Watch Your Language
Sermon
Time's Up!
Sermons For Advent, Christmas And Epiphany
Everyone liked Linda. There was no reason not to like her. She did everything she could to be liked and it worked. Everyone liked Linda.
It had all started with her uncle, about 30 years ago. Linda was just old enough to understand what he was saying the day he picked her up and said, "You are about the most worthless thing in the world." She remembered everyone in the room laughed, including her mother. The uncle went on to say that she was not only worthless, but ugly, dumb and hopeless. It was that last "hopeless" that hit the hardest. Linda thought that people could get over being worthless and dumb, and in time, even do something about being ugly. But for her it was now hopeless.
The older Linda grew, the more she began to worry about the things her uncle had said, and the more she worried, the less she paid attention to what was going on around her. Since she was afraid of being dumb, going to school was terrifying, and her grades showed that her mind was on something other than her work. A third-grade teacher, probably meaning well, wrote on the back of Linda's report card, "Linda is a sweet girl, and tries hard to please, but just doesn't seem to have what it takes to keep up." Linda read it and believed it. Linda's mother read it and simply shook her head. Linda saw that, too.
Linda didn't try to make friends because she knew no one wanted to be friends with an ugly, hopeless girl. The more she stayed apart from the other kids, the more they let her. Linda's only bright spot was when she could stay after school and help one of the older teachers clean her room. She also began to visit an older neighbor lady, to cook and clean house for her. In fact, Linda ended up with about 15 old people she took care of every day. She wasn't paid, and didn't want to be paid, (or maybe it was that she didn't think she deserved to be paid) and she even spent her small allowance money on things they needed. She helped out a lot.
Every month or so she would also jump out in front of a car, or take a few of the old people's pills. The doctors said that she had some psychological and chemical imbalance that sent her into these self-destructive actions. Inside, Linda knew there was no imbalance. She knew that no matter how busy she was, her uncle was right. She was hopeless. It was too much to live with.
By the time Linda was 30, she had an apartment in a high-rise downtown. However, she was rarely in that apartment as she was always helping out in someone else's. She now had about 20 old persons that she cared for in the building. She gave them their medicine, cleaned their floors, cooked their meals, rubbed their sore feet, and ran to the store for them. They kept her busy, and talked to her. And, once a month when she would hear her uncle's voice again and try to kill herself, one of the old ladies would take Linda into her home and hold her, and care for her, and pray with her. The woman would shake her head and say how much she liked to take care of her "sick little girl." Linda heard that, too.
Linda's friend would take her to the doctors, who tried various drugs, psychotherapy, and electro-shock therapy. But Linda heard them all talking about how they really didn't think there was much hope, it was too "deep-seated," and that she probably didn't have the ego-strength to overcome it. Linda's minister would stop by for a visit and hold her hand and pray that she would have the "strength to endure," and that she would be thankful for the great number of people she had that were caring for her. She heard all their words, and believed them. So she stayed sick just like they told her to.
Isn't it something what words can do? They seem to take on a life of their own. Some words, once spoken, seem to come to life and follow us around wherever we go. Some of us here, every once in a while, find ourselves hearing again a word that was spoken to us years ago, as loudly and clearly as it was first spoken. Some of those words help, and some of those words do not. You look in the mirror and what do you hear? Do you hear words like "cute," and "adorable," or do you hear Linda's words? How about when you knock over a cup of coffee? Do you hear, "Oops, somebody had an accident?" or is it more like, "Oh for crying out loud, you are the clumsiest child ever born. What am I going to do with you?" These are words that come to life and become living and breathing flesh that follows you around.
And words don't just follow children here. Your words come to life for adults, too. The health of a marriage depends a lot on the words spoken by wife and husband. The health of a career is influenced by the words used by bosses and coworkers. Even the health of your body depends in part to the words it hears. The old experiment has been proven over and over again. Take a perfectly healthy person, have a number of people tell them that they sure don't look like they feel very well, and before long you will send them to bed with some unforeseen illness. It works! As a matter of fact, some of you look rather pale here this morning. Just kidding.
What about the words you speak to yourself? Many of the strengths you display come from those little pep talks you give yourself now and then, and many of your limitations come from those "I can't" comments you mumble inside every so often. Words come to life. Words pick us up and knock us down. They make us strong and make us sick.
Isn't it interesting that God knew that? Of all the creative methods God could have used to make creation healthy again, he chose words. "And the Word became flesh, and lived among us." God spoke, and the Word that he spoke came to life. It took on flesh, lived and breathed, and still follows us around, every once in a while whispering in our ears when we need to hear it. God had something to say, and said it. God said, "You are worth it. You are not hopeless. I love you." And that has made all the difference in the world.
How about Linda? Not long ago a new minister came to visit with her. But rather than hold her hand and mourn with her, the new preacher said, "What do you think we ought to do?" Linda didn't know how to respond. No one had ever asked her opinion before. The opinion of a worthless, ugly, hopeless woman doesn't carry much weight. But now someone gave it weight. That simple question, "What do you think?" created a spark inside Linda that began to grow. Maybe her uncle's words had been wrong.
Today, Linda lives in her own apartment. She still helps several older residents with their medicines and meals, but now she does it because she wants to, not because she has to. She hasn't jumped in front of a car for two years. And, there is even talk of Linda getting married to this real nice guy she started dating last spring.
