Ornamentally Speaking: Dumbfounded

My first church staff position was in a small town in the upstate of South Carolina. Fairforest was a little town, outside of a decent sized city called Spartanburg. The church was very small, with about 70-100 people each Sunday morning for worship. I was hired to be the minister of Children and youth. Sometimes, the greatest lessons are learned when working outside your areas of responsibility.

The pastor asked me to go visit some of the sick and elderly in the church. I had never been involved in this type of ministry before, so I graciously accepted. We met at the church office at half past two on a weekday. The wise, gray haired master, and the stocky built, young preacher boy, got into his very small car. I felt like a clown piled into a circus car, all squashed and hunched over, but luckily the ride was less than a mile. "We are going to see Rev. Fanning,"and he is very ill. This sentence was all the information that I was given, as we departed from the wind-up car.

A tired, but pleasant lady in her 60's met us at the door, and gave us both hugs. Hugs are a Southern thing. We do odd things like hugging strangers, and asking "How's your momma", and having gold spittons on the hearth, but that's a different sermon, altogether. I introduced myself and followed them into the living room, turned the corner, and was...dumbfounded.

Mr. Fanning was a retired minister. He had served several churches in the area and was a well loved man. His life consisted of ministry, family, and gardening. One year prior, he had noticed a burning place on his nose. Now on this day, I was seeing a man missing a large portion of his face. His speech had become undiscernable, and bore no resemblance to the picture on the wall behind the sofa. A massive family portrait hung there; husband, wife, and children, all full of smiles and life. Now, the retired preacher was quickly losing the battle with skin cancer; the result of his lifelong love of gardening.

My spirit was heavy, my mind was consumed with wondering what type of calling I had accepted. If this is what God had called me to...perhaps I was not thick skinned enough for the task. After returning to the church, I went into the restroom and cried. I looked into the mirror to clean myself up, touched the place beside my nose, and was speechless.

Our text this morning ushers us gently into the Advent season. Join me, as we look into the Word of God, for the people of God, on this first Sunday of Advent 2006. Here we will see another story of people of faith, and hopefully be drawn into deeper knowledge of God; the one who loves us.

Luke 1:5-25
5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.
6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.
7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.
8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week.
9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
10 While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.
12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.
13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.
14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.
17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news!
20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long.
22 When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.
23 When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home.
24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months.
25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

A truly amazing story, that in it's beginning is very similar to the Old Testament account of Abraham and Sarah. Just like the forefather, Zechariah and Elizabeth were past the age of childbearing. This is a great shame for the woman in the Jewish culture, and often women that were unable to bear children were deemed to be horrible failures, and even cursed by God. Today, Zechariah would have been going to the specialist for fertility tests, but in that time and place, all blame and guilt fell to Elizabeth.

Zechariah was busy fulfilling his role as a priest, and on this certain day, he was especially honored. Only once in the life of a priest is the opportunity given to serve as the officiating priest in the temple. The lot fell on him, sealing his fate and keeping him busy during Temple worship.
He had the honor of placing incense on the heated altar and then prostrating himself in prayer. The burning incense represented the the prayers of the people moving up into the heavens to God.

Outside, the people were reciting this prayer during the incense offering: "May the merciful God enter the Holy Place and accept with favor the offering of his people." This combination of offering by the priest and prayer of acceptance from the congegation is a powerful image of One(The Priest) standing as intercessor for the group. We are reminded here of Christ, our great high priest that stands in the Gap for us.

During this special day, Zechariah gets far more than he expected. He had rehearsed this many times, I am sure. He knew exactly how things would go. He knew his role, he took it seriously, and he was ready to accomplish this task. But, as usually happens when we think we have it all figured out...God had other things in mind.

Gabriel appears before Him with a message that is broken down into several statements:

1-Don't be afraid.
2-Your prayer has been heard
3-Elizabeth will bear you a son
4-You are to call him John
5-He will be a joy and delight to you
6-Many will rejoice because of his birth
7-He will be great in the sight of the Lord
8-He is never to take wine or other fermented drink
9-He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth
10-Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God
11-And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah to make ready a people prepared for the Lord .

Not exactly the way that he had things written down in his Day planner, now was it?
After this marvelous news, from an Angel, standing directly in front of him, speaking loudly and clearly...Zechariah askes for PROOF.

"Are you sure you took the memo down correctly. I am concerned because it seemes that you are not fully aware of the depth of the problem that my wife has, and we are very old. Can you run that by me one more time?"


Reminds me of a familiar instance that has been played out millions of times in our homes. We, as parents, tell our children something...they ask why...and we say..."BECAUSE I SAID SO. If you keep doubting what I say, there will be consequences."

Gabriel echoes this idea in his response to Zechariah, the questioner.

I am Gabriel.
I stand in the presence of God.
I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.


Then he is struck dumb...dumbfounded...speechless.


This amazing thing had just happened to him, and he could not speak of it. He was forced to play a comedic game of Charades to communicate that which is hard to believe, even if it is heard.

He was even unable to give the benediction of blessing to the crowds. He needed to say to them, and just as importantly, needed to hear himself:


The lord bless you and keep you; the lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace.


(Approach the advent wreath and light the first candle)

On this first Sunday of Advent, I light the candle of Dumfoundedness. We often act like Zechariah, when we are given direction and vision from God. We ask for proof. God asks for faith. May we be dumbfounded this Christmas season as we anticipate and reflect upon Christ, the one to whom John the Baptist prepared the way.


Shortly after moving here, I received a call about a man on his death bed. As I walked down to the camper, I reflected on the first visit with Rev. Fanning many years earlier. Just as in that visit, I was met at the door by a spouse that was tired, and she extended her hand. I did not know her, but after introducing myself, she wanted me to come on inside. There was no senior pastor leading today as we turned the corner to the small room where the man lay dying. The window was opened behind his head, and the breeze gently blew. He was shirtless, and the wind gently caressed his tanned body on this hot summer day. His hair, fine and gray, teasingly flipped as the breeze blew through. I found out by the family that he was an avid fisherman, and he had been under hospise care. They were ready for him to stop struggling and he was waiting for a minister to come by. Whispering a prayer into his ear and rubbing his hair, I invited the family around the bed. We joined hands around their loved one and said a brief prayer closed in the following way:



The lord bless you and keep you; the lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace.


I walked away, Dumbfounded, that people I did not know needed my blessing, a benediction, so that they could let go and he could quit fighting. He died a few hours later.


That Christmas, we received this ornament. (Hold it up and describe..Angel Bell, with the word Faith on it.)


When we were unpacking the boxes of Christmas stuff this year, I pulled it out...and it was as if I felt the gentle breeze blow, and this sermon came to mind.


So today, let us bow for the benediction that the dumbfounded Zechariah was unable to give, and listen as another Priest type figure that often acts like him, gives a blessing to those who often act like him. We still need it. Let us wring every bit of juicy, powerful meaning from this prayer:


The lord bless you and keep you; the lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace. In the name of Christ, the giver of blessings, grace, and peace...Amen.