A Sermon for the Days Following Irma

This past week has been a difficult one for all of us, physically, emotionally, mentally. The waiting

and the not-knowing was nerve-wracking to say the least. Yet whatever we experienced, it could have been

so much worse. We think of our poor brothers and sisters in the Caribbean, and also those in Houston and

parts of Floridawho lost everything. All of us, as far as I know, were spared the catastrophic damage we so

feared. As we come together this day, we are grateful for dodging the bullet, as so many said, but let us not

forget the many lives lost and dreams destroyed elsewhere in the wake of Irma.

Whenever we come together in pain: Jesus is with us. When we come together to pray, Jesus is with

us. When we come together in compassion to help, Jesus is with us. Where do we find Jesus? That's our

question for the day. In Matthew's Gospel Jesus makes an incredible promise to us: "For where two or three

are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Think about that. When a family bows their heads to give thanks at the dinner table, Jesus is there.

When a pastor prays at the bedside of a person in hospital, Jesus is there. When storms destroy our

communities and we cry out in unison, “Why Lord!” Jesus is there. Do you want to know where to find

Jesus? Here's the secret: Get together with someone else to study God’s word, to give thanks for blessings

received, or lift up others in prayer, or to console the broken hearted, and Jesus will be there. Guaranteed!

We have all been deluged (pardon the feeble attempt at some black humor) by the news coverage of

the countless scores of people affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. One interview in particular stuck

with me, as a survivor of Harvey broke down speaking with a CNN reporter. He was a young man in his 20s

who had lost everything he had except for the clothes on his back. But that was not the worst of it. His

mother had evacuated to Oklahoma but the father stayed behind. This young man told how he walked 12

miles to his dad’s place only to find it empty. He told the reporter, "There's been no cell service since Friday.

I can’t get ahold of anybody. If my mom is watching, I'm okay," he said fighting back tears. "And dad…

there's no telling where my dad's at. I'm just praying he’s safe. Dad, I’m waiting for you."

It is very easy to fall into despair when we have no shelter from the storm. The Psalmist cries out,

“Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.  I sink in deep mire where there is no foothold; I

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have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me”. When such happens, it's very easy to lose hope.

But here is where we find strength for our journey in this world. We draw it from the knowledge that Jesus is

with us. Of course, we need air to breath and food to eat and water to drink. All these are necessary for life.

But they're not enough for abundant life. We need meaning. More than that we need companionship. We

need love. We need that which raw matter cannot provide.

The Rev. Cheri DiNovo, former minister of Emmanuel-Howard Park United Church in Toronto, tells

about a television documentary she once saw on centenarians. It dealt with people as varied as a 105-year-

old African-American woman who had something like 45 great-grandchildren to a 101-year-old former MIT

professor who now had to admit that he could not understand his own work. These centenarians have seen

tragedies and they've seen joys. They have suffered, and many of them have grown wise. The researchers

studied everything about their lives, what they ate, how much exercise they got, what their gene pools look

like. Yet the one thing the researchers never asked them about was their faith. "For a Christian watching that

show," DiNovo says, "nothing came through clearer than that these people all share an astounding faith in

the providence of God. They even quoted Psalm 23 at the close of the program and yet no one mentioned

faith. In other words, they had learned through 100+ years of living how essential it was to trust in a power

greater than themselves. Each one of them, had experienced at some point powerlessness. Now their bodies

were frail; they were at the mercy of others. Each one of them had personally known a world that was

unmanageable and yet their faith kept them alive and not just alive, their faith kept them thriving."

My friends, I think our experience of the past week has taught us that the surest place to find God is

in the fellowship of other believers. Many of you who live in evacuation zones were invited—more than

invited, commanded—by friends to come and stay with them, not knowing if it would be for a day, a week or

a month. Together you supported one another, probably including saying a few prayers together as you rode

out the storm. Most of us received many dozens of emails and calls not only from fellow parishioners,

friends, and relatives but from people you haven’t heard from in ages. I heard from a cousin whom I haven’t

seen since my wedding and I was utterly astonished to receive an email from a seminary classmate that I

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have not been in touch with since graduation over 41 years ago. It simply said, “God be with you David. In

Christ's Love,

Glen and Jennifer Burgomaster”. And although I’ve done a lot of searching online, I’ve been unable to find

where my classmate is. You know, there was some angelic about that particular message. But in every case

we were assured that we were in the prayers of others.

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” This is what church is all

about. Yes, you can worship God on a mountainside all by yourself. You can find God walking along a

beach. But there are millions of people who have climbed tall mountains and walked miles on beaches who

have not given a thought to God. But when you come into this sanctuary, the space itself whispers "God."

The architecture, the symbols, the windows all designed to bring us into God's presence. Even more

important are the hymns, the prayers, and the reading of Scripture—and even occasionally a word said from

the pulpit. Of course, you can read the Word, and sing the hymns and pray eloquent prayers and listen to a

television preacher at home. The critical difference is that when you come to church you are doing these

things in the company of other believers. That's when Jesus’s incredible promise is made real: "For where

two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” The Church, be that a gathering of two or

two thousand, is where most people find God.

The Washington Times carried a story a while back about former Secretary of State Condoleezza

Rice. In the article Dr. Rice described how she had drifted away from her Christian faith and how God

reached out and brought her back: "I was a preacher's kid," says Dr. Rice, "so …the church was the center of

our lives. In segregated black Birmingham in the late 50s and early 60s, the church was not just a place of

worship. It was the place where families gathered; it was the social center of the community, too. Although I

never doubted the existence of God," Dr. Rice continues, "I think like all people I've had some ups and

downs in my faith. When I first moved to California in 1981, there were a lot of years when I did not attend

church regularly. I was a specialist in international politics, so I was always traveling abroad. One Sunday I

was in the Lucky's Supermarket not very far from my house when an African-American man walked up to

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me and said he was buying some things for his church picnic. Then out of the blue he asked me, 'Do you play

the piano by any chance?' I said, 'Yes.' Turns out he was the pastor of small Baptist Church is downtown

Palo Alto and they were looking for someone to play the piano at church. So I started playing for that church.

