GOD’S LIFE-GIVING PRESENCE

John 14:1-2; Psalm 139:1-11

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 8/1/21

IDELLA EDWARDS SHARES THE FOLLOWING IN THE BOOK

HEAVEN SENT: MORE THAN COINCIDENCE:

THE DAY AFTER MY MOTHER’S FUNERAL I SAT ON HER BED,

THANKFUL THAT MY THREE DAUGHTERS

WERE HELPING ME SORT THROUGH HER THINGS.

I COULD HARDLY TOUCH A PIECE OF HER CLOTHING

WITHOUT BREAKING DOWN IN TEARS.

I HAD TRIED TO MAKE HER SERVICE A GLORIOUS, BEAUTIFUL​​ 

TRIBUTE TO HER HUNDRED YEARS OF LIFE AND UNSHAKABLE FAITH –

BUT​​ HAD​​ I HONORED HER THE WAY SHE WOULD HAVE​​ WANTED?

I SECOND-GUESSED EVERYTHING.

ESPECIALLY THE FINAL HYMN I CHOSE:

“GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.”

I WASN’T EVEN SURE WHY I’D PICKED IT.

MUSIC WAS A HUGE PART OF MOTHER’S LIFE,

INTERWOVEN WITH HER FAITH.

NOTHING BROUGHT HER MORE JOY

THAN ENTERTAINING FOLKS WITH A SING-ALONG,

PLAYING BOOGIE-WOOGIE OR A HYMN ON THE PIANO.

SO WHEN IT CAME TIME TO CHOOSE THE SONGS FOR HER SERVICE

MY MIND FLASHED BACK TO THE HUNDREDS OF SELECTIONS

SHE’D PERFORMED OVER THE YEARS.

I HOPED I’D MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE.

“WOW!” ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS SAID,

JOLTING ME FROM MY THOUGHTS.

“LOOK AT ALL THOSE PAPERS.”

I GOT UP OFF THE BED AND KNELT ON THE FLOOR

IN FRONT OF A PLASTIC TUB THAT HELD A BUNDLE OF DOCUMENTS.

MY CURIOSITY TOOK OVER.

WHAT​​ WERE​​ THESE PAPERS?

WERE THEY NOTES FROM MY LATE FATHER?

HER CHILDHOOD FRIENDS?

I PULLED ONE SHEAF OUT AT RANDOM AND READ [THE FOLLOWING]:

‘YEARS AGO I WAS PLANNING A ROAD TRIP,

SO I TRADED IN MY OLD CAR FOR ANOTHER, BETTER, USED ONE.

THAT SAME NIGHT I HAD A DREAM.”

A DREAM? ​​ I READ ON.

“I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY​​ 

WHEN SUDDENLY I HAD TO TURN MY CAR SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT.

BAM! ​​​​ THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT​​ 

AND I WENT UP AND OVER AN EMBANKMENT.

THE NEXT MORNING I AWOKE WITH A START,

TERRIBLY WORRIED ABOUT THE TIRES ON MY NEW CAR.

I DROVE IT TO AN AUTO-BODY SHOP.

‘I’M PLANNING A ROAD TRIP NEXT WEEK.

DO YOU THINK MY TIRES ARE IN GOOD SHAPE FOR IT?’

I ASKED THE MECHANIC.

HE CHECKED OUT ALL THE TIRES AND CAME BACK TO THE LOBBY.

‘MA’AM, ALL OF YOUR TIRES ARE WORN –

ESPECIALLY THAT FRONT RIGHT ONE.

WE’VE GOT TO CHANGE THEM STRAIGHT AWAY.’

‘YOU’RE KIDDING,’ I SAID. ​​ A SHIVER RAN DOWN MY SPINE.

I BOUGHT FOUR BRAND-NEW TIRES.

THE FOLLOWING WEEK I SET OUT ON MY ROAD TRIP.

I WAS DRIVING ALONG WHEN ALL AT ONCE​​ 

AN ONCOMING CAR VEERED INTO MY LANE!

I TURNED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT JUST LIKE I HAD IN MY DREAM…

ONLY​​ THIS​​ TIME MY TIRE DIDN’T BLOW OUT.

I WAS TOTALLY FINE. ​​ TOTALLY PROTECTED.”

THE DAUGHTER CONTINUES:

I WAS AMAZED. ​​ MOM HAD NEVER TOLD ANY OF US THIS STORY.

