Get Up And Get Moving!
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"Get Up and Get Moving!" by Keith Wagner
"Where Everyone Counts" by Keith Wagner
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Get Up and Get Moving!
by Keith Wagner
Isaiah 60:1-7
I will never forget my first morning in boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. I was exhausted from traveling the day before and standing in lines until late in the evening. About 5 a.m. the lights came on in the barracks and our Chief Petty Officer stood in the middle of the barracks and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Get out of bed you landlubbers it's time to get moving." We all crawled out of our racks and stood at attention. You could hear the moans but complaining was not an option. At that point I was having second thoughts about the next four years serving in the US Navy.
Isaiah shouted to the faith community, "Arise, shine, for your light has come!" No doubt there was grumbling there too since they lived in the midst of ruins, their city destroyed, and resources scarce. Times were hard and they had no joy in their lives.
Isaiah was fully aware of their plight and arrived full of hope and joy as he announced that their future would be much brighter. It was virtually impossible to visualize better times since they were living in misery. Yes, you are living in the darkness, Isaiah proclaimed however the glory of God will shine around you.
To live in the darkness is to live in a state of depression and hopelessness. To embrace good news that things would change was incomprehensible. Nevertheless, Isaiah rallied the troops from their abyss by promising they would be a light to the nations. The only way for them to realize the glory of God was to "arise, shine," wake up, and get moving!
Without light it is hard to find our way. Life can be scary and it's easier to refrain from venturing out. In the days of Isaiah light was a rare commodity. Their only source of light, other than daylight, was oil lamps. Very few people could afford them so many relied on candlelight. In modern times we take the darkness for granted since we now have artificial lighting. Finding our way in the dark is a relatively simple thing, which makes it difficult for us to relate to this text.
At Grand Lake St. Mary's where I dock my pontoon boat there are many channels and marina entrances. The lake is ten miles long and at night it is difficult to find the right channel since many of them have no markers or lights. Recently, the marina where I keep my boat added a lighthouse. It stands some 48 feet high and can be seen from just about anywhere on the lake. Now I can find my way in the darkness of night.
Today, January 6, is Epiphany. The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." Unfortunately we remain in the dark when we refrain from letting our lights shine. Like the Israelites we too have a mission to let the glory of God shine in order to bring light to those who live in the darkness.
In the movie, Apollo 13, following the explosion that almost destroyed the spacecraft, astronaut Jim Lovell was asked if he had ever been afraid. He recalled a time in WWII when he was flying a combat mission and was returning to the aircraft carrier on which he was supposed to land. Everything was totally dark. The carrier had no lights due to combat conditions. His radio and navigation equipment weren't working so he had no way to contact the ship. He turned on a map light in the cockpit to try and calculate his position, but as he did that an electrical short caused the lights in his cockpit to go out. He found himself in total darkness and he was running out of fuel. It was at that moment that he looked down and saw a luminescent glow of sea plankton caused by the wake of the ship. All he had to do was follow the glow of light and safely land on the ship. While one light failed another took its place.
There are times when we all find ourselves in the dark. Life becomes overwhelming and we can't see to find our way. Some of you are grieving over losses in your life. Some are struggling with a relationship. Others are experiencing struggles at work, at home, or at school. You are in need of a light to find your way. Just as the light of the sea plankton saved the life of Jim Lovell, the light of God's faithful can bring salvation to others.
Where Everyone Counts
by Keith Wagner
Ephesians 3:1-12
It has been my experience that many people come to a church because they need a sense of belonging. For any number of reasons they are feeling alone and excluded from community. They need acceptance to be embraced for who they are.
Paul wrote this message to the church at Ephesus since they were extremely far from the other churches and felt a sense of distance and isolation. No one knew isolation better than Paul, who was a prisoner, so he wanted those in Ephesus to feel included. By no means were they inferior and neither was their faith community powerless to make a difference.
To enable them to feel a part of the "body" Paul revealed a mystery. The mystery was the grace of Jesus Christ. The Gentiles indeed were "fellow heirs" as was Paul; therefore, he wanted to assure them that they were recipients of grace.
In the film, Forrest Gump, there is a scene early in the movie when no one on the school bus would give Forrest a seat. His friend, Jenny, invited him to sit beside her. It was truly a moment where one person gave another person the gift of grace. When we receive God's grace we experience acceptance from God although others may reject us.
Grace is a gift God wants us to receive with gratitude and thanksgiving. Grace can surprise us and come in ways we do not understand. Grace can liberate us from guilt, shame, and despair. Grace enables us to see our way more clearly. Most importantly, as we receive grace, God also wants us to be givers of grace.
