Sunday, May 22, 2011

Come and Drink! Go and Pour!

The text for this morning’s message is from John’s Gospel, Chapter 7, verses 37, 38 and 39:
On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice: “Whoever is thirsty should come to me, and whoever believes in me should drink. As the scripture says, ‘Streams of life-giving water will pour out from [within].’” Jesus said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive. At that time, the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not been raised to glory.
Some images are quite appealing. This is one of those. Most people, I imagine, would like their hearts to be like a deep mountain spring overflowing with rivers of life-giving, thirst-quenching water. Even before we have a clear idea of what this image is referring to, we yearn for it. We yearn for it because it implies fullness and completeness to the point of overflowing. Because it implies sweet coolness and refreshment. Because it implies moisture, not dryness; growth, not decay; and life, not death.

But we will miss the point if we merely respond to Jesus as a poet who knows how to make us feel good with beautiful words and positive images. Because these very moving words refer to something real and true. These words are not meant to make us feel good because of their beauty and natural associations; they are meant to put us in touch with something hopeful – actually, Someone powerful and real. Jesus is offering to connect us with his life-giving Spirit.

Last week my wife, Marg, titled her message “Why I DO believe in God.” Here is my extension of her meditation: Jesus stands up in the middle of our feasts – our religious festivals, our church services – and cries out to us through his Spirit too, as he did 2,000 years ago, that he has come to satisfy our deepest thirsts and longings for a life of fullness, wholeness and love. Jesus has come to satisfy our deepest thirst and longing for the very presence of the life-giving, loving, living God. His invitation includes a promise: if we come to him, he satisfies our thirsty hearts. That’s the “Come and Drink” part in the message title.

Two years ago, I spoke about Jesus as one who is worth following in our time. Not only does he satisfy our own thirst but he also pours into us a deep desire and compassionate need to care for one another – to care for a hurting and broken humanity. That’s the “Go and Pour” part in the message title. As believers in the Risen Christ, we not only drink the living water of life but we also become channels of that same living water in order to bless a thirsty world.

In the midst of all the distractions and other noises around us, we, too, are invited by Jesus – “in a loud voice,” the Scripture says -- to come and drink. The invitation is universal. There are no ethnic, cultural, intellectual, gender or social qualifications for drinking at Jesus' fountain. The invitation goes out to everyone, everywhere. No one is excluded. Anyone, anywhere, has a personal invitation from Jesus himself to come to him and drink. There is, however, one condition: we have to be thirsty. An obvious condition, you would think! We are not likely to want to drink unless we are thirsty. But, we might ask, thirsty for what? What do we really desire?

I believe all people thirst. But – and this is the decisive point of the issue -- not all realize and understand that the thirst deep down within them for all that is good is ultimately a thirst for the living God. We are the only species of God's creation afflicted and blessed with chronic longing. Dolphins seem content to frolic in the sea. Cats seem content to lie in the sun. Frogs seem happily content to bump on their bellies from lily pad to lily pad. But human beings are not content. We are afflicted with chronic restlessness. Some even fight without success against an epidemic of personal boredom. Fad after fad, fashion after fashion, and challenge after challenge – all leave us still thirsty in the end. Why? I wonder if our chronic thirst is really a hidden blessing. I wonder if our thirst is one of the ways God nudges us to seek him.

But I don’t find this matter of conveying thirst easy. How do I encourage people to be aware of their thirst – and not to ignore it or seek to quench their thirst with what does not truly refresh or satisfy their thirst?
A man once talked to a minister, asking for some bullet points on Christianity to help him make sense of the dinner conversations he was having with his wife, a new believer in the faith. The man made it clear he was very busy, very successful, and he didn't really have time to study her beliefs. So, just the Christian faith in point form, please!

The minister observed it would have been easy to hand him a book or pamphlet. (That can be helpful sometimes.) But instead, he said, “I can see you are a very busy, very successful person, so I don't think this is a good idea.”

“Why not?” the man asked, frustrated at the response.

I like what the minister said next: “Because, if I were to give you the bullet points, and you were to really understand them, they have a way of working into a person's life so significantly that your life could really get messed up. You would have to rethink the meaning of success, of time, of family … of everything, really. I don't think you really want to do that, do you?”
Here was the minister’s effort to raise the man’s thirst by not giving him quick and easy answers.