I FINISHED READING [MY MOTHER’S WRITING]:

“AND THAT’S WHY TO THIS DAY MY VERY FAVORITE HYMN

IS ‘GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU,’

BECAUSE I KNOW, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THAT GOD PROTECTS ME…”

THE DAUGHTER CONCLUDES:

AND NOW I KNEW THAT MY CHOICE OF HYMN​​ 

HAD BEEN THE RIGHT ONE.”

MANY OF US HAVE HEARD STORIES LIKE THIS FROM FRIENDS…

OR​​ FROM THE FRIEND OF A FRIEND.

WHETHER WE​​ BELIEVE​​ A STORY LIKE THIS OR NOT

HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE LEVEL OF​​ TRUST

WE PLACE IN THE STORYTELLER.

IF THERE’S A HIGH LEVEL OF TRUST, WE’RE LIKELY​​ TO​​ BELIEVE.

IF THERE IS NO TRUST OR LOW TRUST, WE’RE LIKELY​​ NOT​​ TO.

IN OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT THIS MORNING,

JESUS IS SHARING A VERY​​ SIMILAR​​ STORY

TO THE ONE WE JUST HEARD FROM IDELLA EDWARDS.

IF WE TRUST HIM, WE’RE LIKELY TO TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD.

IF WE DON’T TRUST HIM, WE’RE LIKELY TO TAKE

WHAT HE SAYS WITH A HUGE DOSE OF SALT

AND DISCOUNT IT AS “WISHFUL THINKING.”

LET’S TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT OUR SCRIPTURE READING

FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN.

IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THIS PASSAGE

JESUS HAS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES THAT HE WILL BE LEAVING THEM.

THEY REALIZE HE IS TELLING THEM​​ 

THAT HE WILL SOON BE PUT TO DEATH.

THEY ARE HUGELY UPSET.

JESUS SPEAKS​​ THE WORDS IN OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT​​ 

TO CONSOLE HIS HURTING DISCIPLES.

HE KNOWS THAT IN ADDITION TO THEIR BEING AGITATED

ABOUT HIS UPCOMING DEATH,

HIS WORDS ABOUT LEAVING HAVE ALSO REMINDED THEM

THAT THEY, TOO, WILL DIE,​​ 

IF NOT SOONER, THEN DEFINITELY LATER.

THE FIRST THING HE SAYS TO THEM,​​ 

A STATEMENT WHICH HE​​ HAS OFTEN SAID BEFORE, IS:

“DON’T WORRY OR SURRENDER TO YOUR FEAR.”

IN THE CONTEXT OF DEATH, JESUS’ STATEMENT​​ 

NOT TO WORRY AND NOT TO GIVE IN TO FEAR

MEANS THAT DEATH​​ ITSELF​​ IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT

OR TO BE AFRAID OF.

JUST IN CASE THE DISCIPLES ARE HAVING SOME THOUGHTS

ALONG THE LINES OF, “AND WHAT GIVES​​ YOU​​ THE AUTHORITY

TO TELL US THAT DEATH IS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT?”,

JESUS​​ IMMEDIATELY GIVES THEM THE REASON​​ WHY​​ HE CAN MAKE

SUCH AN OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENT.

HE REMINDS THEM OF THEIR FAITH IN GOD,

AND ASKS HIS DISCIPLES TO PUT THEIR TRUST AND BELIEF IN​​ HIM

JUST​​ AS​​ THEY HAVE PUT THEIR BELIEF AND TRUST IN​​ GOD.

JESUS IS BASICALLY​​ CHALLENGING​​ HIS DISCIPLES

TO​​ LET​​ GO​​ OF ALL THEIR UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT DEATH

AND TO​​ SIMPLY HANG ON TO​​ HIM​​ HANGING ON TO​​ THEM.

THIS REMINDS ME OF THE VERY EARLY ICONS​​ 

OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION WHICH​​ HAVE​​ COME TO US FROM​​ 

THE EASTERN ORTHODOX BRANCH OF CHRISTIANITY.

THESE ICONS​​ NEVER​​ PORTRAY JESUS AS RISING​​ ALONE.

THEY​​ ALWAYS​​ SHOW​​ JESUS AS FIERCELY HANGING ON​​ 

TO ADAM AND EVE – WHO REPRESENT ALL OF HUMANITY –

WHO, IN TURN, ARE EMPOWERED BY JESUS TO FIRMLY HOLD

ON TO THE NEXT PERSON IN LINE,​​ 

UNTIL ALL OF HUMANITY IS LIFTED UP IN HIM.

WHAT JESUS IS TELLING HIS DISCIPLES​​ 

IS THAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM IS​​ UNBREAKABLE.

NOT EVEN DEATH WILL BE ABLE TO BREAK IT

BECAUSE JESUS IS​​ STRONGER​​ THAN DEATH.

