Despair beneath a Juniper

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Despair beneath a Juniper-–1 Kings 19:1-15.  June 23, 2019–Drummondtown Baptist Church–Accomac Virginia 23301–David R. Denny. Ph.D.

I want to take you, this morning, to a poignant and desperate scene in the life of one of the greatest men in the OT (the prophet Elijah).    I don’t want to disturb him for he is in deep despair and I’m sure he would not appreciate a group of tourists gawking at him.  But if you are quiet we can see him off in the distance lying beneath a Juniper tree in the wilderness of Beersheba (about an hour and a half southwest of Jerusalem—44 miles).

     (The Juniper tree is not the tree we know of by that name.  This is really the white broom tree of Palestine, a beautiful bushy shrub that grows about 10-12 feet tall and puts out the most gorgeous white blossoms that cast a welcoming shade for travelers through the desert).
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      It is beneath this pleasant and friendly three that the great prophet lies exhausted.  He is dispirited and drained.  His will to live has vanished with the hot winds of the desert and he sees no future, no way forward.  As we peer at him from a distance we see a once vibrant man at life’s end.  And it is in the wake of utter despair that we see him.  It is a sad spectacle.  It’s like watching Superman cringing and shivering in the shadow of a chunk of kryptonite.

If you cup your hand around your ear you might be able to hear him. His death words are given to us in 1 Kings 19:4.  Have you read them?  Have you heard them stumble from his cracked and parched lips as he lies crumpled beneath the broom tree?  “It is enough: now, O LORD, take my life.”

  *I read an interesting article a few days about a CEO of a Washington think tank who was on a plane.  This highly accomplished man was getting older and had been thinking of his life. He had decided to quit his position and do something simpler in a search for life’s meaning.  But as he thought about this he heard a man in the seat ahead of him moaning.  He couldn’t see him because the cabin was dark but him speaking in quiet tones to the passenger beside him.  “I wish I was dead,” said the voice in the seat before him.  Nobody remembers me.  I am irrelevant now.  I wish I was dead.”  When the plane landed and the lights came on he was curious to see who this was.  And to his shock when the elderly man stood he immediately recognized him as a famous celebrity known worldwide for great accomplishments.  Once the other passengers saw him they began to seek his autographs the man smiled and his demeanor changed.  But those words of death haunted the CEO.

And that is what I hear as I listen from a distance.  Elijah wants to die.  Known worldwide for his miracles and brilliance, we see him now as a wreck of a man whose only wish in life is to perish in the desert beneath the broom tree.

Elijah was a man of action who got things done.  He reminds me of Julius Caesar who preferred to ride out into battle conquering whole countries rather than sitting in the palace at Rome.  Elijah was a dynamic man who headed up a school of prophets.  He had stature and prominence in Israel.

Elijah hated what was happening to his country.  Ahab the king of Israel had married a Phoenician queen, Jezebel, who worshipped Baal, the god of rain and lightning and dew.  Temples of Baal were sprouting up all over the place eclipsing the worship of Jehovah, the one true God.  Elijah decided to take on mighty Baal and the prophets who worshipped him. He challenged the god to duel.  Come to Mt Carmel and let’s fight it out he said to the followers of Baal.  The prophets of Baal were angry and agreed.  They came and built a huge altar upon the mountain and sacrificed an ox and then called for fire from heaven.  Nothing happened.  The prophets shouted louder and cut themselves and danced around the altar but nothing happened. Elijah stood and mocked them.  “Maybe your god is asleep.  Shout a little louder.”  After hours of this, Elijah stepped in and said it was his turn.  He too built a huge altar and sacrificed an ox.  He dug ditches around the altar and poured water over the altar not once but three times drenching it all and filled the trenches. (Baal was the god of water so Elijah was making a bold statement here).    Then he called upon God to consume the altar with fire.    (Read I Kings 18:38)— 

Such faith!  Such confidence in God.  Elijah was so powerful and yet look at him now.  He moans beneath a bush and looks a lot like you and me when life gets hard.

Joke:  Sitting by the window of her convent, Sister Barbara opened a letter from home one evening. Inside the letter was a $100 bill her parents had sent.  Sister Barbara smiled at the gesture. As she read the letter by the window, she noticed a shabbily dressed stranger leaning against the lamp post below.  Quickly, she wrote, “Don’t despair. Sister Barbara,” on a piece of paper, wrapped the $100 bill in it, got the man’s attention and tossed it out the window to him. The stranger picked it up, and with a puzzled expression and a tip of his hat, went off down the street.  The next day, Sister Barbara was told that a man was at the door, insisting on seeing her. She went down and found the stranger waiting.  Without a word, he handed her a huge wad of $100 bills.  “What’s this?” she asked.  “That’s the $8,000 you have coming Sister,” he replied. “Don’t Despair paid 80-to-1.”

The Solution to Despair

Elijah did not die beneath the Juniper tree.  He did what you and I can do when we find ourselves beneath the Juniper.  Let’s see how he recovered and found joy and happiness again. Maybe we too can find renewal when life gets hard.

 

  1.   He lay down and slept. So simple. Just a little rest.  I think sometimes when exhaustion sets in we need to find a time to just lie down a little beneath the Juniper and sleep awhile. *I remember that Alexander the Great would take a quick nap when he was weary.  He would take a small ball in his hand and then close his eyes and drift off. When sleep came and his hands relaxed and the ball hit the ground, he would wake refreshed.
  2. He conversed with an angel. Now that one might be a problem but remember that angels are all around us.  They ministered to Jesus in the garden and they will help you as well in your hard times.  Just be open to the divine and seek the angel’s touch when you feel yourself in despair.
  3. He ate some hot bread and drank some cool water. A little refreshment can sometimes lift your spirits.  Next time you feel yourself going under, run down the Island House and get hot fried flounder and some sweet potato fries.
  4. Listen for the still small voice of God(1 Kings 19:12). Elijah left the Juniper tree and journeyed on to Mt. Horeb and there he tucked himself away in a cave.  But when he stepped out on the ledge of the cave he heard the still small voice of God in the gentle breeze.

Conclusion:

God wants you to be happy and successful. But we are not immune from hard times and feelings of despair.  So when they come, remember Elijah and how he recovered by taking a few simple steps and drawing nearer to God.

A Service of Thanksgiving for H. B. Rew

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Mt. Holly Cemetery
1:15 pm

May 28, 2019
Dr. David R. Denny
Drummondtown Baptist Church

 Revelation 22:1-5. “Then he showed me a river…”

         I normally read Rev. 21:4 where John tells us that in heaven there will no longer be any tears or pain.  But when I reflected on all his escapades out on the water fishing, I thought how much he must love this river of life, clear as crystal, that runs through the main street of heaven now that he has some time on his hands.

