January 29, 2000
Come with me to encounter anew the God who spoke so decisively at Horeb, and who commanded the unclean spirit out of the man in that dusty synagogue in Capernaum. Come with me to remember your own story of encounter with the great prophet to be raised up according to God's promise; come with me to remember you own story of encounter with the Lord; come with me to renew your own commitment to the Lord, or perhaps more importantly, to make the decision to start your story of encounter and commitment to the Lord right here in St. Margaret's Church.
From the moment of promise remembered in Deuteronomy, from the moment of high drama in the synagogue in Capernaum, we can trust that our God is a God who desires to be involved in our lives, our God is able to fulfill his promises to us—the great prophet promised at Horeb found fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth—and our God is a God who finds us where we live and speaks to us in ways that heal and make us whole. It has been so from the beginning and continues to be so in our day and most importantly in our very lives.
I want to share three contemporary stories with you tonight. They help me to remember my own story. They help me to remember that the words of the bible, words read here every time we gather to worship, are living words, words that reveal the love and activity of our God long ago and far away and also words promising that God is the same loving, active God right here, right now.
Let's start with a story about a golfer. I will probably never meet Tom Lehman. He may never come to worship God here, but tonight we'll let him tell his story to help us remember our own story, and to help us renew our own commitment to God.
An Audience of One by Tom Lehman
My disappointment was intense. My shot had disappeared into the bunkers on the last hole, and with it, my chances of winning the 1994 Masters. For the next two years, I was also the runner-up at the U.S. Open. Having often struggled with self-doubt, I dreaded hearing critics say I could never win the big one.
Then I won the British Open and the PGA Tour Championship. I was even ranked the best in the world. But after all the celebrations, I was the same person, with the same problems. Victory is empty. Even the thrill of winning the British Open fades.
Especially in sports, you're only as good as your last win. When I dropped from the number one ranking in a week, people snickered. But, in contrast to the world's "What have you done for me lately?" attitude, God accepts me unconditionally. I matter to Him. Years ago, I cried when I realized Jesus, God's only Son, died on a cross so that I could have a relationship with Him.
That's what lasts, what gives life meaning: my relationship with God and with others He has placed in my life. Regardless of what anyone says about me, my wife and kids think I'm great. They love me. God loves me too. Ultimately, He's the only audience that matters. (1)
What's this? A man who plays golf as well as anyone, a successful golfer (he even makes money playing golf) wants only to pay attention to Jesus of Nazareth, wants only to please that audience of one? We catch a glimpse of the amazement of those folks who witnessed the power of Jesus long ago in the synagogue of Capernaum. We realize, anew, that the power of Jesus to amaze is no less powerful here and now.
Continuing last week's theme, about taking our youth seriously, let me share the story of Tanya Kozlova, now 22 years old. Let her story, set in modern Russia, remind us of how God called to us in our own youth and how he gets our attention through those questions that just don't go away. As the folks in that synagogue discovered one day long ago, let Tanya's story remind us that God's authority extends not only beyond the power of any form of government, but also beyond any spiritual power of darkness that speaks only of death and fear.
Tanya Kozlova
When I was a little girl, I used to wake up in the middle of the night with fear in my heart -- fear of death. I was in despair because I did not know what would happen to me after death. I thought there would be nothing and it would be the end. As a little girl, I ran to my parents' room in tears, asking, "Mama, am I going to die?" Throughout my happy childhood, this nightmare haunted my heart.
While growing up, I learned to drive this fear deep inside myself. Yet, I was always wondering what would happen after I die. Death scared me, but life went on. Sports and money became most important to me, because they gave me self-confidence, independence, and pride in myself. I alone decided what was good and what was bad. Everything I had been taught by my parents became of minor importance. I had no interest in the lives of people around me. Yet, despite the importance and success I achieved, I still had no answer to the question of what happens after death. I had outward strength and beauty, but fear was victorious inside. "Why live," I thought, "if I have to die all the same?" Only God who created me, could answer this question.
I heard about God for the first time from my best girlfriend. At first, it all seemed like a fairy tale. Yet, I heard that people can receive eternal life simply by believing in Jesus Christ. I realized that I was getting closer and closer to answering the question that had troubled me all my life. That God gives us eternal life was a discovery. As an 18-year-old adult, I went running to my mother in tears, just as in my childhood. Only the words were different, "Mama, I'm not afraid of death anymore. Christ has given me eternal life."
Since then, four years have passed. My greatest joy is that all my family - my parents and sisters - now believe in Christ. God showed me a wonderful way and I chose it. This year, I graduated from Bible College in Moscow. I want to tell the people of my country about our great, loving God, who gives love, joy, happiness, and, above all else, meaning to life. (2)
We were not in the synagogue in Capernaum to witness the power and authority of Jesus; but by hearing the story of this Russian woman, we catch a glimpse of that power and authority, still—thanks be to God—active and healing and inviting to newness and wholeness of life.
We'll finish, on Super Bowl eve, with Joe Gibbs' story. From humble beginnings as a player, Joe Gibbs went on to a stellar coaching career with the Washington Redskins. He led the team to three Super Bowl victories, earned a place in the Football Hall of Fame and now owns a successful NASCAR team.
Surrender and Success by Joe Gibbs
I wanted to be a head football coach more than anything. I thought a coaching career could give me everything I'd ever need in life--money, position, prestige. I was obsessed.
In 1972, I met George. He was a small, unassuming man, at peace with himself and with God. Our time together helped me realize that even though I'd asked Jesus into my life as a young boy, I'd never made Him my first priority. I knew that had to change.
But even after I recommitted my life to Christ, I was reluctant to trust Him with my career. In 1978, after years of bouncing around from job to job, I finally seemed a shoe-in for head coach. Then a dismal 4-12 season took that away. "God, all my life I've wanted to a be a head coach but I'm going to leave that up to you this time," I prayed. "From now on, my career is in your hands."
Two years later, I became the head coach of the Washington Redskins. In 1983, I won my first Superbowl, but quickly followed it up by trying to get rich in real estate. Instead of trusting God, I ended up battling bankruptcy.
Looking back, I know God was teaching me that happiness and success aren't things to be pursued, but by-products of a life given over to Him. God's not concerned with winning football games; he's concerned with me having a right relationship with him. It's a lesson I've had to learn more than once, and in many ways, I'm still learning it. But God is faithful and I've wound up stronger as a result. (3)
"God is faithful." A lesson learned, according to Joe, more than once. Our Gospel writer is silent about what happened to the man delivered of the unclean spirit. It is easy, however, to imagine that he became one of the believers. It is easy to imagine that like Peter, selected by Jesus as the Rock upon which the church would be built, he ran in terror from the crucifixion and death. It is equally easy to imagine that he was filled with joy to discover Jesus living and glorious in the resurrection. It is easy to imagine this man, now far from Capernaum, filled with Holy Spirit after Pentecost and telling his story over and over again, even as he learned over and over again through life's ups and downs, that God is faithful. The power to create new life never fades. The invitation to a right relationship with God, as Joe Gibbs is still learning, is not given just once, but over and over again.
May we have the grace in our own day, in our own lives, to witness the power and authority of Jesus. May we have the wisdom and courage to respond to God's faithfulness with all our lives. Amen.
The Rev. Daniel Rondeau
drondeau@stmargarets.org
29 January 2000
(1) From the Internet: http://www.powertochange.com/stories/lehman.html
(2) From the Internet: http://www.powertochange.com/stories/stories.cgi?StoryID=tkozlova
(3) From the Internet: http://www.powertochange.com/stories/gibbs.html