6-30-96	Receiving Prophets and Other Problems in Life	Gen. 22:1-14

Romans 6:12-23

Mt. 10:40-42

It is amazing how slow we sometimes are to understand God's purposes and plans for our life. We can go for many years, even for a lifetime, convinced that we understand what God wants for us, only to find out in unexpected ways how much more vast and encompassing God's will really is and how empty we really are.

Take our scripture lesson from the book of Genesis, for example. It is the story of how Abraham is told by God to go up to Mount Moriah and, there, offer up his son, Isaac. For years we have been told that this story was a story of faith. Here, after being promised that he would have a son in his old age, the long awaited miracle takes place – Isaac is born. And now, suddenly, Abraham is told – go offer Isaac up to God.

Of course, Abraham could have told God to forget it – that he wouldn't ever do such a thing to his precious little boy. But, Abraham didn't do that. For he had come to trust in God. He had come to trust in a God who always seemed to find a way, in spite of the obstacles life offered. Abraham had come to trust in a God who was good and loving and faithful and steadfast, a God who always worked for the good of those who loved him. So, Abraham took his son, Isaac, and went to Mount Moriah with his knife and a load of wood and a torch, trusting completely in God – willing to even sacrifice his son, Isaac, because he knew in his heart that the goodness of God would persevere – willing to do something that seemed senseless and ridiculous and foolish and painful, because he knew that God would make it alright in the end.

Well, I like that understanding of this story. There's a lot there to encourage us all to have faith in such a God. Certainly, as God asks us to do things for him in our life, we need such faith as this.

As a church we have set aside this hour to honor our graduates: Jim and Corey. We do so aware that they have been with this church since they were born. They have been brought up in the Christian faith. They have attended Sunday School. They have attended the worship services here. So, we trust that they have within them a firm foundation of ethical Christian teachings, as well as a faith in Jesus Christ that should be a great asset in their lives in the years to come.

Each of us, from time to time, are, like Abraham, confronted with problems and choices in life that may seem terribly difficult and perplexing. There are many times in our lives when we may be asked by God to choose one path or another. Sometimes the choice may be easy. But, sometimes the choice may be very hard. Sometimes the choice may be between something that is clearly good and another thing that is clearly bad. But, sometimes the choice may be between two things that look really good! Or, sometimes we may be put into a position of having to choose the lesser of two evils. Hopefully, when those times come, the foundation that we have from being a part of the Body of Christ, and the faith that we have in God, will help us to choose correctly. And if we choose incorrectly, may we then trust in the grace of God so that we may never be paralyzed by our mistakes.

Now, all of you here know that I have a special affinity for ducks! So you'll understand if I tell you the story about a duck named Ringo:

Poor Ringo the duck! Grubbing for food on the bottom of a large pond in a park in the middle of Toronto, the duck got a pullring from a pop-can clamped around her beak. As a result, the duck couldn't eat properly and faced starvation. Concerned people saw her plight and tried in a number of ways to capture the bird and remove the ring on her beak.

First, a cannon which fires a large net was set up on the shores of the pond with the hopes of catching the poor duck. But, unfortunately, when the cannon went off it scared the duck away from where the net was being deployed.

Then a skydiver tried to catch Ringo by swimming underneath the duck and grabbing it's feet. But, again, the duck was frightened away.

Then the Toronto Humane Society tried to lure Ringo with bread and corn, but that only drew seagulls from miles around.

Finally, Canada's champion duck caller was called in. But, although he got the attention of nearly every duck in the pond, Ringo didn't respond.

All of these things and more were done for the sake of one little duck! But, Ringo just didn't understand that all these attempts were not being made to frighten her, but to free her from her plight.

Likewise, God often offers us ways of solving our problems, and guides for making those difficult decisions in our lives. Sometimes the solution to our problem is already in what we have learned in Sunday School lessons, or in Church, or from reading the Bible. But, often, the answer is forthcoming. How important it is for us to comprehend the help that God offers us when it comes; to be tuned in to God's love in our lives. Otherwise, we would be as helpless as Ringo the duck.

So, our story from Genesis is truly a story of faith in God. But, it is so much more. I believe that this story from Genesis is also a story about how God wants us to keep an open mind as we venture in our faith and in our journey through life. Now, why do I say that?

Remember Abraham? He was asked to go and offer up his son, Isaac. For Abraham "offering up his son" meant only one thing. It meant human sacrifice. It literally meant, "Take your son, Isaac, to Mount Moriah, along with some wood and some fire. And when you get there put Isaac on the wood, kill him quickly with a knife, and light the fire." That's what it meant. And, yes, it is wonderful that Abraham had the faith to do what God told him to do. But what is even more wonderful was that Abraham continually open to God right up to the end. What is wonderful about this story was that Abraham learned that "offering up his son to God" didn't mean he had to kill him. What is wonderful about this story is that Abraham learned something completely new to his thinking; that all God wanted Abraham to do was celebrate the dedication of his son to God. And with that God-given understanding came one of the essential elements of the Jewish faith – that each of us has been put upon this earth with a purpose – to have faith in God.

What a concept that was! But it wouldn't have happened for Abraham if he hadn't been open to the possibility that God might do something new. Abraham could have been stubborn and insisted that he knew what "offer up your son" really meant. And Isaac would have died. But, instead, Abraham remained open to the possibility that there might still be some things left for him to learn. And so he remained open and ready to learn.

Can we be that way? Sometimes once we've graduated from of high school or college and then get settled down, we may get into the rut of believing that we've got everything figured out. In fact, we may even like the rut we're in and resist anything that might come along and disturb that rut. After all, ruts, like foxholes, are safe. But, people who spend their life in ruts miss a whole lot that God might be offering them just a few feet away.

So, the story of Abraham tells us not only to have faith, but also to be open to what God has to offer us that may be new, refreshing, and life-giving.

Our Gospel lesson for today, takes up where Jesus has just said, "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it." In a very real way, this was Jesus' way of saying the very same thing as what I've just said about ruts. It is possible to live a secure life, a safe life, even a good life. But it may not be the life God wants us to live. And so we have to give up one to find the other. "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it."

But, oh, how hard this is for many of us, especially those of us who are so confident and content with the notion that the life we have been living for the past 20, 40, or 60 years is as good as it can be; sure of ourselves that there can be no improvement; convinced that life doesn't get any better than this; assured in our minds that we know all there is to know. If that's what we think then maybe we need to dare a fresh look at what God is offering us, today! Or do we have a hard time accepting something fresh and new, even though it has "God" written all over it? Or do we have a hard time accepting a prophet in our midst? Are we reluctant to give a cup of cold water to a disciple of Christ who offers us something new and different? Read Matthew 10! That's what it's all about! If we can't do these things, how can we possibly receive Christ? And if we love the old life so much, how can we possibly find the new life God has to offer and continues to renew, day by day?

And, so, what can we say to those of you who have graduated, who have grown up in our midst, who we have sought to encourage and love? Perhaps it's this: What you have gotten from us is a start, but it isn't everything. What you have gotten from us is a foundation, but it isn't the building. What you have gotten from us is a spark, but it isn't the fire. What you have gotten from us is a haven, but it isn't the open sea. What you have gotten from us is a rock, but it isn't the universe. God will offer you these and many other things – things we have only experienced briefly, together. But you have to have the courage and the tenacity to continue to reach for God's gifts; the boldness to lose, the confidence to be set free, the willingness to risk, and the faith to live.

May God be with you in the years ahead.	Amen.