Bill Stroop Sermon,"Lord, You Lift 'em Up, and I'll Put 'em Down,"Year A, Easter 5, April 24, 2005

Acts 7:55-60
Psalm 31:1-5; 15-16
1 Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14
The Collect of the Day
From the Revised Common Lectionary as Adapted for Use by the Episcopal Church
and Authorized by the 74^th General Convention of the ECUSA

Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation-- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner," and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:2-10)

Lord, You Lift 'em Up, and I'll Put 'em Down
The Rev. Dr. Bill Stroop, Rector

Not too long ago, I was talking with a friend who related this story. Two men had worked together for many years. Over time, Jerry and Sam had grown to like each other, and often spent their days off together fishing. Their families had gotten to know each other, and their kids referred to the men as "uncle Jerry" and "uncle Sam." After they had been friends for some years, Jerry's wife developed a malignant cancer. Between the disease and the chemotherapy, his wife became thin and tired. Jerry somehow managed to stay by her side, take care of their kids, and their home, and work part-time. He became Mr. Mom, and a full-time caregiver. Sam admired his friend for his courage and strength, but no more than at the funeral when he saw Jerry sad, but somehow quite able to cope with tremendous grief and loss.

Sometime after the funeral Sam called on Jerry to see how he was doing. Again, Jerry seemed to be getting along pretty well. Over a beer, Sam, with clear admiration in his voice, asked Jerry how he had been able to handle so much so well. "Without my faith," Jerry said, "I couldn't have gotten through any of this."

Sam was very surprised. In all the years they had known each other, never once had the subject of religion come up. "I didn't know you even went to church," Sam said. "Oh, yes, I've been a Christian all my life, and have gone to the same church for 40 years. The folks from my church brought me food, and prayed for me and my family all through Helen's illness. I couldn't do this alone. Nobody can."

Sam was so impressed, that he began to investigate this thing called Christianity. He went to church with Jerry, and was introduced to Jerry's friends. And in that community Sam began to feel something new that he had never felt before. Somehow in this room full of strangers, he felt part of something.

Last October, a former co-worker of mine traveled to Chicago. Excitement about the trip made for a nearly sleepless night, but it was a short one. Up before dawn, she, along with 40,000 other runners plus probably a million spectators and fans gathered at the start of what is quite arguably one of the most well-known marathons in the country: The Chicago Marathon. When the starting gun went off, the runners began to run a course stretching 26.2 miles, and every runner, from the fastest veteran marathoner to the slowest handicapped person, received a tremendous boost from the cheering crowd along the way. And not only did support come from the crowd; it came from fellow runners who encouraged one another when the muscle cramps and fatigue became almost unbearable. And 5 hours, 40 minutes, and 27 seconds later, my co-worker crossed the finish line 30,474^th out of the 33,080 who were able to finish.

How do they do it? To be sure, running a marathon is not for everyone. Just like Christianity is not for everyone. But every runner and every Christian who attends church benefits from the Bislett effect.[1]

The Bisslet effect is named for Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Norway. Sixty two track-and-field records have been broken over the years at Bislett. This is phenomenal. Not one or ten records, but a sixty two! No other place can boast of this kind of record setting. And it's not because the kilometers are a little shorter in Norway. The secret is the track itself. It is a narrow, six-lane track, and the stands that surround it are very steep. When 21,000 fans all scream "Go, go!" you run faster. Runners who write for Runner's World say that the crowd forces you to keep your rhythm and push harder for one more stretch; for one more turn.

We all run faster when we are inspired by our community." Sure, we run for ourselves; that's what got my co-worker up in the wee hours of the morning to run the Chicago marathon. But once we start, we run not only for ourselves, but we run for the team, the party, the tribe, the town, the state, the nation. Every person who saw Forest Gump knows this. Our hearts all pounded faster when we heard people yell "Run, Forest, Run!

