A Sermon Preached at Journey United Church of Christ on June 12, 2011 (Confirmation Sunday). Based in part on “The God You’re Looking For” by Bill Hybels.
This weeks Glee feature: Season 1, Episode 1 “Pilot”
When was the last time you stood at what you felt to be the crossroads of life?
One of those times in when decisions are made? to attend college or go right to work, to take this job or wait for something better to come along, to marry or to remain single, to start a family or stay child-free, to move to a new location or to stay put.
Crossroads are not simply a matter of choosing what to have for breakfast, what to wear when you get dressed in the morning, or what cell phone you’ll chose at your next upgrade. Crossroads are bigger issues … with much larger and long-lasting implications. What we do when you reach such a crossroads has a lot to do with who we will become, how our lives will turn out…they’re a little bit scary and guess what confirmands? They are part of life … and they do come with some regularity for all of us.
GLEE VIDEO: Season I; Episode 1 (Pilot)“Mr. Shu’s Crossroad” 31:07-32:44
Well, if you’re there, along with Mr. Schu, we may have just what you need. Because today, as we continue our series on “Getting to Know God via Glee”, we’re going to discover the God Who Guides Us …and how that God helps us when reach or approach those intersections of life.
First, our reading for the day, Genesis 24:1-28 from “The Message”, a Modern Translation by Eugene Peterson.
Abraham was now an old man. GOD had blessed Abraham in every way. Abraham spoke to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh and swear by GOD—God of Heaven, God of Earth—that you will not get a wife for my son from among the young women of the Canaanites here, but will go to the land of my birth and get a wife for my son Isaac."
The servant answered, "But what if the woman refuses to leave home and come with me? Do I then take your son back to your home country?"
Abraham said, "Oh no. Never. By no means are you to take my son back there. GOD, the God of Heaven, took me from the home of my father and from the country of my birth and spoke to me in solemn promise, 'I'm giving this land to your descendants.' This God will send his angel ahead of you to get a wife for my son. And if the woman won't come, you are free from this oath you've sworn to me. But under no circumstances are you to take my son back there."
So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn oath. The servant took ten of his master's camels and, loaded with gifts from his master, traveled to Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor.
Outside the city, he made the camels kneel at a well. It was evening, the time when the women came to draw water. He prayed, "O GOD, God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well! As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water, let the girl to whom I say, 'Lower your jug and give me a drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and let me also water your camels'—let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I'll know that you're working graciously behind the scenes for my master."
It so happened that the words were barely out of his mouth when Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel whose mother was Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with a water jug on her shoulder. The girl was stunningly beautiful, a pure virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up.
The servant ran to meet her and said, "Please, can I have a sip of water from your jug?" She said, "Certainly, drink!" And she held the jug so that he could drink. When he had satisfied his thirst she said, "I'll get water for your camels, too, until they've drunk their fill." She promptly emptied her jug into the trough and ran back to the well to fill it, and she kept at it until she had watered all the camels. The man watched, silent. Was this GOD's answer? Had GOD made his trip a success or not? When the camels had finished drinking, the man brought out gifts, a gold nose ring weighing a little over a quarter of an ounce and two arm bracelets weighing about four ounces, and gave them to her.
He asked her, "Tell me about your family? Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father's house for us to stay the night?" She said, "I'm the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor. And there's plenty of room in our house for you to stay—and lots of straw and feed besides."
At this the man bowed in worship before GOD and prayed, "Blessed be GOD, God of my master Abraham: How generous and true you've been to my master; you've held nothing back. You led me right to the door of my master's brother!" And the girl was off and running, telling everyone in her mother's house what had happened.
Whether we’re aware of it or not, we all have a method for decision-making. Some people, either consciously or subconsciously, automatically opt for the path that will in their minds cause the least pain, the path of least resistance, the easy way. Some people do just the opposite and venture down the path that is filled with the greatest challenge, they are the risk takers, those who love to live on the edge. Then there are those who don’t necessarily make the decision themselves; instead they rely on others to choose for them, they take the path that others tell them to take, the most popular way, go with the flow, follow the crowd. And then there are those who, like Abaraham, when they come to the big crossroads of life, look up … not just to see where the signs point, but beyond that … they look up to God as their guide through life, to see which way God is leading them, to follow the path that God has cleared for them. They claim the wisdom of the Proverbs … our verse of the week (not to mention the words of song that we sing here at Journey from time to time)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge God and your path will be made clear” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Well, today, I want to lift up that method of decision-making. To look at how it works and how we can claim it in our own lives. Because, you see, the guidance God offers is guidance of the best kind. There is good guidance and bad guidance, just as there are good guides and not so good guides.
Look at it this way. How did your parents guide you? I’ve noticed there are two distinct parenting styles when it comes to helping children learn. My dad is a car mechanic. When he taught me how to change a flat tire, he did so by offering suggestions and insights along the way, but he let me actually do the learning … He provided the wrench, but sat back and coached me through the process, giving advice when needed.