Are you thirsty for the things of God? This is a simple question from your pastor who cares for your soul. Only you carry the answer in your heart.

If we are thirsty, then what does it mean to come and drink? Jesus is not with us in a visible or tangible way today. So we know he cannot be approached in the same way his followers did when he was with them in the early first century. But even in that time, our text indicates that coming to Jesus was more than simply hearing his teachings and even acting on them. (Although you and I know that coming to him includes learning what he taught and obeying him.) Coming to Jesus Christ also involves an act of the heart – that place inside us where we live with our conscience and soul. That place inside us where dreams and hopes and plans grow that affect our character and our actions and the rest of our life. Our heart is the centre not only of spiritual activity but also the centre of all the operations of our human existence.

What might this movement of the heart – this coming and drinking with our soul -- look like?

I remember the first time I travelled at night in northern Saskatchewan and saw the Aurora Borealis -- the Northern Lights. I stepped out of the car and “drank in” that awesome glow of colourful lights in the clear night sky. What do we mean when we talk about standing before a scene of beauty and drinking it in? We mean, don’t we, that we have put ourselves in a position not only to behold the beauty but also to intentionally enjoy it. In effect, we have said “Yes” to all that it is. We do not disregard or dispute or debate the beauty or call it unreal. We affirm its worth enthusiastically and with awe and we let ourselves enjoy it all – even to be affected by it because we trust its beauty for our good. In that sense, we “drink” in the scene.

I wonder: is it not something like that with Jesus? We first put ourselves in a position to behold him as clearly as we can. One way we do this is through the words of Scripture -- when we read the Bible ourselves. When we hear God’s Word proclaimed in a sermon. When we sing God’s Word in a hymn. When we see God’s Word in action in someone’s life. Earlier in John, Chapter 6, verse 63, Jesus said,
“What gives life is God’s Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God’s life-giving Spirit.”
We meet the life-giving Jesus in his words. And when he calls us to come and drink the living water from him, we respond – or not -- to his words. When we read his words with thoughtfulness and love in response, we say “Yes” to all that it is. We affirm the worth of the One – Jesus – who spoke. We give ourselves to Jesus Christ unreservedly and open ourselves to be affected by him because we trust him and his words for our good. We rest in the confidence that here is truth that will not leave us empty!

In one edition of the devotional booklet Our Daily Bread, the writer put it this way:
“Lord, I crawled across the bareness to you with my empty cup, uncertain in asking for any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known you better, I'd have come running with a bucket.”
What Jesus means by drinking is the same thing he means by believing or trusting. After he says, “Come to me and drink,” in verse 37, he immediately says, “Whoever believes in me.” So the essence of drinking in the words of Jesus is trusting him -- banking on him and on what he says with our very life. And the reverse is true too. The essence of believing in Jesus is finding in him the satisfaction of our deepest soul-thirst. Drinking is believing; believing is also drinking.

But the passage in John says more.
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his [or her] heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”
What does Jesus mean? The promise is not only that we will be satisfied but that we will be satisfying to other people. Jesus promises not only that our cup will be full but also that it will be overflowing for the good of others. In drinking from Jesus, we become not merely a receptacle that receives but, at the urging of his Spirit who fills us within, we will become a spring or a fountain that gives out. Jesus promises that if we drink him into our hearts, he will flow out from us through the Holy Spirit with rivers of living water for others who are thirsty too. I find that remarkably humbling and challenging!

I have discovered that I am blessed when I drink the refreshing and thirst-quenching words of Jesus. I am also most blessed – and most satisfied – when my experience aligns with the Scripture from the Book of Acts, chapter 20, verse 35, which says: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” There is a wonderful sense of blessing that happens because of giving to others. I have also discovered that the overflow of my heart for the good of others is an essential part of my contentment. My deepest soul-thirst is not simply to be a receptacle but also to be a river – to be a channel of blessing for others.

When we drink of the water Jesus gives, we are also drinking the water of the Holy Spirit – the water of eternal life in God. The Holy Spirit is the unseen yet all-pervasive presence of the living God in the lives of those who believe in him, love him and obey him [John 14]. When Jesus shouts out his invitation to anyone who wants to have the water of life bubbling inside them and flowing out to the world around, Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit as that water of life. Jesus is promising, for anyone who believes in him, that the Holy Spirit, God’s refreshing personal presence, will come to live within. Do you sense God’s Holy Spirit within your heart and soul?

