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First Parish Church 186 York Street York, Maine 03909 Telephone (207) 363-3758 email office@firstparishyork.org

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Renewed, Refreshed & Ready to Go

August 21, 2005

Linda B. Hirst

Ephesians: 3:14-21

Before we begin I just want to say thank you to Lucinda and to Theo for playing and singing for us this morning and especially for the offertory piece which is really special to me - which Lucinda and Wendell did not know when they chose it - this was a song that we used to sing on mission trips at my last church. Indulge me for a moment since I’ve been gone so long - hymnals #76. When we would sing it we would sing: we are marching in the light of God - just the version we had - we are marching in the light of God. And then we’d try to sing it in Zulu. I’m sure we completely butchered the words and who knows what we were really saying...but every time I hear that song I think of what we were trying to do as a bunch of youth and adults on a mission trip - sing, praying, marching in the light of God - always going forward - doing the works of God not with our light - but with the light of God to guide us.

And the funny thing is, as I was picking out hymns I came across this one and for a brief moment, wondered if I could get you all to sing it - in Zulu as well as in English but then I thought better of it and lo and behold, what should the offertory be but this very song - coincidence, I think not. It’s a God thing. That’s how we describe things in our house that really can’t be described except to acknowledge that somehow, somewhere God is at work in our lives and in our world.

Which brings me to our scripture: the apostle Paul spent much of his life trying to help people see God, see Jesus, the Holy Spirit in their lives and in the world around. And to see what life could be like if you lived it filled with God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Paul was passionate in his letters to all the people and churches he wrote to, because he knew how full life could be if only they would listen and follow and believe. Peace was possible, he knew. Unity was possible. Life - new life - was possible.

In this passage, Chapter 3:14-21 Paul has a prayer for his readers - for the men and women and children in the church in Ephesus - a prayer for the Ephesians. And a prayer for us as well - the men, women and children in the church in First Parish, York, Maine. (Read scripture)

I want to thank you all for my sabbatical time - it was restful and relaxing and full all at once. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the idea of sabbatical time - in the church it is given to ministers after five or six years of service to enable them - enable us - to recharge our batteries - to pursue a particular passion - to rest - so that when the sabbatical time is over - hopefully we will be refreshed and renewed and ready to go for the next five or six years. A sabbatical is a gift and those of us who receive them are very, very appreciative of this gift.

Most sabbaticals, as you may or may not know, have a purpose, a focus. Some pastors actually spend months or years planning for their sabbatical.

Some take classes, they’ll study something they’ve always been interested in or write that book they’ve always wanted to write. Some travel - they go to Europe to roam around old churches and cathedrals to be inspired by the history and the architecture. Or they’ll go to the holy lands to walk in Jesus’ footsteps or the apostle Paul’s. Some go on mission trips - really, really long ones. One of the pastors of my home church spent his sabbatical on an Indian Reservation in North Dakota - working and worshiping with the people there. My other pastor got her doctorate at Princeton over a three year period in Congregational life. A friend of mine in CT spent his sabbatical preaching at a church in Scotland accompanied by his wife and two small children. Others are of a more personal and challenging nature - one woman I know decided to spend her sabbatical hiking the Appalachian Trail, something she had never done before and always dreamed of doing. And I...I stayed here.

At first I struggled with this; I should be doing something exciting I thought - write a book maybe - perhaps on something like children’s messages that have gone wrong, oh so wrong, or I should go somewhere - except the only place I really want to go to is Montana and no one else in my family wanted to go with me. I thought about taking a class - but the only class I want to take is sign language and having already learned such crucial words as hamburger and popcorn, I was really not in any hurry.

My husband Brad, who has lofty plans for his sabbatical in three years, suggested I go away, go to Scotland, he said, walk around, preach, have fun. When I said I really didn’t want to go by myself and quite frankly, I was needed here - my boys would miss me - he replied: I really think we can get by without you for a few weeks. To which I replied, the next time you need me to do something around here - fix dinner, do the laundry, feed the dogs...pretend I’m in Scotland.

In the end I decided that all that I wanted to do - rest, relax and renew - I could do right here in my home town.

And so I rested - spent a day or two at the beach - went for walks, went hiking - spent a day or two at our fine beaches.

