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Sermons & Writings |
Loree Penner
Saint James, Monkton
February 15, 2009
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Years ago, I was working toward a goal which both excited and intimidated me. It seemed so large some days, and so attainable on others. In fact, I was writing my first and only novel. I had set a goal for myself to complete the writing by a certain time, and was having the usual trouble with writer's block, when my son, who was then about 8 years old, gave me some motivation. It was in the days when Nike ruled the sneaker world, when the swish, and the accompanying slogan, "just do it," were known to everyone. David found a Nike shoebox in his room, cut out the swish, and created a sign with the words, "Just do it, Mom" Well, I did it. I finished the novel. I finished it! I got the story out of my system, and was so happy to have done so. You have probably noticed that there is no bestseller with my name on it. That's because the book was absolutely awful, and no self-respecting publisher would touch it. But I still have the sign, "Just do it" on my dresser. And I know, now, that when the time comes, and the idea is the right one, I can and will write that book - perhaps not a novel this time. Perhaps something more dear to my heart. I was thinking about the Nike Swish as I read today's Passage from St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians. Paul says, in a race, all the runners run to get the prize. He likens our faith to a race to the finish line. Run this race, live this life in a way that will win the prize. Do what is necessary to make sure you achieve your goal. Train your body and mind, as an athlete trains for an event. Be an Olympian in your mind and spirit. Don't be stupid, and make distracting mistakes, like some well-known athletes have - mistakes that have filled our TV screens for days. Don't do what is not productive. Run the race of Faith. Just Do it! And perhaps in today's times, Paul would add, don't be distracted by the things you hear on the airwaves - don't let fear stop you from doing what you are called to do, what has been placed in front of you to do. CS Lewis once said that the opposite of faith is not disbelief. The New Atheists, as they are called, are not living a life devoid of faith; they have merely put their faith in something other than God. No, Lewis said, the opposite of faith is fear. Fear will stop us cold in our tracks. There is nothing more effective in stopping the work of the gospel than fear. And now, with the economic times as they are, there is a lot of fear in the air. Plans have been put on hold, dreams and visions are on a back burner, while we concentrate on getting through hard times. But my friends, while we are doing all to be prudent, let us not slip into a posture of fear. For in these times, there are even more people that need to hear the message of the gospel; Even more people that need the hope of Chrst in hard times. some how, some way, in the midst of our own difficulties, we must decide that the gospel of Jesus Christ is our first priority. This week I have been meditating on a prayer from Peter Marshall, chaplain of the Senate during the Cold war. He prayed before the Senate, "Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for- - because unless we stand for something we shall fall for anything" Unless we stand for something. Friends, we are, by the virtue of our baptismal covenant, called to be Christ's servants in this world. We are called to seek and serve Christ in all persons. We do stand for something. We stand for the good news of Jesus Christ. I have been reminded recently, as many of you probably have, of Roosevelt's famous phrase, part of one of his Inaugural speeches: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Spoken in a time that was much worse than what we are facing now, these words have become a fixture of our American history. And yet, we so often forget the message - and the juxtaposition of that message with the message of Christ - We often choose fear rather than faith. It is indeed human nature to be worried about the future. I am an excellent worrier myself, having honed it to a fine art after many years of practice… But there is something about these times that makes the hope of the gospel rise up within me. The more fear I see around me, The more I want to stand firm, trusting in God's faithfulness. For, in the midst of the fear around us, we are still called to be the Light of Christ, both corporately as a church, and individually; we are still called to carry forth the mission of the Church, which our catechism states in this way: "The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." Restore ALL People to unity with God and each other. Atheism is on the rise: It seems to me that our mission is far from being fulfilled. It doesn't say, the mission of the church is to do these things when all is going well…. If our mission is to restore all people to unity with God, we have a lot of work to do - The first thing we must do is to restore our own unity with God. We begin that process with the confession. We take time for meditation and prayer, Seeking what God may be saying to us - Seeking, in fact God's vision, God's dream. We listen to those near us who may be farther along on the path of faith. When we are in unity with God, We find our faith increasing, And our fear receding. When that happens we are able to do the work of the mission of the church To do our part in restoring all persons to unity with God and each other. and in supporting others in their mission. God's work is often counter-intuitive. Now, when we might desire to retreat into fear, We are called to greater faith. Remember our prayer with which we began the service? O God, the strength of all who put their trust In you… We do not, indeed we cannot do this alone. God gives us the strength we need. Take the faith God has so richly given - Take the grace you have freely received, And run with patience the race that has been set before you. Just do it. No one can do your part, but you. |
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