PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION                     based on Psalm 119:105 and Micah 6:8                                                                       
God of mercy and grace, when our way is darkened by our worldly attitudes, may your Word be like a lamp for our feet and a light for our path, that we may do justice, love kindness and humbly walk with you, our God. Amen.  
 
THEME VERSE FOR TODAY                                                              1 Peter 5:5b, ESV
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, 
for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
 
OLD TESTAMENT READING                                                       Isaiah 40:25-26, NCV
 
5 God, the Holy One, says, “Can you compare me to anyone?
    Is anyone equal to me?”
26 Look up to the skies.
    Who created all these stars?
He leads out the army of heaven one by one
    and calls all the stars by name.
Because he is strong and powerful,
    not one of them is missing.                     
   
NEW TESTAMENT READING                                                     Matthew 23:1-12, NLT
 
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
 
5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’
 
8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
   
SERMON                                     Grace To Be Humble
 
Have you ever noticed that if you get a little too full of yourself, think too much of your own status, authority, or accomplishments,  God finds it pretty easy to knock you down a few pegs?  I'm well aware of that!  For some of us pride versus low self esteem is like a pendulum that keeps swinging between the extremes.  But if I change that image to a an old fashioned see saw style scale, God is working toward balancing us somewhere in the middle range.  God is the fulcrum trying to help us find balance. 
 
One of the key points I see in the Bible is that God will lift up the lowly and put down the exalted.  It is said of people, even of nature, or perhaps also a symbol of God's plan for us.

• Psalm 75:7, "God is the judge; He brings one low, and lifts up another."
• Isaiah 40:4, "Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain."
• Matthew 23:12, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
• Luke 1:52, "He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly."
• James 4:10, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

 
As you could probably tell from our gospel lesson, God doesn't have much patience with human pride.  There is good reason it's listed as one of the seven deadly sins.  Pride leads us to all kinds of inappropriate attitudes and behaviors.  Paul wrote to the Philippians, " In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves," (Phil. 2:3)  and to the Romans, "Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us." (Rom. 12:3)  Paul who had to wrestle with his own arrogance in the beginning, had grown to appreciate the appropriateness of a humble attitude of surrender to God. 
 
Pride can lead us to put others down, just to make ourselves look good.  I think a lot of the prejudices in this world are based on pride, whether they are related to gender, race, age, economics, geography, position or anything else.   We would accomplish far more if we could see each other as equals and give up this heirarchical nonsense, but I know from my own struggles that is easier said than done.  I am as guilty as anyone else of claiming my authority based on position or education.  That is the work of our human sinful nature.  God sees all of us as highly valuable.  I like Paul Young's way of expressing it in his books.  God is "especially fond" of you.  It feels good, right?  The thing is, God is "especially fond" of every one.  (This is expressed various places in Paul Young's The Shack  and included in Eve  as well) God values each one of us as God created us.  God doesn't love any one of us more than any other one of us, so why do we put some people on pedestals or write other people off?  That is our sin.
 
Max Lucado tells a couple of great stories in his chapter on "Grace for the Humble," one from modern life and the other from the Old Testament.
 
First, consider a man who appeared to have everything from possessions to influence.  He had a penthouse in New York and homes on Long Island, Palm Beach, and in France.  He had a yacht, a private jet, and multiple cars.  His wife had the wardrobe, accessories and interior decor to go with it all.  His guest lists included names we would recognize.  You might also recognize his name for the story of his downfall.  Bernie Madoff's exalted lifestyle and ego were brought down low as his 20 year financial scam was revealed.  Now he resides in a Federal Correction Complex known by his prison number rather than by name.  We could blame his crime on the humiliations he suffered as a youth, but he could have chosen honest means to put his financial expertise to work for him.  Lucado suggests he was addicted to adulation, to being looked up to by others.  But his human pride became his downfall.  (paraphrased from Lucado's Unshakeable Hope , pages 59-60)
 