 Psalm 23—“The Lord is my shepherd…”

            This was HB’s request on a visit I made to see him at Westminster.  He was watching a western when I walked in.  He greeted me with a huge smile and I sat beside him. After talking a while about all sorts of things, I told him I had to go and asked him what text would he like me to read to him.  I was pleased to hear him say Psalm 23.  I read it slowly and the words seemed to bring us both comfort.

 Benediction

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 A Service of Thanksgiving for H. B. Rew
2:00 pm

 Prelude                                                                                       Jo Anne Coniglio

 

Welcome

         The family of HB Rew welcomes you here this morning as does the congregation of the DBC.  This will be a service of thanksgiving for HB. There will be some sadness, but there will also be joy and thankfulness for his life.  I am glad you have come to join us.

 Invocation

         Dear Lord, HB touched all of us in some way.  He made our lives better.  We give you thanks for sharing him with the people of the Shore and beyond.  Bless this time together this afternoon as we remember his life.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 Hymn #330                                                                               Amazing Grace

         John Newton (1725-1807) who throughout his 20s was a ruthless slave ship captain known for his brutality.  Nearing the age of 30, after a serious illness, he found the Lord, entered the ministry, and wrote a haunting confession with words like these:  I once was wretch, a man lost and blind but now I see. 

 Scripture Reading #1                                                              Matthew 6:25-34

 Hymn #48                                                                             Morning Has Broken

(Traditional Gaelic Melody—Psalm 57:8-9—“I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord.”

 Scripture Reading #2.                                                                 John 14:1-6

 Remembrances                                                               Dr. David R. Denny

 Choral Response                Hymn #71                                 On Eagle’s Wings

 Benediction

 

A Service of Thanksgiving for H. B. Rew
Remembrances
by
David R. Denny

        I’ve known HB for 1095 days. I met him first in late May of 2016, and now I am conducting his funeral in late May of 2019.  1095 days.  I’ve only been given three hours to speak so I don’t think I can cover all those days.  So I think I will limit it to just three encounters that will reside with me forever.

Encounter #1: 

The first time I met HB was on May 29th, 2016. I had been invited to the DBC to speak as a fill-in while they searched for a minister.  I was living in Chesapeake and teaching 8thgrade civics and English, a job I loved by the way. I remember standing in the pulpit of the historic church on Front Street, this pulpit where I stand now.  It was a delightful morning, but this is not the encounter I wish to convey.  That occurred later in the early afternoon at the inquisition down the road and around the bend.

HB, always a man to get to the bottom of things, was on a small self-appointed group of four to wine and dine me and with great subtlety to find out if I was some kind of kook, heretic, or misfit (like he had done in all of his bank interviews over the years).  In other words, he invited me to lunch to toss me in the air like chaff on the threshing floor.  His partners in crime were Leslie his wife, and Wayne and Dale Parks.  It was four against one.  I remember that day and I will remember it forever.

The place HB chose was one of his favorite domains, the dining area of the Eastern Shore Yacht & Country Club.  When I saw the place as I got of my car, I thought ‘man, I’m in with the millionaires’! 

The waiter seated us at a white table with a view of the water.  I remember scanning the dock to see which yacht was theirs.  We began a little stiffly picking gingerly at the shrimp and grits, sparring with gentle jabs, dissecting each other’s words carefully. But in the midst of this interview, something happened that I will never forget. After the third or fourth question, HB tossed all the formality out the window and we just became friends.  (You know that has happened when everyone is sharing food on their plates.  “Here, said Leslie, take some of my shrimp.  You just have to try them).  The rest of the meal had nothing to do with credentials, my ancestry or my bloodlines. The rest was just campfire talk, getting to know one another, sensing that maybe this friendship was some type of divine summoning.  (And it was).        This tells me so much about HB…

Encounter #2:

My second memorable encounter with HB and Leslie occurred on December 17, 2017.  It was in the chill of mid-winter and little did we know that in a week or so the entire Shore would be blanketed with a thick carpet of snow that turned Henry’s Point into a white landscape choking all the roads and leaving my wife and me happily stranded at the end of Sea Breeze Avenue by the oceanfront.

The day I speak of for this encounter was a Sunday and Leslie had taught her SS class of which I was an avid follower.  HB was there too tossing in his occasional comment. When the church was over HB approached and invited my wife and me to lunch at the Island House.  I had learned by now that he did not have a yacht but he did have a van and it was into this van that we all gathered as he drove us to the restaurant.  When we arrived we sat next to the window.  Leslie and HB looked regal.  I snapped a picture of them and you can see it if you go to my Facebook page.  Leslie wore a hazelnut colored dress with an onyx and gold necklace. Her flounder was piping hot but she paused long enough for me to snap the picture.  HB was sitting with his arms crossed and a beaming smile with a whisper of mischievousness.

This was all wonderful of course, but it is what happened when we left that I particularly remember. I figured it would take us about 7-10 minutes to get home.  But now that HB had been fed and the van was so warm and comfortable, he got the grand idea to take us on an impromptu tour through the backroads.  Leslie sighed but consented and off we went.  I thought there couldn’t be that much to see on either side of Drummondtown Rd, but I was so wrong.  We crisscrossed that road back and forth a hundred times stopping at every home and chicken shed in Accomac.  Midway through this glorious tour Leslie had had enough and ordered him home immediately.  He just smiled like he had heard all that before and continued merrily on with the tour.

And this was when I learned just how much of the Shore was in his DNA.  Every turn in the road was etched deeply in his soul.  Every house along the way had a story and every story had a name of someone he knew.  I’m a come here, but he was an Eastern Shore man from top to bottom.

Encounter #3

My final encounter with HB is different than the others.  It happened after HB had died but before I knew of his death.  It was on Friday, May 24t,2019mid-morning.

I was sitting at my computer writing the Sunday sermon.  I was not thinking of HB at the moment. After all, I had just visited him a few days earlier and he was fine.  My sermon was titled “Living Beneath a Smile” and it came from Ps 67:1: which says: “God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us—“

I was lingering on this one word SHINE, just reveling in the joy of the word.  It was used elsewhere of a rising morning sun drifting casually over the seaside marsh summoning songs from the shore pipers and making the little bean sprouts in my garden perk up.  I leaned back from the computer and just marveled at God’s face smiling at me when something broke my reverie—the phone rang!

I didn’t want to leave this scene in my mind but the phone persisted.  So I picked it up and the voice on the other end shook me to the core.   “HB has just died,” he said.  I could scarcely take it in.  I spoke for a minute or two and then put the phone down.  Slowly the imagery of the sun, the smiling face of God, returned in full glow and I looked at the text I had just written:  “God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to smile upon us—“

And in that moment I realized that this text was a sign to me.  This Psalm will forever be linked to HB in my mind. For beneath the shining face of God in Ps 67 I saw HB strolling down heaven’s promenade beside the river of life flowing clear as crystal. HBs suffering is over now.  He’s not locked in a hospital bed.  He’s living beneath the smile, singing some Eastern Shore song on heaven’s highway, rejoicing in His Lord and waiting for the rest of us to join him.