DEATH IS NO MATCH FOR GOD’S LIFE-GIVING PRESENCE

IN THE PERSON OF JESUS.

WHEN JESUS TELLS HIS DISCIPLES​​ 

“MY FATHER’S HOUSE HAS MANY DWELLING PLACES,”

IT SURE SOUNDS LIKE JESUS IS SPEAKING

FROM HIS OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH GOD.

HE’S TELLING HIS DISCIPLES THAT HE’S​​ ALREADY​​ BEEN

IN HIS FATHER’S HOUSE AND KNOWS WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT.

THE PHRASE TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK​​ 

AS “DWELLING PLACES” HAS A WONDERFUL CONNOTATION

THAT FAILS TO COME THROUGH IN OUR ENGLISH BIBLES.

IN ADDITION TO MEANING “SAFE SHELTER” OR “SAFE HARBOR,”​​ 

IT MEANS “STAGES​​ ON THE​​ WAY.”

MANY MAJOR EARLY CHRISTIAN THINKERS​​ 

UNDERSTOOD THIS TO MEAN​​ 

THAT DEATH IS NOT THE ENTRANCE TO A​​ STATIC​​ HEAVEN

IN WHICH EVERYTHING IS​​ FIXED​​ FOR ALL ETERNITY,

BUT THAT DEATH IS THE ENTRANCE TO A​​ DYNAMIC​​ HEAVEN

IN WHICH ALL GOD’S CREATURES CONTINUE TO​​ GROW

IN UNDERSTANDING AND IN LOVE THROUGHOUT ALL ETERNITY.

FOR THESE EARLY CHRISTIAN THINKERS SUCH AS ORIGEN, IRENAEUS,

AND CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, THERE ARE MANY MORE​​ 

“STAGES ON LIFE’S WAY”​​ AFTER​​ DEATH THAN​​ BEFORE​​ DEATH.

FOR THEM, ONE​​ CONTINUES​​ TO DISCOVER AND GROW INTO​​ 

THE UNIQUE IMAGE OF GOD THAT GOD CREATED EACH OF US TO BE

FOR ALL ETERNITY.

PERSONALLY, I THINK THESE VERY EARLY CHRISTIAN THINKERS

HAVE GIVEN US A PROFOUND INSIGHT HERE.

THEY GIVE ME PERMISSION TO THINK OF SOLOMON’S LIFE

AS NOT ONLY TRAGICALLY CUT SHORT IN THIS DIMENSION,

BUT OF SOL’S BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE HIS MUSICAL ADVENTURES

IN HEAVEN WITH PEOPLE LIKE MOZART, BEETHOVEN,​​ 

MAHLER, AND SHOSTAKOVICH.

THERE IS ANOTHER GREEK PHRASE​​ 

WITH AN AMAZING HIDDEN CONNOTATION

IN THE LAST VERSE OF OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT FROM JOHN.

“I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU”​​ 

DESCRIBES JESUS IN TERMS OF BEING​​ 

A “FORERUNNER” OR “RECONNAISSANCE SCOUT.”

THE IMPLICATION IS THAT WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING​​ 

TO FEAR FROM DEATH BECAUSE JESUS HAS​​ ALREADY

GONE ON AHEAD OF US TO PROVIDE SAFE PASSAGE

THROUGH DEATH TO NEW LIFE BEYOND DEATH.

APPLYING THIS INSIGHT TO SOLOMON,

I’M COMFORTED BY THE THOUGHT

THAT EVEN BEFORE SOL DIED TO THIS WORLD,

JESUS HAD​​ ALREADY​​ GONE​​ ON AHEAD OF HIM

TO PROVIDE SAFE PASSAGE.

JESUS’ COMFORTING WORDS TO HIS​​ ORIGINAL​​ DISCIPLES​​ 

ARE INTENDED JUST AS MUCH FOR THOSE OF​​ US

WHO ARE HIS DISCIPLES​​ TODAY.

THE TRICKY PART IS THAT HIS​​ ORIGINAL​​ DISCIPLES REALLY​​ KNEW​​ HIM.

CAN WE SAY THE SAME FOR​​ OURSELVES?

WE CAN’T​​ TRUST​​ A PERSON UNLESS WE​​ KNOW​​ THAT PERSON.

THE PIVOTAL QUESTION FOR EACH OF US HERE TODAY IS

“DO​​ I​​ KNOW JESUS WELL ENOUGH TO TRUST HIM?”