A minister friend calls the Holy Spirit “the gracious and quiet Helper.” He writes about how the Holy Spirit is with us and quietly helps us in the following ways:
  • in the sincere concern of a friend for our health,
  • in those who take a stand against injustice,
  • in the grace of folk who go the second mile,
  • in the inner resources we discover in times of crisis,
  • in those who dare to go against the tide of popular opinion.
The Holy Spirit is with us and quietly helps us
  • in the grace that enables us to admit when we are wrong,
  • in the resilience of people who fight for the rights of others,
  • in those who surrender some of their rights for the larger good,
  • in times when we share the Gospel despite our inadequacy,
  • in taking on responsibilities that we once thought beyond us.
The Holy Spirit is with us and quietly helps us
  • in refusing to let the greed of society take over our soul,
  • in giving thanks always, even through the hard times of life,
  • in rising above past failures and putting past hurts behind us,
  • in finding a central core of peace in the midst of turmoil,
  • in daring to laugh in situations where some would curse.
The Holy Spirit is with us and quietly helps us
  • in knowing ourselves to be children of God,
  • in knowing ourselves loved [by God], even when we have been very unlovable.
This Holy Spirit is real, life-giving and personal. The Holy Spirit is the unseen presence of God, of the resurrected and ascended Jesus, with us and within us. And John wants us to understand that the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Church happened after Jesus was “glorified.” A strange word to us, perhaps. But it refers, first, to Jesus’ crucifixion -- his moment of true glory. For only through Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of the world can we be forgiven and our human hearts be made clean and fit for the Holy Spirit to live in as Jesus promised. And only then can the Holy Spirit fill us to overflowing in the way God longs to do for our own blessing and for us to be a blessing for others whom God also loves so dearly. Jesus being glorified also carries the meaning of his ascension to be with his Father. It was only when Jesus went to be with his Father that the Holy Spirit came to live within those who believe and love God.
A few years ago, a teacher asked her fourth-grade students to name the person they considered the greatest person alive in the world today. Their responses were varied and interesting.

One boy said, “I think it’s Joe Montana because he led the 49ers to all those Super Bowl wins.” A girl said, “The President.” And another girl named Oprah. On and on it went with the students mentioning a wide variety of celebrities.

But then it was Donnie's turn. Without hesitation Donnie said, “I think it's Jesus Christ because He loves everybody and is always ready to help them.”

The teacher smiled and said: “Well, I certainly like your answer, Donnie, because I'm a Christian too and I also admire Jesus very much. But there's one slight problem. I said the greatest living person and, of course, Jesus lived and died almost two thousand years ago. Do you have another name in mind?”

I love Donnie’s simple, innocent, confident, wide-eyed response. He said, “Oh, no, Mrs. Thompson, that's not right at all. Jesus Christ is alive! He lives in me right now!”
That's the good news of our faith! That’s the truth of our message! Jesus is alive! The living God is with us right now in the person of the Holy Spirit, working from the inside out and giving us the true water of life that truly satisfies us and flows through us like rivers of living water. Through the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit, the Risen Christ does quench the thirsty hearts of those who come to him, believe in him and drink. And through the life-producing presence of the Holy Spirit, the Risen Christ makes his people a channel of blessing as we go and pour out our lives in love for the world God so loves.

May this blessing of the life-giving, thirst-quenching water of the Holy Spirit’s presence be so for you and for me. Amen.

Rev. Chris Miller
May 22, 2011


OYM Oriole-York Mills United Church, Toronto
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Sunday, May 15, 2011

Why I DO Believe in God!

Life Is a Long-Distance Run: “Run Your Race With Endurance”
An increasing number of books, articles, interviews and statements from people eager to say they do not believe in God prompted me to set down (briefly) four reasons why I do believe in God!