Paul was saying that to be the community of faith is to be people who were givers of grace by being inclusive. Others would sense acceptance through their warmth and unconditional love.
I had some good friends who had three sons. The oldest son was an athlete just like his father and had a very promising career in baseball. His father played for Florida State and even made it to the minor leagues. Their youngest son was very handsome. He became a model for magazines and appeared in television commercials. The middle son however had Down syndrome. It was very difficult for the father to accept the fact that his second son was different. He would never play baseball and neither would he appear on television. We had many conversations as to why this second son could not be like the others and there were no simple answers.
All three boys had the same parents, same home, and lived in the same environment, but one was different. But the second son was different is some other ways. He was always smiling and he was very loving. His mother accepted him as he was and encouraged her husband to do the same. She loved her three sons equally. When their middle son reached the age of seven a friend of the family invited them to let their son participate in Special Olympics. The father was reluctant at first but he finally gave in. Their middle son was extremely happy participating in Special Olympics and he eventually won some awards. After a time, his father finally came to the realization that his second son, although different, was just as important as the other two.
Just as the second son of my friends was special so is everyone. I believe that Paul is reminding us here that everyone counts. Each person has their own gifts and it is sorrowful to leave anyone out. Paul concluded his message with these words; "If one member suffers, all suffer together. If one member is honored, all rejoice together."
One time there was a little boy who wanted to have a puppy. His mother told him he would have to earn the money. He did all kinds of odd jobs until he finally earned enough money to buy a puppy. He went to the pet store and observed a litter of puppies in the window. He went into the store and one of the puppies lying in a corner got his attention. The store manager came over and asked if he could help. The little boy told the store manager that he wanted the puppy in the corner.
But the store manager said that he should choose one of the other puppies. That one was not very healthy. He was the runt of the litter. He said he wouldn't feel right selling a puppy that was less than normal. But, the little boy insisted. "Mister," he said, "that little puppy needs me and I need him." The store manager replied, "But, I don't feel right selling you a puppy that doesn't have much of a chance." The little boy then rolled up his pants leg, revealing a brace on his leg. "You see sir, I haven't had much of a chance to be normal and that's why we need each other."
Rev. Dr. Keith Wagner is the pastor of St. John's UCC in Troy, Ohio. He and his wife, Lin, live in Springfield, Ohio.
*****************************************
StoryShare, January 6, 2014, issue.
Copyright 2014 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Get Up and Get Moving!" by Keith Wagner
"Where Everyone Counts" by Keith Wagner
* * * * * * *
Get Up and Get Moving!
by Keith Wagner
Isaiah 60:1-7
I will never forget my first morning in boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. I was exhausted from traveling the day before and standing in lines until late in the evening. About 5 a.m. the lights came on in the barracks and our Chief Petty Officer stood in the middle of the barracks and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Get out of bed you landlubbers it's time to get moving." We all crawled out of our racks and stood at attention. You could hear the moans but complaining was not an option. At that point I was having second thoughts about the next four years serving in the US Navy.
Isaiah shouted to the faith community, "Arise, shine, for your light has come!" No doubt there was grumbling there too since they lived in the midst of ruins, their city destroyed, and resources scarce. Times were hard and they had no joy in their lives.
Isaiah was fully aware of their plight and arrived full of hope and joy as he announced that their future would be much brighter. It was virtually impossible to visualize better times since they were living in misery. Yes, you are living in the darkness, Isaiah proclaimed however the glory of God will shine around you.
To live in the darkness is to live in a state of depression and hopelessness. To embrace good news that things would change was incomprehensible. Nevertheless, Isaiah rallied the troops from their abyss by promising they would be a light to the nations. The only way for them to realize the glory of God was to "arise, shine," wake up, and get moving!
Without light it is hard to find our way. Life can be scary and it's easier to refrain from venturing out. In the days of Isaiah light was a rare commodity. Their only source of light, other than daylight, was oil lamps. Very few people could afford them so many relied on candlelight. In modern times we take the darkness for granted since we now have artificial lighting. Finding our way in the dark is a relatively simple thing, which makes it difficult for us to relate to this text.
At Grand Lake St. Mary's where I dock my pontoon boat there are many channels and marina entrances. The lake is ten miles long and at night it is difficult to find the right channel since many of them have no markers or lights. Recently, the marina where I keep my boat added a lighthouse. It stands some 48 feet high and can be seen from just about anywhere on the lake. Now I can find my way in the darkness of night.
Today, January 6, is Epiphany. The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." Unfortunately we remain in the dark when we refrain from letting our lights shine. Like the Israelites we too have a mission to let the glory of God shine in order to bring light to those who live in the darkness.
