Recorded 20 September 2009 at Manhattan Presbyterian Church
Zoomer Roberts: vocal & harmonica
Buddy Winston: guitar
Valora Taylor: piano
Doug Neal: bass
Eric Hutson: drums
Monday, September 28, 2009
I'm Willing to Try
Recorded 20 September 2009 at Manhattan Presbyterian Church
Zoomer Roberts: vocal
I love the sound of unaccompanied Appalachian Mountain singing, and have always wanted to try my hand at it. "I'm Willing To Try," which I learned from a recording by Dr. Ralph Stanley, dovetails nicely with Isaiah 6:1-8, the Bible passage that was read on the day I was ordained as an Elder.
Zoomer Roberts: vocal
I love the sound of unaccompanied Appalachian Mountain singing, and have always wanted to try my hand at it. "I'm Willing To Try," which I learned from a recording by Dr. Ralph Stanley, dovetails nicely with Isaiah 6:1-8, the Bible passage that was read on the day I was ordained as an Elder.
He's Alive
Zoomer Roberts: vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Eric Hutson: drums
recorded 26 August 2007
This powerful number by Christian artist Don Francisco is the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ as told by Simon Peter. It was suggested to me by Dr. Theresa Byrd, my long-time duet partner at Manhattan Presbyterian Church. There was a signal dropout where the word "soldiers" should be, and I edited out the resulting silence. Hence the two missing beats.
Betty Hulson said: Zoomer, I loved this one! I haven't heard it in years, and hearing you sing it just blessed my soul!! Fletty B.
March 28, 2008 8:10 AM
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Eric Hutson: drums
recorded 26 August 2007
This powerful number by Christian artist Don Francisco is the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ as told by Simon Peter. It was suggested to me by Dr. Theresa Byrd, my long-time duet partner at Manhattan Presbyterian Church. There was a signal dropout where the word "soldiers" should be, and I edited out the resulting silence. Hence the two missing beats.Betty Hulson said: Zoomer, I loved this one! I haven't heard it in years, and hearing you sing it just blessed my soul!! Fletty B.
March 28, 2008 8:10 AM
I'm Just An Old Chunk of Coal
This was recorded at the Annual Hymn-Sing and Homecoming at Manhattan Presbyterian Church on August 26, 2007. The band are: Zoomer Roberts: vocal & harmonica, Buddy Winston: guitar, Doug Neal: bass, and Eric Hutson: drums. Despite the anomalies inherent in "line" recordings, it cooks.
The Old Rugged Cross
Recorded 9 November 2008 at Manhattan Presbyterian Church
Zoomer Roberts: vocal
Tony Custer: piano
Donna Pence said: Love this! Downloaded to my iPod. Great piano playing too. I was singing harmony here with you in Jersey City. November 9, 2008 6:11 PM
Zoomer Roberts: vocal
Tony Custer: piano
Donna Pence said: Love this! Downloaded to my iPod. Great piano playing too. I was singing harmony here with you in Jersey City. November 9, 2008 6:11 PM
I Saw the Light
Recorded 12 October 2008 at Manhattan Presbyterian Church
left to right:
Doug Neal
Zoomer Roberts
Buddy Winston
Eric Hutson
(Photo: Pat Olchefski-Winston)
left to right:
Doug Neal
Zoomer Roberts
Buddy Winston
Eric Hutson
(Photo: Pat Olchefski-Winston)
Life's Railway to Heaven
Recorded 12 October 2008 at Manhattan Presbyterian Church
Zoomer Roberts: harmonica & vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Eric Hutson: drums
Valora Taylor: piano
Zoomer Roberts: harmonica & vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Eric Hutson: drums
Valora Taylor: piano
I Am a Pilgrim
Recorded 12 October 2008 at Manhattan Presbyterian Church
Zoomer Roberts: harmonica & vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Eric Hutson: drums
Valora Taylor: piano
Zoomer Roberts: harmonica & vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Eric Hutson: drums
Valora Taylor: piano
What On Earth Will You Do (For Heaven's Sake)
Recorded 12 October 2008 at Manhattan Presbyterian Church
Zoomer Roberts: harmonica & vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Eric Hutson: drums
Zoomer Roberts: harmonica & vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
Doug Neal: bass
Eric Hutson: drums
Gospel Boogie (A Wonderful Time Up There)
Zoomer Roberts: vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
recorded 17 March 2002 at Desert View United Church of Christ
Here's another song with no place to breathe, swallow, or even think. I first heard this almost fifty years ago by a group called the Nash Family Trio. Much later, I heard an earlier version by the Pilgrim Travelers on the Specialty label. When I decided to try it, I incorporated elements of both of those renditions. This was taped directly from a public address system that was set up for speaking. I "ate the mic" and peaked the meters, which caused some distortion. That's too bad, because this was one of the few times I got all the way through it without running out of gas.
