Matthew 6:25-34
What is it that you give ultimate authority to in your life? In other words, what influences your decisions the most? These are the basic questions Jesus asks the crowd in the passage just before the one we are about to read. Jesus says it this way. "No one can serve two masters; for you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other." In essence Jesus says that whatever carries the most weight in your life's decisions is ultimately your god for it will have the most influence in the living of your life. That may be hard to hear. Jesus then shares this teaching asking us to be aware of what we focus our time, our energy, our lives upon. What are your priorities in the living of your life, Jesus asks?

Read Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon:

Erich Fromm, in his book, The Art Of Loving, said, "Nothing is sadder than to see a person die before they ever fully lived." I like the way Irenaus, an early church Father, says it better, "The glory of God is a person fully alive." The point seems to me to be the same. Life and its living are important. I am obviously from the Baby Boomer generation. George Hunter, a professor of Evangelism states that when the church reaches out to Boomers they need to know that we are more interested in finding life before death than having a concern about life after death. I am sure that now we are getting older that concern may be shifting. But his point simply reinforces what I have just said. We want to try and get the most out of this gift of life that we can. So what does this mean?

Morrie makes the point to Mitch that when you learn to die you learn to live. What does he mean by this? I believe what he means by this, in part, is that when you learn that life and time are limited, you learn to utilize all you have more fully. I have an uncle who is turning 80 this year, and sadly is experiencing the onset of macular degeneration. When we talk, knowing I live close to the Grand Canyon, he says, "I have never seen the canyon. I would like to do that someday." My response, at least to myself is, "Unc, you are losing your somedays. How can you wait?"

It is why I love the Tim McGraw song, "Live Like You Were Dying." A man in his early 40's learns he has cancer, and all of a sudden he has no doubts of his mortality. So someone asks him what did you do when you learned about your cancer. And the chorus goes, "I went sky diving, I went Rocky Mountain climbing, I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu." Now there's an image that brings a little anxiousness, riding a Brahma named Fu Manchu. But it was not just taking risks or living on the edge that he learned. Don't be afraid of life is part of it, but also don't put life on hold.

When you sit around the dinner table as a family, you have a chance to talk about your day and maybe even a little about life in general. This was true for my family as I was growing up. But the main topic of conversation was often how much my dad hated his job. How did this person ever become foreman, he doesn't know a thing about what's going on. You get the gist. But, there was always a silver lining. Someday he was going to retire and he and my mom were going to move to Florida and then he would live a good and enjoyable life. My dad loved Florida. It was sunny, no snow, and the fishing was great. Sadly, my dad's plans did not materialize exactly as he had hoped. My mother died of cancer just two years before he was planning to retire. In fact, he worked an extra three years beyond what he had planned, because he was not sure what to do now without her. And it was another 10 years before he ever moved to Florida.

As I listened to my dad I promised myself that I would not wait to live. I would not put on hold those parts of my life that would bring me happiness and meaning. It made no sense to me that my dad, or anyone, would live in unhappiness in hopes that someday he would be happy. One of the concerns that Morrie raises with Mitch is the fact that he puts so many parts of his life on hold. I will get married and I will have kids when I'm ready. Even worse, Mitch gave up on living his dream for the reality of life. Morrie knew that Mitch wanted to be a musician, but he gave up the dream because he grew up and learned that he had to live and make something of his life. I believe what Morrie is saying is, don't walk away from living, for there are things sadder than dying. Living unhappily is one of them. Not at least giving your dreams a chance is another. At least if you tried your dream, even if it was not successful, you would know and no longer wonder what might have been.

What Morrie is trying to tell Mitch is make sure you have your priorities straight. Know what is important in the living of life and focus on those things. Jesus basically says the same thing in the passage we heard today from the Sermon on the Mount, where he challenges people about their priorities in the living of their lives. You worry and focus on the wrong things he says. You keep worrying about things. About where you live. Is the house big enough and in the right neighborhood? About what you wear. Is it the latest design? Does the color look good on me? In Mitch's case, it is about what your career is. Will I make it to the top? And these worries dictate to you your focus on life and what you will give your time and energy to. You get so caught up in these things, you miss the source of life and meaning of life itself Jesus says. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, for everything else will take care of itself." Focus on today, there is enough in it to keep your attention, without continuously worrying about tomorrow. Jesus is saying, "Stay in the moment, and in that moment keep God and God's reign and direction for your life in the forefront. This is the source of living and life. What is that direction from God. "To love. To always prioritize people and relationships in your living. This is the rest of the chorus in Tim McGraw's song. "And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter and I gave forgiveness that I'd been denying." It is recognizing what a gift or gifts the people in your life are, and that these relationships are an absolute priority in the fullness of life.

I remember going to my first fulltime appointment as a minister. It was to a church that was in the midst of one of the most beautiful areas of New York State you could ever find. We were surrounded by rolling hills covered by forests. It was where people came in the fall to see the changing colors on the leaves. But it also had a lake just outside of town that was protected from development. No cottages of any kind were allowed around it, so it was just like being in the midst of the wilderness. Flowing into the lake were numerous trout streams. When we move, as you know, is at the beginning of the summer. My oldest son, who was about five at the time, heard about this lake and these streams and asked, "Dad can we go fishing?" "Yes," was my reply, "but give me a little time to get settled." A couple of weeks passed and he asked me again. "Yes I said, but give me some time to get settled." A couple of weeks later the same question. Finally, I was getting a little irritated by him bugging me and I said a little harshly, "I told you yes so quit bugging me." And he did. The day before he started school he came up to me and just gave me a resigned look and said, "Maybe we can go fishing next year." It still makes me cry. I had missed some precious moments with one of the delights of my life because I was too worried about whether or not I was doing enough to excel in my vocation. Moments that can never be reclaimed and lived again. Keep your priorities straight. It asks the question, "If you knew you were dying, if you accept the understanding that your time is limited, what would be the most important priorities to you in filling that time. When you discover what they are, do them now.

ABC News has a segment on there program every Friday called "The Person Of The Week." The segment highlights someone who is making a difference, who is utilizing their life in a special way that is impacting the world around them. Two weeks ago the story was about a 31 year old woman named Heather who is dying of cervical cancer. Like Morrie, she is trying to live each day she has to its fullest. Her life is not about dying just because she may realize concretely that her time is more limited. It is indeed about living and what she can do and accomplish with her life. Since scientists have now come out with a vaccine against the human pap Loma virus which causes cervical cancer, she has made getting this message out to young woman and girls her mission. She does not want to see girls die too young, families torn apart needlessly. But what struck me about the story was not just the need she has to make her life count for something important, but how it has changed how she approaches living. She said in some ways, her cancer gives her more freedom. And I loved her example. She said, "If I get up in the morning and I feel like having ice cream for dessert, I do." Don't you love that thought. Getting away from the shoulds and oughts of life which are usually someone else's rules for your life, and doing what feels right and good. As Stan said a couple of weeks ago in his sermon, "It is important to listen to the voice we hear inside, but it is also important to know whose voice it is. It may simply be your mother's." Heather is saying, be free to live and enjoy yourself. Follow your life and joys, not someone else's shoulds.

I have saved a letter that the great philosopher Irma Bombeck wrote as she learned she was dying of cancer. I have put it in the bulletin for you to keep, but maybe we can read it as a closing liturgy.

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck
(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love you's." More "I'm sorry's."

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it ... live it .and never give it back. Stop sweating the small stuff.

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.

Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with. And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well shot at this and then it's gone. I hope you all have a blessed day.

Sermon delived by Rev. George Cushman on March 4, 2007.