BE WELL, DO GOOD WORK, AND KEEP IN TOUCH - June 8, 2008
Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 9:9-13; Psalm 47; II Timothy 1:17
I was driving home one morning after taking my son Ben to high school, and dropping my daughter Grace at the junior high school, when I heard what I think is one of the most interesting programs on the radio -- Writer's Almanac. It's a 5 minute presentation by Garrison Keilor, who also does "Prairie Home Companion." The format is first short biographical sketches of writers, musicians, scientists and other people who have made an impact on our culture through their work. Garrison then reads a poem (anything from a Shakespeare sonnet to a contemporary poem about baseball) and the magic words of encouragement and relationship: "Be Well, Do Good Work, and Keep in Touch."
It's good advice to all of us, and to our graduates.
Be Well
The first thing we think of when we hear "Be Well" might be physical wellness, but the wellness that comes to us through the stories of Jesus includes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. But wellness doesn't just happen -- God gives us the choice to live a well balanced, positive life where we can make a difference in the world, and opportunities to do that.
I'm going to share three stories from Fred Craddock, who was a professor of preaching for many years. The first story is when Fred was in an airport in Kansas City, waiting for a plane. He fell into conversation with a fellow from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. He was in this country completing a monograph, a study on the influence of the conversation between doctors and nurses with the patient in surgery who is under anesthesia. His view was, in fact, that he was established it beyond all doubt. He found that if the doctors and nurses were negative and gripey and grumpy, then the patient in post-operative conditions was depressed and pessimistic. If the doctors and nurses were upbeat, happy, merry, and cheerful, then the patient in post-operative care was euphoric and optimistic and proceeded to recover quickly. The time came when I had to catch my plane. I thanked him for the conversation, and he said, "Why, are you a doctor?" Fred said, Oh, no, I'm a preacher. But if it'll work in surgery, it'll work in sanctuary."
Be Well, Do Good Work
Some years ago there was a church that Fred Craddock was visiting on a Sunday afternoon and a van pulled up in the church parking lot, and a bunch of young people got out. They looked like thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, maybe up to eighteen or even early twenties.
There were ten or twelve young people who belonged to that church. They got out with bedrolls. It was the awfullest looking bunch of kids you've ever seen, something like the cats would drag in. They were really in bad shape. Craddock asked them, "What is this?" They had just returned from a work mission. They named the place where they went. In one week, those young people, along with other young people, had built a little church for a community. They were beat. Aw, they looked terrible.
They were sitting on their bags out there waiting for their parents to come. Fred said to one of the boys, he said, "You tired?" And he said, "Whew -- am I tired!" Then he said, "This is the best tired I've ever felt."
Jesus calls us to do good work -- and to be the best tired we've ever felt.
Be Well, Do Good Work, and Keep In Touch
I think people who grow up and live in Hawaii are lucky -- you're lucky because you've grown up with, and in, Ohana.
I know people in this church who grew up in this church, who know the people who they went to elementary school with.
And I think it's sad that I don't know any of the people I went to elementary school with, or junior high, or senior high, and only one or two from college.
Keeping in touch gives us a reference point for values and priorities, and for caring about one another. Keeping in touch teaches us to love and to forgive, and to know that we're important, and what in life is important. Jesus had ohana, he lived ohana -- he had twelve disciples, and other followers who helped him throughout his ministry. God gives us Ohana so we can keep in touch.
This story about Fred Craddock is from when he was a kid on the farm, and he, his sister and brothers would play hide-and-seek. He says they would play that in the country, for it doesn't cost anything. They grew tired of it, but they played it. You remember how it goes. One person is "It." Whoever is "It" hides their eyes, counts to a hundred, and then says, "Coming, ready or not," and you're supposed to be hidden. Then the person who's "It" comes looking and tries to beat the first one found back to the base in order to touch the base three times and say, "You're It." Then the other person is "It."
Well, this story is about when Fred's sister was "It." When she was "It," she cheated. Well, she started off honestly enough; she would say, "one, two, three, four, five six, seven --- ninety-three, ninety-four, ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred." But Fred had a place under the porch and under the steps of the porch. Because of his size he could get under there, and he knew she'd never find him. Here she came, in the house, out of the house, in the weeds, in the trees, down to the corncrib, in the barn. She couldn't find him. He almost gave himself away, down under there just snickering to himself., She'll never find me here, she'll never find me here. Then it occurred to him . . . she'll never find me here. So after awhile he would stick out a toe. When she came by and saw my toe, she said, "Oh oh, I see you," and she'd run back and touch the base three times and say, "Ha ha, you're it, you're it." Fred would come out brushing himself off saying, "Oh, shoot, you found me."
What did he want? What did he really want? The very same thing as you and I want -- isn't that true?
So to all the graduates, and to all of us, I know Jesus would want us to "Be Well, Do Good Work, and Keep In Touch."
Amen
Pastor Fran
