Jesus and those early believers seemed to know what our scientists are learning:
most of the illnesses we see are started from stress.
Clearly, these are hard times for most people.
So, I have been engaged in this series of sermons trying to address how the message of Jesus applies to helping us get through hard times such as these.
As I have mentioned before, our faith, the Gospel of Jesus, was born in hard times – in fact, it was incubated and nourished and flourished during hard times.
Believe you me, those first believers knew hard times.
What seemed to be most encouraging to those early believers was the implicit message made explicit in I John 5:4: It is our faith that empowers us to endure and overcome hard times.
Jesus and those early believers seemed to know what our scientists are learning:
most of the illnesses that strike at our frail human bodies are started from stress.
Prolonged or excessive stress — the kind that overwhelms your ability to cope — can take a severe psychological and physical toll.
They tell us that high stress levels have been linked to depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal problems, an impaired immune system and cancer.
These are particularly stressful times for most of us.
The current economic situation in our country and in the world,
the loss of jobs,
insufficient healthcare,
the rise of illnesses and diseases and biological agents of destruction over which we have no control,
the frightening change of climate right before our eyes,
bad things that keep happening to good people,
all work together to add stress to our lives day in and day out.
One researcher commented: When you feel the demands on you are greater than the resources you have to cope with them, you feel stressed.
For sure, doctors know that stress is your body's natural reaction to any kind of demand that disrupts life as usual.
Occasional stress can temporarily speed up your heart rate and might raise your blood pressure.
And as long as you get your stress under control, there's no damage.
But, in times like these, doctors worry about long-term or chronic stress and accumulative stress.
In the last few years, researchers have come up with a way to measure the effects of stress on health, and have come up some pretty reliable predictors.
It is called the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale
Occasionally something about this scale makes the news and you may have read something about it.
Over the years they have identified some 47 stressors – life events that are major causes of stress in our lives.
The number one stressor in our lives is the death of a spouse.
Other major stress events are:
Divorce or Marital separation
Death of a close family member
Personal injury or illness
Marriage
Dismissal from work
Retirement
Change in health of family member
The list goes on.
Each stress event is assigned a numerical value.
Most people are able handle one of these stressors with little difficulty, but when faced with three or four or more, you are at high risk for major illness.
Our bodies simply cannot handle many major stress factors at one time.
Would it surprise you to know that stress and anxiety was the number one topic of all of Jesus’ sayings?
Jesus spend more time talking about stress and anxiety than any other topic.
More time than getting to heaven.
More time than drinking.
More time than money.
More time than peace.
More time than repenting.
More time than praying.
More time than anything.
Jesus spend more time talking about stress and anxiety than anything else.
Don’t be anxious, Jesus said.
Stop worrying, Jesus said.
But, that’s easier said than done, isn’t it?
We live in an age of anxiety, don’t we?
The image is the image of fear – not the image of faith.
It’s an image that is promulgated every time we sit down in front of the evening news,
or get on an airplane,
or – or – or.
We respond to the old Scotch litany:
"From ghoulies and ghosties
and long-leggety beasties.
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!"
It seems that we expect the worst, and we get it.
A popular preacher once shared a helpful insight into the structure of fear.
He observed that when an automobile breaks down it is more often the fault of the driver than the fault of the machine.
The machine is tough and made to stand a great deal.
But the driver of the car gets confused and makes a foolish judgment and the car breaks down – or is wrecked.
Occasionally the machine does break down, but not so often.
Well, the preacher declares it is the same with the human body.
It is made to stand a great deal of stress.
But frequently the "soul-mind,"
the driver of the body,
gets off beam and the body gets sick and breaks down.
Doctors and psychiatrists tell us this over and over again, stress, fear, worry, and anxiety are among the forces that attack the soul-mind and bring about the breakdown of the body.
Don’t be anxious, Jesus said.
Don’t worry, Jesus said.
We are told that under the shock of a piano falling on her child it is often possible for a mother to do the impossible and lift the piano off her child.
