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When I was in elementary school I remember a story, as clearly as if it were told today, that my pastor shared during a sermon. I do not remember the sermon, but I clearly remember the minister and the story. And the story, of course, has always carried with it the sermon's message.
The reverend spoke of when he was a chaplain in the Navy. A terrible storm was approaching the ship that could not be avoided. Accompanying the storm would be massive waves and high winds. The captain of the ship told the chaplain that when a storm this fierce is approaching, we turn the ship straight into the storm. We meet the waves head-on. The ship could not outrun the storm and confronting the waves in any other direction, sideways or from the rear, would cause it to capsize.
The preacher then shared how this became for him a lesson in life; that we are to meet our problems head-on. We cannot run from them. We cannot sidestep them. But, we must confront them directly. And with the assurance of the Lord's presence, we can do so confidently.
James shared with his congregation these words of advice, "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord." In our times of trials and tribulations, the prophets to whom we turn are not always found between the covers of the Bible. Although there is sound and undisputable advice recorded in the Bible, those who practice Bible living also offer lessons for daily living. Beyond the Bible there remains one particular prophet in my life -- a small town pastor who served as a chaplain in the Navy during a raging storm at sea. His prophetic word: to always confront our problems straight-on.
(The pastor may personalize this illustration by substituting the first person pronoun "I" for "somebody I know told me…" or "There was an incident… that a friend described to me" or "I read…" Another approach, though I am personally hesitant to do this, is for the pastor to arbitrarily select a name to make the story sound more personal and easier to relate to: "John told me…" or "Mary shared with me this experience….")
The reverend spoke of when he was a chaplain in the Navy. A terrible storm was approaching the ship that could not be avoided. Accompanying the storm would be massive waves and high winds. The captain of the ship told the chaplain that when a storm this fierce is approaching, we turn the ship straight into the storm. We meet the waves head-on. The ship could not outrun the storm and confronting the waves in any other direction, sideways or from the rear, would cause it to capsize.
The preacher then shared how this became for him a lesson in life; that we are to meet our problems head-on. We cannot run from them. We cannot sidestep them. But, we must confront them directly. And with the assurance of the Lord's presence, we can do so confidently.
James shared with his congregation these words of advice, "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord." In our times of trials and tribulations, the prophets to whom we turn are not always found between the covers of the Bible. Although there is sound and undisputable advice recorded in the Bible, those who practice Bible living also offer lessons for daily living. Beyond the Bible there remains one particular prophet in my life -- a small town pastor who served as a chaplain in the Navy during a raging storm at sea. His prophetic word: to always confront our problems straight-on.
(The pastor may personalize this illustration by substituting the first person pronoun "I" for "somebody I know told me…" or "There was an incident… that a friend described to me" or "I read…" Another approach, though I am personally hesitant to do this, is for the pastor to arbitrarily select a name to make the story sound more personal and easier to relate to: "John told me…" or "Mary shared with me this experience….")