In the story of Daniel in the Old Testament we find another figure addicted to being praised by those around him, so much so that he had a statue built in his own likeness and expected others to bow down and worship this large idol.  Daniel 3 sets up the scene: 
 
King Nebuchadnezzar had a gold statue made, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and he had it set up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then the king gave orders for all his officials to come together—the princes, governors, lieutenant governors, commissioners, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces. They were to attend the dedication of the statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 When all these officials gathered for the dedication and stood in front of the statue, 4 a herald announced in a loud voice, “People of all nations, races, and languages! 5 You will hear the sound of the trumpets, followed by the playing of oboes, lyres, zithers, and harps; and then all the other instruments will join in. As soon as the music starts, you are to bow down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Anyone who does not bow down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” (Daniel 3:1-6)
 
Perhaps you know what happened next.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, young friends of Daniel's whose names had been changed to suit the Babylonians, refused to bow down to the statue. They would only worship the One True God.  They were thrown into that burning fiery furnace, but a fourth presence was seen in the fire with them, and they stepped out unharmed.  After this Nebuchadnezzar praised their God.
 
But perhaps you are less familiar with the rest of his story.  Nebuchadnezzar remained a man of wealth, authority, influence and pride.  Compare this to Bernie Madoff's treasures.  Nebuchadnezzar's palace walls "were 320 feet high and 80 feet thick." (Lucado, p. 61) He had the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, built for his wife.  He ruled for 43 years and Babylon's population reached "half a million." (Lucado, p. 62)  He had it all! But then he had a dream, which he asked Daniel to interpret.
 
10 These are the visions I saw while I was lying in my bed: I looked, and there in front of me was a tree standing in the middle of the earth. And it was very tall. 11 The tree grew large and strong. The top of the tree touched the sky and could be seen from anywhere on earth. 12 The leaves of the tree were beautiful. It had plenty of good fruit on it, enough food for everyone. The wild animals found shelter under the tree, and the birds lived in its branches. Every animal ate from it.
 
13 “As I was looking at those things in the vision while lying on my bed, I saw an observer, a holy angel coming down from heaven. 14 He spoke very loudly and said, ‘Cut down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals under the tree run away, and let the birds in its branches fly away. 15 But leave the stump and its roots in the ground with a band of iron and bronze around it; let it stay in the field with the grass around it.
 
“‘Let the man become wet with dew, and let him live among the animals and plants of the earth. 16 Let him not think like a human any longer, but let him have the mind of an animal for seven years.
 
17 “‘The observers gave this command; the holy ones declared the sentence. This is so all people may know that the Most High God rules over every kingdom on earth. God gives those kingdoms to anyone he wants, and he chooses people to rule them who are not proud.’  (From Daniel 4)
 
Daniel's interpretation?
 
24 “This is the meaning of the dream, O king. The Most High God has commanded these things to happen to my master the king: 25 You will be forced away from people to live among the wild animals. People will feed you grass like an ox, and dew from the sky will make you wet. Seven years will pass, and then you will learn this lesson: The Most High God is ruler over every kingdom on earth, and he gives those kingdoms to anyone he chooses.
 
26 “Since the stump of the tree and its roots were left in the ground, your kingdom will be given back to you when you learn that one in heaven rules your kingdom.
(continued in Daniel 4)
 
Nebuchadnezzar, still too steeped in pride, refused to change.  Daniel's predictions came true. 
 
Lucado's take on these stories:  "When the mighty fall, the fall is mighty." (p. 63) and this, "God resists the proud, because the proud resist God."  (p. 64)
 
The contrast between the pride God hates and the humility God loves is this according to Max:

• "The heart of pride never confesses, never repents, never asks for forgiveness"
• "The humble heart is quick to acknowledge the need for God, eager to confess sin, willing to kneel before heaven's mighty hand." (both from p. 64)

 
That humble heart makes us honest with ourselves, honest with each other and with God.  Pride listens to the whispered lies of the deceiver.  Proverbs tells us " The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished." (Proverbs 16:5),  But Isaiah shares this promise:  “I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope." (Isaiah 57:15)
 
I loved this joke Lucado shares:
 
An arrogant man contending with God "looked up into the heavens and declared, 'I can do what you can do! I can create a person out of dust!  I understand the systems of life and science!' 
 