Immediately afterwards she loses that extra strength and cannot budge the piano.
What has happened?
Under the shock of possible injury to her child, adrenalin has poured into the mother’s blood stream, and under the stimulus of this powerful drug she does "the impossible" in order to save the child. This automatic reaction of the glands of our body to extreme and sudden fear can save our lives.
But, under the influence of continued anxiety – long-drawn-out fear and dread – the adrenalin continues to seep slowly into the blood stream and poisons us.
Eventually it can bring about physical breakdown.
That is why a psychiatrist who was concerned about his patients was heard to say, "I wish that my patients could understand that the love,
the forgiveness, the care of God is available to them at all times and in all circumstances."
This kind of faith counterbalances fear and can bring healing to the physical body.
Doctors agree that emotional stress can bring actual changes in the organs, glands, and tissues of the body.
Bio-feed-back is telling us much more in this field.
It’s not so much "what I’m eating" as "what’s eating me" that’s getting me down.
Don’t be anxious, Jesus said.
Don’t worry, Jesus said.
Some years ago now, long long ago in some other time, there was a song that became very popular. It was Bobby Ferron’s simple, Don’t Worry, Be Happy.
Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note.
Don't Worry – Be Happy
In Every life we have some trouble,
When you worry you make it double.
Don't worry – Be Happy.
Ain't got no place to lay your head,
Somebody came and took your bed.
Don't worry – Be Happy
The landlord says "Your rent is late,"
He may have to litigate.
Don't worry – Be Happy!
Ain't got no cash,
Ain't got no style
Ain't got no [one] to make you smile.
Don't worry – Be Happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring Everybody down,
Don't Worry – Be Happy.
Look at me. I'm Happy!
I know, that sounds pretty superficial, doesn’t it?
But, it is very close to what Jesus said:
Don’t be anxious, Jesus said.
Don’t worry, Jesus said.
You can't miss what Jesus is saying, can you? Don't worry – Be happy!
When we think about anxiety today, we think primarily in terms of relationship, or position, or security in life.
We're anxious because we're afraid we're going to be rejected by someone else.
We're anxious because we feel we're going to lose our status, our prestige, our position, our reputation in society.
We're anxious because we feel we're not secure enough financially to face the future.
But that's not the way the Bible talks about anxiety, is it?
It's a much deeper problem than that, you know?
Jesus talks about it as the basic human condition.
He says that we are anxious because we are separated from God.
That's the nature of anxiety.
It may take different forms in our life –
depression, despair, resignation,
run away ambition, idolatry,
making a god out of something that isn't God.
What is the root of all this – the cause of our worry and anxiety – Jesus would say it's basically a lack of trust in God.
It is a faith question.
What is the root of all this -- the cause of our worry and anxiety?
Jesus would say it's basically a lack of trust in God.
What good does your anxiety do?
"Can you add one minute to your lifespan by being anxious?"
No, in fact it's just the opposite.
You ask any doctor and they will tell you: stress and anxiety will decrease your life, not add to it.
So it's dumb to be anxious,
and unnecessary,
because God has already provided all that you will ever need in this life.
Everything you need God has provided.
Your anxiety is the result of not trusting God.
So if you are addicted to covetousness it's not that you love things so much, it's because you have lost God,
or at least lost sight of what it means to believe in God".
So, you see, for Jesus, and in reality, stress and anxiety is a spiritual problem.
Its root is in our relationship to God.
Don’t be anxious, Jesus said.
Don’t worry, Jesus said.
You really don't have to worry Jesus says if the first priority of your life is the kingdom of God.
You see, it is a faith issue.
Seek first the Kingdom of God, then all else necessary for life and meaning and happiness will be added.
We don't have to worry if the first priority of our life is the Kingdom of God.
When we really hear what Jesus said, that song really is not as superficial as it first sounds:
"In every life we have some trouble,
when you worry you make it double.
Don't worry – Be happy!"
I don't suggest that during this week you surprise all your family and friends and companions at work by constantly singing "Don't worry – Be happy."
