Evolution by Mary Bittroff, electa@dccnet.com Presented to Salt Spring Island United Church August 26, 2018 John 6:63 "It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." Let us pray: Today, let our contemplations today offer a message to carry us forth into this week with something to inspire our Christian faith and mission in this community and on this planet. EVOLUTION Let me start today by saying that it is not easy to be a Christian in today s technological encompassing world. And, I will try to avoid one of the special privileges of old age, 'to relate experiences that nobody will believe and give advice that nobody will follow'. Saying that, I chose to title my talk today "evolution" to address the gradual changes that are happening today and to seek our pathway as Christians in these changes. We have a huge advantage of inheritance and habit from our past generations that have given us many benefits. But, passing these benefits to our children and grandchildren is very difficult without the regularly weekly church activities in our communities that were available for us. Obviously, these opportunities have largely disappeared in this modern world. However, this does not escape us from being responsible to effectively protect and initiate the changes that will support and protect our future generations so that they may experience the joy of Christian spiritual strength and belief. But, how? Jesus said it would not be easy! First, how are we living day by day? There are a number of us who creep Into this world to eat and sleep, To know no reason why we're born Except to consume the corn Devour the cattle, flock, and fish, And leave behind an empty dish. On the other hand, Emily Dickson pledged: If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain. ~~~~~~~~ One of my other occupations, is owning and operating a mobile hot dog trailer on the Sunshine Coast. I am known as the hot dog lady to many and I love it. Why?
First, everyone knows me in my community There is a saying, "in a small community, if you forget something, everyone else around you will remember." I am proof of that saying. Second, it motivates me by giving me the spirit to get up in the morning and make my deteriorating body move. Third and most important, it fascinates me that a lot of my customers come not only for my hot dogs, but, to talk to me, in effect, giving me the opportunity to lift their spirits and make their day brighter. And, in the end, I am rewarded with spirit and life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, I have to ask you, what are you able to do that rewards you with spirit and life? How is Christ shining through you every day? Often, I say to myself, "But for the grace of God, there go I!" as I encounter the people around me and count my blessings in this world. I am reading a book by Joel Solomon titled, "the Clean Money Revolution". I have decided to now adopt his goal, as my goal, namely, " to be the very best ancestor that I can be." In other words, to look far into the future and try to do things that will endure and be good for future generations on this earth. But, Joel states, Humans have reached the point where we have the capacity to destroy too much. We now need to wake up and look at our impact in the larger way. People in their 60s, 70s that are owning most of the wealth are passing it on to a generation that is thinking very differently. I believe every one of us should take time to think back from the end. What have we accomplished? What have we contributed? We have a huge responsibility to consider what our contribution is going to be. We have a responsibility as elders to pass on what we can to the next generation And, We have a lot more creative power and possibility than we are led to believe. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our gospel verse today, John 6:63 "It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." calls us to lift our spirits, to fill our minds and hearts with life and love and to forge into the future even though our bodies may not always cooperate. I like the Aesop tale of the Donkey: A Miller and his son were driving their donkey to a neighboring fair to sell him. They met with a troop of women talking and laughing. "Look there," cried one of them, "did you ever see such fellows, to be trudging along the road on foot when they might ride?' The old man hearing this, quickly made his son mount the donkey, and continued to walk along merrily by his side. Presently they came up to a group of old men. "There," said one of them, "it proves what I was saying. What respect is shown to old age in these days? Do you see that idle lad riding while his old father has to walk? Get down, boy, and let the old man rest his weary limbs." Hearing this, the old man made his son dismount, and got up himself. They had not proceeded far when they met a company of women and children: "Why, you lazy old fellow," cried several at once,
"how can you ride upon the beast, while that poor little lad there can hardly keep pace by the side of you?' The good-natured Miller immediately took up his son behind him. They had now almost reached the town. "Pray, honest friend," said a citizen, "is that donkey your own?' "Yes," replied the old man. "Oh, one would not have thought so by the way you load him. Why, you two fellows are better able to carry the poor beast than he you." "Anything to please you," said the old man; "we can but try." So, alighting with his son, they tied the legs of the donkey together and with the help of a pole endeavored to carry him on their shoulders over a bridge near the entrance to the town. This entertaining sight brought the people in crowds to laugh at it, until the donkey, not liking the noise nor the strange handling that he was subject to, broke the cords that bound him, tumbled off the pole and fell into the river. Upon this, the old man, vexed and ashamed, made the best of his way home again, convinced that by endeavoring to please everybody he had pleased nobody, and lost his donkey in the bargain. Too often, we become distracted from the challenge of living a purposeful life by our physical and societal distractions. Who was the old man listening to for his actions? More importantly, who are we listening to for our actions? Jesus challenges us to listen to Him and follow Him by setting aside our perceived needs to help others first. The reading today came after the feeding of the 5000 who came to hear His word but went home when He asked them to serve. What will I do today, just go home or chose to serve? I said to my daughter once, "I think I want to go to the Milky Way when I die. Joan replied, "Mom, you are already there!" Well, that gave me pause to think! Dr. A. J. Higgins M.D. states: Just how big is our universe? We exist in a galaxy known as the Milky Way galaxy. To gain some concept of how big our galaxy is, consider this: aside from the sun, the nearest star to earth is Proxima Centauri. Imagine boarding a spaceship which could travel at 60,000 mph. Now sit back as you journey to Proxima Centauri. Be patient; it will take 46,000 years. To reach the edge of our galaxy, imagine a jet plane travelling at 600 mph. You will need 650 million years to cross the entire galaxy. Furthermore, we are just one galaxy amidst what astronomers estimate to be two trillion galaxies1 and, we are not even the largest galaxy. The vastness of the created universe witnesses to the greatness of God. Immensity bordering infinity tells of a God who not only borders infinity, but who is infinite in His person and power. Little wonder the Psalmist so often tuned his harp to sing the praises of the God of creation. The Milky Way galaxy contains a mere 200 million stars. He made the stars also (Gen 1:16) must rank as the greatest understatement ever made. Now try to imagine two trillion galaxies, each containing millions to billions of stars. And He made every one. More than this, He knows their names (Isa 40:26). If God knows the names of billions upon billions of stars, and at evening roll-call, they all appear, can we ever begin to think that He forgets us or does not know the way we take? And, we have his promise that he knows our names, too! How lucky are we? ~~~~~~~~~~
