ZECHARIAH, THE TASTY CAFÉ AND RAGGEDY ANN

It was kind of a crazy but good week around the church here.

Susan was busy and I was busy too.

Thanks to Susan, Faith, Chris and         for planning such a festive and warm party for us on Friday night.

Wasn’t it great!

I usually start working on my sermons on Thursday morning but because of the busyness started it on Friday this last week.

I came to my study on Friday morning with a hot thermos of coffee, lit a couple of candles, and opened up the scriptures to the scripture lesson for today…the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth and the angel Gabriel.

And I began to think about that ancient story again.

Zechariah and Elizabeth had wanted children for years and years, but then they had grown old.

Zechariah was      .

Elizabeth was     .

Being childless probably disappointed them both greatly, but it wasn’t only that.

In those times if a couple was childless there was real stigma attached to it. 

The belief was that if a couple was childless it was the woman’s fault and either she or her forefathers or foremothers had sinned in some great way.

Zechariah and Elizabeth had lived with the disappointment and with the stigma for years.

Then, the scripture say the Angel Gabriel came to Zechariah and told him that  Elizabeth was going to conceive and have a child.

In essence, Zechariah’s response was ”You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Gabriel wasn’t too happy with Zechariah’s response.

In fact he took away his ability to speak for a long period of time

But this fascinating episode has a great ending for Zechariah and Elizabeth.

The scriptures say she did conceive and they became the parents of one to the most dramatic people in all Biblical history…..the great proclaimer of the coming of the Christ, John the Baptist.

Zechariah and Elizabeth had probably given up hope about having a child but it happened, in a very big way.

Well, on Friday morning I was looking over this old story again….then decided to go across the street to the Tasty café for a bagel or a bialy.

I left my quiet Study and the quiet Parish House and went to the café and walked in.

What a contrast!

The place was just packed with good old New Yorkers  ordering bagels and bialys and oatmeal and bacon and eggs and hash browns and cinnamon buns and OJ and coffee and cappuccino and what else do people order for breakfast?

And the café was decorated so festively with garlands and  poinsettias.

A giant red Santa Stocking hung on the back wall and there was a lovely Christmas tree at the entrance way.

And when I walked in you could hear Christmas music over the speaker system….it was Bruce Springsteen singing Santa Claus is coming to town….

Santa Claus is comin to town

Santa Claus is comin to town

Santa Claus is comin to taaowan

I got my order, a buttered toasted bialy, and was starting to leave and the music changed.

Silent Night began to play…. a choir was singing it beautifully, and one could actually hear it midst all the Deli noise.

Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin, mother and child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace.

The song just stopped me.

I move aside and leaned against the wall and listened.

The song was so beautful.

Then I started thinking about our world and some of the hopes that are deep within me started to surface.

I thought about our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and thought about the 11 marines who died on Friday.

I thought about the          civilians who have been killed in Iraq.

And a hope for peace on earth filled my mind and heart.

Do you have that hope too?

I thought about the homeless men and women who stay in our shelter….and then the homeless of the world, especially the children.

And a hope for home and warmth and security for all these filled my mind and heart.

Do you have that hope too?

I thought about the millions in Africa dying with AIDS, adults and small children.

And the hope for world compassion filled my mind and heart.

Do you have that hope too?

I walked out of the Tasty Café with these things on my mind and heart, came back over here into the sanctuary and my heart was pretty heavy.

I sat here for a while, then looked up at the banner and especially at the hope panel.

I thought about Moses and his hope that the children of Israel would be free from the tyranny of the Pharoah…….and it came to pass.

I thought about the disciples who had probably just about given up hope….then Magdalene came to them and said…the stone is rolled away.

I thought about Nelson Mandella, imprisoned for thirty years who held on to the hope of a free South Africa.

After he was released, I had the opportunity to hear him preach. Want to know what his sermon title was?

Never Give Up Hope

Well, think of one more thing with me this morning.

I want you to notice that the second letter of Hope on the panel is actually not a letter but it’s a bright sun.

I rarely look at that bright sun without thinking of the words of Orphan Anne’s song in the musical Anne.

Remember the words?  

She sang:

The sun will come up tomorrow,

Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there’ll be suns.

Just thinking about tomorrow, clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow, til there’s none.

When I’m stuck with a day that’s gray and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin and say:

Oh, the sun’ll come out tomorrow, so you got to hold on to tomorrow, come what may………….

Can you remember the last wonderful words of  Anne’s song?

If you can, sing them with me now?

Matthew, give us a chord.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow

You’re only a day away.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow

You’re only a day away.

Hope.  We thank God for Hope.

And the people said……AMEN