That got me back into regular churchgoing. I don't play gospel music very well and you know how Black

ministers will start a song and the musicians will pick it up? I had no idea what I was doing so I called my

mother who had played for Baptist churches. "'Mama,' I said, 'how am I supposed to do this?' She said,

'Honey, just play in C and they'll come back to you.' And that's true," says Dr. Rice, "If you play in C, people

will come back. I tell that story," she continues, "because I thought to myself, 'My goodness, God has a long

reach.' I mean encountering Jesus again after so long away in a Lucky's Supermarket of all places on a

Sunday afternoon." In the unplanned meeting of this pastor and Condie Rice, Christ was suddenly present in

their midst, there in that supermarket.

We are not alone. Together we find strength for the journey called life. Our Lord has given us an

incredible promise: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” My friends,

Jesus was with you in the height of the hurricane. He's is here now. And when you leave today, take Jesus to

everyone you meet.

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Announcing itself with shrieking, 130-mph winds, Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Gulf Coast, dumping more than 40 inches of rain over a four-day period, submerging entire neighborhoods up to their roofs. In the days before expected landfall, the Governor or Texas warned that the monster system would be “a very major disaster,” and the forecasts drew fearful comparisons to Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest ever to strike the United States. In the aftermath, Harvey is being called a disaster of biblical proportions and it could eventually drop as much as an astounding 25 trillion gallons of water in Texas.

The city of Houston and its surrounding suburbs received the brunt of the damage, and many expect it to be the most expensive natural disaster in US history (1). Many lost their lives while thousands more were displaced, seeing their homes and businesses completely destroyed. It is, at times like these, that we need to take heart and remember these words: "For where two or three come together in my name, there I am in the midst of them."

I. We are not alone.

God, for the waters have come up to my neck. Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of your love. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. In your great mercy turn to us." It's very easy to lose hope.

I know that you have seen the news coverage of the many affected by this storm. One interview in particular stuck with me, as a survivor broke down speaking with a CNN reporter. Aaron Mitchell was desperate to find his dad.Of course, there is a design to creation and there is a Designer. An astronomer and a mathematician [Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe] working together have concluded that the chances of life happening on this planet by accident are less than 1 in 10 to the 40,000 power. (2) It makes no difference how you think creation was accomplished; blind chance is not a satisfactory explanation. We are not alone.

In the early 70s the firemen of Fairfax County, Virginia received new helmets. They were really sharp: colorful, high impact plastic, size-adjustable, and scuff resistant. There was only one problem with the helmets. When they were near heat, they melted. That's what a fire fighter needs, isn't it? A helmet that melts when near heat.

You see, you can eat all the foods that are good for you. You can exercise to the point that your body is a wonder to behold. You can take vacations to Europe, sleep in all the beautiful castles. But there will come a time when you will have to confront your essential emptiness emptiness that can only be filled by God. We are not alone. This is where we get strength for the journey. But there's one thing more to be said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxIn 1969, in Pass Christian, Mississippi, a group of people was preparing to have a "hurricane party" in the face of a storm named Camille. Police chief Jerry Peralta pulled up sometime after dark at the posh Richelieu Apartments. Facing the beach less than 250 feet from the surf, the apartments were directly in the line of danger. A man with a drink in his hand came out to the second-floor balcony and waved at the police chief. Peralta yelled up, "You all need to clear out of here as quickly as you can. The storm's getting worse." But as other

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party participants joined the man on the balcony, they just laughed at Peralta's order to leave. "This is my land," one of them yelled back. "If you want me off, you'll have to arrest me."

Peralta didn't arrest anyone, but he wasn't able to persuade them to leave either. He wrote down the names of the next of kin of the twenty or so people who gathered there to party through the storm. They laughed as he took their names. They had been warned, but they had no intention of leaving.

It was 10:15 p.m. when the front wall of the storm came ashore. Scientists clocked Camille's wind speed at more than 205 miles-per-hour, the strongest on record and much, much stronger than Hurricane Katrina that did so much destruction to the GulfCoast last summer. Raindrops hit with the force of bullets, and waves off the GulfCoast crested between twenty-two and twenty-eight feet high.

News reports later showed that the worst damage came at the little settlement of motels, go-go bars, and gambling houses known as Pass Christian, where some twenty people were killed at a hurricane party in the Richelieu Apartments. Nothing was left of that three-story structure but the foundation. Of the two dozen people in the building, only one survived. (1)

Storms come. Sometimes they come suddenly and violently. Sometimes they tear your world apart.

Jesus and his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. Suddenly a furious squall came up, and the waves broke over their boat, nearly swamping it. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. And he said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were now more terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Storms come. They may not come in the form of a sudden, furious squall, or a hurricane. Sometimes they come in the form of a phone call--from a doctor confirming a diagnosis, from a police officer telling you of an automobile accident. Storms come in many forms--a note from a spouse saying she's leaving, a pink slip from an employer. Storms come. Just as they came to those disciples on the Sea of Galilee.

Here's what's frustrating: Sometimes when storms come, it seems as if God is asleep. "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" asked his terrified disciples. And sometimes when we are going though a crisis, it does seem that either God doesn't hear or doesn't care.

You may remember Robert Browning's famous poem:

The lark's on the wing, The snail's on the thorn; God's in his heaven, All's right with the world. Browning wrote those words in the mid-Nineteenth century, an era of boundless optimism. But after two world wars, the Holocaust, and numerous genocides, as well as the terrible specter of international terrorism, few people would now dare to say, "All's right with the world." Worse, as author Philip Yancey notes, "God seems to stay in his heaven despite all that's wrong with the world. Why doesn't He do something?" (2)

A Romanian man filed a lawsuit last fall against God for allegedly fouling up his life. The suit states that the man was promised a good life in return for "various goods and prayers," and that the 20-year sentence he's currently serving in a Romanian jail represents a clear breach of contract. (3)

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That's absurd, of course, but have you ever felt like suing God? Be honest now. Sometimes terrifying storms come up in our lives and we turn to God and all we find is an awful silence. And we cry out with those disciples of old, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

In our text for today, Christ does stir from his slumber. He rebukes the wind and says to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" When the wind dies down and is completely calm, he turns to his disciples and asks, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" I believe this is the crux of the lesson. We know that storms come. We believe that Christ has the power to calm the storms. Why are we afraid to trust God's promises?