Buddy Winston: guitar
recorded 17 March 2002 at Desert View United Church of Christ
Here's another song with no place to breathe, swallow, or even think. I first heard this almost fifty years ago by a group called the Nash Family Trio. Much later, I heard an earlier version by the Pilgrim Travelers on the Specialty label. When I decided to try it, I incorporated elements of both of those renditions. This was taped directly from a public address system that was set up for speaking. I "ate the mic" and peaked the meters, which caused some distortion. That's too bad, because this was one of the few times I got all the way through it without running out of gas.
Just A Closer Walk With Thee
Zoomer Roberts: vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
recorded 17 March 2002 at Desert View United Church of Christ
Although this has been done by many people in many ways, to me it will always be a Red Foley song. He put just enough bounce into it to convey that the "closer walk" for which he pleaded had already become a reality. The singer is not in despair, but past it. This is more about praise than supplication, and if it gets shouted rather than whispered, it is out of a deep sense of joy, gratitude and relief.
Buddy Winston: guitar
recorded 17 March 2002 at Desert View United Church of Christ
Although this has been done by many people in many ways, to me it will always be a Red Foley song. He put just enough bounce into it to convey that the "closer walk" for which he pleaded had already become a reality. The singer is not in despair, but past it. This is more about praise than supplication, and if it gets shouted rather than whispered, it is out of a deep sense of joy, gratitude and relief.
Family Bible
Zoomer Roberts: vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
recorded 17 March 2002 at Desert View United Church of Christ
I first heard this sung by Porter Wagoner, if memory serves. It was written by Willie Nelson back in his hungry years. As far as I know, it doesn't accurately describe his childhood. It doesn't accurately describe mine, either -- the picture it paints is straight out of Norman Rockwell. But it conveys a good message and is constructed in such a way that it's a joy to sing.
Buddy Winston: guitar
recorded 17 March 2002 at Desert View United Church of Christ
I first heard this sung by Porter Wagoner, if memory serves. It was written by Willie Nelson back in his hungry years. As far as I know, it doesn't accurately describe his childhood. It doesn't accurately describe mine, either -- the picture it paints is straight out of Norman Rockwell. But it conveys a good message and is constructed in such a way that it's a joy to sing.
Medley: Jesus Met the Woman at the Well / Paul and Silas Bound In Jail
Zoomer Roberts: vocal
Buddy Winston: guitar
recorded 17 March 2002 at Desert View United Church of Christ
The one thing these two songs have in common is that they both tell stories from the New Testament. The first was learned from Mahalia Jackson, the second from Flatt & Scruggs. We only had room for one such song in this program, and opted to join them rather than choose just one. That's what medleys are for.
Buddy Winston: guitar
recorded 17 March 2002 at Desert View United Church of Christ
The one thing these two songs have in common is that they both tell stories from the New Testament. The first was learned from Mahalia Jackson, the second from Flatt & Scruggs. We only had room for one such song in this program, and opted to join them rather than choose just one. That's what medleys are for.
Hymn to Freedom
recorded 7 October 2007 at Manhattan Presbyterian Church
Zoomer Roberts: harmonica
Valora Taylor: piano
Pancho Anguiano: bass
Eric Hutson: drums
I was a little apprehensive about playing an Oscar Peterson number with three jazz musicians. Fortunately, it's not very complex. I stuck to the melody and let the others extrapolate on the theme.
Zoomer Roberts: harmonica
Valora Taylor: piano
Pancho Anguiano: bass
Eric Hutson: drums
I was a little apprehensive about playing an Oscar Peterson number with three jazz musicians. Fortunately, it's not very complex. I stuck to the melody and let the others extrapolate on the theme.
Zoomer's Sermon of 3-29-09: "Glorified!"
