Eagle Harbor Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
Sermon preached by Rev. Emily Tanis-Likkel
February 8, 2009
Isaiah 40:21-31
Mark 1:29-39
I was browsing at the library recently, not looking for anything in particular but feeling pretty run-down from the responsibility of keeping a two-year old from destroying everything in his path. Because I was in this state of emotion, my interest was peaked at the title, Emotional Energy Factor: The Secrets High-Energy People Use to Beat Emotional Fatigue by Mira Kirshenbaum. Emotional energy. I could use more of that. After I brought it home and began to digest it, I thought, Who couldn't use more? The kind of energy that the author wrote about is inner strength, it is vita, the Latin word that gave us “vitamin” and “vitality” – it is life with vigor. Where do we receive energy? We get physical energy from food and water, exercise and sleep. But we are not only bodies. Where do we receive energy in the part of us that is not so tangible, in our souls? A woman named Gail gives the testimony in the book, “I'm fine physically. So why am I tired all the time? But it's not my body that's tired. It's like it's me that's tired inside my body.” There is an energy crisis that abounds, only this energy crisis has nothing to do with oil. Many folks suffer from a soul-weariness that is hard to pinpoint. It's not exactly depression, not quite apathy, but a weariness – a lack of energy and lack of emotional strength. The prophet Isaiah put it, “Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted.” Jesus came that we might have life to the fullest. When we are weary, we are not living the life God intended. Perhaps we can do better! Jesus came for us to have vitality. We need that vitality to live the life God has called us to live. This is not about “pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps,” but rather – letting go -- surrender. Once we give up trying to micromanage and control every aspect of our lives, we can find ourselves incredibly freed and energized.
Life is hard! If any of you here this morning are feeling run-down, stressed, anxious or tired, you are in good company! Being a Christian is not about having an easier life. It is about having a purposeful, meaningful, hope-filled life. If you are feeling drained, and whenever you are feeling drained, call on God. Pray for strength. Isaiah wrote, “31but 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 walk and not faint.”
How do we experience an increase in our vitality? The story we heard this morning from Mark's Gospel tells us that after Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever – most likely very seriously ill, and they told Jesus about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. He took her by the hand and lifted her up. She regained her strength not just a bit, but so much so that she could fulfill her calling of service. It sounds funny to our ears that she served them right away – shouldn't she get a break after being sick? But the point is that she was fully restored, healed body and soul and no longer isolated from the community due to her illness. The word for serve here also means “minister.” She was restored in health and again able to minister to and care for others. Put yourself in that story, in the place of the mother-in-law. Most of us have experienced being so sick that we couldn't get out of bed. Remember what that feels like? The awful aches and pains, the chills, the weariness? The feeling of dread, wondering how long it will go on? The mental list of all the things you are unable to do because you are stuck in bed? Longing to be better again, even if it is for such a simple thing as to take a shower, fix lunch, or take a walk. Imagine lying in bed, and then you feel the breath of Jesus at your face. His sure hand tightly grasping yours, and feeling yourself rise out of bed, energy, vigor and strength completely regained and refreshed. What did she have to do to receive this gift? All she did was accept Jesus' hand. It was all he asked.
What does it mean to wait for God? To accept the outstretched hand? It means taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. It means having faith that God is not having an energy crisis. God's love does not get depleted, but has no beginning and no end. God breathes life into us, a breath that is more than oxygen. It is vita – life. St. Teresa of Avila taught that the soul, the essence of a person, is spacious, ample and lofty. “God gives us spacious souls with the potential to soar.” Being conscious of my breathing helps me remember that God gives me life. It reminds me that God does not want my soul to be cramped, but to leap and to soar.
In the book The Emotional Energy Factor, Kirshenbaum says that “the more you are yourself, the more emotional energy you have.” The more you are the you that God has made you to be, instead of trying to fulfill the expectations others may have for you, the more inner strength you find. She recommends active prayer as a practice that can boost anyone's emotional energy. She describes active prayer as engaging in a dialogue with God. Praying this way involves listening. At times we may feel an impression that God is responding in a certain way. At other times, we can simply imagine what God is saying. Kirshenbaum says that the second part of active prayer is to ask God to help you be a better you. Here are a few examples of what you can pray, “God, how does my perspective need to change, what do I need to do in order to become more like you intend – or what do I need to give up?” or “please God, give me the boldness I need to speak my mind and be true to myself” or “God give me the strength I need to follow where you are guiding me.” After Jesus healed Simon's mother-in-law, and many others who came to the door, the text says that he sought a quiet place to pray. It reads, “In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” Just as Jesus intentionally set aside time to pray, we too need to regularly pray for strength and wisdom.
Another way to accept the outstretched hand of Jesus is by looking to those who help us discern God's presence in our lives. Take a moment and think about who has been your spiritual director recently. Who has helped you open your eyes to the Spirit around you and inside of you? It may be a spiritual guide in the flesh, or on the pages of a book. I have often found guidance in mystical writings from the middle ages. The Bible is also a rich source of spiritual direction. The Hebrew prophets remind us of all that God has done for us, and exhorts us to hope in God's promises. The Psalmist doesn't just tell us that it's alright to complain to God, but models it for us! Paul's letters encourage us in the struggle of faith and doubt. When we look around, we may find that spiritual directors may be right next to us.
I met a woman last week who told me about her practice of coloring prayers. She writes an issue down on a piece of paper, and then prays and draws whatever pictures come to mind. Then she goes back over and fills it in with colored pencils. I tried it out and found it to be very meaningful. God can work through our imaginations to strengthen us and energize us. We can use imagery to understand how God wants to transform us and heal us. Try drawing a picture in your mind. First, an image of yourself right now. Then, an image of yourself that God is calling you to be. What comes to mind when you imagine yourself living a vital life? May God strengthen us to live into the people that we are called to be. May Jesus take us by the hand and lift us up.
The prophet Isaiah wrote, “25To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. 26Lift up your eyes on high and see.” May we see Christ around us and within us, giving us strength, giving us energy to live with vitality.
I'll end with a prayer from the Seasons of the Spirit curriculum for this week:
As a mother eagle lifts up her young, lift up those who wait for you, O God, and renew us. Trusting in your steadfast love, we wait for your presence. . . Believing you are our source of strength, we wait for you to empower us. . . Longing for your healing touch, we wait for you to transform us. . . We wait, O God, for you. Amen.
p. 3.
p. 41.