Christ knew that his disciples were human beings, given to fear. He knew that they were still growing in their faith. His retort to them sounds harsh, but it is the harshness of a coach who wants his players to get the routine down precisely so that when they are tested they will be able to respond as they were coached. Jesus wants to help us with our fear--for a greater tragedy than the storms that come in our lives is the inadequacy of the response that we make to those storms. Let me make some brief suggestions about how we can cope with life in the midst of life's storms.

First of all, prepare for them. That makes sense, doesn't it? If we know storms are going to come, don't you think we ought to prepare for them? A TV news camera crew was on assignment in southern Florida filming the widespread destruction from Hurricane Andrew. In one scene, amid the devastation and debris, stood one house on its foundation. The owner was cleaning up the yard when a reporter approached him. "Sir, why is your house the only one in the entire neighborhood that is standing?" asked the reporter. "How did you manage to escape the severe damage of the hurricane?"

"I built this house myself," the man replied. "I also built it according to the Florida state building code. When the code called for two-by-six roof trusses, I used two-by-six roof trusses. I was told that a house built according to code could withstand a hurricane. I did and it did. I suppose no one else around here followed the code." (4)

That man was prepared. But suppose that storm had been cancer or the loss of a child or some great tragedy, how could he have prepared? There are many ways.

HE COULD HAVE MADE SURE HIS RELATIONSHIPS WERE STRONG. His family relationships, his relationships with his friends. It helps when you are going through a storm to have others there with you. You may not be blessed with a family, but you can build your relationships here in the church so that you will have people who will serve as your support group. Ask someone who has gone through the storm of an illness or the loss of a loved one whether close relationships made a difference. They do.

He could have also prepared himself for the storm physically, mentally, spiritually. For example, does your general health make a difference in a storm? How well you've taken care of yourself can make a significant difference when you are struck by a catastrophic illness. We don't talk about this much at church, but maybe we ought to. A person undergoing surgery or chemotherapy or radiation will generally do better if his or her overall health is good. Being in good physical condition is also a good way to deal with the depression that inevitably comes with a terrible loss. Prepare for life's storms by keeping yourself fit. Don't wait until the storm comes.

Mentally and spiritually we prepare ourselves by building our lives on the Rock. There comes a time in our lives when we decide what we believe and how we will live. "I will live according to God's building code," we decide. "I will live a life of quality, trusting God's promises." There are other ways to live that might bring us more sensual gratification and less sacrifice, but we believe that our lives have purpose and meaning, that a loving Creator has intended our lives for something more than mere animal satisfactions.

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And so we seek to live our lives according to God's code so that, when the storms of life come, we respond reflexively with faith and not fear, just as a well-trained athlete responds in the contest as he or she has been coached. This is not to say that we cease being human. We still may go through all the steps associated with grief and loss--denial, anger, rejection, guilt, bargaining, depression/confusion, and acceptance. But we go through the process without being overwhelmed.

And then, eventually, when the storm has run its course, as all storms do, we see how God has guided us through. We had despaired at times that we could possibly make it, but we do make it and we give God the glory. And, if we are wise, we reflect on the lessons we have learned from this experience. For this is the purpose of storms--to produce growth.

Robert A. Schuller tells about a farmer in Washington who was especially proud of the apples he produced every year, and with good reason. His farm was at a high elevation, and the cold winds that came through there made his apples especially crisp and flavorful. Every year, after he harvested his crop, he would polish those apples until they virtually shone. Then he would put them into beautiful packages to show them off. These weren't your ordinary run-of-the-mill apples but the kind that made beautiful gifts to send loved ones for Thanksgiving and Christmas. As word of his marvelous apples spread, it got to the point where he was inundated with orders even before he had harvested the fruit.

One year, just before harvest time, a severe hailstorm pummeled his property. When it was all over, there wasn't a single apple without blemishes on its skin. There was nothing wrong with the apples. They just didn't look as pretty as they usually did, and the farmer was afraid that the people who had ordered them might be disappointed and ask for their money back.

Then he had an idea. He took all of the apples with the little blemishes on the outside and wrapped every one of them the same way he did every year. He put them in the same kind of packages. Then he added a note. It read: "Notice these high-quality apples. This year represents the finest crop. You can see the blemishes caused by the hailstorm, which created the extreme cold giving the ultimate flavor and ultimate crispness to these apples."

Well, not a single order was returned. In fact, just the opposite happened. The following year when his orders started coming in he had many requests from people who wanted to make sure they got the apples with the blemishes this year, too! (5)

That's the way it works for people of faith. We don't escape the blemishes. We wear them proudly, for we could not be who we are today without the growth that those blemishes brought with them.

Storms come. Some of you are young. It seems like you will live forever. That's wonderful, but if you are smart, you will prepare yourself for that time when life sends us the unexpected squall. Prepare yourself by building strong relationships. Prepare yourself by keeping yourself fit physically, mentally and spiritually. Decide to build your life on the rock of faith.

Rabbi Jan Goldstein recalls one unexpected benefit from the 1994 earthquake that rocked Los Angeles. The disaster caused massive power outages all over the city. But, for the first time in years, Goldstein saw his neighbors wander outside at night and gaze at the stars. Usually, the artificial lights that powered the city blocked out most views of the night sky. In Goldstein's experience, few Angelenos had the opportunity before this earthquake and the subsequent power outage to appreciate the beauty of the stars. (6)

I wonder if something like that didn't happen that night to the disciples. After the Master had calmed the storm, there was a great calm. But the wind from the storm had cleared the air in a wonderful way and, as

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they gazed at the heavens, they could see the stars as they had never seen them before. And they reflected on this man who had power over the wind and the waves. And they learned the meaning of a life built on God.