I do suggest that you surprise them with the amazing calm and poise that can be yours if you keep claiming the promise of Jesus: "How much more will God take care of you...oh you of little faith."
The tragedy of most of our lives is that we worry so much about tomorrow that we never claim the resources that God has provided to live today.
In light of the worries and anxieties which life in these days set before us,
let our response to them be based upon the affirmations and promises that Jesus shares with us
Don’t be anxious, Jesus said.
Don’t worry, Jesus said.
More than anything else, put God’s work first.
Don’t get worked up a about what may or may not happen tomorrow.
God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Believe it!
Amen.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Connecting With A Crowd of Witnesses
There is such a large crowd of witnesses all around us:
All the folks that ever have attended this church throughout its 81 year history – as well as all the saints from all the ages.
All assembled in the gallery cheering and rooting for you and for me and for all of us.
Not only do you and I have a race to run, but we need to make arrangements to continue the tradition for the others needing encouragement to run the race that are coming up after us –
like all those who went before us here in this church did.
Just before these words from our scripture, the 11th chapter of Hebrews gives many dynamic examples of Old Testament men and women who did great works for God by faith.
“By faith Noah . . . built an ark . . .
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going . . .”
Then the 12th chapter begins with these words that give us our text for today: “THEREFORE, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
It’s a vivid picture.
In the grandstand of our lives there are cheerleaders: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, and other Old Testament heroes,
as well as Paul, Peter, and leaders of the New Testament church.
And there are our loved ones, family and friends, who have gone before us.
The message is, the reality is, we are not alone in our faith journey.
No matter how discouraging the events of our lives are,
we can make it through with the encouragement of those who have gone before.
Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us!
Some of you know that Suzanne and I adopted a dog a couple of years ago.
This dog was about 4 and half years old when he came to our house having been rescued off the streets somewhere in New York.
The dog obviously has been abused and is very fearful of any and all people – except us.
He knows who feeds him.
He knows who keeps his warm in the winter and provides a place to sleep and offers companionship and a safe environment.
Now, he thinks it is his job to protect us from all intruders and suspected terrorists –
a list which includes any and all who have the nerve to drive down the cul-de-sac in front of our house, or walk or ride a bike near our house.
Now, the thing is, he has a very keen sense of hearing.
That dog hears things long before I do – and sometimes he hears things I don’t.
Some time ago, I happened upon a BBC show about dogs on one of the public broadcasting stations.
It had a segment there on what and how dogs see – and showed the viewers a screen that let us in on just what a dog can and cannot see.
Apparently, dogs don’t see in all the colors that we do,
and dogs don’t see all the fine detail that we do,
but dogs have a more panoramic view than we do.
They have a much wider field of vision – about two times what you and I can see without moving our eyes.
But, the real unusual part of how a dog sees, is that although they cannot see the fine detail, they can detect very slight movement – anywhere in their field of vision.
So, they see a rabbit and they are off after the rabbit.
Fact is, they don’t know it’s a rabbit.
What they see is a figure in their field of vision that moved and they can pin-point it with great accuracy.
Whether it’s instinct or faith, the dog takes off after that movement – not really knowing what he is chasing.
Likewise what and how a dog hears was of great interest to me.
You and I hear a whoosh of car going by.
A dog can discern individual sounds that make up that whoosh sound you and I hear.
They can hear that the car is missing on cylinders 2 and 4,
has a loose wheel cover on the right front tire,
and a slight rattle of the radio antenna slipping in the wind,
and a hundred other individual sounds that make up the whoosh you and I hear as the car goes by.
Not only do they hear these individual sounds, they can discern which sounds are associated with their owners car – the sounds of the neighbor’s cars, and the UPS truck, and all kinds of other vehicles that pass by.
My dog hears sounds I simply do not hear.
Just because we cannot hear a sound does not mean that it does not exist.
The fact that we cannot hear it says more about our limitations than it does about the sound.
So it is with things of the spirit.
There are realities that are perceived only by those in tune with God’s Spirit.