"God accepted the offer.  'All right, ...  Let's see what you can do.'
 
"The man reached down and took a handful of dirt. But before the man could go further, God interrupted him. 'I though you said you could do what I did.'
 
"'I can."
 
"'Then, ...  get your own dirt.'"  (Lucado, p. 66)
 
What the man in his arrogance forgot, was that God not only created Adam from the dirt and dust, God spoke that dirt and dust into being as well!
 
As Christians, it is important for us both to understand and to live out as our witness, that God is greater than we could ever be on our own.  We owe our lives and everything in them to God, not just to our own efforts.  We can indeed do great things, but we do so with the resources and skills and inspiration God gives to us.  Rather than worship ourselves or expect others to lift us high with honor and praise, let us give all that worship and honor and praise to God, and direct others toward God as well.
 
Here's the final example from Lucado of a man with a humble God focused attitude.  It comes from a conversation Michael W. Smith had with Billy Graham, when Graham was 94.  They had talked about funeral eulogies.  Graham hoped his name wouldn't be mentioned.  Instead he said, "I only hope that the name of the Lord Jesus be lifted up."  (Lucado, p. 67)  Graham wanted to die the way he had lived, pointing others toward Jesus.
 
How do you want to be remembered?  Maybe that's one good measure of pride versus a humble heart.  As I asked myself that question, I realized humility isn't that big a shift in how things are said, but the subtle shift is filled with meaning.  Rather than wanting to be remembered for all the things I have done in this life, perhaps I'd rather my eulogy share the many opportunities God has given me.  The attitude is a matter of perspective, the angle from which our life is viewed.  Is the focus on me?  That's pride.  Is the focus on God while God lovingly looks on me?  That's a humble heart.  May God give us each the grace to hold a humble heart.  ​

*CONFESSION AND PARDON
Though we are God's children, like children we sometimes disobey.  Let us confess our sins to God who loves us.
 
Abba, God, we confess that sometimes we live in fear rather than in your love.  We may forget that we are your children, and live as if we were orphans.  We may take your love for granted, and go our own way tarnishing your name and squandering our inheritance.  We rebel against the boundaries you set for our well-being, rather than live as you intended.  We deny our brothers and sisters thinking in arrogance that we are your only children.  We may behave like spoiled children at times, but you invite us to live with dignity and integrity as heirs to your kingdom.  Forgive us and guide us to ever better lives lived in your name.  Amen.
 
God sent his Son to teach us, forgive us, and to claim us.  In the name of Jesus we are redeemed and set aside for God's own glory. Thanks be to God!                                                                                         
 
PRAYER
FOR ILLUMINATION                                                                                          
God as we hear your Word today, may we know deep in our hearts that we are indeed your childen by the work of your Holy Spirit within us, and may we long to share that inheritance with the world.  Amen.
 
THEME VERSE FOR TODAY                                                           Genesis 1:27, CEB
God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them.
 
NEW TESTAMENT READINGS                                                      John 17:21-23, NLT
21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
 
22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
 
                                                                                                         Romans 8:14-17, CEB
14 All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters. 15 You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The same Spirit agrees with our spirit, that we are God’s children. 17 But if we are children, we are also heirs. We are God’s heirs and fellow heirs with Christ, if we really suffer with him so that we can also be glorified with him.  
   
SERMON                             In God's Image as God's Heirs
Several conversations at the wedding last weekend related to traits my daughters have inherited from their father and I.

• They each take their coloring from one of us and their facial structure from the other. 
• They are both left handed as were our fathers.
• As I met their step brother's wife for the first time, she said she could see some of their traits in me.