Benediction:

     24The LORD bless you, and keep you (HB);

      25The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;

      26The LORD lift up His countenance on you,(HB),
And give you peace.’

Turning Points

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Turning Points
Acts 11:1-18—May 19, 2019–David R. Denny PhD
Drummondtown Baptist Church–Accomac Virginia

Introduction:  Where were you on Christmas Day, December 25th, 1776?  If you can’t remember, then let me refresh your memory and remind you what happened on that fateful day in American history.  (I do this because the theme of my sermon today is Turning Points so I will begin by taking you to this turning point in American history).

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Turning Point #1—An example from American History.

This was the day Washington and his Continental troops decided to take a huge risk and cross the Delaware River.  Then they attacked the British at Trenton NJ.  Morale had been perilously low for the American forces.  They had lost N Y C and they had been chased like rabbits all over the place.  Troops were deserting or their enlistments were up.  Just before the daring battle plan to attack with only 2400 troops, Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called The American Crisis.   Here is what he wrote:  READ—-Within one day of its publication and just before the attack, Washington read this pamphlet to his troops.  It instantly became a turning point. Morale shot up and the troops were ready to fight.

Turning point #2—Salvation comes to the Gentiles (Acts 11)

Now let’s go back further in time to a breathtaking turning point that took place in a coastal town on the shores of the Mediterranean not far from Mt Zion that we studied Wednesday night.  Caesarea is the location of our story today. It was the capital of Palestine after Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans.  It was built by Herod and became the region’s most beautiful city.  Herod spent 12 years building a harbor that spilled out beneath his great palace.  He also built a hippodrome that stat seated 20,000 spectators to watch chariot races. And there was a huge aqueduct that brought water to the city from Mt. Carmel from the north and a grand amphitheater still used today for modern outdoor events. And in excavations of the 1950s, a plaque with Pilate’s name on it was found proving his existence.
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It was in this grand city that Peter, directed by a vision, came to meet with Cornelius, a Roman centurion who though not a Jew still worshipped God with great piety.  Peter came to his home nervous about this breach of protocol. Jewish men were not allowed to enter a Gentile’s home or eat with them.  And yet Peter did these things because of a vision directing him to this place.  And as he spoke to the Gentiles gathered in the soldier’s home an amazing thing happened that stunned Peter and the Jerusalem church to the core.  It was so powerful a turning point that the Christians in Jerusalem didn’t believe it and argued with Peter about later when he arrived there In Acts 11.

So what was this amazing turning point event? It happened as Peter told the soldier’s family the gospel story about the death and resurrection of Jesus. While he was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles (Acts 10:44).  These non-Jewish men and women began to speak with tongues just as the Jewish brethren had done on Mt. Zion in the upper room.  And when the Jerusalem brethren heard the story they finally realized a profound truth that we know today:  God Loves Everyone.  Not just a select few from a certain city or location, but everyone.

Today we know and accept this truth as almost commonplace.  We know that we here in our church on Front Street aren’t the only ones whom God loves.  Everyone is invited to our services and everyone is invited to believe in Christ and find salvation.  BUT—back in time, back in the ancient city called Caesarea, this was not the case.  Then only a select few were considered the chosen ones. Until this eventful day when Peter preached to a soldier’s family along the coast of the sea and the love of God enveloped them all.  It was a Turning Point.

Turning Points that come  in our lives as a result of this miracle of the past:

            Now let’s think about lives today.  How does this miracle at Caesarea affect us today?  It does every day in countless small and great turning points that make up our lives. Because we know God loves us and we are not excluded from heaven’s blessing, we live so differently.  All the decisions in our lives are sparked by this first miracle by the sea.

Your life today would be so different if Peter had not gone to Caesarea. Your life would not be the same one you live today if the Spirit of God had not fallen upon the soldier and his family and friends.  Every step you take today is forever linked to this first turning point.

When you chose to marry, what did you do? You prayed for guidance from the God who loves you.  (The first turning point now affects this turning point).  And the result is that God led you to your husband or wife.
*This was the case with Isaac of old.  When he was nearing 40 years of age, he prayed for a wife.  It is one of the most beautiful stories of the OT.  It is told in Genesis 24.   Abraham, very old, sends his servant Eliezer to find a bride.  And when he sees Rebekah at the well he thinks this is the one.  Issac and R.jpgThe story concludes on such a touching scene In Gen. 24:62).  Isaac is in the field one evening meditating when he sees camels coming in the distance. He begins to walk toward them for he knows that this might be the woman God has chosen for him.  And as he walks ever faster toward the camels, Rebekah also sees the shape of a man approaching and wonders who it is.  “That is my master,” said Eliezer.  And when they got closer she discreetly covers her face with a veil.  Isaac does the smart thing and immediately takes her to his mother’s tent for Sarah’s approval.  And then the romance unfurls and they are married and the Bible says Isaac loved her with all his heart.—

It was a turning point.  It was linked to the core truth—God loves me.  The same truth Cornelius came to know. The same truth you and I know.  And now all turning points are forever linked to God as we move day by day through this life.

Conclusion:

Have you accepted the first truth—that God loves you?  Have you opened your life to the Lord and yielded yourself and your future into His hands?  If not make this moment a turning point and trust Him to be our Savior.

Nightmare on Straight Street

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Nightmare on Straight Street—(Acts 9:11).  May 5, 2019.

There comes a time in everyone’s life when a difficult but necessary task lies before you.  You can try to run from this challenge like Jonah did, but chances are if you resist the challenge you will encounter a whale, (in other words, there will be consequences).

I want to take you to such an event this morning and show you how an ordinary person—a person like you and me, faced a difficult decision, and how he handled it.  Perhaps this story will inspire you to face some fear in your life or to move forward on some difficult decision.

Background

There are two streets mentioned in our story this morning—one is unnamed and one is called Straight.  On the unnamed street near Damascus Saul travels on a ruthless mission.  His face is hard and set on murder.  With every labored breath, he utters a threat against the Christians who live peacefully in the ancient walled city of Damascus.

*On an old map dated 1855, tradition marks the place that Saul fell to the dusty street and fought against a heavenly voice and a bright light that blinded him.
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He was nearly there.  He was so close to committing the crimes against innocent saints.  He could see the walls of the old city looming just beyond the gardens and olive groves on the southern side of the city.  But God stopped him in his tracks before the untold atrocities could erupt in his untethered heart.

But there is another street mentioned in our story:  the street called Straight.  It was an ancient Roman road built in the fashion of Roman logic and orderliness. It ran 1500 meters (nearly a mile) west to east, perfectly straight, with a series of north/south corridors like river tributaries crisscrossing this main artery.

*I have an old photo made in 1900.  It has been colorized and it shows people strolling casually down the narrow street called Straight.  A few are on horseback dressed in Syrian garments.  Some are westerners wearing London suits carrying parasols to shade themselves from the fierce midday sun.

