worst case Scenario ... don't worry

Matthew 6: 25-34

This sermon was preached at Holy Communion in St. Columba's at 10:30 on Sunday 27th Feb 2011

May my words and our hearts be always acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

In our Gospel reading this morning we are called not to worry.

I wonder what you worry about? ... A few years ago I was given, by a friend a copy of The worst Case Scenario survival handbook for travel ... just before heading away by myself to Africa.

A look at the contents page alone is enough to worry a solo traveller

How to stop a car with no brakes
How to survive a riot
How to survive when you are lost in the jungle
How to climb out of a well
How to deal with a Trantula

My favorite which illustrates the stupidity of this book is

How to control a Runaway Camel ... in 5 easy steps

Hang on to the reins - but do not pull them back hard in an attempt to stop the camel
If the camel has a head halter and sturdy reins pull reins to one side to make camel run in circle
If the camel has nose reins - just hang on tight
Hold on untill the camel stops - the camel will sit down when it grows tired
When the camel sits - Jump off!


Worst case scenario - things we worry about. Perhaps you have never worried about how to control a camel but we do worry about lots of other things and unfortunaely there is no guide book about what to do in all circumstances we find ourselves in.

Perhaps we worry about our exams, or if we are a parent we worry about our Kids exams

Perhaps we worry about ourselves, our friends, our families health

Perhaps we worry as we look at TV News about our world

Perhaps we worry about the worries of our friends.

As we look at these or other worries and concerns that come to mind. Let us pause for a few moments, and realise that this is very, actually crucially important.

Elsewhere in the gospel there is a story of the Wise and Unwise builder

we all know that the wise man built his house on a rock with a firm foundation
the unwise man decided to go for the quick option and got the house up without much trouble.

However both faced storms one was much more worried than the other. Both I am sure were worried about the storm but the wise one knew that his foundation was sure and steady. The other didn’t

Our foundation is the thing that is so crucially important.

All of us at sometime or another are going to have to face trying or testing times - either ourselves, our loved ones, our friends. What foundation are we building to help us cope with the stresses and strains of life.

The Great News of today’s gospel is that on offer to all of us is the surest foundation for life

That which God provides - It allows us to say that individually we each are loved by God and called by him to live for him.

Yes each one of us are going to face trying times but how amazing, how awesome it is to know that God is with us - through medical tests, through operations, through therapy, through school, though university, every single day at work, every morning, every evening, every day we are awake, every night we are sleeping - God is with us.

Now what excites me even more than simply knowing God is there with us with me is that he provides

he provides our strength, our wisdom, our guidance, sustenance.

Whatever happens ... God is sovereign ... he working his purposes out.

How am I going to face x, y or z this week, this month ... whatever your worst case scenario is ... the solution I have found, from personal experience and from listening to the stories of countless christians in the past and present ... the only thing to do is to take it to God in Prayer ... hand it over to him ... to say God I can’t handle this but I am prepared to walk with you through it ... you are all I need

This is not complicated ... We are allowed to, we are called to be be honest with God and to allow him to speak truth into our lives.

Remember he is father & he wants us to know that he loves us.

Let us take a moment to be still and recollect the things which worry us this morning

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care
take it to the Lord in prayer

Heavenly father, each of us have our own concerns, worries. Help us to walk with you, to remember you are our father, you are the one who provides help us to see your perspective on our problems. We pray this in your name. Amen