I read - some religious magazines and books so I could say that I did if anyone asked and then I read some classics like Pride and Prejudice, The Princess Bride and Harry Potter.

I tried yoga - once.

And I spent time with my two teenage sons - now some people laughed at me when I first suggested it - the idea being what teenage boys would want to hang around with theirs mother - and just so you know how it went - when I asked them if they liked having me around more this summer - one replied, well, actually it was kind of annoying and the other said, you were around more? I’m not quite sure what to make of their comments except that I was glad I got to spend time with them - playing tennis with one and bike riding with another - and even if it pained them to be with them, they were kind and didn’t actually come out and say so.

While I don’t have pictures of Rome or Montana to share with you, while I did not write a book which you would now be obligated to buy, while I don’t have stories about a trip to Scotland to regal you with, I do want to share some highlights of my sabbatical with you.

The first came a week after my sabbatical began when a group of us from First Parish Church did the 3-Day 60 mile breast cancer walk sponsored by the Susan G. Komen Foundation. We began training for this weekend - for this walk from Nashua to Boston four months earlier - starting with 4 miles, then 6, then 8, then 12, 14, 18, you get the idea - every Saturday we were up at the crack of dawn, pulling on our sneakers, grumbling to ourselves, throwing down quick cups of coffee - and then walking, just walking, in the rain, in the sun, in the heat, we walked. Towards the end of our training we wanted to do anything but walk - we were sore, we had blisters, we were bored, but still we walked.

The week before the actual event - anxiety set in, we were sure we couldn’t do it, we hadn’t trained enough, what if it rained again or snowed, what if we pulled something and injured ourselves, the what if’s started to get us. Getting up at 4 in the morning the first day to go to Nashua to walk the first 22 miles we all promised each other we’d never do this again, it was too hard, we were too old, we just didn’t have what it takes.

In Nashua we began walking and we walked and walked - in the pouring rain - and after 22 miles we finally stopped - exhausted and sore - and unable to move sideways - it’s what happens to you when you walk only one direction - forward for 8 hours. It was too wet to camp out so we looked at the gym they wanted us to sleep in and then got a hotel room - and only felt a little guilty about that - and that night over dinner we laughed about our day and promised ourselves once again that this was the last time we would do this - next year we would pledge $ to other walkers, and cheer and volunteer - anything, but walk.

Up at 5 again the next day more of the same but the sun came did come out mid-morning. 21 miles later, still really stiff and sore, we got to our camp sight and during dinner the heavens opened up with thunder and lightening - and we got another hotel room - and again over dinner - the same promise was made. We’re doing it now, we have nothing left to prove - let someone else walk next year, we’re done.

Day three - can see the light at the end of the tunnel - 15 miles and we’re done. And after a quick stop for ice cream in Harvard Square, we walk into MIT - where closing ceremonies are and we are greeted by thousands of people cheering for us, high fiving us, people everywhere are crying and all of a sudden we’re crying, too, tears running down our faces, we can’t stop. We hugged each other, we hugged strangers, and as we hugged this one man we had seen all three days, walking by himself, walking for us wife who had died of breast cancer, it hit us - this was big - because it showed what love can do: people walked for daughters, mothers, people they loved, people the lost. And in the end 1 00 people raised 3.7 million dollars and while we standing there, taking it all in I heard one of our team members say, “I’d do this again, next year and then another agreed and another and I found myself saying it, too.

And I think of what Paul said in his prayer to his readers in Ephesus: how he wished for them that they may be strengthened in their inner being through the Holy Spirit and I get it because that’s how we all felt right then - that God had given us the strength to do this walk because we certainly couldn’t have done it on our own - and I am so grateful that God works in this mysterious way. And I thank you all for praying for us and supporting us on this most amazing walk. And if you do want to do this walk, talk to me later.

Another highlight was the10th anniversary of Rich and Wendell’s ministry - just so you know...those of us planning this thing planned really, really carefully, down to the last minute - it was going to be an hour and half long, tops! I promise. But then, God apparently had other plans and before we knew it we were looking at a full blown Baptist service - going on two hours. I gave up looking at my watch after an hour and half and just sat back enjoyed the words, the music, everything that was happening. And as look back on that day in July I think of Paul’s words about being rooted and grounded in love.