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It is on this thoroughfare that history was forever changed.  For it was here on the western side of Straight Street not far from the city where a disciple of Jesus named Judas lived. And it was here that Saul the raging bull lay trembling with confusion, blinded by a terrific light.  And it is here in Judas’ house that we have the Nightmare on Straight Street.

 

  1. God often used ordinary people to do difficult things.

Now we must pause and pick up our protagonist for this story on the northeastern side of the city.  On my old map, I see the house of Ananias near an old cemetery that lay just outside the wall. And it is there that we meet a believer in Jesus.  He is an ordinary man.   And it is here that I must pause and make the first of two points this morning:  God often uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.  I see this principle at work throughout the Scriptures:  It was an ordinary low born Hebrew child in Egypt—just a little baby of slave parents, who rose to become Moses the liberator of a nation.  And it was just a lowly, ordinary lad who kept sheep in the hills around Bethlehem that pick up a few stones and slew Goliath.

And so don’t be alarmed if God taps you on the shoulder and asks you to step into a challenging task, a difficult assignment that you might feel is beyond your ability. Just remember our first lesson this morning:  God often uses ordinary people to do difficult things.

And this was the case when God slipped quietly into Ananias’ life with a vision(Acts 9:10).  “Ananias, I have a job for you.”  “What is it, Lord?”  “I want you to slip down the street called Straight just a few blocks from you live and lay your healing hands upon a murderer of saints.  He trembles in blindness in Judas’ house.  Go and touch his eyes for me.”

An ordinary man asked to do a difficult task.  He should have said no!

*I read an article the other day entitled 10 guilt-free strategies for saying no. In each scenario, the author shows us how to gracefully and effectively say no.  I don’t think Ananias had read this article.  He tried to say no but he couldn’t pull it off.  It isn’t logical to liberate murderers and criminals.  But his no carried no power with Jesus who quickly brushed his protest off and told him quietly clearly to just get up and GO!

*I often wondered how he would explain this assignment to his wife: Honey, I have to go out for a while.  “Where?  Just out. Where?  Down to Judas’ house.  Birthday? No.  Why?  To help a murderer!

So let’s all learn from this.  God sometimes asks us to do things that are difficult, out of the ordinary, things that we don’t understand.

  1. Difficult challenges make us stronger. It was Peter who said in 1 Peter 5:10 that difficult challenges always result in wonderful personal benefits.  And so is the case here.  Ananias is ordered to do a difficult thing:  Go and help Saul your mortal enemy.  It was a supreme challenge but it led to the birth of the world’s greatest missionary—the Apostle Paul.

*George Washington was given this impossible task.  Defend NYC against the British.  But the British had unlimited resources, and scores of powerful ships and 20,000 well-armed soldiers.  In Ron Chernow’s book on Washington he said, “For some soldiers, their only weapons consisted of sharpened scythes fastened to poles, forming primitive spears” (p. 253). Washington lost NYC but in that struggle, he learned about himself, and somehow gained a new strength that eventually led his forces to victory at Yorktown.

Conclusion:

Perhaps the greatest example of an ordinary man facing a difficult challenge is seen in the garden of Gethsemane.  There Jesus, a man born of poor ordinary parents, was now challenged to save the world and die upon the cross.  He kneeled in the garden that night and Luke tells us that he was in such agony and distress that he prayed for the cup to pass from Him if possible and He sweats drops of blood, so great was His inner turmoil.

As we leave the Nightmare on Straight Street let us bid Anania’s farewell and leave determined that we too will face life’s difficult choices with courage and hope knowing God is with us all the way.

My Mother’s Cake

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My Mother’s Cake
(Mother’s day) 2 Timothy 1:5–May 12, 2019. Dr. David R. Denny
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Introduction:

Timothy’s mother’s name was Eunice and I’m sure she made a chocolate cake for him when he was a little boy.  Timothy and Paul often reminisced about Eunice and Lois, her mother, in the evenings when time slows down and memories begin to chatter.  I have searched my Greek NT for Eunice’s chocolate cake recipe but for some reason, I am coming up blank.  So I thought I would tell you about my mother’s cake since I was there—an active eye witness to this pleasant part of my childhood.

Every time I meditate on my mother’s cake adventure I grow to appreciate many qualities that mothers share.

 First of all, I have to begin by stating unequivocally that my mother could not cook worth a lick.  (If she were sitting in the front row here, after throwing a coffee cup at me, she would grudgingly agree).  Dinner time for me as a boy was often about survival.  My mother tried her best to cook spinach and cauliflower and other exotic vegetables which nearly killed me.  But I will say that through it all she emerged the victor on three items which I gladly ate without complaint:

I’ll start with the dessert entre first—forget the Triple-cheese Cheesecake with Amaretti Crust or the Hazelnut-and-Chocolate Meringue Cake.  No—she gave up on those long ago.  But somehow she perfected chocolate pudding.  So I always had a dessert.  —And then for the main course after a hundred burnt beef tips and meatloaves, she learned how to put on my plate—are you ready?—spaghetti. Not the sauce—Just the spaghetti.    She would cook it in an old tin pot and when it was finished she would hover over me at the table and pour it out in one big mound.  When I saw it, I felt safe.  She never mangled spaghetti.  And then for the beverage ( I call it the first course), she would set before me in a purple or orange Five and Dime plastic glass some southern tea with a twist of lemon.  She was really good at that.

So there you have it—three courses that made me what I am today—tea—plain spaghetti and chocolate pudding!

  1. Mothers gather. Everything I ever needed to know about mothers I learned from watching her bake my first chocolate cake. And so when I saw her standing all excited in the kitchen one bright morning in Sumpter SC near Shaw Air Force Base, I knew something was up.  I sat down on the floor and watched her gathering all the supplies.  She had a recipe book, the pages wrinkled with exasperated tears from many a failure, and a big green bowl and whisk and some eggs, etc.

Mothers are good at gathering what their kids need to be successful. They gather activities, Bible Schools, opportunities, birthday parties, and anything that will help us blossom as people.

* Once when I was just beginning to learn to read, she sat down on the sofa in our little house off base after gathering up the morning newspaper.  She patted the sofa with a smile and I joined her.  “Let’s look for all the THE words,” she said smiling.  She slid her index finger along the first line and stopped at a THE. I looked at the three letters and then asked excitedly if I could try. “Sure,” she said.  And off we went GATHERING…

Not only did she gather the paper for me and all the THES.  She gathered the opportunity to be with me and make me feel important.  I learned this quality of motherhood from watching her bake my first chocolate cake. She had gathered all her supplies to be successful.

  1. Mothers Sift. She had poured out the flour from the mix into a bowl.  Then she put a cupful into a sifter to get out the lumps and to make the flour softer.  By now she was humming softly and enjoying herself.  I just sat there with my chin propped up spellbound.  It was later in life that I realized that mothers are skillful at sifting the good and bad elements of life for their children. It’s a daily chore all mothers master because this is a challenging world and kids are mischievous by nature.