One of these is that great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, providing us with encouragement and strength.
Sometime back, the magazine RUNNER’S WORLD, mentioned a unique phenomenon which they called, “The Bislett Effect.”
The Bislett Effect is named for Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Norway.
More than 50 track and field records have been broken over the years at Bislett.
Apparently, no other stadium can boast of this kind of record setting.
And it’s not because of the frigid weather in Norway.
Runners do not run faster just to keep warm, though that might make sense to some of us.
And it’s not the altitude.
Wind resistance is no different in Oslo than in most other cities.
The secret seems to be the track itself.
It is a narrow, six lane track, and the stands that surround it are very steep.
According to RUNNER’S WORLD, when 21,000 fans all scream, “Go, go!” in this kind of up close and personal setting, you run faster.
The crowd forces you to keep your rhythm and push harder for one more stretch, for one more turn.
It’s like being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.
Such faith helps us be all that we can be.
Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us cheering for us.
We can make it, whether it is a crisis with our health,
a crisis within our family,
a crisis in our economy,
a failure on the job – whatever it might be.
This is the Gospel.
We can go on.
We follow in a long line of people who have persevered and been victorious.
Faith helps us be all we can be.
Faith helps us endure all we must endure.
And faith reminds us that we do not live our lives alone.
There is One who is with us.
And there is such a large crowd of witnesses all around us!
That’s what this church is about.
That’s what our faith is about.
That’s what we have here –
a connecting place, really:
where we can connect with others,
where we can connect with the world around us,
where we can connect with God,
where we can connect with the large crowd of witnesses that have gone before us.
All the folks that ever have attended this church throughout its 81 year history – as well as all the saints from all the ages.
All assembled in the gallery cheering and rooting for you and for me and for all of us.
Not only do you and I have a race to run, but we need to make arrangements to continue the tradition for the others needing encouragement to run the race that are coming up after us –
like all those who went before us here in this church did.
Just before these words from our scripture, the 11th chapter of Hebrews gives many dynamic examples of Old Testament men and women who did great works for God by faith.
“By faith Noah . . . built an ark . . .
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going . . .”
Then the 12th chapter begins with these words that give us our text for today: “THEREFORE, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
It’s a vivid picture.
In the grandstand of our lives there are cheerleaders: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, and other Old Testament heroes,
as well as Paul, Peter, and leaders of the New Testament church.
And there are our loved ones, family and friends, who have gone before us.
The message is, the reality is, we are not alone in our faith journey.
No matter how discouraging the events of our lives are,
we can make it through with the encouragement of those who have gone before.
Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us!
Some of you know that Suzanne and I adopted a dog a couple of years ago.
This dog was about 4 and half years old when he came to our house having been rescued off the streets somewhere in New York.
The dog obviously has been abused and is very fearful of any and all people – except us.
He knows who feeds him.
He knows who keeps his warm in the winter and provides a place to sleep and offers companionship and a safe environment.
Now, he thinks it is his job to protect us from all intruders and suspected terrorists –
a list which includes any and all who have the nerve to drive down the cul-de-sac in front of our house, or walk or ride a bike near our house.
Now, the thing is, he has a very keen sense of hearing.
That dog hears things long before I do – and sometimes he hears things I don’t.
Some time ago, I happened upon a BBC show about dogs on one of the public broadcasting stations.
It had a segment there on what and how dogs see – and showed the viewers a screen that let us in on just what a dog can and cannot see.
Apparently, dogs don’t see in all the colors that we do,
and dogs don’t see all the fine detail that we do,
but dogs have a more panoramic view than we do.
They have a much wider field of vision – about two times what you and I can see without moving our eyes.
But, the real unusual part of how a dog sees, is that although they cannot see the fine detail, they can detect very slight movement – anywhere in their field of vision.
So, they see a rabbit and they are off after the rabbit.
Fact is, they don’t know it’s a rabbit.
What they see is a figure in their field of vision that moved and they can pin-point it with great accuracy.
Whether it’s instinct or faith, the dog takes off after that movement – not really knowing what he is chasing.