To some extent, they are stamped with our image.
 
But what does it mean to be created in the image of God?

• John MacArthur says it indicates personhood and relationship.  The Godhead is three persons in relationship with one another, yet all are One God.  In the same way God made us for a relationship with God, with each other and with creation.  We were created in God's image of relationship.
• Eugene Petersen paraphrases our theme verse as reflecting God's nature, God's attributes incorporate both male and female aspects, so both are available to us as men and women, and both genders reflect something of God's nature.  God also gave us responsibility for creation, and this too reflects God's nature, to care for all of creation.
• Max Lucado emphasizes our uniqueness, that nothing else in all creation was made in God's image, only humanity.  We share then in these attributes: "wisdom, love, grace, kindness, longing for eternity." (Max Lucado, Unshakeable Hope, p.18)  We are made to reflect God's glory, not our own, but to let God's glory shine through us. 

 
To be made in God's image is to be a good representation of God. This reminds me of an elephant joke I liked in fourth grade.  It's not a great joke, but it does fit this concept.  The joke asked, "How do you carve an elephant?"  The answer is, "You take a block of wood and chip away everything that doesn't look like an elephant."  While humankind was created in God's image, we haven't always lived up to it; we're like beautiful silver, but we become tarnished.  Just like polishing silver, or the joke about chipping away everything that doesn't look like an elephant, God works to transform us and "rubs away" whatever is not Godlike.
This is the process of sanctification; the Spirit works in us to perfect us.  In 2 Cor. 3:18,CEB we read,  "All of us are looking with unveiled faces at the glory of the Lord as if we were looking in a mirror. We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." Max Lucado writes, "I was made for God's glory and am being made into his image." (p. 20)  When someone disses you or puts you down, when you feel unworthy, remember this! You are not perfect, but God is working to perfect you, to restore you to the image of God in which you were created. 
 
We can agree this means we carry some god like attributes, but we are not divine ourselves.  As I reflected in high school on this verse from Genesis (that we are created in God's image),

• I first thought it relates to creativity.   Artists, musicians, inventors, etc. have something in them that reflects the Creator of the universe, as we use the resources God has given to create beauty and express ourselves. 
• I also related this verse to dignity.  Because we are God's creation and God's children, we all have worth and reflect God's dignity.  We deserve to be treated with respect as God's children.

 
As I think about it now,

• I see God's intelligence giving potential to us. The capacity and power of our brain reflects the great intelligence of our God.  Our brain is as vast as the universe with so much yet to explore. 
• I see God's compassion reflected in our capacity to love God, love ourselves and others.  Part of the message of a favorite group of mine is that we must learn to love ourselves in order to truly love others.  (RM from BTS) I see that in the second greatest commandment identified by Jesus, to love others as we love ourselves. 
• I see in the God of relationships our capacity for intimacy and interconnectedness.

Just as we each display our family genetics and characteristics to varying degrees, so we differ in which God like qualities are strongest in each of us.  These attributes and  ways that we are created in God's image are part of our inheritance. 
 
Some of our family attributes cross multiple generations:

• In my family we frequently say, "you came by that honestly" or "guess you got that from?"
• I see in my mom, myself and my daughters organizational skills we each use in different ways.  Jessika and I have shared our love of spread sheets only to discover mom does, too.
• Some of the attributes we inherit are not the best.  In my family I would identify  perfectionism and worrying as family traits we need to overcome and not hand on to the next generation.
• I can identify being the gentle middle ground as coming from my mom or to be the controlling force as coming from my grandmother.

 
In our faith we are heirs to many promises.

