GOODNEWS
 SPECIALIZED MINISTRIES, INC.

Fear is a terrible thing. Prolonged fear robs us of our joy, alters our perceptions, removes our faith, strains our relationships, and destroys our belief. Chronic fear over a period of time, our physicians tell us, transforms our physical metabolism in ways that can lead to high blood pressure, anxiety, panic attacks, cardiovascular disease, unhealthy weight, depression, and all manner of diseases. However, it is probably those of us who have been entrusted with the "care and cure of souls" that see most closely the devastating results of fear in the spirits and psyche of those we minister to. Having also been engaged in a specialized ministry in Christian clinical mental health counseling for a large amount of time these past years, I can attest to the fact of the utterly devastating consequences of fear upon the human heart, soul, and spirit, and all our relationships. Indeed, the opposite of faith is not unbelief, but fear, continuing, prolonged fear!

Yet, we know that there has always, also been, those among us who have somehow managed to escape their external and internal fears and raise to great heights of leadership, courage, responsibility, and heroism. We think, for instance, of Franklin Roosevelt who proclaimed boldly in a time of great darkness in our nation as fascism threatened to overwhelm American democracy: "My fellow citizens: we have nothing to fear but fear itself!" We think also of the apostle Paul, author of the Letter to the Christians in Rome, in today’s New Testament reading. Paul and the Christians he was corresponding with were facing the possibility of one of the worst persecutions in history for all those who refused to forsake and publicly refute their Christian beliefs. The Apostle Paul was eventually, of course, executed in Rome and martyred by a political system that did not allow room for Christian beliefs. "I consider," Paul said in Romans 8, "that the suffering of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)

It is in this context, I believe, that we can best understand the entirety of today’s scripture readings and God’s assurance to each of us also today through Isaiah the Prophet. "Do not fear, for I (the Lord your God) am with you wherever you go. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God! I will help you and uphold you with my right hand…. For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, "Do not fear. I will help you. Do not be afraid." (Is. 41:10-13) Or, as Paul the Apostle boldly proclaims, "What then can possibly separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord: Trouble? Persecution? Hardship? Famine? Sword? Hunger? Nakedness? No, my friends, in all these things we are more than conquerors through God who first loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, angels nor demons, the present or future, heights or depths, or any other power in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God we know when we are in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:30-39)

I wonder if today there are any among you who may share somewhat similar memories with me of a fearful time in the past when you may have felt separated from those you loved or even abandoned? If so, then God’s promise in Isaiah to "Always be with you and to take hold of your right hand" may have a very special meaning for you. For there is nothing worse to elicit fear than the prospect of being separated from those we love.

One of the most vivid of childhood memories I have is of walking home my very first day of school with my big sister on a September afternoon and talking as we went, secure in the knowledge that my older sister would care for me and show me the way home in my new adventure, and that by holding her hand, I would not get lost. But suddenly she stopped – panic stricken – and said, "Mary Bee, I forgot my homework books and lunch money. Stay here! I have to go back to school and get them!" Well, after some time, fear set in and instead of waiting, I attempted to find my way home on my own. Crying and lost – abandoned and despairing – wishing my sister had never let go of my hand, I knew I was (at the ripe age of 6) separated forever from all those I loved and doomed to never find my way home again. Sobbing and sniffling and ready to give up and accept my fate, I heard a familiar voice say, "Mary Bee, don’t be afraid! Give Daddy your hand. I won’t ever leave you. I’ll be with you now wherever you want to go! I’m your father and I’ve been looking and looking for you ever since you didn’t come home!" Well, of course, my memory holds a good ending of many hugs and warm soup for supper and dried tears tenderly removed by a loving father.

It is, I believe, in this sense that we can understand Paul the Apostle’s injunction that "nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39) It is also in this spirit that we can best understand and experience God’s command to us today in Isaiah to "not fear. Neither be dismayed. I will be with you wherever you go! I will take hold of your right hand." (Is. 41:12)

For I believe that it is in the loving arms of someone who has acted towards us at some point in our lives as a protective father would, that we best begin to understand the incredible promise and power of God to never "fail us or forsake us" and the beautiful literal truth that "nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

For the hard truth remains that factually our loved ones and human fathers must leave us at times, and that human death and points of separation comes to us all with its accompanying feelings of abandonment, isolation, and fear. Yet the miracle of God’s promise is this – As we are faithful to remain within a very personal trusting relationship with Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have the absolute certainly that nothing will be able to separate us from God’s eternal perfect love! For it is indeed true as the Psalmist of old proclaims in Psalm 27:10, "For even if my father and my mother have forsaken me, the Lord will take me up and teach me God’s way and lead me on a level path!" It is in this context that we can best begin to understand the incredible gift of Jesus’ promise to each of us that abide in his present resurrected reality, that he will truly give us "eternal life" so that we shall "never perish". Jesus would say even today, even now, to each of us as he did to his friend John of old: "No one shall snatch you out of my hand. My Father who has given you to me is greater than all things and no one is able to snatch you out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one!" (John 10:27-30)

Indeed – precisely because of the sacrificial never-ending love that exists throughout all time in Christ Jesus as our Lord, it is always true that in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who first love us. For nothing – no trouble, disease, death, persecution, deprivation, illness, accident, poverty, depression, persecution, loss – will ever be able to separate any of us from the love and presence of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

My friends, it is past time to not only consider but to claim these audacious, unbelievable promises of God our Father that we are always more than conquerors in these days of stress, fear, terrorism, alerts, failing economy, broken relationships, and epidemics of illness. Otherwise our courage may indeed fail us in these troubled times that we live in as wars and rumors of wars plague our nation and create fear in our hearts and world and communities. For it is only in the absolute trusting knowledge that "In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28) that we are set free to experience the truth that as we remain in Christ, our suffering can become the means to experience more of God’s love and comfort whereby we are enabled to overcome all adversities and become more than conqueror through Christ Jesus!

It is in this awareness, I believe, that we can begin to transform our fear into that faith that passes all understanding. This is where our cowardliness can be transformed into courage, our hesitation can become action, and our silence can speak of fearless truth. And so it is today, in this context, that we can begin to understand those heroes of ages past in the Old Testament who held fast to the "Faith of our Fathers" with unwavering courage and who the author of the Letter to the Hebrews says, "quenched the fury of the flames, escaped the sword, whose weakness was turned into strength, who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies… who were tortured and refused to be released, faced jeers and flogging, were chained and imprisoned, stoned and sawed in two, put to death by sword; destitute, persecuted, mistreated, wandering, and homeless. Of these, the world was not worthy. And all of these though well commended for their faith, did not receive what had been promised. For God has planned something better for us today so that, only together with us, would they be made perfect and complete.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and is seated at the Right Hand of the throne of God." (Heb. 11:35-12:2)

And so – remembering the precious Faith of our Fathers, and being aware of the presence of that great crowd of witnesses that surrounds us in this church today - we would come before the throne of God even now aware of our own fears and failures, heartaches, and difficulties, doubts and despair yet knowing that the love of God in Christ Jesus as Lord stands ready to embrace each one of us with total acceptance and transformation of all our fears into Faith. For we have the absolute assurance as sons and daughters of God our Father that "nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. In all these things we are indeed more than conquerors!" So may it be.

Amen