"Let Go and Let God"
A pastor colleague named Rob tells about how on the first day of his vacation, he went fly fishing on the Yellowstone River in Montana. He caught nothing but a couple of branches. That might have been because he didn't have a clue as to what he was doing. The next day, that all changed when a good friend took him fishing. He had a boat, so they could cover a lot more water. He showed Rob what flies to use and how to present them. He showed Rob exactly where to cast. And do you know what? He caught several very nice trout, including a couple that were over 20 inches long and weighed several pounds.
He couldn't have caught those fish without the help of his friend. He needed a boat, the proper flies and the necessary knowledge of how and where to fish this particular river. His friend had all these things, and in sharing them freely he made it possible for Rob to do something he could not do on his own.
It's striking how in every one of our readings on this Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit makes it possible for people to do things they could not do on their own. In Acts, as we just heard, the Spirit empowers the disciples to speak in languages they had never learned. On top of that, they're given a boldness to do that publicly -- a boldness that up to this point they had not had. [In Romans, the Spirit helps people to pray in ways they could not pray on their own.] and in John, Jesus says the spirit will guide the disciples into all truth -- truth that they "could not bear" without the Spirit's help. The Holy Spirit will reveal things to the disciples they could not do on their own, and then give them the strength to live that truth accordingly.
In other words, God has something we don't have. Knowledge and resources, we could say. And in sharing these things freely with us, God makes it possible for us to do what we cannot do alone. It sounds sort of simple. But it begs the question, "What are we doing in our lives, in our work, in our community, and in our church that takes us beyond what we could do in our own natural capacities?"
In our Holy Scriptures, success does not depend on a person's brilliance, on adherence to the latest best practices or ability to master ingenious strategies. It depends on God -- on being empowered by the Holy Spirit. So often the people we meet in scripture are failures. Many appear to be inconsequential and insignificant. The secret of their success is their radical reliance on God and their faithfulness in following God's lead. God has something we don't have. What are you and I doing that pushes us toward surrender and dependence on that power greater than ourselves?
I saw a quote somewhere this week that said, "You can't shake hands with a clenched fist." So often we are so intent on maintaining control -- even subconsciously -- that we keep our hearts and minds clenched and the Holy Spirit barely stands a chance. And yet, the Holy Spirit is by definition a FRIEND. The word used in our Gospel, from Jesus' mouth, is "Advocate." Other translations say Counselor, Comforter, or Helper. You get the idea. This friend is not someone or something we need to be afraid of. This ally is definitely NOT someone to keep at arm's length. The Holy Spirit is someone in whose presence we can loosen our clenched hearts and minds. If you're at all like me, though, you get on that treadmill of life, focusing on the next thing, focusing on what needs to get done, and you simply and very innocently forget to ask that friend for help. You just buck up and try harder. That's why I light candles. That little ritual of lighting a candle is a reminder for me to ask for and open myself to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit while I work or play -- at home or at church. For some of us, sit takes something like a major illness or tragedy to get us to unclench our hearts and minds. One of you just this week shared with me such an experience. And through that experience, the presence of the Holy Spirit was strong and real, like a golden cord running through the ups and the downs, the uncertainties, the relief, and finally the experience of resurrection.
A woman named Jan writes about something that happened when she was a very little girl. "I had a dolly that I loved," she says. "I took my dolly with me everywhere. We played together, slept together, even went to church together. One day my dolly's arm came off. I was crying as I took my dolly to Daddy. In my mind, my daddy, who was a carpenter, could make anything, and fix anything. I clutched my dolly in my arms as I sobbed. "Dolly's broke. Daddy, fix." Daddy took me in his arms and sat me on his knee, then tried to take my dolly from my arms. I clutched tightly, unwilling to let dolly go. Daddy certainly could have taken my dolly from me by force, but he didn't struggle with me. He sat for a while holding me, stroking my hair, patting my back, but still I clung to dolly, unwilling to let him take her from me. Finally. Daddy said, "Peanut, I can't fix your dolly unless you give her to me."
"Sometimes," Jan says, "I see myself as that little girl, crying about the brokenness in my life, begging God to fix it, but unwilling to let go. I know I'm not the only one who does this. Alcoholics Anonymous has a bumper sticker that says, 'Let Go, and Let God.'" There's also a poem that circulates in the recovery movement that is a great reminder for me to unclench my heart and mind and let the Holy Spirit work in and through me, rather than in spite of me. It reminds me to let go and to get out of the way. Maybe it can also serve our community of faith as we venture into a visioning process, as we work now toward discerning the core values that will be the foundation for that process. What can we do as a mission outpost here on 6 Mile Rd. in Livonia in the 21st century that will stretch us beyond what we could do in our own natural capacities? Maybe this poem can also serve our community of faith as we welcome Isabella and Kyle, Brenden and Kelsey into this family where the Holy Spirit longs for nothing better than to be their friend and counselor and advocate too. I'm sure you've heard this poem before. Let it remind you of what you already know.
Let Go and Let God
As children bring their broken toys, with toys for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God,
because He is my friend.
But then instead of leaving Him
in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help,
with ways that were my own.
At last, I snatched them back again
and cried, "How can you be so slow?"
"My child," He said, "What could I do?
you never did let go."
Today when we come to the altar, the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, Counselor, Guide, and Friend, invites us to bring our broken dreams with us -- and leave them there. Join me in getting out of the way, in unclenching your heart and your mind, and in giving the Holy Spirit a chance to take us beyond what you or I could ever do on our own.
AMEN
Pastor Dana Runestad
Pentecost, 2006 (May 28)
Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Livonia Michigan