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1. Christian Values Quarterly, Spring/Summer 1994, p. 10.

2. Philip Yancey, Where Is God When It Hurts? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990).

3. The Week, October 28, 2005, p. 8.

4. Leadership 14, no. 1 (Winter 1993): 49. Steve Farrar, Standing Tall (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc. 2001).

5. Dump Your Hang-ups (Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 1993).

6. Jan Goldstein, Life Can Be This Good (Berkeley, CA.: Conari Press, 2002), p. 96.XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxA scary few days, eh? Just a week ago we were hearing about this incredibly powerful Hurricane Floyd in the Atlantic that might be heading in our direction - almost a Category 5 with sustained winds near the eye of 155 miles per hour. And it cut a wide swath too, hundreds of miles in diameter.

Fool that I am, I normally do not worry much about hurricanes. I have come through a few. During my years of living on the coast, I evacuated in the face of oncoming storms along with everyone else. I still have a home on Hilton Head Island to which I hope to retire one day, so I hope it does not get wiped out by wind or water. But Hilton Head has not been hit by a hurricane in over 100 years, so I have become blasé. But this one worried me. This one was powerful enough and wide enough to do major damage without ever reaching land. It could just skirt the coastline on its northward journey and act like a giant weed-eater swirling away huge chunks of coastal Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas...including my little house. Not a happy prospect.

As the storm drew nearer, a Sheila Watson of Charleston, SC wrote to friends on the internet with a prayer request:

I would ask for prayers from each of you, not that we are spared (that's as silly and fruitless as asking to be spared from hurts in life) but that we find courage and strength to make it through. Specifically, please pray:

• that people get out of town and don't try to be stoics through 155+mph winds;

• that we remember God is not in the wind, fire, or earthquake but with us always;

• that people will love the creator more than the creation so much that losing everything will be nothing compared with what could be lost;

• that we keep a sense of humor;

• that help arrives quickly and that the [church disaster response] teams...are able to reach those in need;

• that we remember God is still in charge;

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• that in the midst of rebuilding our material world, we nourish our souls (true story: a few days after Hugo, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra held a free outdoor concert downtown to celebrate the beauty that remained - isn't that perfect?)

Other than those specifics, pray as the Spirit moves you. If Floyd takes a different turn (you can't trust these storms), apply the prayers above to the people wherever it does hit.(1)

In the face of Hurricane Floyd's threat, Sheila, her family, and two to three million people (depending upon whose estimates you hear) headed inland - the largest peacetime evacuation in American history - clogging highways with more traffic than they were ever designed to handle and creating gigantic ribbon-shaped parking lots. The next evening (Wednesday), Sheila would write again:

Yesterday we headed inland to Rock Hill, SC (near Charlotte). It took 10 hours to go what should have taken 3 hours. It took 2 hours just to get off the island where I live. The traffic jam on the interstate is horrendous. The bad thing is that in the next hurricane, people will remember spending hours (some the entire night) on I-26 and will not evacuate...In addition to the specific prayers I asked for yesterday, I ask also that you pray for people to survive the evacuation. This is nuts. It wasn't until after dark that the governor allowed the east-bound lanes of the interstate to be reversed so people could get out more easily. Who designed this infrastructure anyway? You might need to pray harder for our sense of humor to stay intact.(2)

Probably so. Fortunately, the catastrophe that could easily have occurred did not. Floyd weakened as it moved north, so by the time it made landfall at Cape Fear, it was only a strong category 2 storm, and much less dangerous than it had been earlier.

Of course, as we in North Carolina know, a good deal of damage WAS done, most of it from flooding. According to news reports, the storm left at least 20 people dead, a number which everyone expects to rise. Hundreds of homes along the coast and inland have been destroyed - property and crop damage is in the billions. More than 200,000 folks are still without power this morning. Whole cities have turned into brown lakes. And the water could cover much of eastern North Carolina for a while to come - some rivers are not projected to crest for several days. President Clinton is scheduled to tour the devastated areas tomorrow. Governor Hunt has declared this weekend a time of prayer statewide for hurricane victims.

And pray we have, and pray we will. Meanwhile, here we sit. Relatively unscathed. In the safety and peace of a church sanctuary on a beautiful late summer day. And we reflect. Where is God in all this? People have long called hurricanes and other like events an "act of God." The Bible suggests so. The prophet Ezekiel believed that God used tremendous storms as a weapon to punish the unrighteous: "Thus says the Lord GOD: In my wrath I will make a stormy wind break out, and in my anger there shall be a deluge of rain, and hailstones in wrath..."(3) Likewise the Psalmist catalogues those elements of the natural world that follow God's commands: "fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind..."(4) The most famous of all the stories is Noah and the flood.(5) The biblical view is simply this: God controls this world...and that means nature too.

The story of Noah leads some folks to believe that God uses nature as a weapon. Ten years ago, that eminent theologian, Tammy Faye Bakker declared that Hurricane Hugo's destructive visit to Charlotte was God's vengeance on the city for the mean treatment Jim Bakker got in the pages of the Charlotte Observer (although she never explained why the steeple of First Presbyterian Church was damaged but nothing happened to the newspaper building). Last year televangelist Pat Robertson warned that the city of Orlando might well get a direct hit by a hurricane because it permitted the display of rainbow flags out of respect for gay people. Said Robertson, "I would warn Orlando that you're right in the way of some serious hurricanes and I don't think I'd be waving those flags in God's face if I were you."(6) Robertson does have some experience with hurricanes - in the days leading up to his presidential candidacy in the late '80's, a hurricane

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headed toward his headquarters on Virginia Beach. Pat said he prayed that the storm would be diverted, and it was (it made landfall at some neighboring city). He never did explain though, why, if his prayer was so powerful, he did not just pray that the storm head harmlessly out to sea. If you see Pat, ask him.