Some of you may notice that I attribute the book of Hebrews to Paul. That's the sort of thing that happens when you talk on your feet. The author of Hebrews is unknown. Part of the reading from Hebrews is missing because the tape ran out. Here is that passage in its entirety:
Hebrews 5:1-10
Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
So also Christ did not glorify Himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to Him: “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.”
As He says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered; and having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:1-10
Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
So also Christ did not glorify Himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to Him: “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.”
As He says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered; and having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Sermon: "Lifted Up"
Recorded at Manhattan Presbyterian Church
August 10, 2008
The New Testament passage is read by Eric Hutson.
August 10, 2008
The New Testament passage is read by Eric Hutson.
Sermon: "Against the Grain"
LUKE 12:16-21
And He spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
There is a similar passage in the Apochryphal book of SIRACH 11:14-19 (NRSV) :
Good things and bad, life and death, poverty and wealth, come from the Lord. Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of the law come from the Lord; affection and the ways of good works come from Him. Error and darkness were created with sinners; evil grows old with those who take pride in malice. The Lord’s gift remains with the devout, and His favor brings lasting success. One becomes rich through diligence and self-denial, and the reward allotted to him is this: when he says, “I have found rest, and now I shall feast on my goods!” he does not know how long it will be until he leaves them to others and dies.
_________________________________________
Wealth is an ambiguous thing. Its meaning changes from age to age and from culture to culture. What was considered to be wealth in Bible days isn't necessarily what we would strive for now. If it was, every joke about three guys abandoned on a desert island and finding a magic lamp would have them wishing for spices, bolts of cloth, and herds of she-asses. Most of us don't want a herd of she-asses in our driveway. The neighbors aren't impressed by that sort of thing. Bolts of cloth and earthen jars filled with nard won't win a girl's heart anymore.
Consider the Bible's financial assessment of our old friend Job:
Job 1:2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
There's no mention of a portfolio, a pool, a PT Cruiser, or any of the things our society today equates with richness. So let's say that wealth is an abundance of what you value, and values change.
The fellow in today's reading was a well-to-do farmer. We're not told what he grew, but it was probably grain. And he had such a good crop that he didn't even have room in his barns ~ that's barns plural ~ more than one barn ~ to hold it all. For one brief, fleeting moment, he seems to be at a loss as to what to do with all this "stuff." Now, it's not like he's the nouveau riche, or like he's some poor sharecropper who's never had nothin'. He's already rich at the beginning of the parable. He's used to having a lot, but now he's really got a lot. His solution? More barns! He decides he'll tear down his old barns and build bigger and better barns to hold all this richness he's acquired, and kick back and relax.
"Eat, drink, and be merry," he says to himself. That's from a Latin saying attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca: Ede, bibe, lude, post mortem nulla voluptas -- Eat, drink, play, after death there is no enjoyment. That's the equivalent of saying, "In Heaven there is no beer, that's why we drink it here."
Wouldn't you think this stuff would be perishable? Aren't these barns full of grain going to end up full of weevils and rats? He doesn't seem to be concerned about that.
If this fellow was around today, he'd be diagnosed as having OCD ~ Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder. There's nothing to suggest that he actually would have been content once his new barns were built. No, he'd need more. More and bigger harvests, more and bigger barns, more land ~ the eating, drinking and merry-making would take on larger proportions, too.
At no time does the farmer seem to consider doing anything charitable with this surplus. His focus is on how to keep it ~ every last bit of it ~ for himself. In fact, there is absolutely nobody else anywhere in this parable ~ no friends, no relatives, no neighbors, nobody. That is, until verse 20 when God calls him "thou fool." The only other place in the Gospels where this term is used in Matthew 5:22, where Jesus tells us not to say it. "Thou fool" comes from a word I can't pronounce and means "to be APOSTATE." Apostasy is the act of rebelling against, forsaking, abandoning, or falling away from God, and it was such a serious crime that if you accused somebody of it falsely you would suffer the punishment of the damned. So it was a word you didn't want to use lightly. But God used it. God was angry.
This fellow is trying to satisfy his own soul. There's a lot wrong with that scenario. For starters, our souls aren't really ours. Our souls belong to God. Secondly, the soul can't be placated with stuff. Billy Graham says your soul is so big that it has a hole in it that only God can fill. If that's the case, then trying to fill that hole with stuff is like trying to fill the Grand Canyon with a shovel and pail ~ or with grain. Grain runs through your fingers, and takes flight with the wind.
