Almighty God, today we praise you. We praise you for bringing your Word into the world. We remember that we are here to listen to your Word, the Word that was in the beginning. Remind us today and everyday that we are called to serve you, to serve others, to grow as a community of faith, and to spread the message of your love and grace. Amen.

 

 

 

The other day I read an interesting article in “Runner’s World.” Different runners were reflecting on the goals they set each year. One runner shared with his readers how his goal was to run 3,000 miles. Now running 3,000 miles a year sounds like a lot to me. I did some quick math, and that is somewhere around 56 miles a week. What is even more impressive is that each day, this author kept meticulous records of the miles he had covered. Then, on New Year’s Eve, instead of staying up late and celebrating, he went to bed early, took his running log with him, and totaled up how many miles he had run. 

 

Can you guess how this horrible night had gone? Last year, an hour before midnight, the author realized he was eight miles short of his goal. So, with 60 minutes to spare, for eight miles, he laced up his shoes and headed out the door. Crazy! This guy is crazy, I think.

 

Now, I enjoy running. I know others here this morning enjoy running as well. I think we have some people who run 3,000 a year. But I guarantee you, almost a year from now, you won’t see me jogging along the MKT Trail on New Year’s Eve trying to accomplish my running goals for the year. That is just not going to happen.

 

But what is it that draws people to making New Year’s resolutions? Why are we so determined to set new goals, knowing very well they might not be accomplished. Two weeks ago, in a separate magazine, I came across the list of the most common, top-ten New Year’s resolutions in America. Let me share them with you.

10.    Get organized.

9.      Help others.

8.      Learn something new.

7.      Get out of debt.

6.      Quit drinking.

5.      Enjoy life more.

4.      Quit smoking.

3.      Lose weight.

2.      Spend more time at the gym.

1.      Spend more time with family and friends.

 

Do any of these resolutions sound familiar to you? 

 

There really used to be a time when I enjoyed making New Year’s resolutions. At the end of each December, I’d make out a list of goals. When I was making this list, I knew some goals were likely a little bit impossible, but that didn’t keep me from writing them down. Then – maybe you do this as well – I would give myself a really good motivational speech. I would say something like: “Jacob, this year is going to be different. You’re going to meet these goals. You’re going to do great!”

 

Has anyone else ever given themselves these little pep talks before? I see a few nods. Good. I was hoping so.

 

So, for the first couple days, even though I’m always a little tired from staying up late on New Year’s Eve, things go pretty well. I usually manage to accomplish quite a few of my goals. Typically this means I make it to the gym every day. I write in my journal. I set aside a particular time everyday for prayer and meditation, and I feel organized and on top of things. Even the laundry is washed and put away.

 

Unfortunately, this new routine of goals is short-lived. By the third or the fourth day, my muscles are really tired and achy, and the gym, which is a mile away, seems like way too long of a drive to go do, so I put that off until the next month. I tell myself I can write in my journal some other time. And this is much more realistic, the pile of laundry gets larger, and larger, and larger, and larger, until I am forced to wash something. Just a few weeks into the New Year, I’ll already be discouraged that I am no longer keeping my New Year’s resolutions. Does this sound more familiar?

 

So for the past couple of years, I’ve put off reading Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life. I still haven’t read the complete book. To be honest, one of the reasons I haven’t completed the book is because I have some concerns with how Rick Warren presents his theology. I don’t like his overly literal reading of the Bible, failing to take any history into account. I don’t like the way in which he categorizes believers and unbelievers. But while I have my concerns, I’m also deeply intrigued. Rick Warren claims that the purpose-driven life is more than just a book. He says it is a guide to a 40-day spiritual journey that will enable you discover the answer to life’s most important question, “What am I here for?” This is a book that has sold over 25-million copies. Perhaps The Purpose-Driven Life has sold so many copies, because we are all searching for something. We all want to make sure we have a purpose in life.

 

When I was a chaplain in St. Louis, I routinely met with people who were close to death. In those final days of life, there were two common questions: “What will happen to me when I die?” and “Did I live a meaningful life?” I never had any concrete answers to these questions. Sometimes the best I could do was just to hold somebody’s hand, be there with them, and listen. I think these questions gave me a little bit of insight into what life and living is all about.

 

What are we living for? What do we do to make a meaningful life? Are we living for our family? Are we living for God? Are we living for our job? Are we living to be successful? To be on top? To make the most money? What are your goals for life?

 

In the opening chapters of his book, Rick Warren quotes Psalm 139, the text we just heard this morning. This is one of my favorite psalms. I want share with you again the opening lines:

 

Aren’t these lines beautiful? In this psalm, the psalmist recognizes that humanity may only be understood when seen through the eyes of God. In a sense, the psalmist is also saying that he or she is never free from God. Whether we like it or not, we cannot escape God. God surrounds us in everything we do. But how many of us constantly think about the presence of God? Do we really want God to be a part of every single aspect of our lives?