Likewise what and how a dog hears was of great interest to me.
You and I hear a whoosh of car going by.
A dog can discern individual sounds that make up that whoosh sound you and I hear.
They can hear that the car is missing on cylinders 2 and 4,
has a loose wheel cover on the right front tire,
and a slight rattle of the radio antenna slipping in the wind,
and a hundred other individual sounds that make up the whoosh you and I hear as the car goes by.
Not only do they hear these individual sounds, they can discern which sounds are associated with their owners car – the sounds of the neighbor’s cars, and the UPS truck, and all kinds of other vehicles that pass by.
My dog hears sounds I simply do not hear.
Just because we cannot hear a sound does not mean that it does not exist.
The fact that we cannot hear it says more about our limitations than it does about the sound.
So it is with things of the spirit.
There are realities that are perceived only by those in tune with God’s Spirit.
One of these is that great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, providing us with encouragement and strength.
Sometime back, the magazine RUNNER’S WORLD, mentioned a unique phenomenon which they called, “The Bislett Effect.”
The Bislett Effect is named for Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Norway.
More than 50 track and field records have been broken over the years at Bislett.
Apparently, no other stadium can boast of this kind of record setting.
And it’s not because of the frigid weather in Norway.
Runners do not run faster just to keep warm, though that might make sense to some of us.
And it’s not the altitude.
Wind resistance is no different in Oslo than in most other cities.
The secret seems to be the track itself.
It is a narrow, six lane track, and the stands that surround it are very steep.
According to RUNNER’S WORLD, when 21,000 fans all scream, “Go, go!” in this kind of up close and personal setting, you run faster.
The crowd forces you to keep your rhythm and push harder for one more stretch, for one more turn.
It’s like being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.
Such faith helps us be all that we can be.
Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us cheering for us.
We can make it, whether it is a crisis with our health,
a crisis within our family,
a crisis in our economy,
a failure on the job – whatever it might be.
This is the Gospel.
We can go on.
We follow in a long line of people who have persevered and been victorious.
Faith helps us be all we can be.
Faith helps us endure all we must endure.
And faith reminds us that we do not live our lives alone.
There is One who is with us.
And there is such a large crowd of witnesses all around us!
That’s what this church is about.
That’s what our faith is about.
That’s what we have here –
a connecting place, really:
where we can connect with others,
where we can connect with the world around us,
where we can connect with God,
where we can connect with the large crowd of witnesses that have gone before us.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Surviving Hard Times When Health Changes
We have been taught that “as long as I have my health, I have everything.”
Right?
This is a pretty pervasive feeling, I would say.
But . . .
I dare say there is not a person reading this who has not had their life affected by changing health – yours or a loved one.
Many of us are caring – or have been caring – for loved ones who are struggling with frailty of the body or demons of the mind.
And some of us are facing potentially devastating issues with our own health – cancers, pulmonary disease, arthritis, macular degeneration, and the list goes on.
These are hard times for most folks.
It is in the midst of hard times that Jesus came and preached his gospel of God’s Kingdom – rather than Rome’s Kingdom or Persia’s Kingdom, or any other Kingdom of man.
The Christian gospel – and the Jewish faith – was birthed in hard times.
The gospel of Jesus survives – and even thrives – during hard times.
Our faith survives and even thrives during hard times.
Our faith needs to be proclaimed during hard times.
Our faith speaks to us during hard times.
And so, I am preaching this series on Surviving Hard Times.
Our theme for this series of sermons comes from I John 5:4: It is our faith that enables to get through hard times.
Pity those who have no faith.
So far we have looked at Surviving Hard Times When Bad Things Happen,
and Surviving Hard Times when the Economy Sours,
and today the topic is Surviving Hard Times When Health Changes.
I dare say there is not a person in this room who has not had their life affected by changing health – yours or a loved one.
We all know the truth of this – this is a common experience.