*When I was in kindergarten, I remember practicing some new words in class. These were unusual words that all seemed to have four letters.  They rolled off my tongue so deliciously, but my teacher didn’t like them at all and she dragged me into the bathroom and washed my tongue with soap.  Then she gave me a note to take home.  When I gave it to my mother, she began sitting at once.  It was instinct.  She lugged me to the bathroom and did the same thing—soaping up my mouth—sifting good from evil.  I’m far from perfect today, but when I tend to stray, I remember her sifting the chocolate cake flour and her sifting out my bad words.

  1. Mothers Pray. When she had finished all her tasks and was ready to slide the cake into the oven, she did something I will always remember—She stopped and said a little prayer.  It wasn’t much.  Very simple something like “Father, bless this cake.”  Then she slid it into the oven and closed the door. That’s when I realized it wasn’t just the cake that was baking.  It was the prayer baking too.

I came to understand as I grew older that good mothers know the meaning of thoughtful prayer.  She prayed for me each day when I rode my bike off to school at the Yokohama Air Force Base in Japan.   She prayed for me just before she turned off the lights at night in my bedroom.  If it wasn’t for a million prayers of mothers all around the globe, the world as we know it would be no more.

*John tells us in Revelation 5:8that all of these humble prayers of mothers are gathered carefully into sacred golden bowls and given to the Lamb of God who stands beside the great throne of God.  A mother’s prayer never dies.  It lives on in heaven forever.    I learned all of this by watching my mother bake a chocolate cake for me one morning long ago.

  1. Mothers Wait Expectantly. Once the oven door closed, I wondered what was next.  That’s when my mother said, “Now we wait.  It’s going to be a wonderful cake.”  And that‘s when I realized that every mother spends her life waiting expectantly for good things to happen in her family.

Mothers are like everyone. They are prone to discouragement and despair.  They know hardships and heartaches.  But beneath it all, mothers believe in their children and their families.  They wait expecting the cloud to lift and the good days that will come. And so it was that day when she slid the cake into the oven.  She settled back with a happy expectancy believing in her cake.

*I have a photo of my mother standing beside Alice and me outside the graduation chapel at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.  It had taken me many years to get this day. And through all of those, even though I had left home years earlier, she was still waiting expectantly.  In the photo, she stands beside me as if the oven door had just opened and the beautiful cake was done.  It’s what mothers do.  They wait and believe.

 

  1. Mothers Celebrate (in Good Times and Bad). She told me that when I hear the bell ring that means to come running, the cake is done and ready for icing.  And so I remember pacing around the living room counting my steps over and over to pass the time when all of a sudden the bell started jumping and hollering.  We both hurried to the oven door.  She opened it and took out the cake.  It smelled divine and when we finally saw it we stared for a few seconds, taking it all in.  I wasn’t sure what to say.  I looked at her face.  She studied the cake for a few seconds, her brow wrinkling softly, and then smiled and so I smiled.  She set it down on the special platter she had on the dining room table.  The entire cake leaned to the left like the Tower of Pisa.  In the center, there was a large sunken crater. 

She ignored all the deficiencies and began to celebrate by icing the cake with great cheer.  She spread the icing generously making little waves here and there and letting me lick the knife.  And when it was done I learned the final truth:  mothers know how to celebrate in good times and bad—and I realized that the real icing in a mother’s cake is not the chocolate—but the love. 

Directions to the Resurrection

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Directions to the Resurrection by David R. Denny Ph.D. April 21,2019. Drummondtown Baptist Church, Accomac Virginia

Introduction:  This morning I’m going to do something that men are not good at: I’m going to give directions.  I’m so used to getting lost when I drive places that I don’t even worry about it anymore.  I just enjoy wherever I end up.

*Joke—I heard of a tired hunter out in the wilds stumbled into a camp. “Am I glad to see you,” he said. “I’ve been lost for three days.” “Don’t get too excited, friend,” the other hunter replied. “I’ve been lost for three weeks.”

This morning I’m going to give us all directions to the resurrection.  The directions come from the Scriptures so I feel pretty safe about them.  And I hope that when it is all said and done all of us will gather there together and marvel at the wonder of Easter.

  1. Turn Left at the Via Dolorosa. Let us begin our journey to the Resurrection by turning left on the Via Dolorosa, the street of Sorrows and Sighs.  This ancient thoroughfare runs 2000 ft east to west beginning at the Fortress of Antonia near the Dome of the Rock.  Here Pilate condemned the Savior and cast Him aside as so much rubbish.  Once out upon the street, the cross was placed upon his shoulders and the death march began. The crown of thorns tore into his scalp and sent rivulets of blood into his eyes and down his sacred cheeks.  He stumbled blindly forward gasping for air, his legs trembling beneath the weight.  He only lasted several hundred yards before he collapsed at the third station of the cross.ViaDolorosa2.jpg

            If you want to find the resurrection you must walk with Jesus along the stations of the cross and study his features as he carries the sins of the world—your sins and mine.  Tradition says He fell three times on this memorable road before he reached Golgotha.

At station 4, he pauses and says farewell to his mother.  How sorrowful this moment must have been.  How does a mother say goodbye like this?  It is a moment beyond words.  Perhaps they spoke only with their eyes.  And then, prodded by the soldiers, he continued until He could go no further. Luke tells us (Luke 23:26) that the soldiers forced a man from the country named Simon to carry the cross for Jesus.

Perhaps you say at this moment that you will skip the stations of the cross and run straight for the empty tomb.  But I say you will never find it unless you first turn left at the Via Dolorosa and live the sorrow and pain of the long walk of shame.

 

  1. Turn right at Golgotha. But it is not enough to merely walk beside Him on the Via Dolorosa.  As I study my map I see clearly that you must turn at Golgotha if you intend to find the Resurrection.  Come with me.  Let us stay on track for we don’t’ want to get lost.  Let us stop beneath the cross and pay our respects to the only one who loved you and me fully. You cannot find the resurrection without first finding the cross.

As we take the graphic scene in we notice the coarse behavior of the soldiers who gamble for the garments of the Savior.  Listen to the crackle of the dice as it tumbles from the cup upon the ground.  Hear the raucous laughter of the one who won the cloak and the good-natured ribbing of the losers who lost a day’s pay.Golgotha.jpg

Listen to the sneers of the religious scribes who wonder out loud why this man can’t save himself like he did so many others. The sarcasm cuts through the wails of those who are devastated.

Hear the hollow challenge of the criminal to his side.  ‘If you’re a King, save yourself! You’re no king.  You can’t do it. You’re just a criminal like us’.

If you would find the resurrection you must turn left at Golgotha.  It is here you hear the golden words of the dying savior—“Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

It is here at the cross that we hear the final words the Savior uttered as a man—“It is finished!” If you would find the resurrection, you must hear these last whispered gasps.  It is the only way to the resurrection.

