Sermons (Page 127)

It’s been quite a week. Let’s begin with a quick check-in on where you are today. If you were to sum up how you felt last week in one word, what would it be? (Think about it; then, share with a neighbor.) Well, if you asked me the same question, I’d say annoyed. It seemed like everyone and everything annoyed me. Here at the church the front doors didn’t work, the copier broke, and Microsoft Word drove me absolutely bonkers with the Annual Report. And those are the most benign examples here at the church. I could give examples from my life on a personal level and political level as well. One thing after another was flat out annoying. ..

Earlier this month I went to The Field Museum’s exhibit on tattoos. I noticed that each tattoo was a bit different. Some were identifiers, like the tattooed numbers on Nazi prisoners. Others signified status within a tribe or group. Some were even a form of resistance. One type of tattoo even attempted to harness the powers of dead people or animals by mixing their ashes into the ink. As I walked through the exhibit, I began to notice is that tattoos were more than an image. Tattoos were often indicators or reminders that carried meaning. The tattoo was just the beginning of a story.

Quick poll: Who here likes surprises? Well, I suppose it depends on what kind of surprise, right? Receiving a gift you didn’t expect can be a pleasant surprise! Running into an ex- that you didn’t expect to see is often an awkward surprise. That advertisement that automatically begins playing on a webpage is simply an annoying surprise…