Rev. Zach

Psalm 23 ; Romans 8:12-17 I am sure you have noticed by the emphasis on v.6 in our reading of the 23rd Psalm, today is the last Sunday in our series on the 23rd Psalm. While I had hoped that you might respond like my kids did long ago with favorite childhood stories, I’m not surprised that none of you said, “No! Let’s read it again!” I say that knowing that we could probably read the 23rd Psalm every Sunday, and it would only encourage you all the more. That is one of the reasons that we read it in the style of Lectio Divina this week, and I hope that you were able to open yourself up to some new or deeper revelation through it. If not, I encourage you to try again some other time and see what new things the Spirit may yet reveal to you through these faithfully inspired words about the providence of God. Last time we used this technique I asked you to share what struck you anew and how you felt God was moving through this text. Today I’ll let that be between you and God unless you want...

Psalm 23 ; Matthew 5:43-45 Over the last few weeks, we have been exploring the 23rd Psalm together, so I want to begin with a summary of where we’ve been so far. We began with v1, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” and we acknowledged God as our shepherd – our caretaker – and we considered the abundance of God’s grace and mercy and the providence of God that flows through this entire Psalm. With v2, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” we discussed the idea of the sabbath keeping from the perspective of Jesus in Matthew 12, which is based less on following a rule and more on compassion for yourself and for all whom God loves. Jesus demonstrated this in Matthew 12 by healing on the Sabbath and reminding us that the Sabbath was created for our limitations, not for God’s. I turned the wheel over to John and Kris Newman the last two Sundays, as they are great friends of the church who actively proclaim the gospel through care for und...

Psalm 23 ; Mark 2:23-3:6 As we continue our journey through the 23rd Psalm I want to check in with you to see what the Spirit of God may have given you during our reading. [The 23rd Psalm was read in the style of Lectio Divina.] As a reminder, you were asked to consider what aspect of the Psalm resonated for you today, how the second verse, “God maketh me to lie down in green pastures and sit beside still waters” informed the rest of the passage, and what greater meaning this psalm might have for your life and for ours together as God’s people. All of that together may be too much to unpack, but I’d like to hear from a few of you if you are willing. We’ll need to pass the microphone around so that those worshiping online can hear, but let’s start with the first question. Was there a word or phrase that connected with you today from the Psalm? You don’t need to say why. Just let us know what it was. [Pause for answers.] Wonderful! Thank you! What about the next question? How does v2, “G...

Psalm 23 ; Luke15:1-7 Today begins a series on the 23rd Psalm, which we read from the King James Version. Out of curiosity, let’s have a quick show of hands. How many of you (unlike me) had to memorize this as a child? How many of you have memorized it just from hearing it in church? Interesting. Thank you! Memorization in general seems to me to be a more common teaching technique for previous generations. I don’t want to get into why or what’s best, but I do want to acknowledge the importance of repetition and ritual in a life of faith. Repetition and ritual can certainly be taken too far and then become entirely meaningless, but there are also times and places where it can offer meaning and hope when all else is lost. In my faith journey, I have found that to be particularly true with the 23rd Psalm. Admittedly, this Psalm is most often shared at funerals, and there’s a reason for that. This Psalm acknowledges the providence of God, promises restoration, and offers hope when all hope...

Psalm 23 ; 1 Peter 2:19-25 ; John 10:1-18 I was talking with a friend the other day about his mother who lived to be over a hundred. Of course that made me think of Al Pfiefer, who was 102 years young when he joined the church triumphant in 2018. Al, and very few others like him, saw society move from the earliest of automobiles to the earliest of smartphones – which he used to Uber to church. Now everything seems to be “smart”. Even lightbulbs – which used to be a symbol for an idea – can be smart enough to turn themselves off when you leave a room; or when commanded to turn off or on by an app on your phone. Advancements like these are pretty commonplace, and I admit it makes me feel older (but not necessarily wiser) to marvel at the technology that is becoming ubiquitous. We live in an age of unprecedented change and ongoing tension, and sometimes that tension produces good and wonderful things. On the other hand, it can also leave us feeling like our society has become an exposed n...

Psalm 23 ; Ephesians 5:8-14 ; John 9:1-41 Well, friends, whether you have given something up or picked up a new discipline or habit for the season of Lent, I have some good news for you. The good news is, of course, that Jesus loves you no matter what, and that we are almost to the halfway point of Lent! If you are struggling, be encouraged by the words of the prophet. “Whoa. We’re halfway there. Whoa–oh. We’re living on a prayer.” Ok, so that was Bon Jovi, but he speaks the truth in his own kind of way. Truly, I hope that you are being encouraged through deepened prayer or some form of spiritual practice. If you aren’t, It’s never too late to start. This may also be the point where some of you realize that something you’ve given up was not something you really needed in the first place. Of course, there is more to life than basic necessities, but the point of a time of spiritual discipline is to encourage a life of discipleship. As a community of disciples of the way of Jesus, we hav...

Psalm 23 Matthew 5:14-16 “Let your light shine before others.” When we first started worshiping together online I received lots of comments about the ways in which we might be able to hold onto the things that make worship familiar and meaningful. One of those comments was about the candles. I had forgotten to light the candles, and it just distracted a few of you and made the environment feel less vital and more virtual. Some of those who were concerned couldn’t really say why it mattered so much. They just knew that it mattered. Maybe that’s because of the tradition of scripture that reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world and that the light entered the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it. Maybe the light of the candle reminds us of the presence of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost or the light of God’s presence in the temple in the Old Testament. Maybe it touches something primal in us to see the light of a candle, and it reminds us of hearth and home and hospitalit...

Psalm 23 Mark 12:28-34 Last Sunday we began with praise from a member for the courage that it took to continue meeting, and he reminded us to put our trust in the Lord without fear. Our scriptures affirmed that claim, but they also reminded us that true worship is not in a place but rather it is a spiritual reality that we embrace and move into together. That’s the space that we are in today as we worship together online, in spirit and truth. In that space, we are confronted with all we have done and with all that we are. In that space, we are confronted with Jesus, the one who has just cleansed the temple! After clearing out the money changers and absolutely breaking down the normal pattern of worship he sat down to teach them what it meant to live worshipful lives. It was a custom in those days for those present to ask a question after the reading of the Tora or in reference to it. There would often be a discussion. Sometimes it was a little more like a Bible study than what w...

Psalm 23        Revelation 7:9-17 We are now on our third week in a sermon series on the lectionary readings from the Book of Revelation. We began with the idea that Jesus is God’s self revelation, and this book is a particular expression of hope for a particular people who believe in Jesus as the One who revealed the heart of God. Because the language of this book is symbolic it can offer us a word of hope for our time as well. So, people of God, listen to what the Spirit is teaching us today through this reading from Revelation7:9-17. 9After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" 11And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the...

Acts 4:5-12     Psalm 23     1 John 3:16-24     John 10:11-18 [There is a Jenga game next to the pulpit as a visual aid.] While I would love to say that today’s scripture passages fill me with comfort and peace, I have to admit that they do not.  Well, at least not the type of comfort and peace that I might have if I listened selectively to the good parts.  The Lord is my shepherd, [move Jenga piece] and Jesus is the good shepherd who lays down his life [move Jenga piece].  This Jesus is the cornerstone that pulls everything in line [move Jenga piece]. These simple truths are what I want to remember about these passages, but there’s a lot more to them than those simple words of comfort.  When I read the rest of the story I suddenly find myself feeling like Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther.  You may remember how he hired a butler named Cato and instructed him to lie in wait and attack him every time he came home just to kee...