I’ve noticed in my role as campus minister, there are parents who approach things in a different way. Their idea of teaching is to do it for their children while they watch and watch and watch. They don’t actually ever do the task. We have a name for them – helicopter parents! The hover just like a helicopter and do everything their child needs done for them. The difference? Children never really learn how to do it using that method…they end up weak and dependent, diminished and devalued in the process. When parents function more as “coaches” they become stronger, more capable, more confident over time.
The nature of God’s guidance is more in keeping with that of a good guide. God is not in the business of guiding us in a way that keeps us weak and dependent. God guides us in a way that makes us mature and wise. There is a world of difference between the two.
So, how does God do that … God guides us through a variety of ways as we journey through life… what we might want to think of as signposts or road signs along the way
We don't always like that method. Sometimes I think we wish God would be a little more “helicopter-like”, hovering and doing for us. Ever found yourself wishing that God would just write out directions in the sky, or send specific step-by-step instructions in a secret text message on your cell phone. God doesn’t guide us that way because we would stay weak and dependent in a unhealthy way. God not only wants to help us at a crossroads, God wants to help us learn, to grow up, to mature, to become increasingly wise.”
So let's look at what the signposts or road signs are. The first is pretty obvious - THE BIBLE. When we are trying to become good decision-makers, when we are trying to receive guidance from God, we need first to look to God’s word the Bible
Psalm 199:105 says “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path"
Seems king of obvious, but studies indicate that folks really aren’t into reading it much any more. When we don't read it and study it and commit it to memory, it's like throwing away the instruction book
But sometimes we need more specific guidance on how to apply scripture and for that God gives us another “signpost” - the HOLY SPIRIT. Now, this form of guidance may make us “mainline Protestants” feel a little bit apprehensive. We kind of like to read about the Holy Spirit once a year, on this – Pentecost Sunday – and then we’re really more comfortable packing it up and putting it away again. Kind of like we do with the Christmas decorations and the plastic Easter eggs. Once a year, whether we need it or not. No more, no less. Once a year.
While audible words booming out of the clouds are not God’s usual method of guidance, God does “speak” to us through the gentle prompting of the Spirit, “impressions from God”, spiritual nudges or tugs. The Spirit will prompt you if you are open to it. We fully claim that promise as the United Church of Christ. “God IS Still Speaking.”
That’s the way God works. When we are coming to decision points, God offers us the wisdom of the Bible, God often uses the Holy Spirit to nudge us, tug us, guide us in a certain way, and sometimes, God uses THE COMMUNITY OF FAITH – real life people.
God often speaks to us through other people … particularly though the guidance of godly friends (and I think that more often than not, that's a plural in the Bible) Proverbs 24:6 "In the multitude of counselors there is safety." I have learned the hard way that my life is better served by multiple mentors instead of a single one. I have my husband, I have people in this church, I have colleagues within the UCC who I ask for advice, I have a group of clergy women whom I meet with regularly. When I have the counsel of some wise mentors I am adding to the basis for making good decisions I am receiving the guidance from God
Yet, when listening to that wisdom, that advice, I also need to take into account my own UNIQUENESS, who it is that God created me to me, and the special circumstances in which God places me. What may be right for someone else may not be right for me. In allowing God to guide us, we need to be aware of our circumstances, what is happening around us … and who God created us to be.
Watch how the decision-making unfolds as Mr. Schu gets some wise counsel from none other than Emma, the guidance counselor, who understands how a path that may be right for one person may be wrong for someone else….
GLEE VIDEO
SEASON 1, EPISODE 1 (PILOT)
“Emma, the Guidance Counselor” 34:49 – 39:38
If you’re open to all the signposts along the way, you should be able to reach the crossroads and make a clear-cut decision….
But, I want to end with one final thought this morning.
What happens if you come all the way down this road and you get right here and you have to make the call, and you do the best you can, but after you decide, you discover a bit down the path that perhaps you didn't make the best choice. You find yourself heading in the wrong direction.
I want you as confirmands (and the rest of you), to remember that with God, course corrections are possible. Romans 8:28 “ God can make all things work together for good to those who love God and who are called according to God’s purpose.” Going down the wrong path can be painful, gut-wrenching, lonely and sometimes even depressing. But what you will find out is that there is grace available to you even if you choose the wrong path and wind up on the wrong road. If we make wrong decision, life is not over. Grace does not end there. God still wants to redeem that situation and bring you back on the right road some time.
PRAYER OF RESPONSE:
O Guiding God, today many of us are at crossroads. Some are at spiritual crossroads. We have been tugged here by your Holy Spirit. You guided us here. And we are at a very important crossroads of the heart. We pray that your Spirit would nudge them a step closer to you. For all those who are who are at that crossroads today, please make it clear.
Help us surrender more completely to your directing hand. Teach us how to be wise over time, and to follow your wisdom and to cooperate with your guiding hand. And as we do this, we trust that you will lead us down paths that honor you and lead us into paths that satisfy and fulfill. Amen.
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