‘Miracles Do Exist’

These were the first words spoken by the Smart family spokesperson, Tom Smart, uncle to Elizabeth Smart, who nine months earlier, had been abducted from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her reunion with her mother and father and her family must have been an unbelievably happy moment. Just imagine!

Sadly, though, a perverted sense of irony also attaches to the story. The alleged perpetrator of the abduction, Brian Mitchell, had taken on a new name, preferring to be known as Emmanuel, which, of course, means “God with us.” HARDLY!

Most of the commentaries out there emphasize that the Smart family and the Salt Lake City community, throughout this ordeal, never lost hope. Perhaps alongside the actual rescue, that’s the other extraordinary aspect of this story --that we human beings, we people of faith, can hope--- no matter what! In this situation, given the grim statistics concerning abducted children after just one week of being missing, it truly is remarkable how we keep the faith and stay hopeful. What’s that other line from Romans?

“…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character and character produces hope and hope does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit…”

(Romans 5: 3-5)

We can’t make it through life without hope, can we? --- no matter what the situation and circumstance--- whether we are dealing with age or illness, our kids and their future or struggling relationships or having loved ones on a ship or a tank in the Persian Gulf! Can’t make it through without hope!

This morning’s passages from the book of Genesis and Paul’s letter to the church at Rome are about hope and trust, in spite of the circumstances. The Genesis passage even has to do with the promise of child in the face of somewhat ridiculous or as we learn from both Abraham and Sarah, laughable circumstances.

Knowing how important the figure of Abraham would have been to the Romans and seeking to show that their new life in Christ is all about faith and not the law, he writes:

“In hope he believed against hope… He did not weaken in faith.

He faced the fact that that he was as good as dead--- since he was about a hundred years old and Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet, he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised…. And so he became the father of many nations and he was considered by God to be righteous.”

Indeed, Paul had it right! What God says to Abram at the beginning of today’s lesson is precisely that:

“Walk before me and be blameless and I will make my covenant with you….”

I have read that the Hebrew word for walk is ‘Hitpael,’ it means to walk back and forth; to walk about, to live out one’s life.” Abram and Sarai are invited to live out their lives in the very presence of God, to trust God always and in every circumstance-- no matter what, no matter how extraordinary the promise. Do that and stand blameless before God.

NOT EASY TO DO!

Some things are difficult to believe

And some things we don’t want to believe.

Some promises are hard to trust in

And some we wish were never made.

Consider today’s story about Abraham--- in some ways- it is just fun and in other ways, really serious in light of the challenges we face today in that part of the world. This promise is what it’s all about.

Abraham----

A man held out to us through the bible as a man of faith,

Consider Abraham when he was 99 years old

And his wife, Sarah- aged 90.

And consider them having someone say to them:

You will conceive and bear a child

And through that child you will produce many descendents.

Kings and rulers will come from you,

And the land that you now live in as strangers

Will belong to your descendents forever.

I was so struck by this promise on two levels. First there is the promise of a child—Isaac. It seems a little ridiculous doesn’t it? Almost a joke.

Perhaps that why Abraham laughed and in the end, so does Sarah. But as we all know--- 9 months later their laughter is turned into tears of joy with the birth of Isaac.

Second, there is the aspect of a homeland for him and his descendents —given forever. This promise, of course, has always been front and center on the world stage. To this very day and hour it remains there and maybe is meant to challenge us anew to be a people of faith and hope—with factions trying to honor this historic promise while defining it in terms of present day realities and rights.

Friday, President Bush made a bold move in promoting a peace plan for the Mideast, saying that with the election of a new Prime minister for the Palestinians, “it was a hopeful moment.”

This is what he said:

“We have reached a hopeful moment for progress toward the vision of Middle Eastern peace that I outlined in June.

I spoke of a day when two states, Israel and Palestine, will live side by side in peace and security. I called upon all parties in the Middle East to abandon old hatreds and to meet their responsibilities for peace.”

(President Bush, NYTIMES, 3/15/03)

These are extraordinary words and a bold vision. Maybe we can snicker and sneer or look upon them with cynicism or even despair--- but people of faith are invited to walk back and forth in the presence of God, to walk in faith and by faith, believing that peace is the promise God makes. And hope against hope, we choose to trust it! Somehow--- someday--- we’ll have it!

Sure some things are hard to believe

And some promises are hard to trust in,

But the life of faith is all about trusting in God, no matter how fantastic the promise-

Perhaps a part of us wants to laugh, perhaps a part wants to doubt--- that’s okay as long us we continue to trust and believe…

Our Peter flew to Florida on Friday and Tim greeted him with tickets to the Tim McGraw concert in Fort Lauderdale. His first response was: Is this joke? Lois and I had some concern that the concert wouldn’t be held because just the day before, Tim McGraw’s father Tug McGraw was admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital in Philadelphia with a brain tumor. Do any of you remember his years with the Amazing Mets and what phrase attaches to his name: “You Gotta Believe!”

The fact is, it is easy to trust God for the things that we have some control over, but it is awfully hard to trust God for the things that we don’t control, for the things that we can’t do anything about.

It is easy to trust God for things we think are possible,

But it is hard to trust God for things we think are impossible.

Yet, that’s exactly what we are asked to do on the promise that our hope will not be disappointed.

Against all hope, in hope believe.

Trust God to do what God has promised.

Put God into all the seemingly impossible situations in our lives

Believe this; with God all things are possible!

MIRACLES DO EXIST!

AMEN