First, I believe in God when I look at creation.
Every morning I turn up a page on my computer from NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I look at the Astronomy Picture of the Day and try to understand the astronomer’s explanation! The vastness of the still-expanding universe boggles my mind! So too the magnificent grandeur and microscopic complexity of the Earth. Geological formations, lavish vegetation of beauty and flavour, animal life and human beings. The observable order and delicate balance that make life possible. The human body – and DNA, all three billion “letters” of the human genetic code. It seems obvious and logical that the universe cannot have evolved by random chance without a Designer and Maker. However God did this, there has to be an intelligent Designer. There has to be a powerful Maker of the heavens and the Earth who initiated the Big Bang science points to, who created dependable natural laws allowing for scientific investigation and conclusions, who planned things to work with intricate precision. As minister and author Robert Morgan wrote, “We’re not accidental blobs of dying chemicals mysteriously evolving from primordial sludge without purpose or meaning.” Even Antony Flew, a world-renowned philosopher and atheist whom people of my generation studied and discussed, came to that conclusion. For years he relished publicly debunking the existence of God. But eventually he “followed the evidence” honestly and came to believe there has to be a God who designed and created the universe. In 2007 he wrote the book There Is a God with the publisher’s subtitle How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind.

Looking at the world of nature helped author Philip Yancey change his perception of God. The strikingly beautiful desert wildflowers, the vibrantly colourful tropical fish and some of the comical creatures God created corrected his misconception of God as a “frowning Supercop.” “I began to see God as a whimsical artist,” he writes. I, too, smile with delight and awe at God’s creation. The animals show God’s love of diversity and fun. There are animals that are beautiful and odd, great and small, agile and lum-ber-ing, serene and frenetic! Some have fantastically long necks or long noses or long beaks or long tongues or long legs (or lots of legs)! But these beautiful and odd amazing creatures are all suited to contribute to and enjoy the Earth by God’s creative power and genius! They give evidence, Yancey says, that “The heart of the universe is a smile not a frown!”

So I believe in God for the same reason King David said in Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” And so does the extraordinary beauty and complexity of the Earth. All give clear, convincing evidence of a great and good Creator. And everyone on Earth can know this. Romans 1:19-20 states: “What may be known about God is plain to [people], because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.”

Second, I believe in God from studying the Bible.
After reading the Bible for many years and reflecting on what it says, I find it filled with realism and the ring of truth. Theologian John Stott writes: “Scripture is equally the Word of God and the words of human beings. Better, it is the Word of God through the words of human beings.” And that is how Jesus regarded Scripture.

Ancient historian Paul Maier at Western Michigan University says the Bible is unique among the books of all other religions because of its “solid historical base.” Its 66 books were written by more than 40 authors over 1,600 years, yet it has amazing unity. And when the Bible is examined like any other ancient historical document, the majority of scholars regard it as reliable and reporting the truth. Besides, the Bible is a historical record of God interacting with real people at specified times and places. So its documented events can be investigated. And over the past 100 years or so, much has been verified by archaeology. This gives me confidence in what the Bible states about God, about humanity and about Jesus. So I believe in the God who reveals himself in the Old and New Testaments as awesomely great and powerful, totally holy and good, amazingly gracious and compassionate, wonderfully loving and forgiving because there is convincing historical evidence that what the Bible states is true.

I have also found, again like King David in Psalm 19, that reading the Scripture every day “refreshes the soul,” “makes wise [or “wiser” at least!] the simple,” “gives joy to the heart,” “gives light to the eyes”! And God’s word, David said, is “sure,” “true,” “righteous,” “more precious than gold,” “sweeter than honey.”

So I believe in God from studying the Bible. And I find the Bible relevant to all situations of my life – the good, the bad and the ugly. Like Asaph, author of Psalm 73. There was a time in his life when he seemed to face a new problem every morning – “punishment” from God, he mistakenly thought at first. He says he almost lost his faith. But although he was confused, full of doubt and even bitter, he kept talking to God and listening for God. The psalm does not say God solved all his problems, but Asaph came to revel in his discovery that the God who created the universe and spoke through the Scripture was “near” him. He said: “As for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Lord God my refuge.” I have too – and have sensed God near me and holding me in some difficult times.

Third, I believe in God after considering who Jesus is.
In 2010 we had a wall calendar called Bible Tails (t-a-i-l-s). It’s about things in the Bible from the animals’ perspectives! The cartoons made me smile or laugh out loud! But one made me sad. June showed a mother fish out for a swim with her seven little ones. Suddenly, one youngster looks up and shouts: “MOM! That man is walking on water!” Mom’s response? “That’s nice, dear.”

