POWERFUL PRESENCE

Dr. Richard J. Henderson January 5, 2003

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John 1: 10-18
Psalm 139: 1-18, 23-24

Introduction

Life can be a lonely adventure. We spend so much time alone. We have to do so many things, and make so many decisions by ourselves. For many people loneliness is a serious problem. All of us have felt loneliness at one time or another. Perhaps we have all felt what Yeats wrote about:

"The wind blows out of the gates of the day
The wind blows over the lonely of heart
And the lonely of heart is withered away."

All of us have felt lonely at some time, whether it is the "Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner," or part of "The Lonely Crowd."

I

We are born alone. We come into this world alone. No one holds our hands while we are born. No one accompanies us. We come into this world all by ourselves. Even twins enter the world one at a time.

II

We leave this world alone. For many it is in a solitary hospital, with tubes attached to us. A member of our church died a few years back. During his last days he was in University of Michigan hospital. I went to visit him late one night. The hospital was quiet and empty. I went to his room and he was connected up to tubes and IV's. He couldn't speak or, apparently, move.

I talked with him, not knowing if he could even hear me. We always talk to people even when they show no signs of responding. One of the last functions to go is the ability to hear. Often people aren't able to react, but they can hear. We always assume the person can hear us.

So I carried on this one-sided conversation for some time, and then I prayed. A few days later he died. He had no family nearby; his brother lived out of town. He died alone in that sterile hospital, unable to speak, with no one by his side.

Although, even if friends and family surround us, that journey is one we make alone. Nobody goes with us.

III

From beginning to end so much of our lives we spend alone. One of the biggest complaints that people have is that they are lonely. Whether they work in a big office or work at home, people say they are lonely. We all need companionship, and but we so often feel alone.

IV

And yet, when our whole family gathers for Thanksgiving dinner - when we are all together, talking and kidding and laughing, I can feel the presence of my father. He has been dead for twenty years, but in a very real sense he is there among all the noise and celebration. My father is there in those family times that were so important to him. We can feel his spirit.

Most of the time when I write a sermon I can sense my teachers looking over my shoulder. I ask myself how Fred Craddock would approach this topic. What would David Buttrick think of this sermon? My brothers and sister all live out of town, but I think about them all the time. I wonder what they are doing or how they would react if they were here with me.

I think often of Mr. Sanford, my sixth grade teacher who helped me turn my grades around because he was persistent. He wouldn't give up on me or let me continue as I was. Dr Elkins has been with me since my college days. He has always been a good friend, silent support, and wise man. And, of course, you in the congregation. I'm thinking about you even when you aren't here. You're with me even when you aren't with me. I have spoken to many widows and widowers who talk with their mates who have died. Regularly - sometimes everyday - they talk over what is going on in their lives. They ask advice for decisions they have to make. But mostly they share what is happening in their lives with the one they love. That partner is gone, but in a real sense they are still present and a powerful influence in life.

Conclusion

There is another presence with us in a little different way. We know and love God. God's Spirit is with us wherever we go. God influences the decisions we make, the places we go or don't go. God's Spirit is with us in everything we say, do, and think. God's Spirit draws on our better selves - the people we can be.

The Spirit of God isn't like the presence of one who died or is far away - at least not completely. God's Spirit is very much alive - active in our world. God is actively at work in our lives through his Spirit.

As we begin the new year it is helpful to remind ourselves that there is no place we can go to escape God's Spirit - whether we are enjoying the delights of heavenly contentment, or suffering the anguish of hell-on-earth, God's Spirit is with us. God is present in our lives to support, encourage, warn, and influence us. We are not alone. We are surrounded by loved ones and dozens of people who care. Some of those people are present physically; others come to us as the powerful presence of those who have gone before us.

God is with us. God's Spirit is alive, actively leading and challenging us in all we do. We are not alone, because God promises always to be with us.

Amen.

©Richard J. Henderson 2003