Rev. Zach

– The Rev. Zach Sasser 1 Samuel 3:1-11; 19-20       1 Corinthians 12:14-27      John 3:16-17 Before reading the Old Testament lesson, Jeff asked you to think about the roles of Eli and Samuel in listening for and receiving God’s calling. For those who may not know the backstory, this took place in a town called Shiloh, and it happened before the time of Kings in Israel. Shiloh was a central meeting place for the 12 tribes as they divided the promised land and began to expand their territories. It also became a source of power to compete against in the internal struggles between tribes. In the midst of that a barren woman named Hannah, Samuel’s mother, made an oath to God – which was blessed by Eli – that if given a child she would dedicate her child to God. Samuel was eventually brought to the temple, and Eli became kind of a father figure to him. Samuel was still young enough that he would listen to Eli – which was important given t...

Psalm  139:1-6, 13-18       2 Corinthians 4:5-12       Mark 2:23-3:6 A few years back I was on my way to work and I heard this brilliantly raw and simple voice on the radio telling me to “hold on.” Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes sang: Bless my heart, bless my soul Didn't think I'd make it to 22 years old There must be someone up above Sayin', "Come on, Brittany, you got to come on up!” You got to hold on! I don’t know what was going on at the time, but it struck me. It played me like I was a string on a guitar. It rang in and out of my soul, and it suddenly became my song. Does that ever happen to you? Do you ever have those moments where something you see or hear reflects where you are in the world? In these media rich, frenzied days we get image after image, meme after meme, and vine after vine that we drink like junkies and never get enough. And yet we keep looking. We keep looking for some refle...

Isaiah 6:1-8       Romans 8:12-17      John 3:1-17 Well, friends, today is finally here – it’s Trinity Sunday ! Yay. Ok, maybe it’s not a day that we get all excited about. It’s not like we get to light anything on fire like on Pentecost. Truly, I am certain that most of you are not really all that excited about delving deeply into doctrinal concepts this morning. At least, I doubt that was on your mind when you got up this morning. And yet, the struggle is real for those of us charged to lead the flock in living into this core belief that we demonstrate in liturgy and language – in faith and practice. In fact, in the words of Christian author and missionary, Sarah Miles, “Everything about us expresses our belief from [the arrangement of seating] in our sanctuary, to the songs we sing, to who does what in worship, to how we spend our money, to how we decorate. It all says something about what we believe.” And to that end I...

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...

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26      Psalm 1:1-6      John 17:6-19 Do you pray together? That’s a question I ask every couple at some point during pre-marital counseling. Some have said yes, but the majority have said, “No, that’s really a very personal thing.” I get that. I truly do, but I always tell them – as I will say to you – that there is nothing more intimate than praying together. I think that’s one of the reasons that some of us value the Agape Prayer lunch on Wednesdays. So often in our prayers someone will say, “Thank you for this group.” For those who have not attended, I want to tell you a few things about that group. First off, everyone is welcome. We share a meal that we take turns preparing, and we won’t expect you to cook unless you feel called to sign up to do it. The next thing is that it takes time. We usually go from about 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. We talk about our lives, and we laugh with each other. The last thing is that ...

Acts 10:44-48      1 John 5:1-6      John 15:9-17 Knock, Knock. (Who’s there?) Interrupting Cow. (Interrupting Cow…) Moo! Ok, I’ve got another one. Knock, knock. (Who’s there?) Interrupting Holy Spirit. (Interrupting Holy Sp…) I love you, but guess what? I love them, too! I know that sounds weird, but that’s what’s going on in our reading from Acts. Peter has traveled North of Jerusalem. He’s seen what the Holy Spirit can do in Samaria. He’s even called a woman back from death’s door by the power of faith in Jesus, and he’s had this vision while praying on a roof. Praying on a roof is almost as weird to you and me as receiving visions, but the roof was actually designed to be a part of the house that you might go to for solitude. Anyway, he had this vision of a sheet being lowered with all kinds of animals, and he heard God tell him to “kill and eat” for what God “has made clean, no one is to say it is unclean.” That happened...