Our stuff is a lot like that. It's hard to hold on to. Any visit to a yard sale will tell you that today's hot new item is tomorrow's junk. I once heard a vaguely hypothetical anecdote about a man with enormous wealth who talked the Grim Reaper into letting him take a suitcase full of gold with him. When the man got to the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter inspected his luggage, and upon discovering it was full of gold he looked at the man quizzically and said, "You brought pavement?"
When the farmer's hour arrived, God said unto him, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" He's not going to be able to take it with him, but he hadn't thought about that because he didn't believe he was going anywhere. His motto was, "after death there is no pleasure" -- the motto of the ancient atheists and Epicureans.
But he was mistaken, and the God from whom he had separated himself was calling him into accountability and he had nothing to show but his empty, selfish heart.
And all that grain.
His zealously guarded treasure, his richness, is now useless to him. "Whose shall those things be?" God asks him. When it comes to having friends and loved ones, the farmer is in direst poverty.
Perhaps the government will claim his goods. Or maybe before his body is even cold the poor folks from the surrounding area will swoop down on his farm and fill their empty sacks with grain for the infants and the elderly and the infirm and all the little people he was too mean to give a thought to.
Or maybe it will just blow away.
You've heard the old adage, "money can't buy happiness." No, but you can be miserable in a better part of town.
We all carry emotional baggage around with us everywhere we go. And we carry it into new clothes, new cars, new homes, new jobs, new relationships, new cities, new churches, new denominations, and new barns.
Every anxiety, every flaw, every bad habit, every heartache, every regret, every disappointment, every fear, every phobia, every grudge and every sad memory ~ every wrong thing we've ever felt, done, or experienced ~ these things follow us like our own shadow. And try as we may, we can't make them go away.
But Jesus will take them off our hands; He will take them off our shoulders and off our minds. All we have to do is ask. If we give Him our heart, He will make it like new. Then will we be truly free. And then will we be truly rich.
Matthew 6:19: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Sermon: "What's In A Name?"
Readings
Isaiah 43:1-7
But now thus says the LORD, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, "Give them up," and to the south, "Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but One who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His granary; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
____________________________________________________
There's an old W.C. Fields movie in which he portrays a town sheriff called "Honest John." Asked how he got that name, Fields says, "I'm tending bar one time in Medicine Hat. A fellow used to come in who had a glass eye. He'd take it out and put it in a glass of water. One night he forgot it. Next night he came in, and I said, 'Son, here's your glass eye.' Since then, I've been known as Honest John."
Such is the stuff of names. We have given names, surnames, maiden names, married names, proper names, nicknames, pet names, stage names, pen names, assumed names and titles.
What is a name? It's what we are called. The Spanish phrase "Como se llama?" literally means "How are you called?" What is your spoken identity by which one might get your attention? We call those we care about by name.
Are you one of those people who never forgets a face, or do you have trouble remembering people? Are you good with names? I believe it's a gift, and not everybody has it. I sure don't! I suffer from name drain.
Back when I had a higher profile than I do now, someone was always coming up to me and saying, "Hi, Zoomer!" and I wouldn't know who they were, so I took up the practice of saying, "Hey, Man!" or "Well hello, Darlin'." It sounded cordial enough, but it was highly impersonal.
And there are other ways of dealing with name drain. You might have used some of them yourself:
"Do you know John Smith?"
"Sure. He's old man Smith's boy!"
And my Father's favorite:
"Are you Zoomer's father?"
"My wife says I am."
Fortunately -- and UNfortunately -- I don't have that problem at Manhattan. I know almost all of you on a first-name basis. My mind is a lot clearer now than it was in those days, thank God; but considerably fewer people go to church on Sunday than we used to get in the honky tonks on Saturday nights.
Obviously, if you don't know someone's name, they're not really in your life. We know our loved ones' names like we know our own.
When folks start looking up their old classmates, the most difficult people to locate are the girls. Why? Because they get married and change their names. Then they get divorced and remarried and change their name AGAIN. I have relatives who've been married so many times that I don't know WHAT their names are!
