| How Do You Respond? |
“How Do You Respond?”
Luke 1:26-38
December 9, 2007
How do you respond when God presents you with an opportunity that
might seem like impossibility? How do you respond when God presents
you with an opportunity to transform the world? Are you frightened,
apprehensive, cautious, questioning, doubting, overwhelmed, excited,
full of anticipation or do you just ignore the possibility that God really
does present opportunities that will change the world through you?
There have been those moments in my life when I have been accused of
being a bit too optimistic in response to the opportunities that God has
placed in my path. Like the time in 1973 when I took off for Harrogate,
Tennessee which is nestled in the midst of the Appalachian Mountains. I
was ready for anything as I drove my 1948 Ford Jewel-T delivery Truck
with its flathead V-8 under the hood and mattress in the back. I knew the
engine would hold out. I knew I would survive financially even though I
didn’t have a guaranteed job. What I didn’t know was what I was going to
be doing or why I was really doing it. But, I believed I would be alright. I
believed I would be alright because I knew God was with me.
Perhaps optimistic is the wrong word? Foolish might seem more
appropriate? Like the time I was asked to start a new church even
though I hadn’t finished seminary, even though there was no place to
meet, even though there was not enough money to pay for everything
that was needed (including my salary), and even though there were no
people to even meet with. Even though I didn’t know was what I was
doing or why I was really doing it. But, I believed I would be alright. I
believed I would be alright because I knew God was with me.
Get the drift of what I’m saying? How do you respond when God
presents you with an opportunity that might seem like impossibility?
God, through the angel Gabriel, says to Mary “The Holy Spirit is going to
come upon you and you are going to have a child.” Now you know and I
know what it takes to have a child and that wasn’t happening with Mary
and Joseph. But the angel said to Mary, “Nothing will be impossible with
God.” And Mary said, “Here am I...”
Mary knew that the angel was telling the truth because her faith had
informed her time and again of the power of God’s presence. Moses,
Jacob, Isaiah, Joseph in his Technicolor coat, Samuel, Saul,
Jeremiah... All of them at one point said, “Here am I, Lord.” The
impossible became possible with that response and Mary conceived a
son: the very incarnation of God. How do you respond when God
presents you with an opportunity that might seem like impossibility?
Let me suggest that Mary had her doubts. However, Mary’s doubts
weren’t that a miracle would not occur. That was the easy part. Here
world was filled with the reality of miracles. Mary’s doubts came when
the angel called her favored. Some translations say “highly” favored. To
be highly favored by God scared the heck out of Mary. To be highly
favored by God meant that God was paying particular attention to Mary.
To be highly favored by God meant that Mary was considered special
and frankly that had never happened to Mary before. Miracles yes, no
problem. Considered special? Paid attention to? Favored? Never
before.
Mary was greatly troubled by the angel’s words. The more complete
translation is that she was wholly disturbed. What’s so hard to believe?
Mary knew what was hard to believe. It’s hard to believe that God saw
something special in her when she didn’t see it.
Have you experienced any Mary moments? Had a hard time believing in
your self? Struggled to see God’s potential in you?
Rachel Naomi Remen in her book Kitchen Table Wisdom writes: “We
are, in a certain way, defined as much by our potential as by its
expression. There is a great difference between an acorn and a little bit
of wood carved into an acorn shape, a difference not always readily
apparent to the naked eye. The difference is there even if an acorn
never has the opportunity to plant itself and become an oak.
Remembering its potential changes the way in which we think of an
acorn and react to it. How we value it. If an acorn were conscious,
knowing its potential would change the way that it might think and feel
about itself.”
God saw the potential in Mary that others, including Mary herself, had a
hard time seeing. The fact is God looks upon each of us with favor. God
understands the potential in each of us and wants to develop that
potential. And O, what potential the Holy Spirit has conceived in each of
us!
There is the potential to fill a person’s loneliness with your presence of
caring. There is the potential to offer hope in the midst of hopelessness,
to replace grief with friendship, offer avenues to the future rather than
being mired in the past. There is the potential to put food on an empty
plate and provide shelter from the harshness of the weather. There is the
potential to witness to God’s grace through prayer, through actions, and
through preaching.
I still struggle with the idea that God can and wants to use me: seeks me
out in fact to accomplish miracles through me. But that is what God
does. God is seeking you out also. In other words, God has looked upon
each of us with favor, has conceived potential in each of us, and calls
each of us to participate in transforming the world. We call it ministry.
How do you respond when God presents you with an opportunity that
might seem like impossibility?