For many people today, Jesus is a nice man to be admired but no one to be really excited about. But the Jesus I read about in the Bible and believe in is someone to be very excited about. And I have to consider seriously how I respond to him. Like everyone else, I must answer the question Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do you say I am?”

C. S. Lewis suggested three alternatives. He said Jesus is either the Lord, or he was a liar or he was a lunatic. Jesus, a liar? when his teaching and life give evidence of such genuine integrity? Jesus, a lunatic? Yet listen to some of the astonishing claims Jesus made about himself:
  • Jesus said he existed before Abraham and before the world was created.
  • He said no one has seen God except him.
  • Jesus said he is the only way to God.
  • He said “the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms” all speak of him.
  • Jesus said, “I am the light of the world!”
  • Jesus said he has “all authority” in Heaven and on Earth.
  • He said whoever has seen him has seen God for he and God are one. (And people then understood his meaning. They replied, “You, though only a human being, are making yourself God!”)
  • Jesus told people to honour him as they honour God, and he let people worship him.
  • He said whoever believes in him believes in God and whoever rejects him rejects God.
  • Jesus rose from the dead with flesh and bones, demonstrating this by eating broiled fish and inviting people to touch him.
  • He included himself in the Triune revelation of God, telling his followers to baptize people of all nations “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
  • Jesus said he will raise people from the dead to new life forever with God.
  • And Jesus said he will come again in all his greatness and he will judge the whole world, deciding everyone’s eternal destiny – he said his judgment will be right and fair.
That is some of what Jesus said about himself! Bono, of the rock music group U2, understood the implications. He said either Jesus is who he said he is or Jesus was “a complete nutcase.” So, was Jesus seriously delusional? Or was Jesus a fraud? Or is Jesus the Lord God revealing himself in human form? This is what the worldwide Church and most biblical scholars still teach about Jesus: Jesus did say these things about himself and Jesus is God seen in human form! As Philippians 2 states, Jesus is “in very nature God” before whom “every knee [will] bow” one day.

So I believe in God because Jesus did. And I stand in awe of who Jesus is because I believe the ancient eyewitness documents of Jesus’ life that are regarded as truthful and accurate by most scholars. And I believe in Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead because the evidence is so convincing – even for some authors who originally set out to disprove his physical resurrection!

The universal hope for life after death could be regarded as only a sentimental hope were it not for Jesus’ resurrection. The reality is, Jesus’ resurrection gives humanity our only substantiated hope for life after death in real, recognizable, transformed bodies. To religious sceptics 2,000 years ago, Jesus clearly stated there is real resurrection life for us [Matthew 22:23-33, Mark 12:18-27, Luke 20:27-38]! And when Lazarus died, Jesus said to Martha [John 11:1-44]: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even though they die … Do you believe this?” I join Martha saying, “Yes, Lord, I believe!”

Fourth, I believe in God because I am experiencing God!
Having a relationship with God was not something I expected. For years, I believed my standing before God had changed when I accepted Jesus’ death on the cross for my sin: I was forgiven! But I did not seek a more personal relationship with God because I did not think more was possible. Then about 13 years ago, I became starving hungry and thirsty to know God better. And about 10 years ago, I was surprised to begin enjoying God in very personal ways! I have experienced Jesus’ promises [John 14:15-27, Revelation 3:20]: to reveal himself to us personally, to be with us as our helper through the Holy Spirit and even to be our friend when we invite him, believe in him, love him and obey what he says (in the Scripture). William Barclay wrote: “God’s voice comes to those who listen for it.” And Our Daily Bread: “God speaks to those who take time to listen.” Most often I hear God’s voice in the Bible – in helpful timely Scripture passages and in amazing converging passages. But God’s voice comes to me in other ways too. And I record it all in my journal. So I believe in God because God keeps convincing me he exists!

Do I ever have doubts? Sure! Author and minister Frederick Buechner says: “Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep [faith] awake and moving.” How? When a doubt catches me off guard, I don’t want to wallow in doubt; instead, I rethink the evidence, and my faith is refreshed. I DO believe in God (1) because the heavens and the Earth need a Designer and Maker, (2) because the Bible has proved reliable historically and personally, (3) because what Jesus said about himself and about God and what the eyewitnesses wrote about him all ring true and (4) because I am experiencing a relationship with God. So what does this mean for my life?

