Park UMC The Bible and Hope Oct 12, 2008

I might have too many themes going on this morning
too many topics
first of all
we have kind of a Bible Sunday..going on with
third grader and confirmation students getting Bibles this morning

I put that theme in some of the music and prayers
and I want to talk about the Bible
I love to talk about the Bible
giving Bibles
is one of my favorite things to do
and I know that as a congregation we love to do this..
Doesn’t it feel good to give...and especially to give Bibles
Well
the spiritual practice that is also being emphasized this month
is about the practice of giving
..its about forming the generous heart.. Christianity is about giving
. And beside giving out Bibles
we have a very practical way to do that spiritual practice...
with
Your estimate of giving cards that are available this month.
..that’s a clear way for you to think about your stewardship
how are being a faithful steward or manger of Gods world
that what stewardship means
it means managing what belongs to God
and how you share
and use the gifts of your life
how do you share financially to do Gods work..
So that’s a second theme this morning too
..Im not going to say any more.on that For now
you know how important this is
But we have theme with in the stewardship campaign this year
and its about hope....(you see all those wonderful hope posters around the building..?
.
And this is a good time to talk about hope...
We need some source of hope
because some people see this as an anxious time
frightening economic time....
Wheres the hope?
Maybe we can bring some of this together
let try this
I want to talk about the Bible and hope...
When we
as the church give people Bibles
when we have Bibles in our life
what are we hoping for...

First of all I m hoping that you
You all
as in all us .
Will actually make use of the Bible
read it..
Think about your own Bible reading
...and the bible in your life
Did you read the bible this week .
if we treasure this spiritual resources
do we use it.
Were you in a Bible study groups.
do you where your bible is...right now.
..how many Bible do you actually have...
By the way
The average American household has 3 or four bibles
but again When was the last time you deeply read the bible
I read a bout a bible scholar who made the wisecrack
he said ,
"If all the neglected Bibles were dusted at the same time,
we would have a record dust storm
and the sun would go into eclipse for a whole week." (David Nygren)
sometime this year
we are going to look at Bible reading
as a spiritual practice
so were going to wait with some of that
but to make the point today
use the Bible as part of your daily life..
Or even better
would be
to let the Bible use you... as a word from God


Now let me talk a little about how the and hope
I grew up with holy respect for the Bible itself..
I know it was a special book
..powerful book ..
after al l it said so,,,
Holy Bible right on the cover.
Holy,,
I remember when I was in the fifth grade
my family was moving into a new house ..
. well actually it wasn’t a new house
it was great old house
built in 1912
it had Belonged to the Englstad family
..in fact
it was the house that belonged to my friend Mitch Englstads grandma
we all still called it Grandam Ollies house
so my friend Mitch
and I were going to stay in the house for the first time.
We hadn’t moved in yet
But
I was going to have my own bedroom upstairs
my folks I suppose
were in the downstairs bedroom
and the two other bedrooms upstairs were still full of old furniture
Being stored there..by the Englstad family
But the room at the end of the hall was going to be my room
it was open
and it had a bed in it.
.now remember
I was in the 5th grade and Mitch was a 6th grader
upstairs
by ourselves
in this old house
and then we got ourselves pretty worked up about this
you know the old furniture in the other bedrooms
Mitch told me..
well that belonged to dead people...
Kind of mysterious stuff...had a few strange stories about them
And this old house
was kind of spook y
all the old house kind of sounds
creaking floors
..drafty at the windows..
Little wind howling
And best of all
or worst of all
.you could hear the mice in the walls
old plaster and lath walls
Some of it was insulated with old newspaper
years later we took out some of those papers .
.they must have re-insulated with WW 2 newspaper
I found articles on the bismark
and the bombing of London.. And pictures of Mussolini..
Well anyway
in this old house
mice were in there
scratching away
in the walls,,
,right by the bed...by the headboard.
scurrying around You could here it
Maybe even a squeak along with the rustling now and then...
Well between the scary stories
that Mitch was telling
and the sounds of the mice....and the old furniture.
And the house creaking
We were just plane scared to death
afraid...
but the problem is
when you’re a 5th grade or sixth grade boy
you cant admit that your afeard.....
You cant chicken out.
Mitchs older brothers would tell everybody
So we did what we had to do
we did
the only thing we could do to face our fear
and be the first people
in my new house..
to spend a night up in that old bedroom
so we prepared ourselves
we got our security
we armed ourselves with a hatchet..
And a Bible.
Ready for anything.