In the movie, Apollo 13, following the explosion that almost destroyed the spacecraft, astronaut Jim Lovell was asked if he had ever been afraid. He recalled a time in WWII when he was flying a combat mission and was returning to the aircraft carrier on which he was supposed to land. Everything was totally dark. The carrier had no lights due to combat conditions. His radio and navigation equipment weren't working so he had no way to contact the ship. He turned on a map light in the cockpit to try and calculate his position, but as he did that an electrical short caused the lights in his cockpit to go out. He found himself in total darkness and he was running out of fuel. It was at that moment that he looked down and saw a luminescent glow of sea plankton caused by the wake of the ship. All he had to do was follow the glow of light and safely land on the ship. While one light failed another took its place.
There are times when we all find ourselves in the dark. Life becomes overwhelming and we can't see to find our way. Some of you are grieving over losses in your life. Some are struggling with a relationship. Others are experiencing struggles at work, at home, or at school. You are in need of a light to find your way. Just as the light of the sea plankton saved the life of Jim Lovell, the light of God's faithful can bring salvation to others.
Where Everyone Counts
by Keith Wagner
Ephesians 3:1-12
It has been my experience that many people come to a church because they need a sense of belonging. For any number of reasons they are feeling alone and excluded from community. They need acceptance to be embraced for who they are.
Paul wrote this message to the church at Ephesus since they were extremely far from the other churches and felt a sense of distance and isolation. No one knew isolation better than Paul, who was a prisoner, so he wanted those in Ephesus to feel included. By no means were they inferior and neither was their faith community powerless to make a difference.
To enable them to feel a part of the "body" Paul revealed a mystery. The mystery was the grace of Jesus Christ. The Gentiles indeed were "fellow heirs" as was Paul; therefore, he wanted to assure them that they were recipients of grace.
In the film, Forrest Gump, there is a scene early in the movie when no one on the school bus would give Forrest a seat. His friend, Jenny, invited him to sit beside her. It was truly a moment where one person gave another person the gift of grace. When we receive God's grace we experience acceptance from God although others may reject us.
Grace is a gift God wants us to receive with gratitude and thanksgiving. Grace can surprise us and come in ways we do not understand. Grace can liberate us from guilt, shame, and despair. Grace enables us to see our way more clearly. Most importantly, as we receive grace, God also wants us to be givers of grace.
Paul was saying that to be the community of faith is to be people who were givers of grace by being inclusive. Others would sense acceptance through their warmth and unconditional love.
I had some good friends who had three sons. The oldest son was an athlete just like his father and had a very promising career in baseball. His father played for Florida State and even made it to the minor leagues. Their youngest son was very handsome. He became a model for magazines and appeared in television commercials. The middle son however had Down syndrome. It was very difficult for the father to accept the fact that his second son was different. He would never play baseball and neither would he appear on television. We had many conversations as to why this second son could not be like the others and there were no simple answers.
All three boys had the same parents, same home, and lived in the same environment, but one was different. But the second son was different is some other ways. He was always smiling and he was very loving. His mother accepted him as he was and encouraged her husband to do the same. She loved her three sons equally. When their middle son reached the age of seven a friend of the family invited them to let their son participate in Special Olympics. The father was reluctant at first but he finally gave in. Their middle son was extremely happy participating in Special Olympics and he eventually won some awards. After a time, his father finally came to the realization that his second son, although different, was just as important as the other two.
Just as the second son of my friends was special so is everyone. I believe that Paul is reminding us here that everyone counts. Each person has their own gifts and it is sorrowful to leave anyone out. Paul concluded his message with these words; "If one member suffers, all suffer together. If one member is honored, all rejoice together."
One time there was a little boy who wanted to have a puppy. His mother told him he would have to earn the money. He did all kinds of odd jobs until he finally earned enough money to buy a puppy. He went to the pet store and observed a litter of puppies in the window. He went into the store and one of the puppies lying in a corner got his attention. The store manager came over and asked if he could help. The little boy told the store manager that he wanted the puppy in the corner.
But the store manager said that he should choose one of the other puppies. That one was not very healthy. He was the runt of the litter. He said he wouldn't feel right selling a puppy that was less than normal. But, the little boy insisted. "Mister," he said, "that little puppy needs me and I need him." The store manager replied, "But, I don't feel right selling you a puppy that doesn't have much of a chance." The little boy then rolled up his pants leg, revealing a brace on his leg. "You see sir, I haven't had much of a chance to be normal and that's why we need each other."
Rev. Dr. Keith Wagner is the pastor of St. John's UCC in Troy, Ohio. He and his wife, Lin, live in Springfield, Ohio.
*****************************************
StoryShare, January 6, 2014, issue.
Copyright 2014 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
