God Restores Us To Life
Sermon
Sermons On The First Readings
Series I, Cycle C
I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him down the labyrinthine ways
Of my mind; and in the midst of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated
Adown Titantic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase
And unperturbed pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy;
They beat -- and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet --
"All things betray thee, who betrayest Me."
"The Hound of Heaven," from which this opening stanza is taken, was written in 1890 by Francis Thompson, a British poet, who knew all about the underside of life, yet experienced how God, with the tenacity and perseverance exhibited by a bloodhound, searched for his soul, found it, and restored him to a new life in Christ.
Thompson was born in Lancashire, England, in 1859, and grew up a product of his middle-class environment. His father was a physician, but he gravitated to his mother's side with her love of literature. He was educated at Ushaw and then through the influence of his father, attended Owens College where he studied medicine. He hated what he was doing, however, and, rather than face his father, he disappeared for some time, arriving in London. In 1879, he fell ill with a lung ailment that led eventually to his addiction to opium. Between 1885 and 1888 he spent the majority of his time as a homeless vagrant, a situation that left him in a state of incipient disease. He was employed for short periods of time as a bookselling agent and a shoemaker and earned a few pence by selling matches and calling cabs for the elite of the city. He was often famished and cold and he periodically received alms. When the weather was extremely inclement, he migrated to the public library. Thompson dabbled in poetry and, having seen an advertisement in a new magazine, "Merry England," he sent his poems to the editor, Wilfrid Meynell in 1888. The editor was impressed, but because there was no adequate return address, his only way to contact Thompson was to publish the works and hope that he would come forward. Thompson saw his poems in print and responded to the query in the paper. When the editor found Thompson, the latter's destitution ended. After some time Thompson was returned to health and his drug habit was remedied. He continued to write poems that were often collected, especially his three volumse, Poems, Sister Songs, and New Poems. Thompson died in London in November 1907, a victim of tuberculosis that he most probably contracted during his homeless years on the streets of London. God had rescued this talented man and restored him to health so he could give to the world the great talent of words that he possessed. In a similar way, today's reading tells us how God will restore our lives, making them whole and preparing us for our task of building the Kingdom of God in our world.
The prophet Haggai wrote to the restored nation of Israel some 500 years before Christ. At the outset of his ministry he reports that King Darius has commanded that the Temple in Jerusalem, which lies in ruins, be rebuilt. After fifty long years of captivity and with the shock of seeing their most sacred place in ruins, the Hebrews were most assuredly disheartened, even to the extent that some may have thought God had forever forsaken the people. God's voice, however, is heard through the prophet (2:3), "Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing?" Despite the sadness and distress that many might have felt, the reality of God's abiding presence among his people comes through forcefully. The people are told to take heart and have courage, for God is with them every step of the journey, as the Lord promised so many generations earlier when the Israelites escaped from Egypt and the clutches of Pharaoh. God's spirit abides with the people and, thus, they should have nothing to fear. God will shake the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land, gathering a treasure from all nations that will be brought to Israel so that the house of the Lord will be filled with splendor. The greatness of the restored Jerusalem will exceed its earlier grandeur. Israel will prosper; the people, the land, and the nation will be restored.
The restoration of Francis Thompson's talent and productivity and the clear message from Haggai of God's unconditional acceptance of his people challenges us in turn to know and accept the many ways God restores us in this life. How often in our prayers do we ask God to restore the health of a family member, close friend, or colleague at work? We ask that God renew and revitalize our own health, in mind and body. We also ask God to restore those we know in the grip of addictions. This is most dramatically illustrated by the work of Alcoholics Anonymous, founded in Akron, Ohio, in 1935, by Bob Wilson, a former New York stockbroker, and Dr. Bill Smith, a surgeon in Akron. Both men were hopeless alcoholics, but working together they gained sobriety so that they, in turn, could assist millions, directly and indirectly, to restore dignity, health, and pride to their lives. God restores us in spirit as well. Through our daily prayer we are renewed to the reality of the multiple and magnificent ways that God buoys our lives, filling our spiritual shells with the special gifts of grace that can only come from God. As exercise renews our bodies and gives us added strength, endurance, and energy, so God restores us to spiritual wholeness. In line with our spiritual renewal is the restoration we all must seek in our need to be reconciled with the Lord. We know better than anyone when our relationship with God needs healing, and we can be totally confident that God, like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, stands ever ready to grant the forgiveness we seek and need, thereby providing wholeness and restoration to our lives. Our lives are too often thrown off stride by many peoples, events, and circumstances, many of which are beyond our control. God, however, is the great equalizer who restores life in every aspect.
