“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” – Luke 1:68-79 NRSV
Last week, I stopped at a gas station late at night, and when I opened the door, a friendly voice behind the counter said, “Good evening.” I replied, “Same to you,” and inquired where the restrooms were. He graciously offered while pointing, “Through that hallway, to the end, and it’s to the left,” where I fortunately opened the door to find a very clean bathroom.
After grabbing a juice and a pack of nabs, I headed to the counter and laid out my items, waiting for the man to ring me up. “It’ll be $3.47,” he said, as I handed him my $5 bill. He shared my change and sent me out the door with another message, “Be safe traveling.”
An ordinary moment perhaps for many of us, as some of you might be able to relate to being on either side of the counter. It was a simple interaction, yet was profound for me that night as I traveled.
There was an entrance. There was a gathering. There was hospitality. There was instruction. There was communion. There was thanksgiving. There was sending forth. Friends, that short visit for me was a moment of worship.
As a member of the priestly order of Abijah (see 1 Chronicles 24 for a list of all the priestly orders), Zechariah would have understood the importance of ritual and worship. His order would have been responsible along with the 23 other priestly orders, to perform their duties including the morning and evening sacrifices. Every six months, all of the priestly orders would rotate to cover one week in Jerusalem.
Per Luke 1:6, we know Elizabeth and Zechariah “were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.” Zechariah is a good and godly man, and yet struggled to believe the angel Gabriel, when he delivered a message about Elizabeth will bear a son and his name will be John. A modern-day southern expression translation might have sounded like, “Well shut my mouth,” and that’s exactly what the angel Gabriel did in Luke 1:20: “But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.””
I have heard some preachers say this was indeed a quiet season for Elizabeth!
The next time we hear from Zechariah is in our lesson from Sunday, when he spoke the inspired words of the Holy Spirit about his son John. All that time being quiet. All that time wondering what to expect when he was expecting. All that time waiting along with Elizabeth, for the birth of their son.
A son who would prepare the way for a mighty savior. A son who would be a prophet and so self aware he would not be worried about others’ perceptions of him. A son emboldened to share the truth of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins (Luke 1:77). A son not afraid to go into the places of life and draw people to the One who promises everlasting life. A son, whom the angel Gabriel had said to Zechariah, was to be named John.
There are moments we are given in life that may appear to be mundane, that may appear to be another episode of going through the motions. For Zechariah, he was perhaps doing just that as he performed his priestly duties. Yet in the ordinariness of his day, God interrupted.
The same can be said of my own experience as the gentle friend behind the counter became a prophet for me, sharing words of hospitality, hope, and blessing.
I sure do enjoy driving throughout this beautiful district. And when I am fortunate to encounter the incredible people of this land, might the Holy Spirit remind me to carefully listen, as I remember the exclamation, “Well, shut my mouth!”
Blessings, 
David