I invited Zach Kirkland to share his witness with our congregation on October 20, 2019. At age 13, in response to a class assignment at Bok Academy, Zach started a nonprofit called Silly Sock Saturdays. He collects and delivers “silly socks” and other comfort supplies like coloring books, crayons, puzzles etc. to children who are inpatient in area hospitals. He has been doing this for 3 years and is now a junior in Lake Wales High School’ International Baccalaureate program. He lives in Winter Haven and is an active member of Holy Cross Episcopal Church. You can learn more about Silly Sock Saturdays at https://sillysocksaturdays.com.  My sermon, based on Genesis 32:22-31, 2nd Timothy 3:14-4:5 and Luke 18:1-8, and reflecting on Zach’s example follows...

Zach Kirkland is an extraordinary young man.  You’ve heard about Silly Sock Saturdays. He is one of ours - an acolyte at Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Winter Haven.  I’ve worked with him. He shows up on time, is precise and thorough, knows what to do and coaches the younger kids.  He worked at Camp Wingmann last summer, and he routinely went over and above his roles and assignments to help others. Meg and I have been to some Lake Wales football games this fall and Zach does game film so the coaches can review it immediately during the game. I watched him running up and down the sideline, checking with coaches.  He is also an Eagle Scout. And he started that nonprofit corporation. And he’s 16. And, reportedly, he does sleep.

How does God raise up a person like Zach?

Read More

This morning we are blessed to participate in the baptism of Margaret James Lassiter, the 4-month old daughter of Emily and Ryan.

Four moths is a very sweet age. At four months, babies are becoming more and more aware of the people around them. Margaret definitely knows her mother and her father’s faces and voices.  Ryan says she knew when Emily had stepped out – for the first time – to attend a parent’s meeting at their older daughter McKenna’s school.

And at four months, babies remain very pure of heart. A baby at that age is always right.  When they cry, they are either hungry, wet, tired or in pain of some sort.  Our pediatricians taught us that you cannot spoil a baby at that age. If you think the baby is just manipulating you or something, you’re wrong. They are always right.

Read More

A little over 20 years ago, in 1999, Robbie Knievel jumped the Grand Canyon on a motorcycle.  Well, he actually jumped a sliver of the Grand Canyon, but still it was 231 feet wide – which is a lot, and it was still a canyon, hundreds of feet deep.

When I watched that, it reminded me of his father, Evel Knievel’s, attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon 25 years earlier – way back in September, 1974. That was 45 years ago.

Those stunts are famous because they were so dangerous. And as scary as jumping motorcycles may be, today’s parable is starker.  Scarier. It has my attention, I hope it has yours.  That is the point.

Is the chasm here the impossible divide between heaven and hell? Or is it about the chasm resident in the human heart? I think yes to both.

Read More