My Sermon

I was blessed to fill in for the pastor of my church a few weeks ago. Here is a written version of my sermon. I really think I am a better speaker and story teller than I am a writer. I hope this translates well here. Peace.

In your mind, all kind of things are going on.
Some of you may be saying OK I listened to the songs and to scripture and I know Annamarie and I can guess where she is going with this she wants me to give more money, more blood, or more time.
Some of you are thinking – well whatever she has to say at least it will be shorter than Jeff.

Well, I have a great deal of respect for our Pastor. I was grateful that he and the worship committee would give me an opportunity to be here with you. I knew what I wanted to talk about and has something prepared for a couple of months.

I had a pretty clear path on what I wanted to say for about 8 weeks. And then life changed. Things happened that changed how I was feeling and the way I saw things. And I had to change too. Our Pastor says we each have one good sermon in us. So what happens when you go on 2 or 10 or 15?

I'd like to talk to you a little about Randy, Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch was a professor of computer science and human-computer interaction and design, at Carnegie Mellon.

Randy became an overnight success with his speech last fall. It was part of a series Carnegie Mellon called "The Last Lecture," where professors were asked to think about what matters to them most and give a hypothetical final talk.
Randy did not give a hypothetical talk. Randy had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He wasn’t supposed to make it through Christmas.

If you haven’t seen or hear his speech it is very different then what you might expect from a dying man.At the very beginning, he tells the audience what his speech will not be about ---spirituality or religion. He himself would later say the speech was written for his children so that they could learn to live their childhood dreams.

In his speech he says things like
. Your critics are the ones who are telling you they still love you and they still care.
Experiences you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.
Don’t stop having fun. You just have to deiced if you're a Tigger or an Eeyor.

The lecture tells of his goals, how he accomplished them and how others should do the same.

The lecture becomes an overnight success. He is interviewed on major television stations, and has over 4 million views on You Tube.

What really inspired me was not his last lecture, but a lesser known 3 minute speech he gave to the graduates at his ammeter in May of this year.

They asked him to give the charge to the graduates. He was about 5 months beyond what the doctors told him would be his final days.

During this speech he explains to the graduates that your passion must come from things that fill you from the inside. Passion must be grounded in people and your relationships with people. And that the most important thing is love. You need to be grounded in love.

How do you build relationships? By listening.

Some people talk to God, but I like the philosophy of the natives of Oaxaca Mexico say. It is said that when the Christian missionaries came to convert them there biggest stubbing block to them way pray. The missionaries talk to God, we talk with God. There is a conversation going on. Taking and listening. . I know that no matter where I am and what is going on God is listening.

I learn a lot about listen to those around me. That kind of listening that leads to action. This is the type of listening we need to think of and talk more about.

I see wonderful things being done by our church Deacons and Foundation. They listen to the needs of the community. They listen and respond. Scholarships, utilities, medications --- these folks listen and respond.

I also see it in the individuals here. In simple things. In personal ways.

Maybe you ask someone how you are doing and you wait for an answer. When they tell you times are tough you don’t just say you’re sorry. You make a dish to bring over. You help out with some food for the week.

You don’t just say that you’ll stop by to check in on the neighbor. You stop by. If they aren’t home, you leave a note to let them know you were thinking of them.

You give someone a ride to the doctor. You wait with someone for test results. someone tries and fails, and you are there to say job well done. You are there to look at the person and congratulate there effort, to spite their lack of great success.

You know who you are and you are the people I learn from. The great listeners around me. You inspire me not just to hear, but to listen. To listen and in turn to care a bit deeper.

So please keep sending those cards. They mean the world to people.
Continue to give those hugs. Please. And keep pausing after you ask—how are you. You really have no idea how much that means.

On Friday, July 25 Randy Pausch died of cancer at the age of 47. He is survived by his wife Jai and their three children: Dylan, 6, Logan, 4, and Chloe, 2.

There are a great many fundamental Christians who have blasted Randy’s last lecture. They say the fact that Randy starts his lecture saying he is not going to talk about God or Religion, even though he is dyeing, is wrong.

Maybe they are right. Maybe we should all be talking about God more often. But I think that building relationships and helping others live their dreams is very Christian thing.

Growing relationships, love, be grounded in people and not things. All very real Christen principals.

That is why I really love worshiping here with you folks. YOU don’t sit in judgment. You listen, and respond, to your brother or sister. I learn so much from folks like you.

Just one more thing I would like to add.

I may have caught you in a place today where you haven’t gotten the card. You feel disconnected from relationships that mean so much. I may have said all this and you may be feel heavy hearted, week, friendless, poor, and hungry. You feel the people around you hear you, but don’t understand. So even if you are at a place where you feel mankind has let you down. Please please please remember God hears you, and He is listening.