Celebrating
the freeing, supportive presence of God. So your experience of God may
become your experience of life. It is wonderful what God can do!
"Everyone is
Searching for You"
February 5, 2006
How many of you have ever played “Hike & Seek” ? How
many of you were never found?
As I see it, the object of the game is to get home “free”
which means without being tagged. From my experience, getting tagged
was more like getting snagged or tackled.
There are three main parts to the game—the hiding, the
seeking, and the being found (or not being found). Whether or not you
were found, you still had an opportunity to win by racing back and
trying to get home “free” and yelling “Ollie, Ollie, Oxen
Free.” Ah… the memories!
In one sense, we are all trying to get home “free” every
day of our lives. We leave our homes in the morning and hope to avoid
all the expensive possibilities of being tagged or snagged during the
day.
We might get literally tagged from speeding on the road or
parking in the wrong spot. We might get snagged by a vehicle
breakdown, a wardrobe malfunction, having to work late, stay after
school or suddenly being taken ill.
Oh, if only we could get up and run, beating whatever the
problem is, to home “free.” We desire lives that are uncomplicated
and that run smoothly. We want to be treated fairly and kindly. Come
to think of it, if everyone agreed to live by the Scout Law, this
world would indeed be a better place.
Of course we as Christians already know this. The Scout Law
itself was created from Judea-Christian roots, which, by the way, have
been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Along with fair and just treatment, the human heart longs for
love and belonging. Part of this basic need is cared for in
friendships. Another part of this basic need is cared for in marriage.
Yet another part of this need is cared for through faith with God
(which includes others known as the church).
Most of us want to be loved and needed. Without love or
purpose, one’s life is starved from the energy and meaning that
gives it fulfillment.
If we are lost, we need to be found; if we are ill, we need to
be healed; if we are lonely, we need to be befriended; if we are
afraid, we need to be calmed; if we are without hope or meaning, we
need a spiritual Savior who will provide it.
Yes, if we are lost we want to be found—we want as many
people as possible out there looking for us. The ministry of Jesus was
much like that, he continually searched for those who needed a word of
hope, a spiritual rebirth, a healing touch, or words of eternal
wisdom.
After Jesus had intentionally retreated from the crowds for
spiritual renewal, Peter came and declared that “Everyone is
searching for you.” Jesus, however, did not dawdle in the same town
with the same folks who had already been touched by him, but rather he
immediately moved on to where people had yet to hear, had yet to
experience the power of his presence.
We, as a church, must be about the business of caring and
searching for everyone. It begins with our friends and our family, and
moves on to our neighbors and even those whom we have yet to meet.
Our goals as a church resemble the goals of the Scouts—invite
people to join us and to subscribe to the lifestyle which benefits
everyone. Jesus said that he would make us “fishers of men.” How
is your fishing lately? Are you pulling any in? Are you remaining in a
strong, prayerful relationship with Christ, so that he can be your
source?
Remember, when the disciples were discouraged because they had
fished all night and had caught nothing, Jesus came and said to throw
out your nets one more time, and when they did, their large haul
nearly ripped the nets apart.
We too, like the early disciples, rarely can do it alone … we
need to seek the spirit of Christ in our daily living and loving …
to be empowered with the spiritual stamina and strength to fight the
fight, to fish the seas, to finally find the peace and purpose in life
that God intends and desires for each of us.
Today is Super Bowl Sunday. It has become a day when a very
large number of persons, both nationally and internationally, have
begun searching for a win. They search for a team duly inspired to
accomplish their task, and maintain high expectations for that team as
a whole, and for the individual members of it.
The church used to have their own Super Bowls of sort. They
were known as “revivals.” Great preparations were made, great
preaching was prepared, great numbers of every day folk began to talk
of it on a regular basis and look forward to the “victory” it
brought to a church and a community. At times the enthusiasm became so
exuberant it probably resembled the noise and enthusiasm of today’s
Super Bowl stadium.
This afternoon at 4:00, we will attempt to put a small fraction
of that spiritual revival and enthusiasm back into our spiritual
stadiums. We already are on a winning team and we play under a winning
coach.
All that we need now is to keep the members of our team on the
playing field (not in the locker room or at home). All that we need
now are good team scouts to go about drafting new
persons and new talent—and offering them a contract of rich
fulfillment, the sustaining peace of Christ, and the life-giving
essence of purpose and meaning.
Will you be one of our valuable team scouts? Will you be one who helps make our winning team a spiritual Super Bowl champ? Let us now go forth with the Spirit of Jesus, and search everywhere for God’s people. Let us warmly and eagerly welcome them to sign with our team—whose owner—is Jesus Christ. Amen.
