Harold and Jane were not a very religious couple but tried their best; they only went to church once a year.
As they were leaving church after their annual visit, the minister said, “Harold, it sure would be nice to see you and Jane here more than once a year”
“I know,” replied Harold, “But we’re busy people, leading active lives. But at least we keep the Ten Commandments.”
“That's great,” the minister said. “I'm glad to hear that you keep the Commandments.”
“Yes, we sure do” Harold said proudly, “Jane keeps six of ‘em and I keep the other four.”
Oh well, so it goes.
God’s peace to Harold and Jane, and God’s peace to all of you!
Let there be light, said God … and it was so.
God created the heavens and the earth with words …
Words of permission …
Invitation …
Encouragement …
Let it be … and it is.
Earth and sky … plants and trees … swarms of living creatures – things that swim and fly and creep and crawl and make strange noises in the night …
Let it be, let it be, all to the Glory of God, let it be.
All of us know the power of words.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” or so the saying goes.
But I don’t believe it.
And neither do you.
Words can hurt.
Really hurt.
We all carry around inside of us deep hurt … hurt inflicted by harsh words … words can really hurt us!
A child hears again and again, “You’re stupid, you’re dumb, you’re no good, you’ll never amount to anything.”
Harsh words stick to the soul of a child like gum to the bottom of our shoe.
That little soul begins to believe what it hears:
“Maybe I am stupid. Maybe I’m dumb. Maybe I am no good, and I guess I’ll never amount to anything.”
But if words can hurt, words can heal.
Words can inspire faith, hope and love.
Paul the Apostle says, faith comes by hearing.[1]
The power of words.
To lift us up.
To light a candle and brighten the room.
To put a pair of wings on a child’s back, so she can fly as high as she wants.
How important it is to speak good words!
Good words … good news.
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[2]
In my senior year of high school – Grand Rapids Christian High, Grand Rapids, Michigan - a few weeks before graduation, my Bible teacher, the Rev. Morris Faber, invited the seniors to step to the front of the classroom to talk about what they were going to do next.
When it was my turn, I stepped to the front of the classroom … wearing a “cool” white shirt, a pack of Camels stuffed in my pocket and an academic record well below par …
I had friends, a good sense of humor and a blue convertible, and I was a drummer in a band that played lots of parties.
So, there I stood, in front of the class.
“I’m going to Calvin College and I’m enrolling in the pre-seminary course; I’m gonna be a minister.”
There was a moment of silence.
And then, an explosion of laughter.
Eggebeen! … a minister?
Are you kidding?
The class laughed and laughed, and I laughed right along with them.
Who would’ve thunk it?
But there I was, weeks away from high school graduation, three months away from college, and I was going to be a minister of the gospel?
My classmates couldn’t believe it.
The laughter died down.
I returned to my seat.
The Rev. Morris Faber said to me, and I’ll never forget it …
“Tom, I believe you can do it!”
That was the spring of 1962.
Some 20 years later, I was in Michigan again, on study leave.
Grabbing a hamburger and fries at a local eatery, lo and behold, Rev. Faber comes in with his wife, and they’re seated, just a few tables from me.
I get up and introduce myself.
Rev. Faber looks at me with distant eyes, and a slight smile …
His dear wife says to me, “Morris has Alzheimer’s.”
I quickly tell my story.
And say to Rev. Faber, “Thank you for your words; they’ve been an anchor in my life.”
He looks at me with empty eyes.
Does he know me?
Does he remember anything?
Am I making a connection?
His wife says, “Thank you Tom. He loved to teach. His students meant everything to him.”
I returned to my table to finish lunch.
They ordered and ate in silence, his good wife helping him to eat.
I left the restaurant before they did.
I nodded at them and was on my way.
I never saw Rev. Faber again … but his words live in my heart.
The power of words.
To lift up.
Inspire.
Encourage … and bless.
When John writes his gospel, John chooses the image of words to convey the glory and the wonder of Jesus.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.[3]
Jesus uses words.
To teach.
Invite.
And challenge.
The very first words Jesus speaks in John’s Gospel are a question … a simple question to a couple of fellows: What are you looking for?[4]
And then the famous words in every gospel, Follow me.[5]
At the wedding at Cana, Jesus tells the servants to fill six stone jars with water … big jars … lots of water … and the water becomes wine … and what a party it was!
Jesus goes to Jerusalem … enters the temple … doesn’t like what he sees.
He makes a whip of cords, drives out the buyers, the sellers, the money-changers, Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market place.”
Nicodemus pays a late-night visit to Jesus.
He’s a man with good credentials.
A leader for the people.
Jesus says to him, No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.[6]
Start over Nicodemus.
Go back to the basics.
To the woman at the well.
A woman with a tangled life.
Jesus breaks convention.
Asks for a drink of water.
Simple words to open up the world for the woman at the well.
With words, Jesus heals.
With words, he brings the light of God to the dark corners of life.
He prays and gives thanks for bread and fish, and feeds five thousand and then some … with lots of leftovers … because there’s always leftovers in the kingdom of God.
With word images, Jesus describes his mission and his purpose:
I am the gate for the sheep … [7]
I am the good shepherd … [8]
I am the true vine … I am the vine and you are the branches.[9]
With powerful words, Jesus speaks of love divine …
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you …
Abide in my love …
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.[10]
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.[11]
Lest anyone should doubt his words …
Jesus lays down his life …
He’s not kidding.
He says what he means, and he means what he says.
Jesus stands before Pilate and is condemned.
With a cross on his shoulders, the soldiers take Jesus to Golgatha.
Jesus dies with two other men condemned by Rome – all three of them judged to be a threat to the empire …
Through death to life.
Through sorrow to hope.
Through tears to shouts of joy.
Jesus is raised up in the early-morning hours of the first day.
The first day of a new creation …
The light of the world walks out of the realm of death … the promise of a new heaven and a new earth … all shall be made new, and every tear wiped away.
John ends his gospel on delightful note.
Jesus did so many things,
I can’t even begin to write them all down.
But what I’ve written, I’ve written for you.
That in reading my letter, you might come to believe.
That Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.
And through believing, to have life.
There’s life in this gospel … says John.
And it’s not just about heaven in some far-away place or time.
It’s not just about going to heaven when we die.
It’s here.
It’s now.
The way we live, the way we love …
The kind of world we long for.
The words we use, and how we say them.
The compassion we show.
The mercy we extend.
The depth of our fellowship.
The height of our praise.
Thy will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven.
There’s life in this gospel …
And it’s been written for us.
Written by John.
And Matthew and Mark and Luke, as well.
Paul’s letters.
The letters of Peter and James and John and Jude.
Acts and Hebrews and Revelation.
And pushing back into Israel’s story:
Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel.
Moses and Miriam.
Saul, David and Solomon.
Jeremiah, Isaiah and Hosea.
Hannah, Deborah and Ruth.
It’s all here, and then some.
Written that we might know Jesus.
And in his name, have life.
To God be the glory.
Now and forever more.
Christ is Risen.
He is Risen, indeed.
Amen and Amen!
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