*I looked up the value of decibels in everyday life.  Heavy street traffic is 90 decibels—The cabin of a jet cruising is 80 db.—Average conversation at three feet away is 60 db.—quiet auditorium is 40 db.—a recording studio is 30—db.—and rustling leaves are 20 db.

*And so it is at 25 dbs.—the muffled sounds of fading leaves in a fall orchard that we hear the final words of Jesus—It is finished.  Miss these words and you will likely get lost on your journey to the Resurrection.

  1. Head straight ahead to Garden Street. We now are at our final directional point.  We have turned left on the Via Dolorosa and experienced the sorrow of the lasts step of Jesus.  We turned right at Golgotha and stood like penitents beneath the cross.

Now we must study the map and go straight ahead to Garden street for it here that we hear the sound of a woman weeping.  She is distraught and continues to stoop down and look within an empty tomb where Jesus once lay.  And as I observe her pain I know she is near the resurrection but has not found it yet. She followed all the previous directions:  She walked the street of sorrows following Jesus as he struggled under the cross. She stood at Golgotha mesmerized by His sacrifice.  And now she stands in the garden beside the tomb but she has not found the resurrection yet.

It is only when she turns to the gardener that dramatic changes occur.  The gardener asks why she is crying.  She explains her story and begs him to take her to the body if he knows the way (John 20:15).  Just tell me where you have laid him, she asks in words laden with tears.  She has not found it yet.  She is near just like you may be near but she had not found it yet. She is so close.  She is only four letters from the resurrection.  And when you are this close you see its contours and your whole body begins to tremble.  And then He says  “Mary!”  And she found it.

 

 

 

Finding God in the Night Watches

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Finding God in the Night Watches—Psalm 63:6-8—Dr. Denny—March 24, 2019

Introduction:  I would like to start this morning by asking a reasonable but difficult question:  Where is God?  Can you point the way?  Do you know?  Is there even an answer to this question?  Our Psalmist, King David, might have the answer.  In one of his most exquisite psalms, David tells us one of his favorite places where he always finds God—in the night watches (Ps 63:6). 

    *Several years ago a photographer named Pete McBride became worried about the health of the Grand Canyon. The canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world with rocks dating back 2 billion years and human artifacts going back 12,000 years.  With Teddy Roosevelt’s proclamation over congress’s disapproval, he declared it a national park 100 years ago.
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McBride decided to walk the 750-mile canyon taking photographs to spur interest in protecting the park. His first attempt nearly killed him.  He had to quit after 6 days and nearly died. But he tried again with a friend and writer, Kevin Fedarko.  There is no trail.  80% of the canyon is like a wilderness.  His main concern was just how to find water and stay alive.

Read his comments on the silence of the night…

Textual commentary:  David too finds god in the night watches. How many time, I wonder, did David pull his bed out to the verandah of his palace and drift off to sleep while gazing at the stars?  It was here beneath the river of stars that David put aside his worries and fears and let his mind play among the stars.  It was in the night watches that he found God.    You too can emulate David and drift off to sleep in the arms of God.

Here is David’s easy outline for finding God in this modern chaotic world in which we all live:

First, as he drifts off to sleep, he remembers and meditates on God (Isa 63:6).  Such a simple but profound solution for the frayed nerves of our time. And yet is it really that easy?  Look at the distractions that will keep us from this routine:     the sports game that has you on edge—especially if your team just lost.  Or the late night party with your rowdy friends that had you drinking and getting wild. Or the review of your bills and worry over the car payment you can’t make. Or the fight you just had with your husband or wife. Or the worrisome pain you feel in your leg or chest. Etc.  —–Let us all rise to the challenge David presents to us.  Let us find time to meditate and remember the wonders of our relationship with the Lord as we drift off to sleep.

 Second, David sings for joy.  Now I know that most of us can’t sing worth a lick, but that is not the issue.

Joke—Miranda likes to sing, and whenever she begins, her husband heads outside.   Hurt and a little dejected, she asked him, “Don’t you like my singing?”   “Of course, Dear,” he replied. “I just want to make sure the neighbors know I’m not beating you.”

Creating spiritual melodies in our hearts clears away the haze that often hides the face of God.  When we sing, He listens.

**The old church hymn book—Read the introductory text—“Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

Here is David’s suggestion:  When you retire at night, clear your mind from all worries and concerns and sing a hymn to yourself.  Just hum a song you heard at church or one that your grandmother used to sing.  Sing to the Lord and in the singing, you will find Him!

Third, cling to the Lord(Ps 63:8. ”My soul clings to You).”  David’s final method for finding God in the night watches requires you to do something personal, something physical.  You must reach out and touch God.

Such a powerful act requires preparation.  This is why David begins with the act of meditation and remembrance.  Then he moves to quiet singing and then when his heart is fully prepared he reaches out to touch the Lord.  His soul clings to the Lord.

*One of the most emotional scenes in the Bible occurs in John 20.  Jesus is gone.  The crucifixion is now over and the tomb is empty.  The disciples are hiding in fear wondering how they will continue.  And in the midst of this overwhelming turbulence of heart, Mary Magdalene revisited the empty tomb.  At least she can get as close to the Savior as the tomb.  And so she stands there in meditation remembering (as David urges us to do each night).  Perhaps, I’m not sure, perhaps a gentle song rose within her broken heart, a song maybe Jesus used to sing.

But then she heard a voice break the reverie.  “Woman, why are you weeping?  Whom are you seeking?” said the unknown man.  She thought it was the gardener.  “Oh sir if you have taken the body of my Lord please tell me where you laid him and I will go to him and take him away.”

But then the stranger utters one word—one word that shook her to the core—He said, “Mary!” And that was all it took.  For the intonation, the quality of the voice, the accent that had become so familiar to her was enough.  She knew it was Jesus.  She said back “Rabboni.” And then she clung to him.

Conclusion:  David tells us three ways to find God in the night watches;  Remember and meditate on your bed as you drift off to sleep.   Then sing a lullaby, some spiritual song that will make the Savior smile.  And then reach out and cling to him.

The Path to Citizenship

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The Path to Citizenship–Phil. 3:17-4:1. DBC—March 15, 2017—David R Denny
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Introduction:  We live in a political world and as you know politics is a messy road.  But our text today drives us right into the fray and we can’t avoid it.  In fact, Paul uses a Greek word from which we derive our word for politics.  His word is politeuma.     πολίτευμα, ατος, τό.       It means CITIZENSHIP. I don’t think Paul liked politics too much since this is the only recorded time he ever used this word. But he did use it and so we will follow him this morning.

*Citizenship Test:  If you go to the web site: U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services you can get the 10 test questions an immigrant must know to become a citizen. I thought I would give you this test this morning.  I think we have time.  This is an oral test administered by an immigration officer.  He can ask any 10 of the 100 questions.  You must answer 6 out of the 10 correctly.  So if you have a pen right down your answers and then we will grade them.  —

1. What is the supreme law of the land? (Constitution).
2.  What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? (the Bill of Rights).                   3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution.  What are these three words?  (We the People).

