Miracle
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle B
Miracle
But David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand." When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. (vv. 45-48)
Disney's movie, Miracle, recounts the truly inspiring story of one of the greatest moments in sports history. It's 1979 and University of Minnesota hockey coach Herb Brooks, played by Kurt Russell, has been tapped to lead the American team into the 1980 Winter Olympic Games to be held in Lake Placid, New York.
He travels to Colorado Springs, Colorado, for team tryouts. There he assembles a ragtag squad of college kids whom he hopes to transform from individuals into a well-disciplined and physically fit team. He faces an uphill battle as some players don't get along and others deal with personal problems.
From the moment he accepted the challenge of being the coach, Brooks pushes his team as hard as he can in hopes that they might be able to defeat the legendary and seemingly unbeatable team from the Soviet Union.
The Cold War tensions at the time made the two teams instant enemies -- although they were not very well matched on the ice. Only three days prior to the Olympics, the two teams played at Madison Square Garden. The Soviets soundly beat the United States Ice Hockey team with a 10-3 score. Among the twelve teams that qualified for the Olympics, the Soviets were the number one seed. With a seventh seed, the U.S team was in the lower half of the Olympic teams. Playing well enough to earn a medal seemed to be a long shot.
Team USA played third-seeded Sweden in the first game and felt fortunate to tie the game within the final minute. The U.S. team became the pride of the nation as they continued through the bracket by winning their next few games. They would now once again face the feared and hated Soviet team -- a much more mature team, which was regarded throughout the world as unmatched on the ice.
The Americans fell behind early in the game. Then with the support of the home crowd, the Americans rallied back. Toward the end of the first period, the Soviets were ahead by one when Mark Johnson scored to tie the game at two each.
Upset at legendary goalie, Vladislav Tretiak for allowing two scores, Soviet coach, Viktor Tikhonov replaced him with the less-experienced Vladimir Myshkin. After the change, the Soviet team soon pulled back ahead with a score of 3-2.
Four-and-one-half minutes following the third quarter face off, Mark Johnson scored again to tie the game at 3-3. With ten minutes to play, American team captain Mike Eruzione scored the next goal on a wrist shot. With the lead, goalie Jim Craig only needed to preserve the victory. Craig proved up to the task, recording an incredible 39 saves. With the world watching, the team rose to the occasion and accomplished the unthinkable: They upset the world's greatest ice hockey team.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, broadcaster Al Michaels screamed with elation to the millions of television viewers, "Do you believe in miracles?"
The same question could be asked of the Israelites. David was just a boy who went to fight a giant. He was so small he couldn't wear any armor to protect himself. With only a sling and five smooth stones, he faced the feared and hated Philistine Goliath. Could he win? Do you believe in miracles? Nothing is impossible if it is God's will. Rest assured, it is God's will to stand against oppressive powers.
But David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand." When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. (vv. 45-48)
Disney's movie, Miracle, recounts the truly inspiring story of one of the greatest moments in sports history. It's 1979 and University of Minnesota hockey coach Herb Brooks, played by Kurt Russell, has been tapped to lead the American team into the 1980 Winter Olympic Games to be held in Lake Placid, New York.
He travels to Colorado Springs, Colorado, for team tryouts. There he assembles a ragtag squad of college kids whom he hopes to transform from individuals into a well-disciplined and physically fit team. He faces an uphill battle as some players don't get along and others deal with personal problems.
From the moment he accepted the challenge of being the coach, Brooks pushes his team as hard as he can in hopes that they might be able to defeat the legendary and seemingly unbeatable team from the Soviet Union.
The Cold War tensions at the time made the two teams instant enemies -- although they were not very well matched on the ice. Only three days prior to the Olympics, the two teams played at Madison Square Garden. The Soviets soundly beat the United States Ice Hockey team with a 10-3 score. Among the twelve teams that qualified for the Olympics, the Soviets were the number one seed. With a seventh seed, the U.S team was in the lower half of the Olympic teams. Playing well enough to earn a medal seemed to be a long shot.
Team USA played third-seeded Sweden in the first game and felt fortunate to tie the game within the final minute. The U.S. team became the pride of the nation as they continued through the bracket by winning their next few games. They would now once again face the feared and hated Soviet team -- a much more mature team, which was regarded throughout the world as unmatched on the ice.
The Americans fell behind early in the game. Then with the support of the home crowd, the Americans rallied back. Toward the end of the first period, the Soviets were ahead by one when Mark Johnson scored to tie the game at two each.
Upset at legendary goalie, Vladislav Tretiak for allowing two scores, Soviet coach, Viktor Tikhonov replaced him with the less-experienced Vladimir Myshkin. After the change, the Soviet team soon pulled back ahead with a score of 3-2.
Four-and-one-half minutes following the third quarter face off, Mark Johnson scored again to tie the game at 3-3. With ten minutes to play, American team captain Mike Eruzione scored the next goal on a wrist shot. With the lead, goalie Jim Craig only needed to preserve the victory. Craig proved up to the task, recording an incredible 39 saves. With the world watching, the team rose to the occasion and accomplished the unthinkable: They upset the world's greatest ice hockey team.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, broadcaster Al Michaels screamed with elation to the millions of television viewers, "Do you believe in miracles?"
The same question could be asked of the Israelites. David was just a boy who went to fight a giant. He was so small he couldn't wear any armor to protect himself. With only a sling and five smooth stones, he faced the feared and hated Philistine Goliath. Could he win? Do you believe in miracles? Nothing is impossible if it is God's will. Rest assured, it is God's will to stand against oppressive powers.