I have a few books by Alister McGrath, former professor at Oxford University, now chair of theology, religion and culture at King’s College, London. McGrath also has a background in molecular biology and has debated well-known atheists about the existence of God. One of his books is entitled What Was God Doing on the Cross? What was God doing on the Cross? It leaves me absolutely stunned that God the Creator loves humanity so much God himself in Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins! And in Isaiah 43:25, God says he forgives us “for [his] own sake”! Astounding!

So I do believe in God and I also love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Not merely because this is “the first and greatest commandment,” as Jesus said [Matthew 22: 34-40, Mark 12:28-34], but because the better I get to know God the more I want to love God with my whole being!

With all the loud talk these days from people who are eager to say they do not believe in God, do we give much intentional thought to God and to why we do believe in God? If God does exist, we need to seek the truth about God because the truth about God matters. If God does exist, God is too important to virtually ignore in our daily lives, or treat casually or take for granted. If God does exist, we need to respect God seriously, listen to God carefully and respond to God wholeheartedly, with reverent and joyful faith and worship. And If God does exist and did reveal himself in Jesus, what more could Almighty God have done to show how much he loves us?

And us? How much do we love God?

Margaret Miller,
May 15, 2011


OYM Oriole-York Mills United Church, Toronto
Visit with us online!
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Sunday, May 1, 2011

Life Is a Long-Distance Run: “Run Your Race With Endurance”

Life Is a Long-Distance Run: “Run Your Race With Endurance”
What does it mean to run the race of our lives with endurance, with determination, with perseverance? Here is one way:

Two frogs fell into a can of cream,
Or so I’ve heard it told.
The sides of the can were shiny and steep,
The cream was deep and cold.
“Oh, what’s the use?” croaked number one.
“’Tis fate, no help’s around.
Goodbye, my friend! Goodbye, sad world!”
And weeping still, he drowned.
But number two, of sterner stuff,
Dog-paddled in surprise.
The while he wiped his creamy face,
And dried his creamy eyes.
“I’ll swim awhile at least,” he said,
Or so I’ve heard he said;
“It really wouldn’t help the world,
If one more frog were dead.”
An hour or two he kicked and swam,
Not once he stopped to mutter,
But kicked and kicked and swam and kicked,
Then -- hopped out -- via butter!

And we also have to know, it was only by perseverance that the snails reached Noah’s ark!

It is baseball season again. Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista seems on track for another remarkable year of hitting home runs – nine in the month of April. And when he comes to the plate, his determination is obvious. In a previous generation, Babe Ruth was called the Sultan of Swat. He too knew about perseverance and determination in playing baseball. To achieve his lifetime total of 714 home runs he also struck out 1,330 times! But he just kept on swinging!

Thomas Edison gave some wise thoughts regarding failure and perseverance. It is said the famous inventor made thousands of trials before he got his celebrated electric light to operate. One day, a workman to whom he had given a task said, “Mr. Edison, it cannot be done.” To which Edison responded, “How often have you tried?” The man replied, “About two thousand times.” Edison said, “Go back and try two thousand times more. You have only found there are two thousand ways in which it cannot be done.”

The author of the book of Hebrews wrote about “the race that lies before us.” We each have a course stretched out ahead of us in life. And for each of us the course is unique. For some, life is a relatively straight run but, for others, life is all twists and turns and hurdles. For still others, their course in life seems all uphill. For some, the course may be long; for others it may be shorter. But we all must run our own courses -- I cannot run your course and you cannot run mine.


So how will each of us run the race of our life? Does it go without saying that we will take God seriously in our life’s race? Well, we live in a society where we know the answer is no. Some do but many don’t take God seriously at all. Did you catch the statement in the Scripture reading this morning: “Whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him”? Or as The Cotton Patch version of Hebrews 11 puts it:
“Anyone who is serious about the God-life must stake everything on the fact that God is, and that [God] amply rewards those who make him their quest.”
The Message Bible has it:
“Anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that [God] exists and that [God] cares enough to respond to those who seek him.”
It is one thing to believe God exists; it may be quite another to stake our lives on the fact God cares enough for us personally that he rewards us or responds in some way to those who take him seriously enough to come to him in worship.

