-8 are the inspiration for the title of this blog. Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day. - Rainer Maria Rilke Letters to a Young Poet

I've been at my family's cabin in NC this weekend doing some maintenance. My main job was to strip the deck for refinishing. In so doing we found layers of paint that brought out layers of life spent there. We decided not to sand all the paint away, but to leave a distressed look. The following will be posted in a frame on the porch. Incidentally, if anyone wants to rent the place you can find it here . It's a quaint, affordable getaway in Western NC with a creek in the back and Pisgah National Forrest land behind that. It's a little bit of heaven on earth. Anyway, here's the story... Well, actually it’s my second life. In my first life I was flooring in a hundred year old pool cabana in Columbus, Georgia. After a time the pool was gone, and it seemed I was destined for dilapidation and disrepair. But a man named Bill changed all that. He tenderly dismantled me and brought me here, Stoney fork Cabin in North Carolina. During some recent maintenance my ...

I've known about this project for some time now, but I have not done anything about it. Sure I joined them as a "Cause" on Facebook, but that's it. This video is compelling. Even so, I have done little more than post it in hopes that others may be even more inspired than I. I pray for peace every night, but I do little to bring it about. Mother Teresa once said we should not try to do big things, just do little things with great love. I suppose that can be just as big a cop out as "I thought about it, and it's the thought that counts." Although that negates the "great love" portion. Can even the smallest thing done with great love not draw you into bigger things? We shall see.

So, in keeping with my previous post, I thought I would pay tribute to God's male attributes and say thank you to the guy who helped me plug a tire today. My wife called from the gas station down the street. She had a flat. Our kids were in the car, and it was approaching nap time, a sabbath that if not respected can result in dire straights (not the band). I was just about to make my lunch, so I considered asking here to fill it with air and limp it the one mile home. Of course I knew better. The right thing to do was go put on a spare and take the tire to be plugged while she got the kids in for a nap. As I got to the car and started working the jack I began to begrudge myself for not getting a jacket. I steeled my nerve and resolved to deal with the limitations of the tiny car jack and cold weather. A snow flake or two buzzed by to mock me. That's when a red pick up with a ham radio sticker on the back of its diamond plate tool box pulled up. Out stepped a guy with ...

While in seminary I read an article by James Cone called "God is Black." Here's an example: The black theologian must reject any conception of God which stifles black self-determination by picturing God as a God of all peoples. Either God is identified with the oppressed to the point that their experience becomes God's experience, or God is a God of racism...The blackness of God means that God has made the oppressed condition God's own condition. This is the essence of the Biblical revelation. By electing Israelite slaves as the people of God and by becoming the Oppressed One in Jesus Christ, the human race is made to understand that God is known where human beings experience humiliation and suffering...Liberation is not an afterthought, but the very essence of divine activity. (A Black Theology of Liberation, pp. 63-64) Although I disagree that God as revealed in Jesus Christ is for some people and against others, this has informed my concept of God tremendousl...