PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:

Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of Your Holy Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and Your Word proclaimed, we may hear with joy what You say to us, today. Amen.

Isaiah 40:28-31    OT p.634

[28] Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.

[29] He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.

[30] Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;

[31] but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

John 16:33    OT p.106

"I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!"

LET US PRAY:

INTRODUCTION:

Today has been one of those bizarre, mind numbing days. Every time I turned on the TV, new sights and sounds of the tragedies this morning invaded my being. Just like they invaded our country.

I was in shock most of the morning, just like you. I decided I needed to go to the church. When I got here, the TV was on. Rick, Pat and a man who came to give us an estimate on pest control were watching. As I stepped into the room, we watched the second tower of the World Trade Center collapse. That was when I lost it.

I had to come sit here in the sanctuary and cry and talk to God.

I don't understand "Why" any more than you do. I'm feeling the same shock and sense of unreality that you're feeling.

I remember a family in our last church. The mom was watching the news when the Oklahoma City bombing took place. Her son came in and wanted to watch cartoons. Mom, told him No. He walked in front of the TV and watched for a minute then he turned to his Mom and asked, "Is this real? Or is this just a movie?"

I've seen the different scenes so many times, it's almost like a movie. An unbelievably frightening movie. but I know, from what my heart feels, that it's not a movie. It's reality. And my heart aches from the senseless loss of life.

I can't imagine what it would be like to know my spouse or children were on one of those flights or in one of those buildings. I can only imagine the heartache they are feeling right now.

So, where do we turn? Where do we find answers? Well, I think we've all come to the right place. Because, in a time like this, we can only turn to God. God IS the only one who can get us through.

I. LOOKING FOR SOLACE:

A. We've come here because we're grieving and hurting. We've come here because we're numb and in shock. We've come here hoping to make sense out of something which is totally senseless. We've come here looking for answers when we know that there really aren't any answers. At least not any that make sense.

But mostly we've come here looking for God because we know that without God, we can't make it.

B. We've gathered in shock. We're searching for answers. Many of the questions we had after the Oklahoma City bombing are still there; questions like "How could somebody do something like that?"

But the other question, the bigger question: "Where is God in all of this?" is being answered over and over again in the lives of the survivors and their families. In the hands of the volunteers and workers who are helping. In the millions of people who like us are praying tonight for everyone involved.

God's presence is being felt in the midst of our grief and in their recovery. God is still with them and still with us, holding us ALL up, giving both us and them strength and helping us ALL make sense out of life. That's the Good News, God IS with us, we are not alone. The Risen Christ, is an everyday reality.

Sir Alec Guiness, the British actor, in his autobiography Blessings In Disguise, tells how he became a Christian after spending many years as an agnostic who despised the Church and the clergy.

The conversion occurred while he was playing the role of a Roman Catholic priest. They were filming "Father Brown," based on a short story by G. K. Chesterson. After a long day of filming on location in a little village in France, still dressed as a priest, Alec Guiness walked back to where he was staying. He writes:

"I hadn't gone far when I heard scampering footsteps and a piping voice calling, 'Mon pere!' My hand was seized by a boy 7 or 9, who clutched it tightly, swung it and kept up a non-stop prattle. He was full of excitement, hops, skips and jumps, but never let go of me. I didn't dare speak in case my excruciating French should scare him. Although I was a total stranger, he obviously took me for a priest and so to be trusted. Suddenly with a 'Bonsoir, mon pere', and a hurried sideways sort of bow, he disappeared through a hole in a hedge. He had a happy, reassuring walk home, and I was left with an odd, calm sense of elation. Continuing my walk, I reflected that a church which could inspire such confidence in a child, making its priests, even when unknown, so easily approachable could not be as scheming and creepy as so often made out." (1)

You see, the presence of the risen Christ is all around us. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it. Especially in the midst of a tragedy like this one. There's a part of us that wants to scream and holler at God and shout, "Why did you let this happen? Why didn't you do something to stop this?'

And on reflection, we know that God did do something. 2000 years ago God did the ULTIMATE something.

God took off the royal robes of heaven, stepped into the rags of our flesh and blood and became one of us in Jesus. God DID do something, Jesus came and walked where we walk. Not only did Jesus walk where we walk but he showed us how to live.

And when that wasn't enough, He gave Himself up for us so that we could be forgiven of all those things that separate us from God. He gave Himself up on the cross. And there He died, taking on the sin of the world, even the sin of those terrorists who did this unspeakable thing.

He died on the cross, taking the penalty for OUR sin. They buried Him. Sealed him up in a tomb. But three days later He defeated even death and rose from the grave, more alive than ever before.

They thought He was beaten down and defeated but Jesus rose again. That's what God did to stop this sort of tragedy. God offered life and hope and new life.

Unfortunately, not everyone believes that. Some folks are even violently opposed to that idea, as we saw today.

So, what are we supposed to do?

II. HOLD ON:

There's only one thing we can do and that's HOLD ON. We need to pull together and hold together as a nation. We need to put aside all political, social, racial and religious differences and hold together and HOLD TOGETHER.

We need to HOLD ON TO EACH OTHER. They say there is strength in numbers. And it's true. Alone we can be vanquished by depression, disillusionment, defeat, sorrow, grief, hurt and pain. But together we can stand up to anything. Together, we can withstand almost anything. When we HOLD ON TO EACH OTHER we are encouraged and strengthened.

And finally we're called to HOLD ON TO JESUS. You see, Jesus teaches us that God is still God. Nothing can change that. It might seem like our world and our lives have been sent spinning out of control. It might seem that way but it's not.

God is still in Control. God has never given up the reins. God's never surrendered the driver's seat. God has never turned over the helm to someone else. God is still in control. And we need to HOLD ON TO GOD BY HOLDING ON TO JESUS.

Remember what we heard a few minutes ago? The Disciples knew something was coming, they just didn't know what. And in John 16:33 Jesus was telling them about His coming death and resurrection and He concludes by telling them. "I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!"

Jesus didn't give up. He didn't surrender and he wasn't defeated. We're called to HOLD ON TO THE PROMISES OF GOD. And we're called to HOLD ON TO GOD BY HOLDING ON TO JESUS.

There's only one thing we can do and that's HOLD ON.

CONCLUSION:

Years ago Rev. Harry Emerson Fosdick said: "Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable; and most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God." (2)

It is time for us to dig deep in our faith. It's time for us to rejoice in our God. Put aside the fear, trust God. Put aside the despair and be encouraged, God is still in control.

The Risen Christ IS with us. And that makes all the difference in the world. He will make Himself known in the broken bread, and in the brokenness of the lives lost today. He is reaching out to us even as we meet. Jesus is alive. God is in control. Look around you, you might see evidence of Christ's presence almost anywhere.

And I'll bet we hear it in the stories of the rescues and the selflessness and bravery of the victims.

What ever you do, don't forget those who have so tragically died today but don't give up either. Trust in God and HOLD ON, HOLD TOGETHER, HOLD ON TO EACH OTHER AND HOLD ON TO GOD THROUGH JESUS.

1. Guiness, Blessings In Disguise (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986), 36.

2. The Pastor's Story File (Platteville, Colorado: Saratoga Press), June 1993 October 1996

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