What happens when we encounter deep ruts or fallen trees across our path? What happens when our life gets ripped apart by an unexpected tornado – literally or in a manner of speaking? What happens when we are tempted to call it quits? How will we run the race of our life then?

We could trust ourselves to self-help approaches. “I think I can! I think I can!” said The Little Engine That Could as it pulled its heavy load up the long steep hill in the well-known children’s story. We could continue to kick and kick and swim and swim and maybe succeed. We could even keep on swinging and swinging our bats. Or we could trust ourselves to God – who exists and who rewards or responds in some way to those who come to him.

We can run our race in life, with its twists and turns and hurdles, with determination and endurance when we run the race of our life with trust in Jesus Christ. Let’s hear again the Scripture from Hebrews Chapter 12, verses 1 to 3:
“… let us run with determination [with perseverance] the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne. Think of what he went through; how he put up with so much hatred from sinners! So do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up.”
In 1940, Clarence Jordan founded Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia, as a haven for racial unity and co-operation. Jordan was the translator of The Cotton Patch version of the Letter to the Hebrews that I quoted earlier. He was also a primary influence for the founding of Habitat for Humanity. In 1954, the Ku Klux Klan burned every building on Koinonia Farm’s property except Jordan's home.

In the midst of the raid, Jordan recognized the voice of a local newspaper reporter. The next day, the reporter showed up for a story about the arson while the rubble was still smoldering. He found Jordan in a field planting seeds. He said to Jordan, “I heard the awful news of your tragedy last night, and I came out to do a story on the closing of your farm.”

Jordan kept planting and hoeing. The reporter continued prodding him with questions but with no response from Jordan. Finally, the reporter said: “You've got two PhDs, you've put 14 years into this farm and now there's nothing left. Just how successful do you think you've been?”

With that statement, Jordan stopped hoeing. He said to the reporter: “You just don't get it, do you? You don't understand us Christians. What we are about is not success, but faithfulness.”

To be faithful to God in our lives means running with perseverance -- with endurance – because we are always wanting to connect with Jesus. That is what we consistently say in our weekly bulletin and on our website. To be faithful means enduring even the worst life throws at us. To persevere includes staying the course and starting all over again as Clarence Jordan did -- if that is what it takes.

Let me tell you another story – about Bill Broadhurst. In 1981 Broadhurst entered the Pepsi Challenge 10,000-metre race in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1971 he had had surgery for an aneurysm in his brain that left him paralyzed on his left side. But, 10 years later, Broadhurst stood with 1,200 agile men and women waiting for the race to begin.

The starting gun sounded! The runners surged forward. Broadhurst threw his stiff left leg forward, pivoting on it as his foot hit the ground. His slow plop – plop -- plop rhythm seemed to mock him as the rest of the runners raced ahead into the distance. Sweat rolled down his face, pain pierced his ankle, but he kept going. Some of the runners completed the race in about 30 minutes but it took Broadhurst almost three hours before he reached the finish line. From the small group of remaining bystanders, a man stepped out and approached the exhausted runner. Bill Broadhurst recognized the man as marathon record holder Bill Rodgers, who had won medals in both the Boston and New York City marathons. Rodgers then did something remarkable. He took his newly won medal and draped it around Bill Broadhurst’s neck. Why? Because Broadhurst finished the race, and his finish, though he finished last, was as glorious as that of the world’s greatest! Why? Because he ran with perseverance. His determination was deliberate and steady and he refused to be distracted from his intended goal. No obstacle could deter this determination nor could any discouragement take his hope away. Nothing was going to make him quit!

It is quite within the reach of every one of us to live with persevering patience – even if it feels as if we are struggling to put one heavy foot in front of the other until we reach the finish line. The race in life is not for sprinters who flame out after 100 metres or 200 or 400 metres. It is for faithful plodders like you and me. Fast or slow, strong or weak -- all of us can persevere and finish well.

