Carmine Pernini


We often ask ourselves, “Why am I here?” or, “Why do I exist?” But, beginning with “I” frames the question in the wrong way. Focusing on why “I” exist can only lead to follow up questions like “Why did God do this to me” and “Why is God testing me” […]

Be the Church!


Jesus for President? Amidst the often circus-like claims of the 2016 crop of presidential candidates I find myself wondering what might Jesus’ platform be if he were to run for president today? I suppose that such a question might strike you as absurd given that Jesus was curiously flippant when […]

Jesus for President?




Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Over the past several weeks the Congregational Council has been meeting with Pastor Scott Schantzenbach who is the assistant to the bishop of the NJ Synod. Our conversations have been focused on the mission of Zion Evangelical Lutheran in particular and the mission of […]

Perfect Love


In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. From the conclusion to William James’ The Varieties of Religious Experience “Science catalogues her elements and records her laws indifferent as to what purpose may be shown forth by them, and constructs her theories quite […]

A Good Friday Sermon


Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Repent and believe. In Mark’s Gospel, these are the first words that Jesus says after he is Baptized. Repent and believe are the words that Jesus feels called to speak after having been dragged by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. Repent and believe […]

Our Wilderness





Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, There is a difference between optimism and hope. Ambrose Bierce, in his Devil’s Dictionary, defines optimism as, “The doctrine, or belief that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly, everything good, especially the bad, and everything right that is wrong… [optimism is] an intellectual […]

On Advent Hope