Rev. Zach

I just finished watching the end of season episode for the show Parenthood . To make a long story short, the teenage daughter of a single mom ran away. There are tremendously intertwined relationships in this show, as there are in all families. The daughter ran away because had made some bad choices that included sleeping with her cousin's boyfriend. Yikes. Thing is, the family's problems (which were more connected to the grandparents) were all focused on the young girl. Add to that the culpability of the boy that was not acknowledged, and you have a kid who feels like running is the only option. What I found truly beautiful and Christlike is that when the girl was found, it was her cousin who ran to her first. Similar themes of confession and forgiveness followed and flowed through the family. Not all the problems were solved, but their divisions were turned into opportunities for greater strength. Henri Nouwen wrote about the strength given us through following the...

Butler Memorial Presbyterian Church February 14, 2010 St. Valentine’s Day, Transfiguration Sunday, Black History Month Exodus 34:29-35, Luke 9:28-43a Main Idea: In Christ we find our mountain top experience and our true home. Through Christ we are blessed, sanctified, and made to shine in a way that others can see God’s presence in the midst of our imperfection. Context: Buttler memorial is a very traditional worshiping community in the African American and Presbyterian traditions. Their Pastor just retired and the are seeking to fill the pulpit while discerning God's will in moving forward. Good morning! I bring you greetings this morning, as I do to any congregation in which I am wearing this stole, from the country of Ghana. In the year of 2000, I was privileged to join a delegation from Union Seminary in Richmond to experience the culture and Christianity of Ghana for three weeks. It was a life changing experience. There is no division between life and faith...

Psalm 84:1-7 Acts 21:7-14 John 1:43-51 This is the third and final sermon in my series, “A Journey of Faith.” The first sermon, “Calling,” we considered how to discern God’s calling in our lives through the internal nudge, the confirmation of gifts by others, and the opportunities God opens to us. In the second sermon, “Sacrifice,” we looked at the way in which following God’s call naturally leads us into a practice of giving up our own desires in order to follow God’s. We considered how sacrifice is not just giving something up in order to make God happy, but it is a letting go of our willfulness in order to understand and fulfill the will of our living and loving Lord. Today we we’ve come full circle, as we again consider Jesus’ call to his first disciples, this time from the Gospel of John. Now let us enter into this space in prayer. Most Holy God, silence in us any voice but your own. Let our beating hearts burn with joy for your word and become beacons of light g...

"Sacrifice" Journey of Faith - Part Two Ruth 1:18-19 Philippians 2:5-11 This is the second sermon in a series titled “Journey of Faith.” My first sermon was on calling. We looked at the call of Matthew and talked about finding the connection between the world’s greatest need and your greatest joy. Greg Garis, our Interim Presbytery Exec. Followed it with a sermon on Jacob wrestling with God. He reminded us to Go for it, and claim the blessing that comes from wrestling with God even if we walk away limping. Today we are considering the story of Ruth and Naomi as well as one of the earliest confessions of faith in Christian tradition. As we continue in this journey together, let us pause for a word of prayer. Lord, silence in us all competing thoughts and concerns, that nothing ring true in this place but the sound of your light in a darkened world. And Lord, if there are any words spoken or considered that are not in keeping with your truth, strike them q...

"Calling" Journey of Faith - Part One Genesis 12:1-5 The Call of Abram Matthew 4:18-22 Jesus Calls the First Disciples It all started with a phone call. How many stories in our lives could be started with that sentence? Sure, it sounds like an entry in a contest for bad opening lines for short stories, but I bet there are a lot of experiences in this room that can be traced to some source, some cause, some reaction or response to the actions of someone or something else. For me, it was a phone call from one of my sister’s friends. I was 19 and had taken my first part time youth ministry position. I felt called into youth ministry by God the year before, and I was just beginning that part of my journey. April was not someone I knew well, but she and my sister had been friends for some time. I’ll never forget it though. “How’s your ministry?” she said. I was a little bit stunned, and I didn’t know what to say. I think I resp...

I was thinking the other day about a guy I knew in High School. He was one of the bravest people I've ever met. He wasn't an athlete or a class leader in any way. He was kind of mousy and shy. He sat alone at lunch with a Bible on the table next to him. Sometimes he would read to himself. He never talked about it to anyone who did not ask. He simply gave a silent, personal witness. The sad thing is that no one ever sat with him until all the other tables were full. I am ashamed to admit that I didn't sit with him either. Even worse, I don't even remember his name. When Jesus calls his first disciples in Matt 4:18-22, they leave their fishing nets and follow him. They leave everything! Now, I'm not suggesting that we need to do the same. But I wonder, what do we need to set down in order to follow him? Not everyone can just drop everything. Not everyone can make a public witness as bold as reading scripture in the middle of a High School cafeteria. ...

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...