We are called to strive with God.

I invited Zach Kirkland to share his witness with our congregation on October 20, 2019. At age 13, in response to a class assignment at Bok Academy, Zach started a nonprofit called Silly Sock Saturdays. He collects and delivers “silly socks” and other comfort supplies like coloring books, crayons, puzzles etc. to children who are inpatient in area hospitals. He has been doing this for 3 years and is now a junior in Lake Wales High School’ International Baccalaureate program. He lives in Winter Haven and is an active member of Holy Cross Episcopal Church. You can learn more about Silly Sock Saturdays at https://sillysocksaturdays.com.  My sermon, based on Genesis 32:22-31, 2nd Timothy 3:14-4:5 and Luke 18:1-8, and reflecting on Zach’s example follows...

Zach Kirkland is an extraordinary young man.  You’ve heard about Silly Sock Saturdays. He is one of ours - an acolyte at Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Winter Haven.  I’ve worked with him. He shows up on time, is precise and thorough, knows what to do and coaches the younger kids.  He worked at Camp Wingmann last summer, and he routinely went over and above his roles and assignments to help others. Meg and I have been to some Lake Wales football games this fall and Zach does game film so the coaches can review it immediately during the game. I watched him running up and down the sideline, checking with coaches.  He is also an Eagle Scout. And he started that nonprofit corporation. And he’s 16. And, reportedly, he does sleep.

How does God raise up a person like Zach?

First, let’s note that Zach is different.  His is special, especially gifted of heart and of mind. But Zach doesn’t just happen. He has been brought up in a home, in scouts, in Holy Cross, at Camp Wingmann that have each in their way given him a framework to know Christ and encouraged him to reach out in good service to people through Silly Socks and everything else he does.

He is extraordinary. I don’t know many people like him of any age. But do you see what God does? We aren’t all like Zach, few are, but we set forth this framework of worship and prayer and singing and study and hand bells ministries and service, all that we do collectively, and thus establish a framework for God to reach, teach and touch particular people in particular ways.

Some will be like Zach. Not many, but that is ok because we only need a few Zachs to come up with great ideas that we can all then support and pursue. And all have the potential for particular blessing in their particular spheres of influence.

We want that for our children, for our youth, for our young adults and our more mature/seasoned folks. The work we are doing with our classes, worship ministries and so forth for people of all ages is absolutely vital not only to their personal development as Christians but in inspiring each person to God’s call upon their lives.

Which brings us back to you.

As I said, I don’t expect many of us to be like Zach – at least not in terms of the scale of all that he does.  But each of us can and should be exactly like him in pursuing our faith and answering Christ’s call as we hear him. How does that work?

There’s a single word that ties today’s readings together: Striving. We see it in Jacob wrestling with God. Jacob had, years before, cheated his brother Esau of his birthright. He is returning after being away for years and is told Esau is coming to meet him with over 400 men. He’s in a panic. He splits his family and herd so that at worst half will survive. He sends 3 sets of gifts to Esau to try and appease him. But he doesn’t yet know if any of those gifts have been well received. Then one night, all night, he wrestles with God.

I don’t think we should ever consider Church of the Good Shepherd as a sort of Jesus store where you come for a worship experience, I’m supposed to dispense certain precepts and communion and off you go until your next visit.

No. This is an arena into which you bring your thoughts, your questions, your strengths and your weaknesses, your triumphs and your failures, your joys and your sorrows, your love and your pain. You lug all of that in here in a gym bag.

And together, we will strive with God. I will coach, encourage, train, celebrate and share as best I can the Word of God in Scripture as understood through the great history of interpretation and worked in and through the life of our church. I’m kin more of a player-coach because I’m striving, too.

I was thinking of this like high school or college or Olympic wrestling, but sometimes it feels like pro wrestling when life seems to come off the top rope and – wham! Even so, do you see the key to this match? Don’t ever let Him go. Strive. Fight. Persevere. Explore your questions. Explore your experience. Build your strength in his Word. Build your strength in his service. Pray like the widow pursuing the judge. But don’t ever let go. Wrestling is the most exhausting spot there is. It works every muscle and your mind all the time. Never give up.  Never lose heart. Never let go.

As each of us steps into the arena, we fulfill Paul’s instruction “so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”

And when you think about how much you should give, approach it on those terms.

Are you giving out of custom or tradition? Are you giving to support the good you perceive, tangible and intangible, from your church? Or are you giving such that you are truly in the arena? That isn’t actually about amount – Jesus honored the widow’s mite – but it is about our hearts.

Zach is in the arena. How about you?

AMEN!