We each can attest that things happen:
a loved one gets sick – or we get sick –
whether it’s a cancer,
or stroke,
or heart,
or disease,
or infection,
or parts wearing out;
Accidents happen –
car and/or motorcycle accidents,
gunfire,
lightening strikes,
golf course,
you just never know;
Even in church –
you never used to hear about things like this, but in recent months I am aware of at least four incidents –
including one where a guy pulled a gun and shot the preacher (he didn’t like what the preacher said!),
And another one where the preacher got shot because he got in the way of a man trying to shoot an usher!!!
Things happen, don’t they?
And, more often than not, when health changes we experience hard times.
There is a lesson we all have learned well.
We have been taught that “as long as I have my health, I have everything.”
Right?
This is a pretty pervasive feeling, I would say.
We’ve all heard it said.
We have felt it ourselves, if we haven’t actually said it out loud.
I have said it in the past, and I am sure nearly everyone here uses it often.
If we don’t actually say it, it permeates what we believe.
More often than not, we tend to use the phrase as a way of saying that nothing else really matters much.
I don’t need wealth or things or . . . .
As long as I have my health, I have everything.
But, since Suzanne became ill – since her health changed – I became aware that that phrase, that belief, is insidious , and actually negatively affects what we all need to know and need to know when health changes.
I think I initially became aware of this insidious belief several years ago when my uncle faced a situation where the doctors needed to amputate his arm.
And, although it would save his life, and add significant years to his life, he adamantly refused to let them amputate.
Why? Because he felt that on rapture day, only those with whole bodies would get to go.
So, without an arm, he would be a nobody – something less than a real person.
You see, what we learned is, what we bought in to was: as long as I have my health, I have everything.
And when health changes – when you no longer have your health – what are you?
What do you have?
What then?
No one in this room is confined to a wheel chair.
We have pretty much excluded those folks from ever being welcome here.
Again, life with Suzanne after her health changed, changed me and changed the way I see certain things.
When you are not confined to a wheel chair –
when you have your health, therefore everything – you don’t appreciate what the world looks like from the perspective of the one in the chair.
What do you do when you come upon a person in wheel chair in the store?
Or on the street?
Usually, in the first place, we avoid making eye contact at all, don’t we?
Perhaps we feel that we don’t want to ogle or stare, and by avoiding eye contact we let the person in the chair know that they are no different than anyone else we might meet up with.
But, that is not what is perceived by the person in the chair.
When I am pushing Suzanne in the chair and we come upon a mutual friend, that person may acknowledge and even converse with Suzanne, but soon the phenomenon shifts and the person is no longer making eye contact with Suzanne but is now conversing with me – because I am at their level.
Suzanne says she gets tired looking at belt buckles all the time.
And when you come upon a counter that has been placed to separate a clerk from all of us who are on the other side, the person in chair most often gets no recognition at all.
Very quickly when you are dependent upon medicines, and/or physical assistance, just to carry on the basics of living, something happens to the psyche.
Through my experience, I can understand why many people cannot stand it after so long and just stop taking their life-saving medicines –
because it stands in the face of our common belief system that good health is everything – so when my health changes and I no longer have good health
I am less than what I should be,
I am nothing in the eyes in the world around me.
Of course, that’s not the way Jesus views things, is it?
Almost all of the stories in our Bible – in the Old Testament and in the New – share a common theme or understanding or belief: that is that God is with you.
The Old Testament reading we shared a while ago is just a fragment of a larger story about God assuring his people that he is with them while they are living in a land with alien rulers.
The message was delivered to those who needed to hear it then,
and it still rings true for us today.
You are going to face hard times, God says.
Hard times are ahead.
And when you find yourself wading through rising waters,
when you feel like you are walking through fire,
I’ll be with you.
Don’t be afraid.
I love you dearly and I am with you – always – through thick and through thin.
You know, this is the message I would hope to remember if I were ever in situation like those folks caught in the twin towers in New York City on September 11, 2001 –
or those folks on the airplanes destined to crash into the buildings or the ground –
or any situation wherein they say your life passes by your eyes –
in those situations, I would hope I could remember God’s promise: I love your dearly and I am with you – even now – especially now – in this situation. You don’t need to be afraid.
