I had a plan for today: This morning, we heard one of my favorite parables, the parable of the unforgiving servant. It’s about how absurd, and great, and unbelievably unending God’s grace is. My plan for this week was to come up here and talk to all of you about what reconciliation is, which is a key theme in this parable. What reconciling yourself to God looks like. I was going to preach to you about the power of making a sacramental confession to a priest, it was going to be passionate, personal, and hopefully for many of you cause you to think about drawing near with faith and taking the sacrament of reconciliation to your comfort, and making a humble confession before a priest. That was my plan, and not to brag, it was a really good plan!
However, last week we all endured a great trial. And sometimes, the great trials and tribulations we endure must take precedence even over the readings assigned for the day.
I have some questions for you. You can all answer these questions by a show of hands, and you need to be honest. How many of you suffered last week? OK. How many of you are still suffering through the aftermath of Irma? It is OK to raise your hand. It’s OK to admit you are suffering. How many of you could have suffered far more last week?
In the midst of suffering, what are we to do? We can praise God, we can love God, and yes, we can even rejoice in God during our suffering. Let me rephrase that, We MUST praise God, we MUST love God, and we MUST rejoice in God during our suffering.
Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah in his letter to the Romans when he says, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” What does our offering praise and thanksgiving to God mean in the aftermath of an event such as this, if in the midst of our trial last week we were not praising God, loving God, and worshipping God?
I know that during an event like hurricane Irma, we may not feel like we are praising God, so let’s all think back one week together, and reflect.
Where did you see God in the midst of Irma last Saturday, Sunday, and Monday?
I will tell you where I saw God.
I saw God in the willingness of our county employees and first responders, dying to themselves, and giving back to our community with all their strength to ensure the safety of all of us.
I saw God in my children, who traversed I-75 at 3AM Saturday morning to escape what we feared to be the total destruction of this community we love so dearly.
I saw God in my in-laws who kept us safe in their house in Georgia.
I saw God in my daughter MJ who on her own went to her grandmother and planned a birthday party for me, as my birthday was September 10th – the day Irma passed over this city.
Before all that, I saw people praising God here at Redeemer as the numerous volunteers showed up to secure this facility as best we could so that we would have a place to worship, after the storm passed.
I saw God praised in the text messages all the leadership of Redeemer shared as the events of the storm unfolded and we planned for this Sunday.
I share these stories to jog your memories of last weekend. To enable you to look back and see God’s presence in the midst of your suffering, and your praise of him while you suffered.
We are to praise God no matter what the circumstances in our lives. In death we praise God, in pain we praise God, in sorrow we praise God, in fear we praise God, and in a hurricane, we praise God.
We praise God because God made us to be in a relationship with him, because he loves us. I don’t know about you, but last week I prayed to God, and used the name Jesus Christ in prayer more than I have in a long time, and I pray a lot, it’s my job. I prayed for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I prayed for protection, I prayed for my friends who were in the path of the storm, and who were hit far harder than we were, I prayed for our friends on the north coast of the Dominican Republic whom we work with every Summer, I prayed for Naples, for the Keys, and for Marco Island. I prayed for strength, I prayed to be closer to God.
Not all my prayers were answered to my pleasure, but, after last week, I feel closer to God. In my suffering, I longed for our heavenly father, I reached out for Him, I praised Him, I loved Him, and I worshipped him more earnestly that I have in a long time, and I bet most of, if not all of you had a very similar experience.
As I drove away from Sarasota early in the morning to escape the storm, I had to leave my wife behind so she could answer God’s call and work for the County in the midst of the worst part of Irma. I drove with my children sleeping in the back of the car, wondering if I had it in me to care for them as well as my wife could, and I wished I could be the one in harm’s way and not her. As I drove up I75 with tears streaming down my face, for fear of what was to come, I prayed. I prayed for Kate, for our church, and for all of you. Those prayers were constant, and I am sure you all joined me with your prayers for this place, and for each other. In doing that we praised God. I dare say if this church had been destroyed last weekend, this congregation here today would still be here praising God right now.
So, today I thank God, for in the midst of our suffering, you drew close to us, even when we did not feel it, or know it. We praise you God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We praise you in our joy, we praise you in our fear, we praise you in our uncertainty, we praise you in our sorrow, we praise you as we suffer.
In closing I leave you with the words of Psalm 139:7-11 which reminds us that no matter where we are, or how distant we feel from God’s love He is always with us.
If I climb up to heaven, you are there; *
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
If I take the wings of the morning *
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there your hand will lead me *
and your right hand hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me, *
and the light around me turn to night,”
Darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day; *
darkness and light to you are both alike.
In our darkness, last weekend God was our light, calling us to him. Today we come before His altar, and we take part in the Great Thanksgiving, the ultimate act of praise, The Holy Eucharist, so that we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and go out into the world, members of His Body, to do the work He has given us to do. Alleluia.
Sermon preached by the Rev. Christian M. Wood
Church of the Redeemer
Sarasota Florida
15th Sunday after Pentecost
17 September 2017