My grandmother's name was Eudola Blanche Baker. About 100 years ago she married Henry Elmer Roberts, and from then until her death in 1976, she went variously as Blanche Roberts, Mrs. E.B. Roberts, Mrs. H.E. Roberts, Blanche Baker Roberts, and so on. It caused some problems when it came time for her children to settle her affairs. I found that sort of funny at the time.
I've got a few names, too. Most of you know me as Zoomer, because that's what my friends call me, and you are my friends. It's not Boomer, Bummer, Zummer, Zimmer, Zommer, Zipper, Scooter or Skipper. That's obviously not what my parents named me. They named me Robert Ray Roberts. In school I was Ray. At the bank and the doctor's office, I'm Robert. A few people call me Bob. The heating and cooling guy calls me Robbie! Then there's Ray-Bob, Zoom-Bob (my favorite), Zoomer Ray, Zoom and just plain Z. Don't call me Mr. Roberts. Mr. Roberts was my Daddy.
God knows all our names. He doesn't call us Man or Darlin' or Dude. He doesn't stare at us blankly and wonder where He knows us from.
Of course, being in [a] relationship with God means we need to know Him, too. He manifests Himself to us when we least expect Him -- when we are totally unprepared. Each of us has an epiphany, a moment of realization, a change in our perception, an instant when everything changes because we have felt the presence of God.
In today's New Testament reading, a crowd has gathered at the river where an odd hermit is baptizing people because they think he might be the Messiah. They WANT him to be the Messiah. MESSIAH is a transliteration of the Hebrew word mashiac, which means "anointed one." It was translated into Greek as Christos, and into English as Christ.
John doesn't exactly say the Messiah is my Daddy (or my cousin, which He was) -- he's much more reverent. But he does say -- summarily -- No, the Messiah will be much greater than I am.
A few short verses later, John has baptized the Messiah, and when He comes up out of the water, a voice from Heaven ~ the voice of God ~ says, "You are my Son, the Beloved..." At this moment, everything changes. Realization. Epiphany. Just think, how awesome it must be to hear the voice of God.
Psalm 29
The voice of God is full of majesty.
Ascribe to God, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to God glory and strength.
Ascribe to God the glory of God's name;
worship God in holy splendor.
The voice of God is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders, God, over mighty waters.
The voice of God called out to Moses by name: "Moses! Moses!" Moses asked God, what shall I say your name is? He told Moses: I AM or I AM WHO I AM or I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE or I CAUSE TO BE WHAT IS.
The scribes sought to prevent people from mispronouncing the divine name -- which was blasphemy -- by making it unpronounceable. When we see the word LORD in the Bible in all capital letters, it represents YHWH, the four consonants which constitute God’s divine name. Scholars call this is the "Tetragrammaton," which is Greek and means "four letters."
The written Hebrew language was all consonants; the vowels were supplied by the reader. This made God's name easy to mispronounce, which was blasphemy. Eventually it was considered too holy to pronounce at all, and the word Adonai, or "Lord," came into use. Our attempts to Anglicize YHWH have given us JEHOVAH.
Jesus called Him ABBA, the Aramaic word for father.
What's really important is isn't so much what we call Him, just as long as we call Him. And to be listening when He calls us. As it says in the old, old song:
When the Saviour calls, I will answer
I'll be somewhere list'ning for my name...
Isaiah 43:1-7
But now thus says the LORD, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, "Give them up," and to the south, "Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but One who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His granary; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
____________________________________________________
There's an old W.C. Fields movie in which he portrays a town sheriff called "Honest John." Asked how he got that name, Fields says, "I'm tending bar one time in Medicine Hat. A fellow used to come in who had a glass eye. He'd take it out and put it in a glass of water. One night he forgot it. Next night he came in, and I said, 'Son, here's your glass eye.' Since then, I've been known as Honest John."
Such is the stuff of names. We have given names, surnames, maiden names, married names, proper names, nicknames, pet names, stage names, pen names, assumed names and titles.
What is a name? It's what we are called. The Spanish phrase "Como se llama?" literally means "How are you called?" What is your spoken identity by which one might get your attention? We call those we care about by name.
Are you one of those people who never forgets a face, or do you have trouble remembering people? Are you good with names? I believe it's a gift, and not everybody has it. I sure don't! I suffer from name drain.