Why do we have hurricanes? Hurricanes arrive, not because God is out to get some sinful city, but because the prevailing winds, ocean currents and frontal zones combine in ways that create them. This is so in good times and bad and without respect to the moral climate or condition of the people who happen to be living in a storm's path. Jesus made it plain. We remember it in the venerable phrasing of the King James Version: "[God] maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

It is interesting that that statement occurs in the context of Jesus' teaching on love: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous." The point, of course, is that God cares about ALL of us, even those we might not be getting along with at the moment.

We can add to that those we do not even know, and that is one of those wonderful side effects of disasters like Hurricane Floyd. The Governor called for prayers for the victims of the storm. We will do even more. In addition to our prayers, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is rushing $50,000 from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering to both New Hope and Coastal Carolina presbyteries and stands ready to provide additional financial assistance as damage assessments become available. As soon as the flood waters recede, volunteer work teams will be dispatched for clean-up, repair, and rebuilding. People WILL reach out to other people. Good.

I remain convinced that God's hand IS in the midst of events like Hurricane Floyd - not managing the weather but managing human response. There are stories of true heroism - the U.S. Navy crews who rescued eight men Wednesday who had abandoned their sinking tugboat and were being hurled about by monster waves 300 miles east of Daytona Beach. Three survivors who became separated from the life raft launched shortly before the tug sank were picked up first by helicopters from the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy. The helicopters then refueled and returned to the scene to pick up the other five men, who were in the raft riding out huge waves.(7) The only word to describe it is heroic. Those men were doomed. No doubt we will hear more heroic stories in the days ahead.

There are other stories as well, not so dramatic, but just plain wonderful. Roger Kiser of Brunswick, Georgia, who writes occasionally for an inspirational web site called Heartwarmers4u.com recounted the experience he and his family had in his evacuation from the coast. He writes:

Traffic was so backed up that we never traveled more than six miles per hour nor did we ever move forward more than 500 feet without having to stop. I reached over and turned on the CB radio to see if there was an accident ahead.

Suddenly I noticed a woman and her friend stranded along the road with their hood raised. Their car had overheated. People were jumping from their cars and dropping off gallons of their own drinking water to the woman. As we passed, giving her another gallon of water, the woman was pouring water into her radiator when it spewed back into her face scalding her on the side of the head. Immediately three or four strangers jumped from their slow moving cars to rush to her assistance, offering her towels, and several men came over to cool her radiator for her.

Another mile or so down the road a trucker came on the radio and asked if there was anyone who could tell him where he could stop and get a soft drink -- he had nothing to drink as all the stores were sold out of

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beverages or closed. A voice responded and asked him his location. He replied that he was passing road marker 19. The voice came in response and told him to look on sign post 21 when he drove by it. Suddenly horns started blowing which could be heard for miles. As we passed marker 21 there sat a cold refreshing Mountain Dew on top the marker.

People who would ordinarily be pushed to their limits were jumping from their vehicles trying to help anyone and everyone they could. When we finally arrived in Waycross nine hours later (a drive that would normally take about 35 minutes) we had nowhere to go as all the motels for three states were full. We slept in the automobiles with all the animals. It was also one of the most restless nights I have ever encountered but we made the best of it.

The next morning we arose at about six o'clock and just stood around with thousands of other stranded people. It was cold, cloudy and the wind was blowing at about 45 miles per hour. Along comes the local electric company, asking us if we need any help finding a local shelter. We could not go to a shelter because we had animals and we were not about to leave our pets, even if it meant warmth and hot food. There were no restaurants open for fifty miles so there was no hot food and we could not find any bread as all the stores were sold out. So we just ate what we could and made the best of it.

Several hours later an African American woman drove up and stopped where we were huddled and said, "I know you do not know me from Adam but I would like to invite you to my home to take a hot shower and clean up if you wish." [We WISHED!]...

When the authorities gave the all clear, we headed back to our warm sweet home. Yes, it was a bad and dangerous experience and one that I never wish to repeat. But the strong winds that were ahead of us yesterday were the winds of kindness, friendship, courtesy and love. Not even the dangerous winds of this deadly hurricane could ever change the determination, the fortitude or the compassion of the wonderful people who make this country as great as it is. AMERICA, I am so proud of you!"(8)

Amen? Amen. Mark Twain once said, "The rain is famous for falling on the just and unjust alike, but if I had the management of such affairs, I would rain softly and sweetly on the just, but if I caught a sample of the unjust outdoors, I would drown him."(9) I would say Amen to that too!

Yes, we have had a scary few days, but Floyd is gone now. Thank God. But another will come...and another and another. Such is the cycle of nature. Where will God be? Right where God always is. In the words of Isaiah, "When you pass through the waters, I WILL BE WITH YOU."(10) Hallelujah!

Amen!

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1. Posted by Bass Mitchell, via Ecunet, "Sermonshop 1999 09 21," #17, 9/14/99

2. Sheila Watson, via Ecunet, "Sermonshop 1999 09 21," #42, 9/15/99

3. Ezekiel 13:13

4. Psalm 148:8

5. Genesis 6-9

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6. Quoted by Charles Henderson, http://christianity.about.com/library/weekly/mcurrent.htm

7. NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, 9/16/99

8. http://dispatch.mail-list.com/archives/heartwarmers/msg00421.html

9. Quoted in The Joyful Noiseletter, April, 1991, p. 5

10. Isaiah 43:2XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxOn Monday, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed with devastating and amazing force into the Gulf Coast just east of New Orleans, Louisiana.

With screaming, shrieking 175 MPH winds, Katrina smashed ashore and…- destroyed houses and buildings,- turned over cars, trucks and boats,- swamped Mississippi’s beachfront,- blew out windows in hospitals, hotels and high-rises in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi,- submerged entire neighborhoods up to their roof-tops in flood water,- separated families and loved ones,- claimed numerous lives,- and left thousands and thousands homeless.