I read a story about a preacher who ran the Chicago marathon last year. His congregation works to support AIDS orphans in Africa, and for each mile he runs, people from his home church have pledged a dollar or two. The course is lined with frenzied people, screaming encouragement to everyone. Musical groups are present every few blocks playing salsa, hip-hop, and even the "Star Spangled Banner." The enthusiasm is infectious – it is an expression of the Bislett effect. As the race went on, the preacher began to think of his congregation, and the pledges they had made. Each step he took, translated into life saving assistance for orphaned children. By mile 16 he was in pain, and he popped some Tylenol. By mile 20 he was feeling real fatigue. But he thought of the children, and the faith they had in him and his congregation. When he felt like quitting, he remembered what they had to endure. When he crossed the finish line at mile 26.2 his only thoughts were of the children.

The author of 1 Peter knew about the Bislett effect. He knew the power of the Body of Christ; of the community of believers. He described that Body as "living stones;" "Like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God" (1 Peter 2:5). He also understood that there is nothing individualistic about the Christian faith. Having a personal relationship with Christ is a good starting place. It's like getting up to run the race. But, to move ahead, and keep going requires something more. It requires the crowd; the Bislett effect. It was the crowd of caring believers that sustained Jerry with their support and prayers. They helped him stay on his feet and be the best he could be for his dying wife and his children.

This kind of caring is critical to the health of the Body of Christ, the spiritual house of living stones. It is personally invaluable, as Jerry would testify, but vitally important for our Christian community because it enables us to run the impossible race, and to set new records. It gives us strength to do so much more than we dreamed possible.

But, a community of Christians is more than a social club or a fan club. It is a community of people who share in common a love of Jesus Christ, and the realization that there is something very much bigger than themselves in the universe. That is not to say that we all share the same understanding of the person of Jesus, or that we would necessarily agree what is so important about Jesus Christ and the nature of God. But, regardless, we all stand on Jesus, who is the cornerstone of this house of living stones.

Jesus Christ is the living stone – chosen by God and rejected by humankind – who has become the firm foundation for the rest of us blockheads who make up the church. I think it is tempting to think of the church as a human institution, and to forget that it is God who builds the church into something beyond a human institution. "How else could such a wide variety of people from all walks of life, social position, and family structures become a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit?"[2] Jesus and his immediate followers were the ones who broke down the dividing walls between Jews and Gentiles and make them into one body. Surely, then, the resurrected Christ we celebrate during this season of Easter can build auto mechanics, lumbermen, homemakers, stay-at-home parents, doctors, lawyers, and nurses into a dwelling place for God.

We are both runners and cheerleaders in this thing called life. We run the race, trying as best we can to keep one foot in front of the other. Trying to keep a job, raise a family, and deal with disease and disaster; love and love lost. But we are also in the stands helping, assisting, and empowering those who are on some particular track, some particular course, who are facing some particular challenge, task. And because we have been on that track or some similar course before, we're in a position to yell and scream, and cheer and urge our sisters and brothers onward. We are at our very best, at our most majestic, and our most loving, when we work for the good of the body, and when we do for others instead of ourselves. And we can be at our very best when we know and trust and hope in Jesus.

I'm sure that among us, there are many stories we could share of how we were at our best when we were inspired or supported by our Christian community. But more importantly, we should probably think more about what we can do today to be a source of encouragement to the people around us – especially those in our neighborhoods or circles of friends – who are not Christian or who do not have a church home. For the many years Sam and Jerry knew each other, the subject of church never came up. It was probably too personal a subject, or one that seemed too risky.

But we can do much to be cheerleaders and to encourage those who are running tough races, by showing people who and what we are by our actions and our personal strength. It was Jerry's strength – derived in part from his church community – that appealed to Sam. Jerry's faith was not an empty faith, but a lively and powerful faith that kept his feet moving until he finished his marathon. Our actions in this world can speak loudly about our house of living stones, and the cornerstone upon which it is built.

There is an adage – a prayer really – among runners. "Lord, you lift 'em up, and I'll put 'em down." Those are words we can live by. You, the crowd – the church – and Jesus. That's a hard combination to beat!

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Acts 7:55-60

But filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciple Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died.

Psalm 31:1-5; 15-16

1 In you, O LORD, I seek refuge;
do not let me ever be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.

2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.

3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
for your name's sake lead me and guide me,

4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.

5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.

15 My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.

16 Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.

1 Peter 2:2-10

Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation-- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: "See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner," and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

John 14:1-14

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way"? Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

The Collect of the Day

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.