• We inherit the relationship expressed in Romans 8 and in John 17 read earlier.  Because God claims us as God's children, we are destined to be one with God and Christ through the Spirit.  As Richard Rohr puts it, when the Trinity sits at the table, we are invited into that circle.  (paraphrased from The Divine Dance​)
• Romans 8 reminds us that part of that inheritance is suffering.  Jesus came not a conquering hero in terms of military or political power, though that's what many in his day expected.  Instead, Jesus the Messiah came as a suffering servant.  As Jesus suffered for us, we also will suffer in this life.
• But the counterpart to our suffering on earth is sharing in future glory.  Glory refers to dwelling in God's presence forever, seeing God's glory face to face., living in that glorious light as described in Rev 21-22 where we no longer need sun or moon or lamp, because our light comes from God. 
• We are joint heirs with Christ, and Jesus will ultimately bring us with him into God's presence.

 
Regarding our inheritance, Lucado also stresses that:

• Our God is a God of abundance; our resources may be limited, but God's are infinite.
• When pessimism kicks in as it does too often with individuals and even churches, ask yourself as Max Lucado's wife, Denalyn, often asks him, "Where is God in all this?"  That pessimism may mean you are looking only at your human limits and not at God who is not bound by these.

 
Max tells Joshua and Caleb's story.  When Moses early in the exodus sent spies into the promised land, Joshua and Caleb came back with huge fruit and grains, excitedly showing the goodness of the land God was giving them.  But other teams came back saying, "They are giants, we look like ants compared to them.  Let's not go there; it's too scary!"  The consequences of listening to that negative report, was that God let them wander in that wilderness for 40 years, until every member of that generation, except Joshua and Caleb had passed away.  Even Moses died before they crossed into the Promised Land.  Joshua led them into that inherited land of promise, because he trusted God's promise.  They did not take the land in their own power; God gave it to them, and they lived out that inheritance. 
 
Don't give in to your fears, instead choose God's blessings.  In spite of the hard times, trust in your inheritance.  Lucado says, as God's children we inherit the promises and the availability of what we need spiritually.  That includes the gifts of patience, joy, hope, peace, and wisdom.  God's supply of these virtues never runs out, so turn to God to draw on it when needed.  These things are also our spiritual inheritance.
 
As you choose your inheritance, you also choose how to live.  Our inheritance comes with responsibility, assurances, and hope.  It comes with spiritual blessings, promises and glory.  Joshua 24:15 is a favorite verse, telling us, "Choose you this day, whom you will serve...As for me and my house we will serve the Lord."  As you choose to serve God, remember that you do so not as a slave, but as God's beloved child, bearing God's image, inheriting God's promise, glory and likeness.  So live fully into that relationship p of love and trust and hope offered by God.

PRAYER   
FOR ILLUMINATION                                                                                          
Jesus, who is the living Word of God, help us as we read your written message of hope, to hear with faith and be strengthened to live for your glory! Amen.
 
THEME VERSE FOR TODAY                                                           Romans 8:34, NCV
Who can say God’s people are guilty? No one, because Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from the dead, and now he is on God’s right side, appealing to God for us.
 
NEW TESTAMENT READINGS                                               Matthew 14:22-33, NET
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dispersed the crowds. 23 And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile the boat, already far from land, was taking a beating from the waves because the wind was against it. 25 As the night was ending, Jesus came to them walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them: “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to him, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” 29 So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they went up into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
 
                                                                                             Hebrews 7:16-19, 23-25, NLT
16 Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. 17 And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied,
 
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
 
18 Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. 19 For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
   
SERMON                                      Christ's Intercession
 
On any given day, I pray for other people as I get up in the morning, as I go to bed at night, or off and on throughout the day.  I also know there are people praying for me.  This is what we call intercessory prayer, when we intercede or plead with God on someone else's behalf.  It is a very legitimate and biblical form of prayer.  Our theme verse last week reminded us that "When a believing person prays, great things happen."  The previous sentence from James 5:16 is more specific in reference to intercessory prayer.  "pray for each other so God can heal you."  We are encouraged to pray for each other. 
 
But here's the part we Christians often forget, at least among Protestant churches:  Jesus also intercedes for us while seated with God in the heavenly realms.  Jesus not only came to earth to teach and heal and redeem us; Jesus continues to minister to us, speaking to God on our behalf every day. 
 