This theme is carried over in almost every event in our New Testament don’t you think?
The early believers actually did believe it.
In nearly every story that has been passed on about Jesus, this theme is expressed and underlies the message.
So significant was this to many of them that they chose these words to be the very last in Matthew’s gospel:
I am with you always – forever and forever – no matter what.
Even when your health changes – especially when your health changes –
you are no less of person,
no less of a being who is loved and valued by the Creator of the Universe and all there is,
the great Jehovah,
the great I Am,
the spirit that pervades the universe,
love personified.
When the health of a loved one changes, nothing changes about the value or worth of that person to you.
And, so often the most valuable actions any of us can take is to let that person know in no uncertain terms that although they may be incapacitated, although they may have physical limitations,
they are no less than who they were before –
no less than a child of the universe
of no less importance than kings and queens and princes and princesses.
The breath they share – even if from a nearby tank of oxygen –
is a breath shared by you –
and a breath shared with God –
the source of the breath of life itself.
It is our faith that helps us get through hard times.
It is our faith that affirms that the health of our physical body or mind is not the most important thing.
The most important thing is the assurance that our God is with us – no matter what.
Jesus is with us – forever and ever.
Amen.
Right?
This is a pretty pervasive feeling, I would say.
But . . .
I dare say there is not a person reading this who has not had their life affected by changing health – yours or a loved one.
Many of us are caring – or have been caring – for loved ones who are struggling with frailty of the body or demons of the mind.
And some of us are facing potentially devastating issues with our own health – cancers, pulmonary disease, arthritis, macular degeneration, and the list goes on.
These are hard times for most folks.
It is in the midst of hard times that Jesus came and preached his gospel of God’s Kingdom – rather than Rome’s Kingdom or Persia’s Kingdom, or any other Kingdom of man.
The Christian gospel – and the Jewish faith – was birthed in hard times.
The gospel of Jesus survives – and even thrives – during hard times.
Our faith survives and even thrives during hard times.
Our faith needs to be proclaimed during hard times.
Our faith speaks to us during hard times.
And so, I am preaching this series on Surviving Hard Times.
Our theme for this series of sermons comes from I John 5:4: It is our faith that enables to get through hard times.
Pity those who have no faith.
So far we have looked at Surviving Hard Times When Bad Things Happen,
and Surviving Hard Times when the Economy Sours,
and today the topic is Surviving Hard Times When Health Changes.
I dare say there is not a person in this room who has not had their life affected by changing health – yours or a loved one.
We all know the truth of this – this is a common experience.
We each can attest that things happen:
a loved one gets sick – or we get sick –
whether it’s a cancer,
or stroke,
or heart,
or disease,
or infection,
or parts wearing out;
Accidents happen –
car and/or motorcycle accidents,
gunfire,
lightening strikes,
golf course,
you just never know;
Even in church –
you never used to hear about things like this, but in recent months I am aware of at least four incidents –
including one where a guy pulled a gun and shot the preacher (he didn’t like what the preacher said!),
And another one where the preacher got shot because he got in the way of a man trying to shoot an usher!!!
Things happen, don’t they?
And, more often than not, when health changes we experience hard times.
There is a lesson we all have learned well.
We have been taught that “as long as I have my health, I have everything.”
Right?
This is a pretty pervasive feeling, I would say.
We’ve all heard it said.
We have felt it ourselves, if we haven’t actually said it out loud.
I have said it in the past, and I am sure nearly everyone here uses it often.
If we don’t actually say it, it permeates what we believe.
More often than not, we tend to use the phrase as a way of saying that nothing else really matters much.
I don’t need wealth or things or . . . .
As long as I have my health, I have everything.
But, since Suzanne became ill – since her health changed – I became aware that that phrase, that belief, is insidious , and actually negatively affects what we all need to know and need to know when health changes.
I think I initially became aware of this insidious belief several years ago when my uncle faced a situation where the doctors needed to amputate his arm.