As God restores us in mind, body, and spirit, so must we be willing to do our share to assist the Lord through our efforts, doing what we can to lighten the load and bring to greater fullness the lives of our sisters and brothers. We are called to reach out to the poor and destitute in our society and do what we can to restore them to a more dignified existence of life. Our assistance may be through direct aid and service, such as donations of material things or time; we may be an advocate for systemic change and lobby legislators to enact laws that protect the poor, children, the elderly, and other more vulnerable members of our society. We must also seek to do our part to restore the lives of those whose existence is shattered by death, divorce, loss of job or economic prosperity, a major family crisis, or a host of other problems that people experience on a daily basis. We cannot be like the priest and the Levite in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) who simply passed by when given the opportunity to restore life to another occurred. No, we must exemplify the attitude of the Samaritan and take the time and expend the necessary energy and effort to do our share to restore others to life.
Relationships are an integral ingredient and necessary aspect of our lives, and we must never shirk our responsibilities to maintain those intact and restore those broken relationships that need to be made whole once again. Often the cause of the strain in relationships is the inability of one or both parties to admit their errors and the stubbornness that generally accompanies such behavior. To admit error is for some a sign of weakness, yet for the Christian to admit error, whether it be one of omission or commission, is the recognition that as humans we are incomplete and desperately need the wholeness and reconciliation of God. Thus, it takes a big person and one filled with faith to admit error, especially with respect to our relationships. Only by admitting our imperfections and seeking wholeness can we move in the proper direction to bring restoration through reconciliation to damaged relationships. As we restore our relationship with our sisters and brothers, so too must we be mindful to renew our relationship with God. Through personal prayer, the process of reconciliation, and our personal participation, in whatever way we can, depending on time and talent, we must work to better our relationship with the Lord. As God seeks to restore us, so must we do what we can to find God and revitalize our love affair with the Lord.
In his epic poem, "The Hound of Heaven," Francis Thompson wrote of how God would leave no stone unturned in a diligent search for our souls. He understood this reality in his own life. Destitute and addicted to drugs, Thompson was restored to life, and thereby granted the opportunity to utilize his talent for the betterment of society. In a similar way God is always present to break down barriers, pave roads, and make crooked paths straight in an effort to find us and restore us to the fullness of life. We, in turn, must do what we can to assist the Lord in his mission of restoration. Let us, therefore, seek the wholeness of God and do what we can to make similar inroads in the lives of others. By our actions we imitate Jesus, the one who was born, lived, and died to set us free, the one who will bring all who believe to eternal life.
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him down the labyrinthine ways
Of my mind; and in the midst of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated
Adown Titantic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase
And unperturbed pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy;
They beat -- and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet --
"All things betray thee, who betrayest Me."
"The Hound of Heaven," from which this opening stanza is taken, was written in 1890 by Francis Thompson, a British poet, who knew all about the underside of life, yet experienced how God, with the tenacity and perseverance exhibited by a bloodhound, searched for his soul, found it, and restored him to a new life in Christ.
Thompson was born in Lancashire, England, in 1859, and grew up a product of his middle-class environment. His father was a physician, but he gravitated to his mother's side with her love of literature. He was educated at Ushaw and then through the influence of his father, attended Owens College where he studied medicine. He hated what he was doing, however, and, rather than face his father, he disappeared for some time, arriving in London. In 1879, he fell ill with a lung ailment that led eventually to his addiction to opium. Between 1885 and 1888 he spent the majority of his time as a homeless vagrant, a situation that left him in a state of incipient disease. He was employed for short periods of time as a bookselling agent and a shoemaker and earned a few pence by selling matches and calling cabs for the elite of the city. He was often famished and cold and he periodically received alms. When the weather was extremely inclement, he migrated to the public library. Thompson dabbled in poetry and, having seen an advertisement in a new magazine, "Merry England," he sent his poems to the editor, Wilfrid Meynell in 1888. The editor was impressed, but because there was no adequate return address, his only way to contact Thompson was to publish the works and hope that he would come forward. Thompson saw his poems in print and responded to the query in the paper. When the editor found Thompson, the latter's destitution ended. After some time Thompson was returned to health and his drug habit was remedied. He continued to write poems that were often collected, especially his three volumse, Poems, Sister Songs, and New Poems. Thompson died in London in November 1907, a victim of tuberculosis that he most probably contracted during his homeless years on the streets of London. God had rescued this talented man and restored him to health so he could give to the world the great talent of words that he possessed. In a similar way, today's reading tells us how God will restore our lives, making them whole and preparing us for our task of building the Kingdom of God in our world.