There are examples of Jesus praying for others when he lived in the flesh.  On your scripture cards Luke 22:32 is Jesus telling Peter than he will be praying for Peter's faith to be increased so that Peter will in turn strengthen the faith of others.  When Jesus was with his disciples at the Last Supper, John 17 records Jesus prayer for them, that they would be one with each other and with God through himself, even as Jesus and God are one.  That prayer extends to us as well. 
 
In Acts we have a glimpse of Jesus' place of intercession in heaven.  As Stephen was stoned to death for his faith, he cried out, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”  (Acts 7:56)  On your scripture cards are two more promises that specifically say Jesus is interceding for us there even now. 
 
The letter to the Hebrews talks about Jesus' priestly function of intercession.  It was the duty of the priest to pray for the people, whether priests in the tabernacle or temple of the Old Testament, or priests in the confessional and at prayer today.  When I pray for others' needs in the Pastoral Prayer or if I lay on hands or anoint someone, that is a priestly function of intercession.  Now, imagine Jesus doing that for you from heaven. When you read that Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek or that Jesus " is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him [that] He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf," that is Jesus in his priestly function.  (Hebrews 7:25)  So, when you are in need, you might want a mental image of Jesus laying his hand on your head and praying for you. 
 
John's letter teaches the same thing in terms of forgiving our sin, " My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous." (1 John 2:1)  I've seen in dramas, someone begging a person of authority for someone else to be saved, it might be pleading for a family member or a close friend.  This is what Jesus does for us, pleads our case before the judge of the universe, and went even further to take our punishment for us.
 
Jesus still ministers to us earthly folks even today by praying for our needs to be met, our bodies to be healed, and our sins to be forgiven.  Then Jesus himself finds ways to respond to those needs.
 
Max Lucado tells the story of nine year old Chris, who loved sports, but was homebound that summer with mononucleosis.  My own memory of that disease is a total lack of energy, but when you are awake your mind needs to be occupied, because boredom is right there!  Chris' dad bought a guitar and began to teach his son to play it, one new chord or technique each morning, so Chris had something to hold his attention all day.  Chris learned guitar well, became a worship leader at church and a songwriter himself.  I can't imagine how many people have heard his songs on the radio and sung them in church.  I own a couple of his albums.  This nine year old was Chris Tomlin, who has written many popular songs for Christian worship.  (Lucado, Unshakable Hope, pp. 87-88) The point of sharing his story is that a situation that could have been filled with discouragement and frustration was turned around to an opportunity for growth, worship, and hope.  Jesus was at work behind the scenes inspiring the dad to buy that guitar, helping Chris learn the chords and eventually to share his own faith through music, and working through Chris' music Jesus has reached millions with renewed faith and hope.  This is also a way in which Jesus intercedes for us, working through the events around us as well as speaking and encouraging within us.
 
Consider that as we turn to our gospel lesson for today.  After a long day of teaching and the miracle of feeding thousands, Jesus sent the disciples out onto the boat to head across the Sea of Galilee.  It was time to move on, but before Jesus joined them, Jesus spent a long night alone up the mountain in prayer.  Now when the disciples had been rowing for a few miles, a storm brewed.  They weren't close to either shore, so they were in trouble.  But even as they began to panic, Lucado points out that they continued to row in obedience to the assignment Jesus had given them.  I never caught that before, but I think it is significant.  When the storms of life come, even if you are tempted to panic, keep rowing, keep moving forward, keep doing what you are supposed to do in obedience to the assignments God has given you.  (pp. 85-86)
 
What was Jesus doing while his disciples struggled to ride out the storm?  He prayed.  Now remember, Jesus was also exposed to the elements, and it seems reasonable that the storm at sea also made for difficult weather in the mountains nearby.  But Jesus continued to pray.  Lucado suggests, that the storm may have been a reason for that prayer, that among Jesus' concerns shared with God his Father that night may have been intercession for the disciples.  I think he prayed not only for them rowing in the midst of the storm, but also that God would use what was about to unfold to increase their faith. 
 