AMEN.
Luke 1:26-38
December 9, 2007
How do you respond when God presents you with an opportunity that
might seem like impossibility? How do you respond when God presents
you with an opportunity to transform the world? Are you frightened,
apprehensive, cautious, questioning, doubting, overwhelmed, excited,
full of anticipation or do you just ignore the possibility that God really
does present opportunities that will change the world through you?
There have been those moments in my life when I have been accused of
being a bit too optimistic in response to the opportunities that God has
placed in my path. Like the time in 1973 when I took off for Harrogate,
Tennessee which is nestled in the midst of the Appalachian Mountains. I
was ready for anything as I drove my 1948 Ford Jewel-T delivery Truck
with its flathead V-8 under the hood and mattress in the back. I knew the
engine would hold out. I knew I would survive financially even though I
didn’t have a guaranteed job. What I didn’t know was what I was going to
be doing or why I was really doing it. But, I believed I would be alright. I
believed I would be alright because I knew God was with me.
Perhaps optimistic is the wrong word? Foolish might seem more
appropriate? Like the time I was asked to start a new church even
though I hadn’t finished seminary, even though there was no place to
meet, even though there was not enough money to pay for everything
that was needed (including my salary), and even though there were no
people to even meet with. Even though I didn’t know was what I was
doing or why I was really doing it. But, I believed I would be alright. I
believed I would be alright because I knew God was with me.
Get the drift of what I’m saying? How do you respond when God
presents you with an opportunity that might seem like impossibility?
God, through the angel Gabriel, says to Mary “The Holy Spirit is going to
come upon you and you are going to have a child.” Now you know and I
know what it takes to have a child and that wasn’t happening with Mary
and Joseph. But the angel said to Mary, “Nothing will be impossible with
God.” And Mary said, “Here am I...”
Mary knew that the angel was telling the truth because her faith had
informed her time and again of the power of God’s presence. Moses,
Jacob, Isaiah, Joseph in his Technicolor coat, Samuel, Saul,
Jeremiah... All of them at one point said, “Here am I, Lord.” The
impossible became possible with that response and Mary conceived a
son: the very incarnation of God. How do you respond when God
presents you with an opportunity that might seem like impossibility?
Let me suggest that Mary had her doubts. However, Mary’s doubts
weren’t that a miracle would not occur. That was the easy part. Here
world was filled with the reality of miracles. Mary’s doubts came when
the angel called her favored. Some translations say “highly” favored. To
be highly favored by God scared the heck out of Mary. To be highly
favored by God meant that God was paying particular attention to Mary.
To be highly favored by God meant that Mary was considered special
and frankly that had never happened to Mary before. Miracles yes, no
problem. Considered special? Paid attention to? Favored? Never
before.
Mary was greatly troubled by the angel’s words. The more complete
translation is that she was wholly disturbed. What’s so hard to believe?
Mary knew what was hard to believe. It’s hard to believe that God saw
something special in her when she didn’t see it.
Have you experienced any Mary moments? Had a hard time believing in
your self? Struggled to see God’s potential in you?
Rachel Naomi Remen in her book Kitchen Table Wisdom writes: “We
are, in a certain way, defined as much by our potential as by its
expression. There is a great difference between an acorn and a little bit
of wood carved into an acorn shape, a difference not always readily
apparent to the naked eye. The difference is there even if an acorn
never has the opportunity to plant itself and become an oak.
Remembering its potential changes the way in which we think of an
acorn and react to it. How we value it. If an acorn were conscious,
knowing its potential would change the way that it might think and feel
about itself.”
God saw the potential in Mary that others, including Mary herself, had a
hard time seeing. The fact is God looks upon each of us with favor. God
understands the potential in each of us and wants to develop that
potential. And O, what potential the Holy Spirit has conceived in each of
us!
There is the potential to fill a person’s loneliness with your presence of
caring. There is the potential to offer hope in the midst of hopelessness,
to replace grief with friendship, offer avenues to the future rather than
being mired in the past. There is the potential to put food on an empty
plate and provide shelter from the harshness of the weather. There is the
potential to witness to God’s grace through prayer, through actions, and
through preaching.
I still struggle with the idea that God can and wants to use me: seeks me
out in fact to accomplish miracles through me. But that is what God
does. God is seeking you out also. In other words, God has looked upon
each of us with favor, has conceived potential in each of us, and calls
each of us to participate in transforming the world. We call it ministry.
How do you respond when God presents you with an opportunity that
might seem like impossibility?
AMEN.
DeWitt United Methodist Church
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