NOW SOME OF US HAVE GOTTEN PRETTY BADLY BURNED

BY RELATIONSHIP FAILURES IN THE PAST,

AND HAVE TOLD OURSELVES THAT WE ARE NEVER, EVER

GOING TO FULLY TRUST A PERSON

UNTIL WE GET TO KNOW​​ EVERYTHING​​ THERE IS TO KNOW

ABOUT THEM.

OF COURSE IF WE STICK TO THIS FEAR-DRIVEN DEMAND,

WE ARE NEVER, EVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO FULLY TRUST

ANYONE EVER AGAIN.

AND THIS APPLIES TO JESUS JUST AS MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE.

SO WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE UNENVIABLE POSITION

OF TRYING TO CARRY ON A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE

WE SIMULTANEOUSLY TRUST​​ AND​​ DON’T TRUST –

NOT A GOOD RECIPE FOR DEVELOPING A DEEP AND LOVING​​ 

RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE – INCLUDING GOD!

BETTER,​​ PERHAPS, TO​​ TAKE​​ THAT STEP OF TRUSTING FAITH

AND SEE WHERE IT LEADS​​ OVER​​ TIME. ​​ 

IF​​ ONE HAS BEEN SINCERE, ​​ 

AND REALLY GIVEN A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS A CHANCE,

AND STILL FINDS THAT THIS RELATIONSHIP

LEADS TO UNHAPPINESS AND LACK OF MEANING AND PURPOSE,

THEN ONE CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT ONE SIMPLY​​ CAN’T​​ TRUST HIM.

THERE​​ IS ANOTHER POSSIBILITY, HOWEVER.

THAT IS​​ THE POSSIBILITY THAT IF ONE FINDS ENOUGH​​ GOOD​​ 

IN ONE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS TO WANT TO GO FURTHER,

THE INITIAL GOOD THAT ONE FOUND WILL SLOWLY GROW

OVER THE YEARS UNTIL WE FIND THAT OUR​​ TRUST​​ IN JESUS

IS DEVELOPING IN TANDEM WITH OUR​​ KNOWLEDGE​​ OF JESUS.

AND THE WORD “KNOWLEDGE” HERE REFERS NOT JUST​​ 

TO INTELLECTUAL, “HEAD” KNOWLEDGE,

BUT RELATIONAL, “HEART” KNOWLEDGE.

THUS, IN OUR OPENING ILLUSTRATION,

IDELLA HAD ENOUGH RELATIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD​​ 

IN HER OWN LIFE, THAT WHEN SHE READ HER MOTHER’S ACCOUNT

OF THE PROTECTIVE DREAM THAT GOD SENT HER MOTHER,

SHE SIMPLY “KNEW” THAT GOD WAS IN THAT DREAM

BECAUSE HER​​ OWN​​ EXPERIENCE OF GOD​​ CONFIRMED​​ IT.

WHEN​​ WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE OUR OWN​​ 

RELATIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD HAS SOLIDIFIED

INTO A RELATIONSHIP WHICH IS VITAL AND LIFE-GIVING,

THEN​​ WE WILL SIMPLY KNOW IF SOMETHING THAT WE HEAR​​ 

ABOUT​​ GOD CAN BE TRUSTED OR NOT.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACTUALLY​​ MET​​ AND​​ KNOW

THE LOVING, FORGIVING, COMPASSIONATE, NONVIOLENT GOD

THAT JESUS IS ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT

IMMEDIATELY​​ KNOW​​ THAT A GOD WHO IS ANYTHING​​ LESS

THAN JESUS DESCRIBED CANNOT BE THE REAL GOD.

I’D LIKE TO​​ END​​ WITH AN ILLUSTRATION FROM PETER MARSHALL,

WHOM SOME OF YOU WILL REMEMBER​​ 

AS THE CHAPLAIN TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE​​ 

MANY YEARS AGO:

“IN A HOME OF WHICH I KNOW, A LITTLE BOY, THE ONLY SON,

WAS ILL WITH AN INCURABLE DISEASE.

MONTH AFTER MONTH THE MOTHER HAD TENDERLY NURSED HIM,

READ TO HIM, AND PLAYED WITH HIM,​​ 

HOPING TO KEEP HIM FROM THE DREADFUL FINALITY

OF THE DOCTOR’S DIAGNOSIS –

THE LITTLE BOY WAS SURE TO DIE.

BUT AS THE WEEKS WENT ON​​ 

HE GRADUALLY BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND

THAT HE WOULD NEVER BE LIKE THE OTHER BOYS​​ 

HE SAW PLAYING OUTSIDE HIS WINDOW.