It was much later, in the fourth watch of the night, so between 3 and 6 am, that Jesus came to them.  They had been rowing against the storm, in the dark, for hours!  Their arms and shoulders must have been in pain, their legs cramped, and they did not deny their fear.  Can you feel their exhaustion and pain and despair?  Hasn't it been like that wherever Hurricane Florence threatened this past week?  Isn't it like that in the midst of our storms, too?  But even when they were tempted to give up, the disciples continued to row, and Jesus did not abandon them.  As Jesus crossed the water to them, since he was on foot as no human being expected to do, they thought he was a ghost.  That was the last straw for their fear, but Jesus quickly called out to calm them.  "Have courage, it's me!"
 
How often the Bible tells us to have courage:  when spying out the new land, and again before entering it, Moses encouraged his people.  " So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”  (Deuteronomy 31: 6) As they entered that land, the promise was repeated through Joshua, " This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)  Courage was also a characteristic a servant noted of the young shepherd boy, David,  “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem play the harp. He is brave and courageous. He is a good speaker and handsome, and the Lord is with him.” (1 Samuel 16:18)  Courage and God's presence go together.  That continued to be true for Jesus and his disciples in the midst of the storm.  They were told to have courage, because Jesus was indeed with them. 
 
When we face the storms in our life, whether literal storms and natural disasters, or situations that come battering against us, God wants us to find courage and hope to carry on, trusting that God's presence is with us even in the midst of the storm. Sometimes life feels as if wind and rain, sleet or hail are blowing against us, or it feels like we are caught in a tornado or hurricane, an earthquake, fire, flood or volcano.  There are challenges that we describe as earth shattering, and we crumble in the face of them.  But Jesus is saying to us, "Have courage, I am with you, I am coming to you, I am praying for you, I am pleading your case, I won't leave you or forget you!" 
 
Lucado illustrates this with another story of a young woman, 20 year old Nika, whose body was shutting down with the affects of Lupus.  She could barely eat or breathe.  She couldn't speak to be understood.  She was in an ICU bed that turned her as needed.  She found it very hard to sleep.  One night in that hospital room, her mother had fallen asleep nearby.  Nika just longed for someone to hold her hand, so she too could sleep.  But she couldn't wake her mother or call for a nurse.  She was physically incapable of either.  All she could do was pray, so that is what she did, begging God to send someone to her room who would hold her hand.  That someone came, and held her hand all night as she slept.  When she awoke and finally struggled to open her eyes, no one was to be seen, and the pressure on her hand left.  She believed Jesus himself had come in answer to her prayers.  (Lucado, pp. 89-90 with footnote to her memoir) This story is footnoted from Nika's own memoirs.
 
Every life will encounter trouble.  Your faith does not exempt you from the storms of life; it supports you in their midst.  Sometimes the storms are of our own making.  Sometimes they come even when we have been faithful and obedient.  But in the midst of the storms, literal and figurative, in our life, Jesus is praying for us in heaven and present with us here on earth to encourage us and even hold our hand.  Jesus prays for us when our faith is weak, when our bodies are in trouble, when we have sinned and when we are in the midst of circumstances that feel like a storm.  Jesus comes to us, so that we do not fight the storm alone. I especially like this line, "You do not fight the wind and the waves alone; It's not up to you to find a solution."  (pp. 85-86)  Our task is to remain obedient and seek Jesus' help.  Jesus' job is to intercede for us and to help us find our way.  That is the partnership of faith. 
 
So continue to pray for others, and follow the nudge when you might be part of Jesus' answer to meet someone else's need.  In your own struggles be faithful to the task Jesus sets before you, place your needs and concerns before him in prayer, and remember the promises, that Jesus is indeed already interceding on your behalf.  Therefore, take courage, find hope and know that the Lord is for you and with you, whatever you face, wherever you go.  Amen!