Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
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Renewed For The Journey
Joshua 8:35-40 August 28, 2005
I haven’t sat down yet to count up the number of miles I traveled this summer but I can
assure you that it is more than I planned on when I began talking about a sabbatical. It all
began with a simple trip to New York City to attend a worship conference by Integrity
Music. The next week I was on a plane to Chicago to visit Willow Creek Community
Church to attend a Worship and the Arts Conference. Before returning home I took a side
trip out to Detroit to see my boys play and believe it or not, they won the game.
A few weeks later and I was in the air again heading for Denver and the American Baptist
Biennial Meeting. The Rocky Mountains were breathtaking and I couldn’t help but think of
Moses as he communed with God on Mount Horeb.
The whole family went on the next trip as we drove to New Jersey for National Dance
Competition and spent four days on the Boardwalk. Then Sarah, Rachel and I flew down
to Kentucky to visit with my parents for a few days. We came home and the engine didn’t
have a chance to cool down because I turned around and drove Becky out to Ithaca, New
York so she could set up her apartment at school.
Then we were off to Florida for the experience of a lifetime with Sarah. We got to say hi
to Mickey as well as being swept away with the Outstanding Teen Pageant. And from
there I flew directly to the American Baptist Assembly in Green Lake, Wisconsin to attend
the Ministers Council Senate.
It was a busy, blessing filled summer. I took the opportunity to visit nine different
churches. I worshipped at my home church in Lebanon and was filled with memories of
the way God touched me there and prepared me for ministry. We went back to the first
church I served, Cross Mills Baptist, in Charlestown Rhode Island, and I was reminded
how gracious God was in those days. Lori and I visited Central Baptist Church and were
blessed to be with Sheldon and Eileen Keller again, who were so hospitable to us as we
began our married life together in the Boston area.
It seems as though this summer allowed me to come full circle in my ministry. It gave me
an opportunity to reflect on where I have been and where I am going. And now, I am
renewed for the journey. You see, we can learn a lot from the past. We can learn a lot
from look at each other’s stories.
Have you ever sat with someone and listened as they told their story? If you have, you
already know that there is power in the telling and the listening to stories. The person
telling the story is able to sift out the most meaningful aspects of the tale and draw them
together so that everything makes sense. The person hearing the story, if they are really
listening, can pick up the strands of fabric that make up the soul and psyche of the
storyteller. Every one of us has a story to tell. That story tells who we are and where we
have been because you see, our experiences mold us and leave their mark on us and
prepare us for the future.
Joshua was well aware of this fact and he made it a point to pause and remember
whenever he had the chance. It is interesting to note that our passage today comes right at
the end of the period which marks the original entry into Canaan by the Israelites. Shortly
after Moses died, Joshua led the people across the Jordon River and made a deep wedge
into the heart of the central highlands. They had successfully captured two major cities
and burnt them to the ground. They had miraculously knocked down the walls of Jericho
by simply blasting their trumpets and yelling at the top of their lungs. They had outsmarted
the inhabitants of Ai and ambushed them in the plain. Joshua made it clear that God had
lain the groundwork for these victories and made them possible. But the people got caught
up in all the hoopla. So it is at this point, after all the victories, that an altar of unhewn
stones is built to the Lord, in the heart of Canaanite territory. It was built to provide the
inhabitants of the land with a visible witness to the faith by which the Israelites lived. It
was this faith which had brought them victory.
On the altar burnt offerings were made and peace offerings were sacrificed. In the hour of
victory the Israelites remembered their god and what He had done for them. And they did
this as soon as the foothold had been established in the new land so that the people could
pledge themselves anew to keep God’s law.
You see, remembering is not enough. We need to look back but we also need to rededicate
ourselves and renew our pledges as we move forward in life. We need to remember so we
can be renewed for the journey. That is why history is so important. It allows us to look
back and see the grace that brought us forward. It gives us strength so that we can move
ahead.
When Joshua received his call to lead the people, he was facing a heavy burden. He was
not only going to lead the people into a hostile and unknown world, he was also taking then
place of a legend. Can you imagine that? Who could fill Moses’ shoes? With a journey that
seemed impossible, Joshua could do nothing else but rely on what he knew about God.
There is no doubt in my mind, that as Joshua crossed the river with his people, he was in
constant prayer. His strength and confidence came through the little reminders of what
God had done in the past.
The truth is the same thing holds true for us as individuals and as a congregation. As
individuals we all have challenges before us.
