Nesting Instinct, Luke 1:68-79

Nesting Instinct

Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79

Dec 6, 2012, Commerce Presbyterian Church, GA

Slide: Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John

Domenico Ghirlandaio's Zechariah Writes Down the Name of His Son (1490,)

The story of Jesus’ birth is told in detail in the Gospel according to Luke, and it is one of the most beloved stories of all of Scripture. The story of Jesus’ cousin, John’s birth, is also part of this story and told in detail in Luke.

This morning I will read about an occurrence from John’s birth from the end of the first Chapter of Luke, verses 68-79, found on page 60 Red, 834 in Black pew bibles if you’d like to follow along.

It is a song sung by Zechariah.  Grounded in the present, Zechariah sings a song of praise, claiming and celebrating God’s liberation in the past, and a song of prophesy, of expectation, hopeful for what God will do in the not too far off future through the coming Savior, and his own son.

But before I read it, let’s step back and ask: Who was this Zechariah, the priest?

Let’s call him Zech for short. It’s kind of fun to think about how one becomes qualified to make it into the bible.  And I can really relate to this guy’s story. I’m a preacher, kind of a priest. Zech was a priest of the order of Abijah. Who? I don’t think for that reason he made it.

He was a husband to Elizabeth, who the bible says was a descendant of Aaron..As in Aaron the brother of Moses. Now, that definitely got Zech some “cred”..he married up:)

What’s more Elizabeth is a relative of Mary, as in the future the mother of Jesus. You can imagine people probably talked about him like this, “Hey, isn’t that Elizabeth’s husband. Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin.” I get it, people talk about me like that. “Isn’t that Trasie’s husband,” but that wasn’t all.

Zech also became a father...father of John the Baptist.  And there it is. Zechariah became well known because of one of his children. Now I really get it.  

I am certainly known for my children. Ruby’s dad or Zia’s dad!  

Zech made the bible because of his wife, Elizabeth, and his child, John the Baptist--kind of dumb luck, but hey, it was providential and he was faithful in his calling.

As with many births in the Bible, the birth of John is one not without strange events!

Zech and his wife  Elizabeth had not yet had children; they were beginning to think that they wouldn’t have any children. But, the angel Gabriel appears to Zech, “your prayer has been heard, you will have a child, but, not just any child!  The messenger who would prepare the way for the Messiah, who would deliver the people from their enemies!  

Zech, first terrified becomes incredulous, “can this be true?”

Wrong answer.  He is made mute.

Maybe a punishment,

or maybe a lesson to be learned about the power of silence.... For months, as the baby grows in Elizabeth’s womb, and Elizabeth is probably really loving the peace and quiet.

Cluttered Sanctuaries, Cluttered Lives

A message to our church, WPC, from J. Philip Newell's One Foot in Eden: A Celtic View of the Stages of Life:


Jesus' cleansing of the temple expressed his depth of inner passion. This was no superficial religious concern.  Its parallel today is not a fastidious protectiveness of our church sanctuaries from all noise and liveliness. Rather the Mystery that was guarded in the half-light of the temple, and the love of God that was taught in the Scriptures and ritual of the sacred place, pointed to the Holiness and the Love that are at the heart of all life.  Jesus' outrage was motivated not by a liturgical fanaticism for decorum in the temple but by a passionate desire to reclaim an awareness and a reverence for the One who dwells in the inner sanctuary of the Temple of Life itself.  Let us be passionate about recovering a sense of space and stillness in our holy places, but in doing so let us know that at the heart we are pointing to the stillness within ourselves and within all life that need be cleared out, uncluttered of all that opposes or obstructs our awareness of God's presence.

Physically our churches, if they are in a state of clutter, will speak of a lack of space and stillness.  The sometimes absurd hoarding of bits and pieces from the past, with sanctuaries strewn with unnecessary furnishings and a confusing assortment of papers and books, can convey an absence of inner composure. It may be that what is needed in many places is for most of our religious paraphernalia, including the great fixed pews of many sanctuaries, to be thrown out of our church doors.  We need to recover simplicity and uncluttered attentiveness. Think of the way, for instance, in which a bedroom will be prepared with nesting instinct before the arrival of a newborn child. Cleaned, freshly painted, and uncluttered it is a symbol of waiting and welcome.  Simplified and focused places of silence and prayer will similarly speak of yearnings in us to receive the life that is born from within.

More important than rooms and buildings are our minds and bodies, which as St. Paul said are living temples of God.  What are the distractions or obsessions that need to be cleared out if we are to be more aware of the silent mystery of God within us and within the body of creation?

Nesting Instinct Luke 1:68-79

Nesting Instinct - Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79

Dec 20, 2009, WPC, Santa Fe

Intro to luke passage:
The story of Jesus’ birth is told in detail in the Gospel according to Luke, and it is one of the most beloved stories of all of Scripture. This morning I will read from the end of the first Chapter of Luke, verses 68-79, found on page ___ of your pew bibles if you’d like to follow along. It is a song sung by Zechariah.  A song of praise and a song of prophesy

Zecheriah was the father of John the Baptist.  He and his wife  Elizabeth had not yet had children, and they were beginning to think that they wouldn’t have any children.  But, the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah and tells him that they will in fact have a child, and not just any child, the messenger who would prepare the way for the Messiah, as foretold in the scriptures. Zechariah questions, can this be true?  And for his doubt he is made mute.  Maybe a punishment, or maybe just a lesson to be learned about the power of silence, and not always talking. For months, as the baby grows in Elizabeth’s womb, Zechariah is speechless, until the day of the baby’s dedication.  And these words are what come out of Zechariah’s mouth. Let us listen to God’s Holy Word: Luke 1:68-79.

Some of you have been to our home before...several times for a few; and some of you have never been there.  We hope to change that soon by having an open house in the spring for all to come and see and hang out.  Whether you've been there before or not, there have been some major changes that have taken place. First of all, my wife Trasie, who is not here to defend herself so I can say whatever I want--kind of cause I know all of you will go and tell on me--she is a designer. That's how you have to say that, designer.  Try it.  She studied industrial design at georgia tech and for whatever reason she can't just see things, and accept them for what they are...she sees things and feels like she has to change them, rearrange them--make them better.  She sees buildings, cars, computers, gadgets, whatever...and feels like she has to mold them, shape them into something new! A New Creation.  You should have met me before she did.  I was WAY different (but, maybe not for the better :).

So we move into our house back in April of '07.  To me, it looks fine.  Perfect..why change it? But, Trasie had a different idea.  And she sat on it a bit, until, until...she got pregnant.

Have any of you ever heard of nesting instinct.  You know, it's pretty easy to understand. Mama birds, before they lay eggs, build nests. So do a lot of other creatures...including humans. This is scientifically proven: It's "the distinctive urge to clean, tidy, and organize that occurs during pregnancy."¹  "By having your baby’s room ready, all her clothes organized, and her meals planned, you are ensuring that your baby will have the best chance for growth and survival after birth."² That's what the experts say about how nesting instinct manifests itself in humans.

Some women have little or mild symptoms of this...and some go over the top.  Now, where might you place Trasie on that scale?
Not only did Ruby Gene's room get cleaned out (it was our office), it got repainted, new furniture (changing table, crib), all kinds of clothes and diapers, baby books, toys, need I go on.  But not only that...she put in a covered patio outside, a deck, she switched a door that was in the front our house with a window that was in the back, new landscaping...
We even got chickens...all in less than a year.  That's what you call nesting instinct PLUS designer!  Don't even asked how we paid or had time for this...I don't know; but I worked my tail off.  

All this to say, poor Zechariah.