A Worthless Pebble Albert Ramsay, evangelist from Prince Edward Island, Canada (1913-1993): I was only a worthless pebble upon the beach of time, Yet He stooped and declared to heaven I have made this pebble mine! And this is why I serve Him as I think of that crowded beach, And shudder: that when He was passing, I might have been out of reach, And left, like the other pebbles, to never be touched by His hand And tossed by the waves of life s ocean and buried at last in the sand. ~~~~~~~~ How blest are we? As I say, "I love this earth, its beauty, its problems, its challenges and its days and nights. Dr. A. J. Higgins M.D. states: Human beings are stewards of the environment. God gave Adam the responsibility to keep the Garden and to represent Him in His creation. But what gives nature value is not that God is in every tree and plant; it is that God created every tree and plant. God is outside of, and greater than, nature. Frank Lloyd Wright, the noted architect of a previous generation commented: Water can never rise higher than its source. Whatever man might build could never reflect more than he was. Much of nature worship has its roots in Pantheism the belief that God consists of everyone and everything. Whether a tree, a mountain, the universe, or you, all of it is God. The Word of God reveals a God who is outside of His Creation yet intimately involved in it. He created it, transcends it and controls it. Nature has value because it reflects the glory of God, not because it is God. We can see God through nature, through the world He has created. It was meant to be a voice to all humanity (Psalm 19). But God is not nature and nature is not God. The result of thinking of nature as God and everyone as being part of the divine, is that we worship nature and humanity, investing it with value and honour which belongs to God alone.
Elizabeth Browning, in one of her poems, expressed it so aptly. Earth is crammed with heaven And every common bush aglow with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes. The rest sit round and pluck blackberries. We may not be able to arrest or even slow down the descent into paganism, which is sweeping across the western world, albeit in its more sophisticated 'modern' forms. We can, however, by our words and actions, bear witness to the God of creation. The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1), so let us contemplate something of the universe He has made and care for all with spirit and love. William Coltman wrote: Until I learned to trust, I never learned to pray; And I did not learn to fully trust Till sorrows came my way. Until I felt my weakness, His strength I never knew; Nor dreamed till I was stricken, That He could see me through. Who deepest drinks of sorrow, Drinks deepest too of grace; He sends the storm so He Himself Can be our hiding place. His heart, that seeks our highest good, Knows well when things annoy; We would not long for heaven, If earth held only joy. Michael J. Penfold states. "Herding all the flock together three times a week for nothing more than hymn singing and Bible teaching doesn t work anymore. Ministries, programmes and small groups must be introduced to meet people s needs for counselling about poor self esteem, depression, infertility, singleness, weight loss, co-dependency, addictions and more. Here, therefore, we learn a basic and vital truth. Our Christianity must be seen in practice day by day (Rom 13:14). Other verses will tell us to put on the whole armour of God ; to put on the breastplate of faith, indeed, to put on a whole list of virtues; a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, longsuffering and love (Col 3:12-14). However, in Romans 13:14 we are seen as putting on Christ Himself. Exactly what does that entail? If I put on meekness I am wearing and bearing a meek demeanour, attitude, and character.
If I put on compassion I am exhibiting and radiating concern, love, and tender mercy to others. So, likewise, if I put on Christ, I am wearing Him as it were, and thus exhibiting and radiating Him wearing outwardly the One Who dwells in me inwardly. J. N. Darby describes it thus: We put on in our ways and heart the walk and character of Him the Lord Jesus Christ, we walk as He walked. F. B. Hole also has an interesting comment on this verse. We must always remember that the putting on is not the assuming of something wholly external to ourselves, but rather putting on something from within, rather as a bird puts on its feathers. So, to put on Christ is by the daily meditating on and outworking of the Word of God in our lives, to manifest the character of Christ and to take Him as our example in all that we do and say, thus becoming more like Him. The goal is that, as others look at us, they will see Christ, the One with whom we are clothed. And, as they gather with us, they also will feel the warmth and love of Christ's spirit and life. A couple was asleep in a boat tied to a dock. During the night, the ropes untied and they drifted out to sea. In the morning, the wife went up on deck, and, with no land in sight, she began to panic. She yelled, "John! Quick! Get up! We're not here anymore!" So it is with us, "We are not here any more where we are. We need to renew our living and infuse it with spirit and life to live today. Do What s Right Anyway People are often unreasonable, Illogical, and self-centered; Love them anyway. If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, You will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, People may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, Someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, They may be jealous;
Be happy anyway. The good you do today, People will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, And it may never be enough; Give the world the best you ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, It is between you and God; It never was between you and them anyway. In closing, May we constantly, try to become good ancestors, living a life of service and thankfulness for all of our blessings so that all those around us will benefit from our Christianity. After all, you may be the only Bible that some people will ever read! Amen