"And the Word became flesh, and lived among us."
Hey! Watch your language.
It had all started with her uncle, about 30 years ago. Linda was just old enough to understand what he was saying the day he picked her up and said, "You are about the most worthless thing in the world." She remembered everyone in the room laughed, including her mother. The uncle went on to say that she was not only worthless, but ugly, dumb and hopeless. It was that last "hopeless" that hit the hardest. Linda thought that people could get over being worthless and dumb, and in time, even do something about being ugly. But for her it was now hopeless.
The older Linda grew, the more she began to worry about the things her uncle had said, and the more she worried, the less she paid attention to what was going on around her. Since she was afraid of being dumb, going to school was terrifying, and her grades showed that her mind was on something other than her work. A third-grade teacher, probably meaning well, wrote on the back of Linda's report card, "Linda is a sweet girl, and tries hard to please, but just doesn't seem to have what it takes to keep up." Linda read it and believed it. Linda's mother read it and simply shook her head. Linda saw that, too.
Linda didn't try to make friends because she knew no one wanted to be friends with an ugly, hopeless girl. The more she stayed apart from the other kids, the more they let her. Linda's only bright spot was when she could stay after school and help one of the older teachers clean her room. She also began to visit an older neighbor lady, to cook and clean house for her. In fact, Linda ended up with about 15 old people she took care of every day. She wasn't paid, and didn't want to be paid, (or maybe it was that she didn't think she deserved to be paid) and she even spent her small allowance money on things they needed. She helped out a lot.
Every month or so she would also jump out in front of a car, or take a few of the old people's pills. The doctors said that she had some psychological and chemical imbalance that sent her into these self-destructive actions. Inside, Linda knew there was no imbalance. She knew that no matter how busy she was, her uncle was right. She was hopeless. It was too much to live with.
By the time Linda was 30, she had an apartment in a high-rise downtown. However, she was rarely in that apartment as she was always helping out in someone else's. She now had about 20 old persons that she cared for in the building. She gave them their medicine, cleaned their floors, cooked their meals, rubbed their sore feet, and ran to the store for them. They kept her busy, and talked to her. And, once a month when she would hear her uncle's voice again and try to kill herself, one of the old ladies would take Linda into her home and hold her, and care for her, and pray with her. The woman would shake her head and say how much she liked to take care of her "sick little girl." Linda heard that, too.
Linda's friend would take her to the doctors, who tried various drugs, psychotherapy, and electro-shock therapy. But Linda heard them all talking about how they really didn't think there was much hope, it was too "deep-seated," and that she probably didn't have the ego-strength to overcome it. Linda's minister would stop by for a visit and hold her hand and pray that she would have the "strength to endure," and that she would be thankful for the great number of people she had that were caring for her. She heard all their words, and believed them. So she stayed sick just like they told her to.
Isn't it something what words can do? They seem to take on a life of their own. Some words, once spoken, seem to come to life and follow us around wherever we go. Some of us here, every once in a while, find ourselves hearing again a word that was spoken to us years ago, as loudly and clearly as it was first spoken. Some of those words help, and some of those words do not. You look in the mirror and what do you hear? Do you hear words like "cute," and "adorable," or do you hear Linda's words? How about when you knock over a cup of coffee? Do you hear, "Oops, somebody had an accident?" or is it more like, "Oh for crying out loud, you are the clumsiest child ever born. What am I going to do with you?" These are words that come to life and become living and breathing flesh that follows you around.
And words don't just follow children here. Your words come to life for adults, too. The health of a marriage depends a lot on the words spoken by wife and husband. The health of a career is influenced by the words used by bosses and coworkers. Even the health of your body depends in part to the words it hears. The old experiment has been proven over and over again. Take a perfectly healthy person, have a number of people tell them that they sure don't look like they feel very well, and before long you will send them to bed with some unforeseen illness. It works! As a matter of fact, some of you look rather pale here this morning. Just kidding.
What about the words you speak to yourself? Many of the strengths you display come from those little pep talks you give yourself now and then, and many of your limitations come from those "I can't" comments you mumble inside every so often. Words come to life. Words pick us up and knock us down. They make us strong and make us sick.
Isn't it interesting that God knew that? Of all the creative methods God could have used to make creation healthy again, he chose words. "And the Word became flesh, and lived among us." God spoke, and the Word that he spoke came to life. It took on flesh, lived and breathed, and still follows us around, every once in a while whispering in our ears when we need to hear it. God had something to say, and said it. God said, "You are worth it. You are not hopeless. I love you." And that has made all the difference in the world.
How about Linda? Not long ago a new minister came to visit with her. But rather than hold her hand and mourn with her, the new preacher said, "What do you think we ought to do?" Linda didn't know how to respond. No one had ever asked her opinion before. The opinion of a worthless, ugly, hopeless woman doesn't carry much weight. But now someone gave it weight. That simple question, "What do you think?" created a spark inside Linda that began to grow. Maybe her uncle's words had been wrong.
Today, Linda lives in her own apartment. She still helps several older residents with their medicines and meals, but now she does it because she wants to, not because she has to. She hasn't jumped in front of a car for two years. And, there is even talk of Linda getting married to this real nice guy she started dating last spring.
"And the Word became flesh, and lived among us."
Hey! Watch your language.