This summer both my mother and my mother-in-law received word that they had
malignant tumors that had to be removed. Both women have tremendous faith and they
approached the surgeries and aftercare with amazing grace. The truth is that the only way
we can hold up under such a scare is to remember that God is good and that he holds us in
the palm of his hand. There is strength in remembering that God has provided for us in the
past, and that He has been there and will continue to walk with us even when we walk
through the valley of the shadow of death. The beloved poem “Footsprints” has been a
source of strength to countless individuals because it reminds us of a truth that we have all
experienced.
As Joshua looked at the uninviting territory ahead, he remembered forty years in the
wilderness, and the simple fact that their needs were met every day. God had been with
them on the other side and He would be with them now. None of us know what the future
will hold, but we know who holds the future.
I like what Billy Graham used to say: “You ask me if I am afraid of what the future holds
in store. I tell you no because I have read the book and know the end of the story. God
will prevail.”
As we gear up for ministry in the coming years, the same is true for us as a congregation.
We have a glorious history of 205 years, filled with ups and downs, of disappointments
and celebrations. We almost closed the doors two or three times but as God would have it,
we survived and soon after began to thrive again. The renewal happened when the people
made a conscious decision to renew their faith and walk with God. I don’t know about
you, but I am ready to move forward.
In June of 1985, my very first sermon was entitled, “Where No Man Had Gone Before.” I
borrowed that phrase from the Star Trek Series and explained that like the crew of the
Starship Enterprise, we were going into uncharted space together. We have had four such
journeys since and are ready to embark on our fifth.
We have sponsored sports ministries, youth trips, drama programs and prayer services.
We have added a praise band, participated in ecumenical services, sang in choir festivals,
attended biennial meetings. We have prayed with one another and mourned with each
other and witnessed miracles in our midst. We have witnessed the joy of baptism and the
sorrow of members moving on. We have worshipped together at least 1050 times since
that first week.
We have gained weight together and then lost it, turned gray, then brown and then gray
again. About the only thing we haven’t done is celebrating a Detroit Tiger championship…
but have faith, it will come.
So what do you say? Let’s plan to take a closer walk together with Jesus this fall and see
what God will do.
Amen.
Joshua 8:35-40 August 28, 2005
I haven’t sat down yet to count up the number of miles I traveled this summer but I can
assure you that it is more than I planned on when I began talking about a sabbatical. It all
began with a simple trip to New York City to attend a worship conference by Integrity
Music. The next week I was on a plane to Chicago to visit Willow Creek Community
Church to attend a Worship and the Arts Conference. Before returning home I took a side
trip out to Detroit to see my boys play and believe it or not, they won the game.
A few weeks later and I was in the air again heading for Denver and the American Baptist
Biennial Meeting. The Rocky Mountains were breathtaking and I couldn’t help but think of
Moses as he communed with God on Mount Horeb.
The whole family went on the next trip as we drove to New Jersey for National Dance
Competition and spent four days on the Boardwalk. Then Sarah, Rachel and I flew down
to Kentucky to visit with my parents for a few days. We came home and the engine didn’t
have a chance to cool down because I turned around and drove Becky out to Ithaca, New
York so she could set up her apartment at school.
Then we were off to Florida for the experience of a lifetime with Sarah. We got to say hi
to Mickey as well as being swept away with the Outstanding Teen Pageant. And from
there I flew directly to the American Baptist Assembly in Green Lake, Wisconsin to attend
the Ministers Council Senate.
It was a busy, blessing filled summer. I took the opportunity to visit nine different
churches. I worshipped at my home church in Lebanon and was filled with memories of
the way God touched me there and prepared me for ministry. We went back to the first
church I served, Cross Mills Baptist, in Charlestown Rhode Island, and I was reminded
how gracious God was in those days. Lori and I visited Central Baptist Church and were
blessed to be with Sheldon and Eileen Keller again, who were so hospitable to us as we
began our married life together in the Boston area.
It seems as though this summer allowed me to come full circle in my ministry. It gave me
an opportunity to reflect on where I have been and where I am going. And now, I am
renewed for the journey. You see, we can learn a lot from the past. We can learn a lot
from look at each other’s stories.