 

The key word in Psalm 139 is “know.” If you read the complete passage, you hear it more than seven times. I believe this means the psalmist, just like us, is fully and completely known by God. If God so knows us, then aren’t we called also to know God? One of the great characteristics of the God we know, as disclosed through Jesus Christ, is that our God is a God of relationships. Our God wants to form a partnership with us, to know us as deeply and passionately as a mother and a father know their child.

 

So as we think about our New Year’s goals this morning, I want to offer some ways in which we can grow in our relationship with God.

 

The first step is simple. It’s found in the Eight Keys to Discipleship here at Broadway Christian Church. Read the Bible daily. As members of the Christian Church: Disciples of Christ, we take seriously what the Bible has to say. Alexander Campbell, one of the founders of our denomination, is famous for saying, “Where the Scriptures speak, we speak. Where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.” To make a statement such as this means that we believe the Bible is true, and we can trust it. Campbell truly believed that we can trust the Bible to be a guide to faith and to life. 

 

Through the Bible we can learn about God’s faithfulness. When we read the Bible daily, we learn, not only of God’s faithfulness, but also ways in which we can conform to God’s will, not our will. It is so easy, at least for me, to say that I am going to be a faithful reader of Bible. But sometimes, I mislead myself in the reading of the Bible. Instead of truly trying to find God’s will for my life, I extrapolate from Scripture certain passages that I feel will reinforce my desire – reinforce my will. But this isn’t the point of the Bible. The Bible was given to us so that we can discover God’s purpose for our lives.

 

In “The Millennial Harbinger,” which was a journal published by Alexander Campbell, he discussed why he values the Bible so much. Campbell said that God desires us to be constant readers of the Bible. He believed that there was no substitution for reading the Bible. He argued that sermons, prayers, worship, every day spiritual exercises, nothing can compensate for the reading of the Bible. “When reading the Bible,” he said, “it is impossible to keep any company long and constantly without catching it’s spirit and becoming assimilated. Equally impossible it is to be frequently in company with Moses and David, Isaiah and Jeremiah, Jesus and his apostles without catching their spirit.”

 

This is what God designs and desires in giving us the Bible to read. And just as Campbell recognizes the Spirit of God, so does the psalmist in Psalm 139. The psalmist says, “Where can I go from your Spirit?” 

 

The word “spirit” in Hebrew is ruach, and means “wind” or “breath.” The Spirit of God follows us wherever we go. We have the choice of listening to the Spirit or letting it blow away.

 

When we read the Bible closely, I’m always struck by the lack of individualism. The Bible is not concerned about personal goals. During the ancient Christian Church, in the time of Jesus, listing individual goals would be uncommon. The Bible is concerned about communal goals. In Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, Paul says, “Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel. …Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”

 

These are some powerful words. Paul wrote the Letter to the Philippians while being held in jail, persecuted for his beliefs in Christ. While sitting in jail, he is not concerned for himself or his well-being, but Paul is concerned for others – for the greater community of Christ. 

 

It is not just Paul who believed in the good of the community. In the New Testament, the word “saint,” with one exception, is always referred to in plural, not singular. All of the New Testament writers were concerned with how communities can come together and generate saints, not a saint. 

 

Several months ago, in youth worship, we reflected on the importance of the Bible, and how God speaks to us today. At the end of the worship service, I invited the youth to participate in the ancient practice of lectio divina, or “sacred reading.” Lectio Divina originated some time between the fourth and fifth centuries. It was associated in its beginnings with the spirituality of the monastic life. 

 

In the ancient world, reading wasn’t the same as it is today. Not only were books rare and expensive to make, but also reading was physically different. Reading, as practiced in antiquity, did not refer to the silent word, of the eyes, and of the mind, but rather to the oral speaking of words so they could be physically heard and taken in. Instead of reading the Word of God, people would often listen to the Bible, a text that is meant to be heard. 

 

The goal of lectio divina is to hear a word or phrase from Scripture that speaks to you. When the early monks and nuns practiced lectio divina, they believed there was in each text a personal message for them in particular. They did not assume that the message indicated the meaning of the scriptural text for the whole Church for all times, but that God today has something personal to say to you.  

 

When we practiced lectio divina at youth worship, it was a special and meaningful event. If you have ever had the opportunity to witness it, you know how awe inspiring it is to see youth seriously contemplate the presence of the Spirit of God in their lives. 

 

Perhaps this New Year we are called by God, not to list out our New Year’s resolutions, but rather to listen to God. If you listen closely, what is God saying to you? Can you hear God? Are you conforming to God’s will? 

 

There is no doubt that listening to God is one of the hardest goals to accomplish. We all know it is not easy, but through studying the Bible, participating in a faith community, taking seriously the Eight Keys of Discipleship here at Broadway Christian Church, and practicing such ancient traditions as lectio divina, it is possible.

 

The good news is that we are God’s people. God is listening to us. God is calling us. The choice to respond is ours.

 

Through Christ, we all say together… “Amen.”

 

God of our hearts, your hand is upon us. Thank you for your many good thoughts for us. Help us to tune in and unscramble the letters of “silent” that we might know what it is to “listen.” We want to know you, your hopes for us and how we might work your ways into every new thing we do. Amen.