Textual study: In our text, Paul says that if you are a believer then you have a unique citizenship.  It is different than the citizenship of the USA. A Christian is a citizen of heaven (Phil 3:20.  “For our citizenship is in heaven…”.  This thought sent chills down Paul’s spine.  He knew there was more to life than this world’s pains or sorrows or meaningless daily routines.  There was another word and that was where his citizenship was.  And so for us as well.  Our home is Heaven and it is for that home that we eagerly await.

*Mutiny at the Hyphasis.  One of the greatest stories in all of ancient history is when Alexander the Great’s troops mutinied against him.  For over a decade his Macedonian brothers had followed him all over the known world fighting his battles, claiming more and more territory. They conquered Europe and Palestine and Egypt and Babylon and Persia and now Alexander wanted to conquer India. But it was here on the banks of the Hyphasis River that the men said no.  No more.  The year was 326 and the men were weary of battle.

 

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Mutiny at the Hyphasis–Alexander the Great

They were already filthy rich from the spoils of war.  They missed home.  They missed their wives and children who had grown up without them.  They wanted to go home. Their citizenship was not here on the edge of the world.  Their home was Macedonia.   When they told him no, he couldn’t believe it.  He was so upset he stormed off into his tent and didn’t come out for three days. But the soldiers held firm.  And so suddenly Alexander saw that it was over. And he told them perhaps it was time to go home after all.  When he said this, the soldiers shouted for joy and wept. They all called for blessings on Alexander who though undefeated in all his battles had let himself be defeated by the.

 

What is it they wanted?  They wanted to go home.  It is the same thing Paul wanted and it is our supreme goal as well.  We have citizenship in America for which we give thanks daily.  But it is not our home.  —

*I’ve been a tumbleweed all my life.  My dad moved every two years in the military and so I’ve moved and lived everywhere. But I feel like the Eastern Shore will be my last port of call.  This is it for me.  No more wandering. BUT IT IS NOT MY HOME.  For my citizenship—my home—is in heaven.

* Green, green grass of home—grass of home.jpgThere is a song I hear every once in a while on the radio.  When it starts to play, I usually stop what I am doing and just listen.  It’s a sad song about home.——Read lyrics.

 

Textual thought:  Paul too became very emotional when he spoke of home.  In Phil. 3:18. He said that although he wished everyone was walking with him to his heavenly home, he knew that many were not with him.  There were those he said who cared more about this world. “Their minds are set on earthly things”. He said.  And when he thought of these things the text says he wept. (3:18).

*This reminds me of the Prodigal son.  He left home and his loving family preferring the baubles of this world.  And every day the father wept just as Paul did for those he knew that had sold out.            But what a happy day it was when the son came home again.

Conclusion:   Where is your citizenship?  The path to citizenship comes through the cross.  When you place your faith in Christ and call upon him to be your Savior, then you too will be handed the keys to home.  Heaven will be yours.

 

Desert Storm

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Desert Storm—Luke 4:1-13/Ps 91. DBC. March 10—Dr. Denny

Introduction:
        What were you doing on January 1991?  What was America doing on January 1991?  Let me jog your memory.  This was the year that we entered into a 60 billion dollar war.  That’s what it cost to conquer Saddam Hussein.  35 nations followed George Bush and the USA into battle to save Kuwait and conquer Iraq.  The war took 5 weeks.  There were 262 coalition casualties.  It was called Desert Storm.

Background:
         Now let’s step into another desert storm, the one mentioned with such gravitas in the book of Luke.  Here we find the Savior still dripping with the baptismal waters of the Jordan being led by the Spirit into the wilderness of Judeato face trials and temptations of the Devil.  And as we step onto the hot sands of the desert, we realize a truth all too common to people of all ages.  We are all prone to trials, testing, and temptations in our lives.  We must be prepared and we must guard ourselves against the certain attacks of the enemy.
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The wilderness of Judea into which Jesus walked is a place of majestic, silent beauty.  It begins near the city of Jerusalem and tumbles thousands of feet down to the Dead Sea. Moses stared humbly at this wilderness from the mountains of Moabto the east of the Dead Sea.  God, however, would not allow him to enter. But Jesus did venture into the wilderness, led by the Spirit and you and I must also enter daily for the life of a Christian is not void of trials.  We, like the Savior, must expect the devil to attack us daily, seeking our weaknesses, exploiting our frailties, striving to weaken our resolve to follow Jesus to the end.

The Judean wilderness where Jesus walked for 40 days is the home of one of the world’s oldest monasteries—Mar Saba.  If you could look down from the air you would see it perched precariously on the edge of the Kidron Valley midway between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.  Built in the year 483 it houses today about 20 monks and is considered to be one of the world’s oldest monasteries.  It still maintains many of its ancient traditions. Mar Saba.jpg

It was into this rugged wilderness, the desert of Mar Saba, that Jesus wandered without food or water for 40 days fending off attacks by the Devil.  He studied the Savior and searched for weaknesses.

According to Luke, the devil knew Jesus was hungry and so he challenged him to turn the rocks into bread.  But Jesus said no.  Then the devil tempted him with power and fame.  ‘I will give you all the kingdoms of the world.’  But Jesus said no.  Then the devil tempted him to leap off the temple wall knowing the angels would come to his rescue.  But Jesus said no.

And so we too must learn to say NO! to the daily temptations that come our way.  And we can do this God’s help.

  *When was your last big test?  How did you handle it?  Did you fall apart?  Did you find your way through to success?

*The biggest test of my life did not come at my doctoral defense even though my best friend Phil Walker had gone into the room where the professors waited to grill all candidates for the doctor’s degree. And when he came out he was in tears. They had flunked his dissertation.  After many years of seminary work, he left without a degree. And as he passed me in shaking his head in utter disbelief, the door swung open and a boney hand from the lead professor summoned me in next.

No, the biggest trial of my life came at a much earlier time in my life.  I was just entering the second grade.  I had left Ms. White, my first-grade teacher behind in Sumpter South Carolina where I used to live in peace and tranquility.  And now I was in Japan and this was my first day in second grade with anew teacher I did not know or trust.  Her name was Ms. Mud and I think it was an appropriate name.

I sat near the back. I did not know anybody. I had no friends.  And then Ms. Mud made a declaration.  “All right, Class get out a sheet of paper.  We’re going to have a test.  I looked at her with my eyes blinking.  Ms. White didn’t give tests.  What is a test?  I squirmed uneasily.  “Number you page from 1-20.  I sighed with relief.  I did know my numbers.  I could probably count to 30.  I had this.

But then she started with something I did not understand.  She called out a word.  She said “our first word today is tree.  I noticed all the kids writing but I didn’t know what to write.  What did she want to know about trees?  I did like trees.  I had fallen out of one once.  I panicked. I didn’t know what to do.  So I just wrote YES!because I knew I did like trees.  But she kept going.  Our next word is DOG.  Everybody began writing.  I did like dogs.  I had a dog named Fluffy.  “YES! Our next word is GIRL.  By now I had it down.  Of course, I had no use for girls.  That was easy.  I wrote boldly the word NO.