Have you ever sat with someone and listened as they told their story? If you have, you
already know that there is power in the telling and the listening to stories. The person
telling the story is able to sift out the most meaningful aspects of the tale and draw them
together so that everything makes sense. The person hearing the story, if they are really
listening, can pick up the strands of fabric that make up the soul and psyche of the
storyteller. Every one of us has a story to tell. That story tells who we are and where we
have been because you see, our experiences mold us and leave their mark on us and
prepare us for the future.
Joshua was well aware of this fact and he made it a point to pause and remember
whenever he had the chance. It is interesting to note that our passage today comes right at
the end of the period which marks the original entry into Canaan by the Israelites. Shortly
after Moses died, Joshua led the people across the Jordon River and made a deep wedge
into the heart of the central highlands. They had successfully captured two major cities
and burnt them to the ground. They had miraculously knocked down the walls of Jericho
by simply blasting their trumpets and yelling at the top of their lungs. They had outsmarted
the inhabitants of Ai and ambushed them in the plain. Joshua made it clear that God had
lain the groundwork for these victories and made them possible. But the people got caught
up in all the hoopla. So it is at this point, after all the victories, that an altar of unhewn
stones is built to the Lord, in the heart of Canaanite territory. It was built to provide the
inhabitants of the land with a visible witness to the faith by which the Israelites lived. It
was this faith which had brought them victory.
On the altar burnt offerings were made and peace offerings were sacrificed. In the hour of
victory the Israelites remembered their god and what He had done for them. And they did
this as soon as the foothold had been established in the new land so that the people could
pledge themselves anew to keep God’s law.
You see, remembering is not enough. We need to look back but we also need to rededicate
ourselves and renew our pledges as we move forward in life. We need to remember so we
can be renewed for the journey. That is why history is so important. It allows us to look
back and see the grace that brought us forward. It gives us strength so that we can move
ahead.
When Joshua received his call to lead the people, he was facing a heavy burden. He was
not only going to lead the people into a hostile and unknown world, he was also taking then
place of a legend. Can you imagine that? Who could fill Moses’ shoes? With a journey that
seemed impossible, Joshua could do nothing else but rely on what he knew about God.
There is no doubt in my mind, that as Joshua crossed the river with his people, he was in
constant prayer. His strength and confidence came through the little reminders of what
God had done in the past.
The truth is the same thing holds true for us as individuals and as a congregation. As
individuals we all have challenges before us.
This summer both my mother and my mother-in-law received word that they had
malignant tumors that had to be removed. Both women have tremendous faith and they
approached the surgeries and aftercare with amazing grace. The truth is that the only way
we can hold up under such a scare is to remember that God is good and that he holds us in
the palm of his hand. There is strength in remembering that God has provided for us in the
past, and that He has been there and will continue to walk with us even when we walk
through the valley of the shadow of death. The beloved poem “Footsprints” has been a
source of strength to countless individuals because it reminds us of a truth that we have all
experienced.
As Joshua looked at the uninviting territory ahead, he remembered forty years in the
wilderness, and the simple fact that their needs were met every day. God had been with
them on the other side and He would be with them now. None of us know what the future
will hold, but we know who holds the future.
I like what Billy Graham used to say: “You ask me if I am afraid of what the future holds
in store. I tell you no because I have read the book and know the end of the story. God
will prevail.”
As we gear up for ministry in the coming years, the same is true for us as a congregation.
We have a glorious history of 205 years, filled with ups and downs, of disappointments
and celebrations. We almost closed the doors two or three times but as God would have it,
we survived and soon after began to thrive again. The renewal happened when the people
made a conscious decision to renew their faith and walk with God. I don’t know about
you, but I am ready to move forward.
In June of 1985, my very first sermon was entitled, “Where No Man Had Gone Before.” I
borrowed that phrase from the Star Trek Series and explained that like the crew of the
Starship Enterprise, we were going into uncharted space together. We have had four such
journeys since and are ready to embark on our fifth.
We have sponsored sports ministries, youth trips, drama programs and prayer services.
We have added a praise band, participated in ecumenical services, sang in choir festivals,
attended biennial meetings. We have prayed with one another and mourned with each
other and witnessed miracles in our midst. We have witnessed the joy of baptism and the
sorrow of members moving on. We have worshipped together at least 1050 times since
that first week.
We have gained weight together and then lost it, turned gray, then brown and then gray
again. About the only thing we haven’t done is celebrating a Detroit Tiger championship…
but have faith, it will come.
So what do you say? Let’s plan to take a closer walk together with Jesus this fall and see
what God will do.
Amen.
The First Baptist Church of Norwich