And, although it would save his life, and add significant years to his life, he adamantly refused to let them amputate.
Why? Because he felt that on rapture day, only those with whole bodies would get to go.
So, without an arm, he would be a nobody – something less than a real person.
You see, what we learned is, what we bought in to was: as long as I have my health, I have everything.
And when health changes – when you no longer have your health – what are you?
What do you have?
What then?
No one in this room is confined to a wheel chair.
We have pretty much excluded those folks from ever being welcome here.
Again, life with Suzanne after her health changed, changed me and changed the way I see certain things.
When you are not confined to a wheel chair –
when you have your health, therefore everything – you don’t appreciate what the world looks like from the perspective of the one in the chair.
What do you do when you come upon a person in wheel chair in the store?
Or on the street?
Usually, in the first place, we avoid making eye contact at all, don’t we?
Perhaps we feel that we don’t want to ogle or stare, and by avoiding eye contact we let the person in the chair know that they are no different than anyone else we might meet up with.
But, that is not what is perceived by the person in the chair.
When I am pushing Suzanne in the chair and we come upon a mutual friend, that person may acknowledge and even converse with Suzanne, but soon the phenomenon shifts and the person is no longer making eye contact with Suzanne but is now conversing with me – because I am at their level.
Suzanne says she gets tired looking at belt buckles all the time.
And when you come upon a counter that has been placed to separate a clerk from all of us who are on the other side, the person in chair most often gets no recognition at all.
Very quickly when you are dependent upon medicines, and/or physical assistance, just to carry on the basics of living, something happens to the psyche.
Through my experience, I can understand why many people cannot stand it after so long and just stop taking their life-saving medicines –
because it stands in the face of our common belief system that good health is everything – so when my health changes and I no longer have good health
I am less than what I should be,
I am nothing in the eyes in the world around me.
Of course, that’s not the way Jesus views things, is it?
Almost all of the stories in our Bible – in the Old Testament and in the New – share a common theme or understanding or belief: that is that God is with you.
The Old Testament reading we shared a while ago is just a fragment of a larger story about God assuring his people that he is with them while they are living in a land with alien rulers.
The message was delivered to those who needed to hear it then,
and it still rings true for us today.
You are going to face hard times, God says.
Hard times are ahead.
And when you find yourself wading through rising waters,
when you feel like you are walking through fire,
I’ll be with you.
Don’t be afraid.
I love you dearly and I am with you – always – through thick and through thin.
You know, this is the message I would hope to remember if I were ever in situation like those folks caught in the twin towers in New York City on September 11, 2001 –
or those folks on the airplanes destined to crash into the buildings or the ground –
or any situation wherein they say your life passes by your eyes –
in those situations, I would hope I could remember God’s promise: I love your dearly and I am with you – even now – especially now – in this situation. You don’t need to be afraid.
This theme is carried over in almost every event in our New Testament don’t you think?
The early believers actually did believe it.
In nearly every story that has been passed on about Jesus, this theme is expressed and underlies the message.
So significant was this to many of them that they chose these words to be the very last in Matthew’s gospel:
I am with you always – forever and forever – no matter what.
Even when your health changes – especially when your health changes –
you are no less of person,
no less of a being who is loved and valued by the Creator of the Universe and all there is,
the great Jehovah,
the great I Am,
the spirit that pervades the universe,
love personified.
When the health of a loved one changes, nothing changes about the value or worth of that person to you.
And, so often the most valuable actions any of us can take is to let that person know in no uncertain terms that although they may be incapacitated, although they may have physical limitations,
they are no less than who they were before –
no less than a child of the universe
of no less importance than kings and queens and princes and princesses.
The breath they share – even if from a nearby tank of oxygen –
is a breath shared by you –
and a breath shared with God –
the source of the breath of life itself.
It is our faith that helps us get through hard times.
It is our faith that affirms that the health of our physical body or mind is not the most important thing.
The most important thing is the assurance that our God is with us – no matter what.
Jesus is with us – forever and ever.
Amen.
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