Second Presbyterian Church

"Wait, Then Soar"
February 9, 2003

Upcoming Events

Worship Schedule

Sermons

About the Church

• Accessibility to the Church

• Directions to the Church

• History of the Church

Church Staff

Groups & Organizations

• Boy Scouts of America - Troop 175

• Choirs

• Presbyterian Women

• SPY (Second Presbyterian Youth)

Committees

• Building & Grounds

• Church Growth

• Congregational Care & Fellowship

• Education & Nurture

• Finance

• Office & Personnel

• Stewardship

• Witness & Service

• Worship & Celebration

Ad Hoc Committees

• Architectural - Engineering

• Building Fund

Presbyterian Internet Sites of Interest

Virginia Links

• Virginia Cities

Web Site Statistics

Site Map

Second Presbyterian Church Homepage

Sermons Homepage » Sermons for 2003 » Sermons for February 2003

5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
by The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.

• Isaiah 40: 21-31
• 1 Corinthians 9: 16-23
• Mark 1: 29-39

Today I want to talk about soaring, or flying. I want to talk about having renewed strength. Have you ever flown in a glider? Once when my wife, Marcia and I were younger and more adventurous, we decided to take a ride in a glider. It was an interesting experience. First of all we climbed into this plane without a motor, whose wings were quite long. Then we were towed down the runway behind an airplane that looked about one third our size. It gave me the impression of a mosquito towing a dragonfly. Yet, we went only a few yards before the glider, us, were airborne and that, in turn rendered hope that the plane that was towing us would also get off the ground; it did. After climbing several hundred feet the pilot of the glider (you didn't think we were flying it, do you!) drops the towline and we are on our own. All we could hear was the rush of the wind, and even that was not very loud, because we were not flying that fast. The next thing I noticed was that we were gaining altitude! What a unique feeling! Here we were gliding along, and gliding means also going down, yet we were gaining altitude, because the air we were descending through was rising faster than we were falling! (Don't ask me to repeat that!)

So, this is what it's like to be an eagle, soaring through the air, wings outstretched, riding high upon the thermals. It was a peaceful, yet powerful feeling. What was holding us up? How could we be defying the law or gravity, the law that allows NO exceptions?

Isaiah must have stood and watched the magnificent eagle soaring in the sky. This beautiful, large bird, with wings perhaps three feet across, wafting through the sky in an effortless manner. And what did this marvelous sight do for Isaiah? It gave him a word from the LORD.

You see, the Hebrews were in exile, far, far away from their beloved city and temple (now in ruins). Jerusalem and the Temple had been destroyed. They had felt the sting and humiliation of defeat from an enemy that had no respect for their God. Indeed, many Hebrews understood the defeat and destruction of Judah as evidence that the LORD was a weaker god than the gods of the Babylonians.

In other words, the Hebrews were discouraged, downtrodden, tired, and depressed. The remnant was living in exile, as foreigners in a foreign land, and they had lost most of their faith and hope.

Then the words of Isaiah rings forth as a clarion of hope and encouragement. Just read the entire chapter 40 to get the sense of the dialogue between God who was declaring his redemption and the tired, discouraged people that included this prophet!

This chapter 40 in Isaiah ends with this passage of how those who are patient, those who wait - upon the LORD - become renewed. No longer are they tired and fainting. Instead the old and the young, the ones who wait for the LORD are lifted up; they are soaring, flying high, upon the currents of the LORD. The Spirit of God lifts them up out from their pit and they spread their wings and soar upon the strength of God.

I believe that it is somewhat ironic that this passage of soaring with the wings of eagles comes just 9 days after the tragedy of the Space Shuttle, Columbia. We all felt the sadness and grief that the families of the astronauts and NASA experienced. Yet it is a reminder. That when ever humans soar, based upon their own technology, it is always with risk. Our technology is not, and never will be, perfect. Yet we must continue to improve it each step of the way. I don't feel very sorry for the 7 astronauts; they are now in a place where pain can no longer touch them. I do grieve pray and for their families who have to live with this tragedy for the rest of their lives. But the 7 astronauts, they left the world soaring! They were flying about as high as a human can fly: 207,000 feet at 12,500 miles per hour!

The point I am making is this. Our attempts as human to soar, although necessary, must always be realized as limited. The LORD has called us to reach out, even into space. We are made in His image; we are to explore, experience adventure, discover. And we should always continue to do so. That is part of our God-given human heritage.

Yet, I believe that our soaring can be improved. We need to feel, again the Spirit of Christ under our wings, lifting us up from our pits of self-centeredness and up into the sky where we can see the world more clearly, where we can see the world in the manner that Jesus Christ would have us see it. We need to feel, again the breath of God, after patient waiting, making us soar, creating us anew in a way that can only come through Jesus Christ.

Second Presbyterian Church knows what it is like to soar and to fall. We know what it is like to feel tired and discouraged. We sometimes wonder what our future is. And I believe that the word from Isaiah, the word of Christ is this: Pray. Study the Scriptures. Meditate upon the Jesus Christ - his crucifixion and resurrection. Pray for Second. Give our congregation over to the Lord, for we are part of the body of Christ. This is how we are to wait. And, I almost forgot. While we wait, pray, study, and meditate; we are to listen. Listen for the wind of God to take us up off the ground and to cause us to soar. Wait patiently. But as we patiently wait, let's have our wings ready, ready to soar, ready to soar upon the strength of God. Amen.