Only one focus can make consistent endurance possible. You won’t be surprised when I tell you the focus is Jesus -- our Good Shepherd. The Message Bible puts the first few verses of Hebrews Chapter 12 this way:
“Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed -- that exhilarating finish in and with God -- he could put up with anything along the way: [the] Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honour, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility [Jesus] plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”
To say the Church exists to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we certainly must take seriously this Scripture in Hebrews: “Keep your eyes on Jesus,” we are told. In fact, this is the central theme of the book of Hebrews. Throughout Hebrews, we hear the theme stated in various ways: “But we see Jesus …” (Chapter 2, verse 9). “Fix your thoughts on Jesus ...” (Chapter 3, verse 1). “Since we have a great high priest [Jesus] … let us then approach [God’s] throne of grace with confidence” (Chapter 4, verses 14 and 16). It is always heartening to remember the witness of others who have gone ahead of us for they can inspire us, encourage us and bring us hope by their example. But, above them all and above all else, we are being challenged to fix our attention on Jesus Christ, for he can do for us what no one else can.

Jesus Christ can inspire faith in us. He can bring us to a faithful finish in this life and bring us into God’s presence both now and at the end of our lives. In fact, that was Jesus’ greatest joy! To be with his Father -- and to make it possible for us to be there too! That’s why he endured the Cross and its shame – whatever it took to finish well and do God’s will. And since his resurrection from the dead, Jesus is now waiting for us to be in his resurrected presence when we reach the finish line of our life’s race. But in the meantime, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is also with his people daily – every hour, every minute, every second as we open ourselves to him. He is with us to strengthen our faith in the midst of life – “to shoot adrenaline into our souls,” as The Message Bible puts it. So when we find ourselves flagging in our faith, we must go over Jesus’ story again and again – line by line, event by event – even the long hard times of hostility he went through. Yes, we do look at other men and women of faith for inspiration and encouragement but then, or perhaps even first, we look higher -- to Jesus Christ.

That’s why the Church around the world has always taken the Bible seriously, as we try to do here at OYM. That’s why we encourage each other to read the Bible. It is through placing ourselves in God’s presence as we read and listen to the Scripture that we can experience the love of God, the grace of Jesus and the companionship of the Holy Spirit. And we can also experience God’s gracious love by coming together -- worshipping God and sharing our lives together, praying for and caring for one another.

The Olympic Games have always captured the imagination of people around the globe. Athletes train hard and long and with passionate determination to achieve their hopes and dreams. If they were not passionate, they would have great difficulty persevering as they do. There is a lesson the Olympics can teach us in our long-distance run in life. Mark Boswell, a Canadian 2008 Olympic high jumper, expressed his passion and perseverance this way:
“Be serious.”
“Be focused.”
“Go hard.”
Remember the Marathon of Hope Terry Fox ran in 1980? His goal was to run a marathon – 26 miles – every day as he crossed Canada. He certainly was serious. He clearly was focused on his goal to raise money for cancer research. And he ran hard every day. He showed determination, perseverance and endurance as he ran across the country. And although he wasn’t the fastest or the smoothest runner, and although he didn’t make it to the West Coast, who would not say that Terry finished his race well and reached his goal, accomplishing even more than he had planned or ever knew in the end.

Leslie Scrivener, at that time a journalist with the Toronto Star, covered the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope. At the time of his death she wrote:
Terry was uncommonly blessed with hope. He refused to be humbled by the disease burgeoning inside him. Even if cancer did claim him, Terry believed he was still a winner. There was no other way he could look at his life. In 22 years, he had contributed more – materially and spiritually – than many who live to a gentle old age. Terry wouldn’t want us to weep for him; he’d want us to hear his message and be uplifted.
Then she quoted Terry Fox:
“I don’t care what percentages the doctor tells me I have. If God is true, I know I’ve got 100 per cent, if that’s what He has in His plans for me. And if I really believe and if God is really there, then I’m not going to lose even if I die, because it’s supposed to be the Pearly Gates I’m going through, and if heaven is there, I can’t lose out!”
So how can you and I run the race of our life and finish well?
We can “be serious” about our relationship with God.
We can “be focused” on Jesus Christ.
And we can “go hard” and, with determination, persevere faithfully no matter the hardships we face in this life.
For we know that, with God, we cannot lose out in the end!

God wants us to finish this race of life and finish it well. So let us run faithfully and with perseverance the race that is stretching out before us -- however long and however successful or however arduous it may be. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. And let us, as well, think of the joy that is waiting for us too! When we do, that will shoot adrenaline into our souls!

May this be so for you and for me. Amen.

Rev. Chris Miller,
May 1, 2011


OYM Oriole-York Mills United Church, Toronto
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