The prophet Haggai wrote to the restored nation of Israel some 500 years before Christ. At the outset of his ministry he reports that King Darius has commanded that the Temple in Jerusalem, which lies in ruins, be rebuilt. After fifty long years of captivity and with the shock of seeing their most sacred place in ruins, the Hebrews were most assuredly disheartened, even to the extent that some may have thought God had forever forsaken the people. God's voice, however, is heard through the prophet (2:3), "Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing?" Despite the sadness and distress that many might have felt, the reality of God's abiding presence among his people comes through forcefully. The people are told to take heart and have courage, for God is with them every step of the journey, as the Lord promised so many generations earlier when the Israelites escaped from Egypt and the clutches of Pharaoh. God's spirit abides with the people and, thus, they should have nothing to fear. God will shake the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land, gathering a treasure from all nations that will be brought to Israel so that the house of the Lord will be filled with splendor. The greatness of the restored Jerusalem will exceed its earlier grandeur. Israel will prosper; the people, the land, and the nation will be restored.
The restoration of Francis Thompson's talent and productivity and the clear message from Haggai of God's unconditional acceptance of his people challenges us in turn to know and accept the many ways God restores us in this life. How often in our prayers do we ask God to restore the health of a family member, close friend, or colleague at work? We ask that God renew and revitalize our own health, in mind and body. We also ask God to restore those we know in the grip of addictions. This is most dramatically illustrated by the work of Alcoholics Anonymous, founded in Akron, Ohio, in 1935, by Bob Wilson, a former New York stockbroker, and Dr. Bill Smith, a surgeon in Akron. Both men were hopeless alcoholics, but working together they gained sobriety so that they, in turn, could assist millions, directly and indirectly, to restore dignity, health, and pride to their lives. God restores us in spirit as well. Through our daily prayer we are renewed to the reality of the multiple and magnificent ways that God buoys our lives, filling our spiritual shells with the special gifts of grace that can only come from God. As exercise renews our bodies and gives us added strength, endurance, and energy, so God restores us to spiritual wholeness. In line with our spiritual renewal is the restoration we all must seek in our need to be reconciled with the Lord. We know better than anyone when our relationship with God needs healing, and we can be totally confident that God, like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, stands ever ready to grant the forgiveness we seek and need, thereby providing wholeness and restoration to our lives. Our lives are too often thrown off stride by many peoples, events, and circumstances, many of which are beyond our control. God, however, is the great equalizer who restores life in every aspect.
As God restores us in mind, body, and spirit, so must we be willing to do our share to assist the Lord through our efforts, doing what we can to lighten the load and bring to greater fullness the lives of our sisters and brothers. We are called to reach out to the poor and destitute in our society and do what we can to restore them to a more dignified existence of life. Our assistance may be through direct aid and service, such as donations of material things or time; we may be an advocate for systemic change and lobby legislators to enact laws that protect the poor, children, the elderly, and other more vulnerable members of our society. We must also seek to do our part to restore the lives of those whose existence is shattered by death, divorce, loss of job or economic prosperity, a major family crisis, or a host of other problems that people experience on a daily basis. We cannot be like the priest and the Levite in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) who simply passed by when given the opportunity to restore life to another occurred. No, we must exemplify the attitude of the Samaritan and take the time and expend the necessary energy and effort to do our share to restore others to life.
Relationships are an integral ingredient and necessary aspect of our lives, and we must never shirk our responsibilities to maintain those intact and restore those broken relationships that need to be made whole once again. Often the cause of the strain in relationships is the inability of one or both parties to admit their errors and the stubbornness that generally accompanies such behavior. To admit error is for some a sign of weakness, yet for the Christian to admit error, whether it be one of omission or commission, is the recognition that as humans we are incomplete and desperately need the wholeness and reconciliation of God. Thus, it takes a big person and one filled with faith to admit error, especially with respect to our relationships. Only by admitting our imperfections and seeking wholeness can we move in the proper direction to bring restoration through reconciliation to damaged relationships. As we restore our relationship with our sisters and brothers, so too must we be mindful to renew our relationship with God. Through personal prayer, the process of reconciliation, and our personal participation, in whatever way we can, depending on time and talent, we must work to better our relationship with the Lord. As God seeks to restore us, so must we do what we can to find God and revitalize our love affair with the Lord.
In his epic poem, "The Hound of Heaven," Francis Thompson wrote of how God would leave no stone unturned in a diligent search for our souls. He understood this reality in his own life. Destitute and addicted to drugs, Thompson was restored to life, and thereby granted the opportunity to utilize his talent for the betterment of society. In a similar way God is always present to break down barriers, pave roads, and make crooked paths straight in an effort to find us and restore us to the fullness of life. We, in turn, must do what we can to assist the Lord in his mission of restoration. Let us, therefore, seek the wholeness of God and do what we can to make similar inroads in the lives of others. By our actions we imitate Jesus, the one who was born, lived, and died to set us free, the one who will bring all who believe to eternal life.
