February 8, 2009 - Rev. Wayne Sherrer, preacher

Lessons: Isaiah 40:21-31; I Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39

I have written the script for an infomercial based on today's first lesson. Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall run and not grow faint. And, if you are one of the first 30 pray-ers, God will throw in a blessing on your motor vehicle to boost your gas mileage to 172 miles per gallon. This offer is available in an Episcopal church near you, so don't delay--deacons and priests are standing by, ready to connect you to the ultimate power source--God himself.

I'm sure that, with a little polishing, it would be a hit. I would include testimonials from people who have experienced God's power and who thank God for that extra boost which put their performance over the top. I could create an infomercial as irresistible as any among the flood of sales pitches that every day promise the secrets to health, wealth, happiness and even love--any of our dreams come true--and all without any effort on our part except pushing buttons on our phone and sending a small pile of money. They sound too good to be true, but thousands of people every day are willing to take a chance that this prayer cloth or that vial of oil, the Magicjack, the powerjuicer or the abflexor has the power to change their lives. And almost all are disappointed when their expectations are not met.

Part of the problem lies in the advertisers, who present their product in the most favorable way possible and who exaggerate its benefits. Their product is amazing, unique, fantastic and will be indispensable if we only give it the opportunity to show us what it can do for us. They draw our attention to the promised results and minimize our contribution of time and energy--ONLY five minutes a day, so easy even a child can do it, you can do it while you are. . .. And then customers play along by believing they can get something for nothing, by expecting the product to do even more than was promised and by neglecting to provide even the minimal effort that the advertisers said was necessary.

Isaiah seems to be following the advertising game plan. Most of his speech is devoted to emphasizing how far God's power exceeds our own. In his last three verses he repeatedly uses words and images of power and strength that God has given and will continue to give to human beings. However, his promise of rising with wings like eagles is certainly not realistic and at the end he claims we can be like God and never grow weary or faint. And, at least in English, our part of the bargain appears effortless--all we need to do is wait for the Lord. If we can just be patient, God will recharge our weak, depleted selves and energize us permanently. But that's not actually what Isaiah said. The word translated as wait or hope or trust at its root means to bind or twist--like the strands of string in a rope. So, Isaiah is really encouraging his audience to a faith in God in which they are entwined with God. Such a faith is not passive at all; it demands a commitment. Such a faith develops as people study God's word, as they spend time in prayer, as they participate in the community of faith and as they cooperate with God in loving all their neighbors and the rest of creation. Those who wait for God in this way do indeed receive power and renewal.

But what is the strength, what is the power people are seeking? And is that the same as the strength that God is offering to us? Our culture celebrates the strength of physical force and the power of destruction. Its folk hero is Samson, whose strength was returned one final time so he could dislodge the supporting columns, bring down the roof and destroy the Philistines. Jesus's countrymen expected a military Messiah, a person like King David of old--a leader who would defeat the Romans and overpower any others who dared to challenge them. But the Messiah we see in Mark displays a different type of power. He has no weapons and no army. He does have divine power, but it is a power that heals disease and casts out demons. His power restores people to wholeness and enables them to rejoin their community. His strength was given to him to proclaim the Father's message--he would not allow the demons to speak because he was not seeking glory for himself. And Jesus understood his need to wait for the Lord: while it was still dark, he went out to a deserted place and prayed. He knew that his strength was sustained by his relationship with his heavenly father and he made time to spend time alone with God.

Isaiah speaks to us today in Hellertown. We can think "O no, not another overhyped miracle cure!" and change the channel. We can think we have found the path to fame, fortune and the Guinness Book of World Records and sit in a pew waiting patiently for a cosmic "Zap". Or we can believe the God who raised our Lord from the dead cares for us as well. We can use the strength God has already given us to help our brothers and sisters in need. We can follow Jesus' example and renew our strength through prayerful conversation with God, through the reading of God's word and through fellowship with other believers. We can let our spirits become entwined with God's spirit and we can allow our weakness to demonstrate God's power--a power that will not fail us. God has the power and can be trusted to keep his promises.

The Lord is the everlasting God

He does not grow faint or weary

He gives power to the faint

and strengthens the powerless

Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength

they shall run and not be weary

they shall walk and not faint. Amen