The dramatic images of Hurricane Katrina are vivid in our minds…- mind-boggling devastation along the Gulf Coast,- unforgettable, heart-breaking flooding in New Orleans,- people on roof-tops holding on for their lives… and being air-lifted by helicopters to safety- people standing by the thousands outside of the Superdome waiting and watching for buses to arrive,- people filing by corpses to get on those buses to bring them to Houston,- thousands of survivors lying on cots in the Astrodome with volunteers flocking there from all over our city to help them with food, water, clothing, support, medical aid and encouragement.

And, who could ever forget the picture of – - that woman falling on her knees in front of the New Orleans Superdome, and crying, “PLEASE HELP US!”,- or, survivors walking through the Astrodome holding up signs looking for their loved ones;- or, the man in the yellow jersey who had tried desperately to hold his wife and three children above the flood waters,… describing through tears how his wife was swept away from them.- or that couple who in the rush and the confusion of the evacuation out of New Orleans had gotten separated from their new-born baby and the tearful, joyful re-union when their baby was found alive and well in a Fort Worth hospital,- or, how about the elderly man in Biloxi who rode out the storm in his boat. His boat ended up on land… and the man sat there in the boat for four days until his son came and found him. His son said about his dad, “He is something! He has survived the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, two terms in Vietnam, a number of storms, and now Katrina, my Dad is a survivor, that’s who he is!”

His Dad said: “I don’t look for trouble. It just seems to come and find me.”

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Yesterday, I was out at the Astrodome and I met a handsome young couple who told me that they had walked out of the flood in shoulder high water and they were O.K., but they were looking desperately everywhere for her mother.

Last Friday, I visited with an older man who was sitting on his cot on the floor of the Astrodome. He had arrived from New Orleans at 3:00 a.m. that morning. I said to him:

“Welcome to Houston. I am sorry for all you have been through. I’m glad you are safely here and we want to help you. How are you doing this morning?”

I was touched by his answer. He said:

“I’m Blessed. I have lost everything, but I’m still here. I have food to eat and water to drink. I have air-conditioning and a bathroom. I have a cot and a blanket and a roof over my head. Yes,” he said with a tired smile, “I am Blessed! Thank you, thank you and Houston… but most of all Thank God!”

Hurricane Katrina will go down in history as one of our nation’s worst catastrophes… and it reminds us of a universal truth namely this…”Every single one of us at one time or another will have to face trouble. Not one of us is immune from the storms of life.

There is no wall high enough to shut out trouble.There is no life (no matter how much it may be sheltered) that can escape from it.There is no trick (however clever) by which we can evade it.

Some time, some where, maybe when we least expect it,… trouble will rear its head and confront and challenge every one of us.

The Psalmist did not say, “I will meet no evil.” He said, “I will fear no evil!”

So, the question is not, “Will trouble come to me?” It will! Rather, the question is: “How do I respond to the troubled waters of life?” How do we as Christians deal with the problems, the burdens, the heart-aches, the broken dreams?

A veteran minister was speaking one day to a class of theological students in a seminary. He said to them: “Never preach a sermon without some word of comfort for the troubled and sorrowing because there will always be someone (within the sound of your voice) who has a heavy heart.

Well, what do we do when life tumbles in? How do we respond to the difficulties of life? Is there a bridge over troubled water? Surely, Christianity has something to say about this… because the great symbol of our faith in a Cross!

To get deeper into this, let me suggest three things to remember when we have to face trouble.

I. FIRST OF ALL, REMEMBER THAT GOD IS WITH US.

That is the great promise of the Bible… God will always be with us in every circumstance of life… and indeed even beyond this life. Come what may, the one thing we can always count on is that God will be with us… giving us the strength we need.

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Dr. Ralph Sockman once told a story about a lawyer in New York who took his son with him to walk around the streets of Manhattan. The streets were very crowded that day. The little boy started out holding onto his Father’s finger. However, after being pushed and jostled and bumped by the crowd, the little boy grew tired and he said:

“Please, Dad, take hold of my hand now: I can’t hold on much longer.” Sometimes that’s what we have to do. We entrust our troubles to God… and ask him to hold us up and get us through.

Some years ago, some friends of ours in another state wanted me to perform the wedding for their daughter on a Saturday night. They said: “We know you don’t like to be away from St. Luke’s on Sunday morning, so, if you will come, we will get a private plane to take you back to Houston after the wedding.”

After the reception, they took me out to the airport to board the private plane. As I boarded the plane, I was surprised to see the bride and groom seated there. I thought: “O my goodness, I have done the wedding and now I’m going on the honeymoon!”

But, the pilot said, “We’re going to drop the bride and groom off at Love Field in Dallas. You can sit back here with them… or up front with me… whichever you would like.”

I chose the co-pilot’s seat to let the bride and groom have their post-wedding privacy. We flew quickly to Dallas, said “Good-bye and Best Wishes” to the newly married couple… and then just as the pilot taxied out for our “take-off” to Houston, it suddenly started to rain.

Then it began to storm. The wind was howling and blowing fiercely. Thunder was rumbling. Lightning was flashing. Golf-ball-size hail started falling. The air traffic controller told us that DFW Airport had just been closed and we had better take-off in a hurry if we were going… because there were now tornado warnings being issued.

We took off. Wind shear turned the plane sideways three times as we were taking off. Over and back and over… but I wasn’t scared. Now, I flinched a bit when the plane was flipping sideways… but, I wasn’t really frightened for three reasons:

1. First, I trusted the pilot. It was out of my hands, so I had to trust him. Sometimes we have to just trust God to pilot us through the storm.

2. Second, I could see from my co-pilot seat the weather radar screen… and I could tell that in about one minute we were going to fly right out of the storm into clear skies.

3. Third, I trusted God. I knew God was with us. I knew come what may God would be with us… because the Scriptures tell us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That’s the first and the most important thing to remember when we are hit by the storms of life… God is with us and we can trust him. So, we simply go forward doing our best and trusting God for the rest.