SMALL AS HE WAS,​​ 

HE BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE TERM​​ DEATH,

AND HE TOO KNEW HE WAS TO DIE.

ONE DAY HIS MOTHER HAD BEEN READING TO HIM

THE STIRRING TALES OF KING ARTHUR

AND HIS KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE. . .

AND ABOUT THAT LAST BATTLE​​ 

WHERE SO MAY FAIR KNIGHTS MET THEIR DEATH.

SHE CLOSED THE BOOK AS HER LITTLE SON

SAT SILENT FOR AN INSTANT, DEEPLY STIRRED.

THEN HE ASKED THE QUESTIONS​​ WEIGHING ON HIS CHILD’S HEART:

‘MAMA, WHAT IS IT LIKE TO DIE? ​​ MAMA, DOES IT HURT?’

QUICK TEARS SPRANG TO HER EYES

AND SHE FLED TO THE KITCHEN,

SUPPOSEDLY TO TEND TO SOMETHING ON THE STOVE.

SHE KNEW IT WAS A QUESTION OF DEEP SIGNIFICANCE.

SHE KNEW IT MUST BE ANSWERED SATISFACTORILY.

SO SHE LEANED FOR AN INSTANT AGAINST THE SMOOTH SURFACE

AND BREATHED A HURRIED PRAYER THAT THE LORD

WOULD KEEP HER FROM BREAKING DOWN BEFORE THE BOY

AND THAT SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO TELL HIM THE ANSWER.

THE LORD DID TELL HER.

IMMEDIATELY SHE KNEW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT TO HIM.

‘KENNETH,’ SHE SAID TO HER SON,​​ 

‘DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A TINY BOY

HOW YOU USED TO PLAY SO HARD ALL DAY

THAT WHEN NIGHT CAME YOU WERE TOO TIRED

EVEN TO UNDRESS AND YOU’D TUMBLE​​ 

INTO YOUR PARENTS’ BED AND FALL ASLEEP.

THAT WAS NOT YOUR BED,

IT WAS NOT WHERE YOU BELONGED.

YOU WOULD ONLY STAY THERE A LITTLE WHILE.

MUCH TO YOUR SURPRISE YOU WOULD WAKE UP

AND FIND YOURSELF IN YOUR OWN BED IN YOUR OWN ROOM.

YOU WERE THERE BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD LOVED YOU

AND TAKEN CARE OF YOU.

YOUR FATHER HAD COME WITH BIG STRONG ARMS​​ 

AND CARRIED YOU AWAY.

‘KENNETH, DARLING, DEATH IS JUST LIKE THAT.

WE JUST WAKE UP SOME MORNING

TO FIND OURSELVES IN THE OTHER ROOM,

OUR ROOM WHERE WE​​ BELONG.

THE LAD’S SHINING FACE LOOKING UP INTO HERS

TOLD HER THAT THE POINT HAD GONE HOME

AND THERE WOULD BE NO MORE FEAR,

ONLY LOVE AND TRUST IN HIS LITTLE HEART

AS HE WENT TO MEET THE FATHER IN HEAVEN.

HE NEVER QUESTIONED AGAIN.

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER HE FELL ASLEEP JUST AS SHE HAD SAID

AND THE FATHER’S BIG, STRONG ARMS

CARRIED HIM TO HIS OWN ROOM.”

IN CLOSING, I SEE SOLOMON​​ SAYING THESE WORDS

FROM PSALM 139 AS HE​​ WAS​​ PERSONALLY ESCORTED​​ ​​ 

BY JESUS HIS FORERUNNER, HIS RECONNAISSANCE SCOUT,

TO HIS SPECIAL DWELLING PLACE IN GOD’S KINGDOM:

“YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF ME​​ 

BRINGS ME WONDER AND STRENGTH.

WHERE COULD I GO FROM YOUR SPIRIT?

WHERE COULD I RUN AND HIDE FROM YOUR FACE?

IF I GO UP TO HEAVEN, YOU’RE THERE!

IF I GO DOWN TO THE REALM OF THE DEAD, YOU’RE THERE TOO!

IF I FLY WITH WINGS INTO THE SHINING DAWN, YOU’RE THERE!

IF I FLY INTO THE RADIANT SUNSET, YOU’RE THERE WAITING!

WHEREVER I GO, YOUR HAND WILL GUIDE ME;

YOUR STRENGTH WILL EMPOWER ME.

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO DISAPPEAR FROM YOU

OR TO ASK THE DARKNESS TO HIDE ME,

FOR YOUR PRESENCE IS EVERYWHERE,

BRINGLING LIGHT INTO MY NIGHT.”

AMEN.

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