Back when I had a higher profile than I do now, someone was always coming up to me and saying, "Hi, Zoomer!" and I wouldn't know who they were, so I took up the practice of saying, "Hey, Man!" or "Well hello, Darlin'." It sounded cordial enough, but it was highly impersonal.
And there are other ways of dealing with name drain. You might have used some of them yourself:
"Do you know John Smith?"
"Sure. He's old man Smith's boy!"
And my Father's favorite:
"Are you Zoomer's father?"
"My wife says I am."
Fortunately -- and UNfortunately -- I don't have that problem at Manhattan. I know almost all of you on a first-name basis. My mind is a lot clearer now than it was in those days, thank God; but considerably fewer people go to church on Sunday than we used to get in the honky tonks on Saturday nights.
Obviously, if you don't know someone's name, they're not really in your life. We know our loved ones' names like we know our own.
When folks start looking up their old classmates, the most difficult people to locate are the girls. Why? Because they get married and change their names. Then they get divorced and remarried and change their name AGAIN. I have relatives who've been married so many times that I don't know WHAT their names are!
My grandmother's name was Eudola Blanche Baker. About 100 years ago she married Henry Elmer Roberts, and from then until her death in 1976, she went variously as Blanche Roberts, Mrs. E.B. Roberts, Mrs. H.E. Roberts, Blanche Baker Roberts, and so on. It caused some problems when it came time for her children to settle her affairs. I found that sort of funny at the time.
I've got a few names, too. Most of you know me as Zoomer, because that's what my friends call me, and you are my friends. It's not Boomer, Bummer, Zummer, Zimmer, Zommer, Zipper, Scooter or Skipper. That's obviously not what my parents named me. They named me Robert Ray Roberts. In school I was Ray. At the bank and the doctor's office, I'm Robert. A few people call me Bob. The heating and cooling guy calls me Robbie! Then there's Ray-Bob, Zoom-Bob (my favorite), Zoomer Ray, Zoom and just plain Z. Don't call me Mr. Roberts. Mr. Roberts was my Daddy.
God knows all our names. He doesn't call us Man or Darlin' or Dude. He doesn't stare at us blankly and wonder where He knows us from.
Of course, being in [a] relationship with God means we need to know Him, too. He manifests Himself to us when we least expect Him -- when we are totally unprepared. Each of us has an epiphany, a moment of realization, a change in our perception, an instant when everything changes because we have felt the presence of God.
In today's New Testament reading, a crowd has gathered at the river where an odd hermit is baptizing people because they think he might be the Messiah. They WANT him to be the Messiah. MESSIAH is a transliteration of the Hebrew word mashiac, which means "anointed one." It was translated into Greek as Christos, and into English as Christ.
John doesn't exactly say the Messiah is my Daddy (or my cousin, which He was) -- he's much more reverent. But he does say -- summarily -- No, the Messiah will be much greater than I am.
A few short verses later, John has baptized the Messiah, and when He comes up out of the water, a voice from Heaven ~ the voice of God ~ says, "You are my Son, the Beloved..." At this moment, everything changes. Realization. Epiphany. Just think, how awesome it must be to hear the voice of God.
Psalm 29
The voice of God is full of majesty.
Ascribe to God, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to God glory and strength.
Ascribe to God the glory of God's name;
worship God in holy splendor.
The voice of God is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders, God, over mighty waters.
The voice of God called out to Moses by name: "Moses! Moses!" Moses asked God, what shall I say your name is? He told Moses: I AM or I AM WHO I AM or I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE or I CAUSE TO BE WHAT IS.
The scribes sought to prevent people from mispronouncing the divine name -- which was blasphemy -- by making it unpronounceable. When we see the word LORD in the Bible in all capital letters, it represents YHWH, the four consonants which constitute God’s divine name. Scholars call this is the "Tetragrammaton," which is Greek and means "four letters."
The written Hebrew language was all consonants; the vowels were supplied by the reader. This made God's name easy to mispronounce, which was blasphemy. Eventually it was considered too holy to pronounce at all, and the word Adonai, or "Lord," came into use. Our attempts to Anglicize YHWH have given us JEHOVAH.
Jesus called Him ABBA, the Aramaic word for father.
What's really important is isn't so much what we call Him, just as long as we call Him. And to be listening when He calls us. As it says in the old, old song:
When the Saviour calls, I will answer
I'll be somewhere list'ning for my name...
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