When I was all down with the 20 words I turned in my test paper and waited for the verdict. Finally, she curled her finger at me like my doctoral professors and summoned me forward.  I came with high hopes. She stared at me hard with dark eyes and then scribbled a huge E on the paper.  I looked at the verdict and then smiled with such pride.  An Excellent on my fist test.  (It wasn’t until I got home that realized that than an E was a flunking grade).

Conclusion:
Tests and temptations come in all shapes and sizes.  None of us are immune to life’s trials.  Even Jesus faced them as we see so clearly in His Judean Wilderness experience.

Let’s close with the wondrous words of Ps 91, a Psalm for those under attack from the devil, for those of us in the midst of a desert storm.

In this amazing Psalm, we learn that God is our refuge and fortress in times of testing and temptation.  He builds an impenetrable wall about us.  He protects us.  He shelters us with His wings.   And he sends his angels to guard us in times of duress of temptation.

Each of these thoughts is a sermon in itself. God is our fortress—He shelters us with His wings—He sends His angels to watch over us.  Such powerful truths to help you and me through our wilderness wanderings, when we are under attack.

 

The Necessity of Daily Ascents

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The Necessity of Daily Ascents—Luke 9:28-36- March 3, 2019—DBC—Dr. Denny

Introduction:  This morning we are going to take an exhilarating hike up one of the most iconic mountains in Palestine.  It will be a sacred ascent in the tradition of Jesus our Savior who made this very trek before us.  And in this journey, we will see the value of daily ascents.  I believe every Christian should make a daily ascent, a daily spiritual journey. Spiritual ascents help us to rediscover our purpose in life and they also recharge our spirits as we absorb the power and grace of the Savior.

Anyone who has the physical strength and mental determination can walk the Appalachian Trail in our country created in 1921. It runs 2200 miles and passes through 14 states from Georgia to Maine.

However, if you go to Israel they too have such a trail—TheIsrael National Trail–that runs across the entire country of Israel from the north to the south—636 miles.  It takes about 60 days to walk the entire trail.  It is listed in National Geographic’s 20 most “epic trails.”  It is said, “to delve into the grade scale of biblical landscapes as well as the everyday lives of the modern Israeli.”

This trail passes by our mountain this morning—Mt. Tabor—located in the world that Jesus knew just 11 miles west of the Sea of Galilee.  It rises nearly 2000 ft out of the Jezreel Valley. It is a strange place because it is not a part of a mountain chain.  It is an island all to itself, a majestic respite from the lowlands around it.

Our Ascent up Mt. Tabor

As we follow the Savior up the mountain we will remember that 8 days before this trek up Mt. Tabor, Jesus fed the 5000 down by the Sea of Galilee.  And now Jesus needs to find some quiet time with God.  And so he gathers his closest disciples—Peter, James, and John- and invites them to join him in prayer on the Mt. Tabor.  (The mountain’s name is not mentioned in the Bible, but Origin, a luminary of the ancient church fathers of the 3rdcentury tells us that he believes Mt. Tabor to be the mountain).

The climb to the top is a beautiful one.  Mt. Tabor is covered with vegetation including oak trees and over 400 varieties of plants including the large yellow crocuses, the Persian lily that stands several feet tall dressed in royal purple flowers and black-eyes red tulips that take your breath.

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Chromolithographic card 1870-1880 by Helga Von Cramm

 

As Peter, James, and John followed Jesus up the long trail to the summit, they felt the presence of God in the beauty of the mountainside.  Finally, they all stopped at the top and each found a place to kneel and pray. But it wasn’t long before all of the disciples were fast asleep and Jesus was left alone to reflect on His life—its purpose and plan, just as we must do daily in our ascents, our moments alone with God.

But then a most remarkable thing happened, missed entirely by the sleeping disciples—Jesus was transformed.  The Greek text tells us his face changed much like that of Moses when he too climbed ancient Mt Horeb and received the law. Moses’ face glowed so brightly with the presence of the divine upon it that he had to cover it with a veil when he descended to talk with the people below.

And here the same thing happened-  Jesus’ face brimmed with a heavenly light and his garments sparkled with the dazzling brightness of lightning (a Greek word used only one time n the NT-–ἐξαστράπτων).  If only we had not fallen asleep!  The disciples missed this at first.  Can you imagine?  But that was not all they missed.  For as Jesus prayed two men joined Him.  Moses and Elijah appeared upon the mountain and they all conversed.  This was predicted in the final verses of the OT. If you turn to the last page of the OT you will read in Malachi 4:5-6 that Moses and Elijah would come in the final days and this prediction is now happening on Mt Tabor while the disciples sleep.

Could we pause here and just gaze at the wonder of it all?  It is a heavenly scene like none other.  Thomas Aquinas called this the greatest of all Jesus’ miracles.  It is here that we get a glimpse behind the veil of time.  Here we see what one day we will all experience. Heavenly beings shining like lightning, speaking of heavenly things.

Would you like to know what they spoke of specifically?  We know what the conversation was about because Luke records it just as the disciples told him later.  What did they talk about?—They talked about the Cross and the impending departure of Jesus after the resurrection (Luke 9:31).

But now comes the part of the story I love.  Peter awakens and steps into a living dream.  Only it’s not really a dream.  For heaven is not a dream.  He witnessed the realities of heaven and could scarcely speak.  When his voice did come to him he could only stutter something silly like let me set up a tent for each of you so you can stay awhile.  The Bible tells us that he didn’t even know what he was saying!

Why do we need daily ascents?

  1. First of because they clarify our purpose for living.

When we pause in each day and step aside from our busy lives and venture up the mountain with Jesus we begin to rethink our purpose in life.  Why are we here?  What has God called us to do with our lives?  We need this time of reflection for without it we merely get lost in the world of endless activities.

  1. Secondly, we need to recharge our spirits. We need our faces to glow again.  We need to absorb the power and glory of God into our lives.  We need this daily and thus we need ascents daily.

Conclusion:

Last year one of the most amazing physical feats anyone has every accomplished happened in Yosemite National Park.  Alex Honnold, 33- climbed El Capitan, a 3000 vertical cliff face without any ropes or assistance. He planned this climb for 10 years and when he finally decided it was time to climb, on June 3, 2017, he had flutters in his stomach looking up at the peak in the clouds.  And then he took the first step up and for four hours he climbed straight up a cliff that all the experts said was impossible to conquer. When he finally scrambled up on the top, he posed for a selfie holding all of his gear: shoes and a bag of chalk.

As amazing as this was, it pales in comparison with the transfigured Jesus on little Mt. Tabor.  Maybe you can’t solo up El Capitan, but you can climb Mt. Tabor with Jesus and renew your purpose in life and recharge your spirit with the presence of God.