This is a church that is rooted and grounded in love - that day there was love and peace and unity - you could feel it - and it reaffirmed my belief, my hope that although we have our differences and we always will because we’re unique and different and New England Congregationalists, as long as Christ dwells in our hearts, our ministry together will be one of full and rich will continue to glorify God. I feel blessed to be a part of it.

And then there was Gina’s wedding which was just awesome. It’s always a special occasion when a good friend gets married, even more so when you get to officiate which I did. And while many of us were focused on Gina - so much so that I saw a photograph of her coming down the aisle that a friend had taken and she had forgotten to include Patrick - what’s worse it took us a few minutes to notice. I hope both of them know how much that they are loved. Paul talks about being filled with the fullness of God. We certainly were that day.

Another highlight was the mission trip. For so many reasons: where else can you get hot and sweaty, sleep on a floor, work on a roof in 100 degree weather, eat in a cafeteria with 400 people who are as sweaty and smelly as you, sit in a hot, hot gym for an evening program with those same 400 people who by now are really sweaty and smelly - and it wasn’t just the boys. Where else can you see God at work in expected and unexpected ways - in devotions, on a roof, painting, building decks and porches, in the resident’s faces as they see that these high school kids are good and kind and loving and do good work, in our own youth’s faces as they figure out they can do far more than they ever dreamed of doing. And that this is what serving God, loving God, following Jesus Christ feels like: it’s unmistakable joy and lots of sweat, occasional bumps and tears, lots of laughter, and more joy.

And on Friday night at our closing gathering when the assistant principal of the school came to thank us for all the work that had been done in the community of Wallaceburg and Walpole Island Nation, she said this: Never forget that God’s grace will always give you more than you need. Not just what you need, but more.

Or as Paul says. “God at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine”. How often we need to hear that and be reminded of that: God will do and can do amazing things with us.

Mission trips - whether they’re with adults and kids to Honduras, to the Boston Project, to Canada or Maine - help to remind us of this important truth. I’m so proud of our kids for going and working so hard and of our church for wholeheartedly supporting this ministry and these trips, and I am so grateful to be a part of them.

Well, that about wraps it up for everything I did on my sabbatical except for one more thing - one more highlight and that is... this... coming back to worship, to work, to ministry with you. I feel renewed, refreshed and ready to go for another five or six years, filled with energy and enthusiasm to love God, serve God, to follow Jesus with all of you. We have much to do as we keep marching and singing and praying in the light of God; there is our worship together, there are bible studies and youth groups, mission and Harvest Fest, people to care for, God’s love to be shown, and there’s no people I’d rather be doing all this with than you.

That’s what I did on my sabbatical, my summer vacation. Thank you all for the gift. I’d like to close with this prayer as you prepare to enjoy your last couple weeks of summer, or get ready for school, or work, or wherever life takes you. Remember these words from Paul because they’re good ones.

May you be strengthened in your inner being with power through God’s Spirit.

May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith.

May you be rooted and grounded in love

May you know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge so we may be filled with all the fullness of God.

And may God work within you in such a way as to accomplish more than you can ask or imagine.

To be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

The first is that rest and relaxation while crucial to the nourishment and renewal of our mind, body and spirit - takes time and even a little work. I am not one of those people who can just sit and be relaxed - I imagine few of us are - I prefer to be doing something, anything rather than being still. Resting is an art form- I’ve decided - the ability to be still and breathe deeply and be quiet and let the world fade away for an hour or two or a day - and I have a ways to go to perfect it.

And yet, I understand the need for it - I have a great book on spiritual disciplines and it shows the different times Jesus did ministry, then went off to pray, performed a few miracles, went off to the mountains, healed those in need, then went out in a boat on the sea of Galilee - over and over again. His life was one of balance - work and ministry then rest time, down time, time with God. He knew he couldn’t continue one without the other. And as often as Jesus went off to pray with God, on those other times when he just went away, I like to think that maybe he took a good book to read, or he just sat on the mountain top marveling at God’s creation all around him or he just sat there listening to the children laughing and playing in the valley below, before he emerged renewed and refreshed and ready to continue.

There are many different ways to rest and renew- what’s important is that we take time to do it and practice doing it over and over if necessary until we get it right.