SERMON Watsonville 1^st UMC                 

Robin Mathews-Johnson                                               

July 10, 2005                                                                                                           

Isaiah 55

“Life-Giving Life-Nourishing Words”

SPORTS

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve just about had it up to here with sports.  I guess maybe you can figure out why. 

Along with thousands of other teams, coaches, referees, families and college recruiters from all over the country, Marty and I traveled to the annual girl’s Junior Olympics in Salt Lake City with our daughter’s volleyball team last weekend.  Hundreds of teenagers played, starting at 8:30 in the morning and going all day for hours and hours and hours. 

We almost couldn’t believe the intensity of it all, but we managed to survive on the sidelines by cheering them on, taking lots of long walks, and breathing deeply whenever possible.  It’s a good thing that we didn’t have to play! 

To participate at this level of the sport, you’ve got to be in shape, and strong, too.  It takes planning and practice.  The sport of volleyball depends upon teamwork, giving, trusting and sharing.  Among these teams, there’s very little difference between the losers and the winners. 

And it’s not as easy as it seems. 

For our girls there were many highs and lows.  They won some and lost some, and no wonder; the competition was tough, real tough.  There were tears and frustration.  “If you’re not failing now and again, it’s a sign you’re playing it [too] safe.”[i]  They tried many moves, some of which worked and many of which didn’t. 

Overall, it was hard to remember that it’s all just a game, but I think for our daughter it made a difference that we were there.  Plus, we had fun!  We enjoyed watching the games, traveling, staying in the hotel, and of course, eating.  I’m glad I went, and I even learned some new things.     

Speaking of sports reminds me of the story of a football linebacker for the Dolphins, Mike Kollin, who was once asked by his former college coach if he’d be willing to do some recruiting for the team.[ii]  Mike said, “Sure, coach.  What kind of player are you looking for?”

The coach said, “Well, Mike, you know there’s that player, you knock him down, and he just stays down?”  Mike said, “We don’t want him, do we, coach?”  “No, that’s right.  Then there’s the player, you knock him down and he gets up, but you knock him down again and he stays down.” 

Mike answered, “We don’t want him either, do we, coach?”  Coach said, “No, but Mike, there’s a player, you knock him down, he gets up.  Knock him down, he gets up.  Knock him down, he gets up, and knock him down, he gets up.” 

Mike said, “That’s the guy we want, isn’t it, coach?”  The coach answered, “No, we don’t want him either.  I want you to find the guy who’s knocking everybody down.  That’s the guy we want!”

Huh, maybe! 

MISSION

For believers like us, the difference is, that as a church—part of God’s people in this place and time blessed with the opportunity to carry out the word and mission of Jesus Christ—we know that it’s our job to knock ‘em down, too.  But we do it with love. 

The only question is how and when. 

To participate at this level of ministry, we’ve got to be in shape, and strong, too.  As in sports, it takes planning and practice.  Mission work—the kind of outreach where we jump in and get our hands wet—takes teamwork, giving, taking and sharing.  At this level, there’s very little difference between the losers and the winners. 

And it’s not as easy as it seems. 

Think about it.  Here we are a church with 153 years of tradition and experience under our belts.  From one perspective we’ve done it all before.  Struggling with balancing the budget.  Searching for new members.  Trying to keep true to our purpose, and surviving.  We’re here aren’t we?  Shouldn’t that be enough?

Yet there are times when our ministry feels like some kind of game we may not be able to win.  We don’t always know the score.  These days, it’s as if doing church was a whole new ballgame. 

And times are tough.  It used to be that folks like us just automatically found other like- minded and like-looking people who came to our church without question.  It’s just what people did.  But now life is different.  Times have changed, and nothing seems the same anymore. 

Of course, that’s the gift and the challenge. 

It’s scary living in times like these, where people are killed in a kind of war that’s not even taking place on the battlefield.  Where fear and confusion reign, and where people don’t seem to know their source anymore.  Anything might happen, and no one is immune.  Many people are in pain, us included.   

That’s why we turn to the Bible for direction.  We know Scripture is at our core, and as United Methodists we never rely on others to tell us what we should do about it.  We go to our source to follow Jesus, and we trust that as a community of faith we really are called to be God’s hands, feet, eyes, and heart here on earth and to each other.

Otherwise, we’re not doing our job.

All who are thirsty or penniless or whatever; listen up!  Pay attention to God’s life-giving, life-nourishing words.  As sure as shootin’ we know God provides for our bodies and our souls.  Praise God, the possibilities for ministry are endless!  God will summon the nations—people of all types, from all backgrounds, of all ages—people we’ve never even heard of, and they’ll be running to us. 

Will we know how to handle it?  Sometimes we want to keep on doing the same old same old, but God says, “I don’t think the way you think.  The way you work isn’t the way I work….  For as the sky soars high above the earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.”[iii]

And I tell you, that is a very good thing.

LOVE

Let me share another story that illustrates what I mean.[iv]  It starts with a coach, a special kind of coach, former NFL star Joe Ehrmann, and his team.  “What is our job?” he and his assistants routinely ask the football players at Gilman High School in Baltimore.  “What’s our job as coaches?” 

“To love us!” the players yell back in unison.

Then he shouts, “And what is your job!”  “To love each other!” the boys respond.  “The words are spoken with the commitment of an oath, [and] the enthusiasm of a pep rally.  This is football?”[v] 

It is indeed a way of playing the sport where winning isn’t everything.  And how you play the game matters more than the final score. 

As Coach Joe puts it, “[In our society we] compare, we compete.  That’s all we ever do.  It leaves most [players] feeling isolated and alone.  And it destroys any concept of community.”[vi]  According to Joe, “It comes down to this:  What kind of [parent] are you?  What kind of [spouse] are you?  What kind of coach or teammate are you?  What kind of son [or daughter] are you?  What kind of friend are you?  [And I’d add:  What kind of church are you?  The bottom line:] Success comes in terms of relationships.”[vii]

And don’t we know it!  Here at Watsonville First, we cherish the relationships we have with one another.  And we pray for new opportunities to enter into relationships with folks who haven’t even come in through our doors yet (although we’ve met some of their kids.) 

Brothers and sisters in faith, will we answer God’s call to be in mission and ministry with those around us?  Will we do mission here at home?  Will we do what we have to do to share our message of Christ’s love in our community with those who need it most?  Will we? 

“What does love look like?  It has the hands to help others.  It has the feet to [help] the poor and needy.  It has eyes to see misery and want.  It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of [all people.]  That is what love looks like.”[viii] 

And you know what?  It’s life-giving and life-nourishing for all of us.  And thank God for that.  In the name of Christ, amen.