Well
I suppose that’s one way one to have hope
Biblical hope of sorts.. To face my fears

Looking back
I know that was kind of childish way to think about the Bible
kind like a good luck charm..
or an amulet. Against evil
Bu the bible isn’t a good luck charm
that’s just superstition
.I know th t just having a Bible ...doesn’t protect me.

.I know people who had their Bibles with them
but they still had car accidents
or tragedies and such
it does not work like that
I know
but

at the same time

I haven’t rely outgrown that
when
I know that got something coming up
and it might be hard to face
or scarey
and Im worried about it...
you know
I still take I Bible with me.
,in fact I ve got this little travel one.
. Its been on a few trips with me.
Been to few hospitals with me
,when I went to the hospital after my brothers accident..years ago
I took this Bible
when I knew
that t I was going to say goodby to my Grandam Ethel
in th Fargo hospital
I took this Bible.
I just needed it..
But its different now
some kind of visible reminder..
it what that Bible reminds me of
..it reminds me e of the presence o god
and that I might need to go there
and be there in some words
some word from God
and for God
and for myself,
,when I don’t know what else to say
I got these words..of faith and hope and love..
Its kind of prayer room
in the words..
There is a sanctuary in the words

I might need what’s in the Bible
I might need that peace
and that
comfort and that reassurance ...
I want to be able to read that psalm
.or sometime just hold the Bible
just hold it like a prayer
and know that im not alone...
And that God is still God..
and there is life
even though what might be in front of me at that time
is about dying...or sickness
..there is a life
and there is hope .
.even though I might be in kind of a hopeless situation
and there is power
even though I might be feeling pretty powerless to t change anything in that moment
There is a deeper higher power..
that I can trust
no matter what happens there is a word of God ...
I me memorized Isaiah 40; v 8
the grass whithers and flower fades..
but the world of the lord stands forever.
You s ee that’s hope.
I hope these young people
will know in there own way
what Im talking about
and what the church has talked about
what spiritual faithful people
have pointed to ..for generations
( are you with me )
you see that’s hope..
hope from God
and the story of Gods love
love for all people..
That’s hopes
Love that changes the world
the gospel story
the Jesus story
that is carried in this book
,,,that encouragement
this hope
happens
when you let it be your living hope
your story
your truth..
When you decide to let be...
In your daily life
Say yes to it..believe it.
.in your life
the other day
I went to see Les drake in the hospital
he had a light stroke.

Les Drake used to be the pastor here when this sanctuary part of the building got built..
.Les was the pastor then

And we had nice viist .hes doing ok.
and after we talked about all the usual kind of hospital stuff..

And we had a prayer...
and you know it was one of the those times
when the prayer just felt deep
and when we ended
there was this kind of prayerful silence
for a few seconds
it just hung there after the amen
and then Les said
you know I put my life in the lords hands 53 years ago
.and its been a good life.
MYBE NOT BY THE SECUALR WAYS OF LOOKIGN A T LIFE..
BUT it been good
Well I knew what he was talking about
53 years I think that what he said
Les’s ordination
goes back to 1955
That would be 53 years.. Ago
just saying yes to God
im your s
I put my life in the Lords hands
53 years gao...
It been all right..
Well I know he had some grief
some loss
some illness in those years
but well
he knows that his life is in Gods hands
that is hope
..living with hope
And if you spend time with the Bible .
.I think you end up in that hope
and youl end up spending time with God
you might end up spending time with Gods people
and people who lvoe th ebIbel
and who know what needs to be done to face the scary stuff n this life
and you might end up wanting to let the Bibel guide you
you just might end up with some faith
and some hope and some love
tha t overcomes The fear
and you just might become a sign of hope for somebody else in this word
I htink its supposed to work like that
and you might come to know that your life is in Gods hands
and thats hope,,
I hoipe
that these third graders and confirmation students and you and I
That perosn next to you..
People not even here this morning
I hope that years form now
you can all say
I put my life in Gods hands
2o yeas ago
30 years ago
4o ,,50 6o years ago
,,,and it s been a good life

that what I hope for you
that’s what the church hopes for you
a life of hope
to grow
in the hands of God...
you just might need to know today
that this week
. Or next year... Or who knows when
but in the name of Jesus Christ
we want to give that to you
and to everyone.
.to everyone
hope
have you got it now?
So when you get the Bible today
or all of you
when you pick up the bible and read it..
You have hope in your hands..
Hope is in your hands
that is not something that you keep to yourself
People need hope.
hope ful hands are able to give..
Hopeful hands are not afraid.
Hopeful hands can do what needs to be done
I hope ..that here in Park Church,, for gods sake.. That you pass it on.