The hymn-writer expressed it like this:

“Jesus Savior, pilot me over life’s tempestuous sea;unknown waves before me roll… hiding rock and treacherous shoal.Chart and compass came from thee;

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Jesus, Savior, pilot me.”

That’s Number One: Remember that God is with us.

II. SECOND, REMEMBER THAT GOD CAN REDEEM OUR TROUBLES.

This is the good news of our faith – that God can redeem, that God can take bad things and turn them into good things.

That is also our calling as Christians, isn’t it? To work with God to turn defeats into victories.

We see many examples of this in biography.

Edison failed as a newspaper salesman and consequently, he turned to scientific research.

Lincoln was disappointed in his law career. He considered himself a failure at 46 and thus turned in the direction that led to the White House.

Whistler wanted to be a soldier, but he flunked out of West Point… and then he turned to art.

Redeeming our troubles – using them… this is a key to Christian living… learning by the grace of God to triumph even in our troubles. Now, sometimes, this takes creativity.

Five year old Donnie was being brought up in a very conservative home with a rigid observance of Sunday. No playing on Sunday! That was the rigid rule. But, on days, Donnie’s mother caught him sailing his toy boat in the bath tub.

“Donnie, she cried. Don’t you know it’s wicked to sail boats on Sunday?”

“It’s all right, Mon,” replied Donnie. “This isn’t a pleasure trip. This is a missionary boat on its way to Africa!”

Now, that what you call “rising to the occasion. In a deeper sense that’s what we can do with the help of God. When trouble rears its head, by the grace of God we can rise to the occasion and creatively use our trouble for good.

Jesus was a master at this. He didn’t endure or resent the conflicts with the Pharisees. He didn’t just put up with them or tolerate them. He used these conflicts productively, creatively, redemptively.

Remember the day when a man stepped up in the crowd and broke in on Jesus’ teaching and tried to trip Him up with loaded questions? It was a difficult, tricky, troublesome situation,… but look what Jesus did. He told the parable of the Good Samaritan.

And remember the Cross? He used it and made of it God’s messenger. Leslie Weatherhead put it like this:

“The cross looked like defeat to the disciples,It was called defeat by the world,It felt like defeat by Jesus,But God made it His greatest victory.”

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So, when we have to face troubled waters in this world, we can first remember that God is with us, and second, we can remember that God can redeem our troubles.

III. THIRD AND FINALLY, REMEMBER THAT GOD CAN USE US TO HELP OTHERS WHO ARE IN TROUBLE.

Our church has been working closely with the American Red Cross from the beginning of this crisis, so much so that when you go to the Astrodome to work as a disaster volunteer,… if the police officers see your St. Luke’s name-tag, they wave you right in!

Friday night, the Red Cross asked our church to oversee all the donation of food and clothing being brought to Reliant Park. What a thrill it is to see people coming from all over the city to bring clothes and food, water and diapers and formulas and toys to help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

When a disaster like this strikes, there will be a few people who will try to take advantage of the situation for their own selfish gain, but most people (by far most people) will reach out with love and compassion and generosity.

Where did they learn that? Where did they learn to be loving and caring like that? Well, most of them learned that from their church. Most of them learned it from Jesus.

Yesterday, I attended a meeting of pastors and church and community leaders who are trying to figure out creative ways to help the Katrina survivors. In that meeting, I heard a story that I would like to conclude with.

A noted minister named Dr. Dixon Jones dreamed that he died and appeared before Saint Peter at the entrance to heaven. Proudly he said:

“I am Dr. Dixon Jones. I served as a very successful minister for over 40 years. I’m sure you will find my name prominently displayed in the Book of Life.”

Simon Peter looked through the minister category and then he shook his head, “No, Dr. Dixon Jones. I can’t find your name here anywhere.” Dr. Jones said: “Oh, I know. It’s probably listed under “scholars.” I did write 14 books.”

Saint Peter looked under “scholars” but again, no luck. Dr. Jones name was not there. Dr. Jones was getting a bit rattled now and he said: “Look under Builders of Mega Churches: I’m sure that’s where it will be.”

But, once again, Saint Peter looked, but to no avail. It was not there.

Dr. Jones was heartsick as he turned to walk away, but just then an angel said: “Wait a minute. I think I recognize you. I knew you looked familiar, but now I know why. Aren’t you the one who fed the sparrows every morning?”

“Well, yes,” Dr. Jones said. “After breakfast I did always go out and spread the left over bread crumbs in the backyard for the sparrows.”

With that, Saint Peter said: “Well, come on in Dr. Jones, The Lord of the Sparrows wants to thank you. The One whose eye is on the sparrow wants to welcome you to heaven.”

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When we reach the Gates of Heaven, I don’t think we will be asked about our accomplishments. I think we will be asked if we cared for our neighbors and helped those in need in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

When it comes to trouble, there are three things to remember…

Remember that God is always with us.Remember that God can redeem our troubles.And, remember that God can use us to help others who are in trouble.Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The family heard the tornado warning on the radio. They turned on the television; the radar map showed the storm was headed for their town. The wind picked up and rattled the windows. The sky became dark.

They went out on the front porch and looked at the sky. And then they saw it: a funnel cloud swaying along the ground like a hungry elephant's trunk sucking up everything in its path.

They made a run for it -- the father, the mother and two small children. They lay flat in a nearby ditch. They heard the roar of a freight train, which is the characteristic sound of a tornado. The rain came down in torrents. Small tree limbs rained down upon them. Then they heard a loud crashing noise as if something big was being torn apart. The father dared to raise his head and look up. To his dismay, he saw the roof of their house fly over the ditch and plunge into a grove of trees nearby.

In what seemed like an eternity, but was only a few minutes, the storm passed, the wind died down, the rain stopped, the sky began to clear, and an eerie silence settled around the huddled family. Slowly they climbed out of the ditch. They were shaken and soaking wet but thankful none of them was hurt.

"Where is the house?" six-year-old Amy asked.

In place of the house there was a desolate empty space against the sky. All the family could see was a pile of bricks with not one brick left upon another. Wooden beams were piled helter-skelter like so many oversized matchsticks casually dropped by a giant. Pieces of clothing hung at half-mast from trees left standing but stripped bare of their smaller branches.

"It is nothing but a pile of rubble," mumbled the father.

The family huddled together, hugged each other and cried.

"Where are we going to live? Where is all our stuff? This makes no sense," shrieked ten-year-old Andy.

Nobody offered an answer. Slowly they moved toward the wreckage of their home. Despair and disbelief crept across their faces. For a while they simply stood there. They had no words.

Then Amy cried out, "Where is Kitty Cat? I've got to find Kitty Cat!" Amy began to pick up small pieces of debris. She turned over broken boards. All the while she called, "Kitty Cat! Kitty Cat! Come here, Kitty Cat." Her mother watched sadly and thought to herself, "She will never find that cat. It is either crushed under all this rubble, or it has been blown away over the fields. Amy loved that cat. She will be devastated."

Just then Amy heard the faintest little mewing sound coming from among the rubble. "Kitty Cat! Kitty Cat! Where are you? Where are you?" Kitty Cat, wet and bedraggled, came struggling from under a broken board which was resting on some bricks. The board and the bricks had formed a little shelter which protected the

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kitten from being crushed or blown away. Amy was ecstatic. She picked up the dripping kitten and cradled her in her arms. Amy's tears turned to joy. For her there was good news among the rubble. A living being which she prized had survived the destruction of a terrible disaster.

The entire family shared Amy's joy. In fact, the father suggested: "Why don't we give that cat a real name? Why don't we call her 'Hope'?"

Rubble in abundance comes to mind as we listen to the words of Jesus from Luke 21. Picture the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem lying in ruins, with not one stone left upon another. There are predictions of wars and insurrections, of nations struggling against each other, of natural disasters such as earthquakes, famines, and plagues. Can you imagine the rubble scattered over the landscapes by these catastrophes? There are predictions of emotional rubble produced by persecution from religious and political authorities, betrayal by family and friends, and an atmosphere of general hatred toward those loyal to Jesus Christ.

How do we react to these dire predictions of disaster? Do they frighten us and make us anxious? Do we echo the questions of the first hearers: "When? What are the signs?"

Or do we dismiss them as belonging to an ancient time? After all, the Temple was destroyed long ago. Wars, instability among nations, earthquakes, famines, and epidemics are characteristic of every age in history, including our own.

Persecutions because of one's religious faith stain the pages of the world's history through the ages. Although we in North America today do not face the severe persecution the early Church endured, anyone who exhibits a strong faith and seeks to live by the law of love may well face resistance, rejection, hostility, and ridicule from a complacent culture.

Whatever our personal reaction to these words of Jesus, we can be overwhelmed by the rubble and miss the good news. But if we look closely enough we can discover open places through which hope, like a surviving kitten, emerges into the sunshine. In the face of all the disasters in our world, we ourselves may feel like frightened kittens. But the good news tells us of One who is like a lion, majestic and triumphant over the rubble.

When Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple and his hearers anxiously asked when this would take place, he calmed their fears by telling them to beware of false Messiahs who would come and announce that the end was near. "Do not go after them," he warned. In the face of fanaticism he encouraged an attitude of calmness and trust in God. Among the rubble of wars and natural disasters, Jesus speaks these encouraging words: "Do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately."

How often in Scripture does God proclaim to a fearful people: "Do not be afraid"? When Moses led the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, the first obstacle they faced was the Red Sea. As the Israelites camped by the sea they heard the roar of chariot wheels and the pounding of horses' hooves. They looked back and saw Pharaoh's vast army bearing down upon them. "In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord" (Exodus 14:10).

Moses reassured them: "Do not be afraid, stand firm and see the deliverance which the Lord will accomplish for you today ... The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still" (Exodus 14:13, 14). The waters of the Red Sea parted at God's command and the people crossed over on dry land.

When the shepherds in the field near Bethlehem were confronted by an angel and the glory of the Lord shone around them, they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see -- I am bringing you

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good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord" (Luke 2:10, 11).

Often the "Do not be afraid" comes when someone encounters the presence of God in an unusual way and when God is about to do some remarkable thing for the good of God's people. "These things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately." These words surely calmed the fears of the first hearers, and they can be good news for us. They imply that there is an orderly progression in history, that contrary to all appearances things are not out of hand. God is in control. Trust God.

Sometimes when catastrophes occur in our world or in our personal lives, we feel there is no future for us. Have you ever heard someone after the death of a child or a spouse cry out in agony, "My life is over. I have nothing to live for now"? In the midst of the rubble of despair the message of the Lord is, "There is a future which is in God's hands; the end is not yet. You are deeply hurt, but stand firm and wait for God's deliverance."

The prediction about Jesus' disciples being arrested, persecuted, turned over to synagogues and prisons, and appearing before kings and governors was literally fulfilled as the book of Acts vividly records. Surely such a prospect was not something to which they looked forward with joyful anticipation.

But Jesus gave them some good news related to the difficult times ahead. Rather than facing such persecution with dread, they were to see their situation as an opportunity to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ to people whom they may never have met if they had not been arrested and put in prison. "This will give you an opportunity to testify ... I will give you a word and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict."

What a challenge and what a promise! Look for opportunities to bear witness to the Christian faith in the worst of circumstances. Many of us find it difficult enough to speak a good word for Jesus Christ when we are in a sympathetic situation, much less when the atmosphere is hostile. We feel that we don't know what to say. We are uncomfortable and hesitant. We fear failure. Can we lay hold of the promise Jesus gave his first disciples? He told them not to worry about what they would say. He would give them the words. He would speak through them with such power that their opponents would be silenced.

It takes a great leap of faith to step out on these glimmers of good news among the rubble. But they can be gathered up in the faith that God never forsakes us and that nothing can "separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39).

The tornado may destroy the house, but if a kitten survives and crawls alive from under the rubble, there is hope for the future."XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX