God's Secret (Summer) Plan

Readings: Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9, Song of Solomon 2:8-13, Ephesians 3:1-9, Luke 4:1-13
Preached at Baldwin Presbyterian Church on September 2nd 2012

A printable PDF file can be found here

I don't know what sort of summer you have had. I hope it's been a good one. I want to share with you this morning that whilst in many ways for myself it has been an unusual summer of highs and lows, it has also been one in which I have been very conscious of the presence of God and the support of God's people. As we come to the table this morning I want to share some of my own summer stories and focus on a verse found in the third chapter of Ephesians 'The mystery is... that through the gospel... we are sharers together in the promise...” (excerpt from Ephesians 3:6)

One of the lessons I have had reinforced for me over the summer is that there are our plans... and then there are God's plans. The two do not necessarily coincide. In fact sometimes God takes us through circumstances that are not at all what we expected or even wish to welcome. When that happens, the mystery of God's grace often surprises us in unexpected and surprising ways. I've said before that to me the miracle in events is not so much that they happen, but the synchronicity that is present in the where, when and how things happen. So I'm borrowing a phrase from our scripture passage and calling this sermon “God's Secret Plan”.

One of the first things I was involved in this summer was leading a youth camp at Bluestone Conference Center, which is a beautiful place, high up on a mountain, in my previous Presbytery of West Virgina. The plan was that I was to lead a High School group in conversations about worship. As the date grew closer registration was down, but the normal camp program was taking place so Mark Miller the director said 'Come along anyway'.

Instead of focusing on worship, the theme was changed to a curriculum prepared some years before that focussed on our denomination's Brief Affirmation of Faith. It had been prepared by a wonderful Christian Educator from Charleston, WV, called Lynn Wood, who sadly lost her battle with cancer this past December.  Her husband Rev. Bob Wood, was a good friend of mine and I hadn't had a chance to see him since he lost his wife. I knew he was at the camp the week before me, so I kind of hoped to reconnect with him. We missed each other by six hours. Oh well. Things don't always go according to plan!

I was familiar with the curriculum as I'd used it before when I'd been leading a creative arts group and we had set much of the text of the Affirmation of Faith to music. I wasn't sure I'd have a chance to share any of the songs we'd done years before. But when I arrived at camp I discovered that the folk who had been leading the music at worship and song time weren't going to be there, so I found myself in the role of song leader! Naturally I taught them a couple of the songs we'd used some years before. One of them had the words, “In life and death we belong to God'. Another began 'We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life.'

Camp was fun. Until the last evening. It was the Friday night that the storm hit that knocked power out of much of Virginia and West Virginia. One moment we were sitting in a field enjoying the kids acting out there skits. Then we heard the wind coming. Sounded like a freight train. We shouted at the kids to run towards the chapel building. By the time we were half way across the field the dust was blowing in our eyes, trees were cracking and limbs falling and the wind blowing so strong that it was knocking some of the younger kids down. Some of the little ones (and not so little) were terrified as we herded them into the building and told them to sit in the middle away from the windows.

It was then a little group of them began quietly singing 'In life and death we belong to God' and 'We trust in God the Holy Spirit', the songs I'd been able to teach them. The words took on a new significance as these kids thought they really were in a life or death situation and the only one they felt they could trust in was God! As they sang, and as we told stories and said prayers, the storm quickly passed, and although it had taken the power out, an hour or so later we were enjoying a fireworks display that marked the close of camp. An interesting end to the week! Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!

But I kept to my plan and left around 3:30 in the morning. With us having lost communication with the outside world I had no idea of the extent of the storm. I wound down a narrow road where, thankfully, somebody had gone before me and cut a way through the fallen trees and debris. At one point I hit some fog and what I think were downed power lines scraped the top of my little Hyundia. I dread to think what could have happened if I were driving a larger vehicle like the Honda Element I usually took to camp! So I get to Hinton, the first town. Complete darkness. No power. I travel along the interstate to Lewisberg. Same story. Only then do I catch the news on the radio that most of the Eastern Seaboard up to Washington DC is out of power. My gas guage showed I had about 45 miles left of fuel. The nearest large town, which may or not have had power was about 50 miles away. 'Lord' I pray silently 'What now?'

I see a sign for gas and decide to take it. The gas station looks deserted but there is a white van parked next to the pump and a guy scratching his head looking at it. I pull up and shout over, 'Anything working?' He says he thinks so but his credit card was taking forever to clear.  I give it a try. Sure enough it takes the card but then the screen goes blue. I notice the guy in the white van is now pumping gas and smiling. A moment later my card also clears and I'm able to fill up. Although the gas station is deserted apart from the two of us, there's a generator humming somewhere in the back... so I whisper a little thankyou and breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe I can get home! 

A little while later I stumble across a McDonalds with a generator. Bear in mind I've been on the road since 3:30 in the morning. I need some coffee. It was crazy busy and as I chatted with people in line it became clear that this was a huge storm affecting a huge area and that I'd stumbled across one of the few places that actually was still working. Again, I said a prayer of thanks as I headed safely home.

The next week's camp had to be cancelled as it was a whole week before they got the power back on. For some folks it took even longer. Many folks that day were stranded, unable to get gas. I count it as something of a miracle of time and place that I made it back to Long Island not only with gas in my tank, but having had a good breakfast. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!

My next engagement over the summer was being music leader at Trinity Youth Conference in Pennsylvania. For different reasons, this too turned out to be quite a trip.  TYC, as its known, is for older High School and college age youth. I was delighted that one of our own youth, Brian Achille was able to attend. It is a humbling thing to listen to some of these young adults share their stories and their struggles. The pressure that a lot of our kids are under, from broken homes, unrealistic family expectations, pressure of finance and work, desire to be acceptable to their peers... can almost break your heart. I never grew up with that sort of pressure. Hold our young folk in your prayers.

TYC is a place where they find themselves, they find each other and in many cases find God is with them in the midst of their struggles. I would share some of their stories, but we make a covenant at TYC; 'What happens at TYC stays at TYC'. It's a safe place where they can be who they are, say what they want and ask questions without it getting back home or with fear of being judged. I can tell you this though. At TYC God works to restore what life has broken. And it is a beautiful and wonderful thing to observe. It's a place where God's secret plans connect with God's children.

On August 1st I'm sitting at the breakfast table. It is half way through the week, and I need coffee. So I head for the kitchen for a fresh brew. What I don't know is that back home my brother Steven has just called my wife Yvonne to pass on the sad news that my mum had just passed away. Knowing that at this camp cell-phones are not allowed and that I could be anywhere on the 150 acre site, Yvonne calls the camp, simply to see if they can find me. Her call goes straight through to the kitchen as I'm walking in to get my coffee wearing a label with my name on it. 'Could you find Adrian Pratt for me?' Yvonne asks this guy, whom I don't know from Adam. As he answers the phone, there I am, standing right in front of him. He looks at my name tag. 'It's for you' he says. Of course this is sad news for me to hear, but the amazing thing is, I'm right there to take that call. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!

The week is over. Funeral plans are being made. But we had scheduled vacation time and set appointments to pursue the very wonderful task of Yvonne, daughter Helen and the bridesmaids shopping for a wedding dress in Virginia whilst I spent some time with my future son-in-law. What now Lord? It turns out that over in my homelands, various cousins and family are also having scheduling problems. So the funeral is delayed for a few days and we have time to go to be with my daughter, and get back in time for us to have time to travel back to England for the funeral.

First day we are spending with my daughter in Herndon, Virginia, I wake up with the words of an English folk song that reminds me of mum singing in my head. The words, particularly appropriate to my life situation, say “It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me, but my darling when I think of thee”. Obviously, I'm from Liverpool, I'm grieving and I'm missing my darling mum. Ever heard the song? On the radio maybe? No? Well I've never heard it, anywhere since moving to the USA many years ago.

'Where are we going to eat?' We decide on the local Irish pub. I'm sitting next to the little stage as a guitar and banjo duo are setting up. By now you can guess what's coming! What is the first song that they sing, that I've never heard this side of the big pond but was buzzing though my head that morning? You guessed! 'It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me, but my darling when I think of thee!” Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!

We travel to my homelands for mum's funeral. At one point I'm standing in the Moreton Methodist Church, the church my mum helped found and where she bought me to be baptized, my first Sunday School teacher is standing one side of me, my Presbyterian minster and mentor Rev. Barrie Redmore is standing the other side of me, and I'm thinking how strange it is to have all these spritual strands that have weaved their way though my  life suddenly coming together at one time, in one place, through the normal everyday actions of drinking tea and sharing in conversation. I'm sharing with cousins I hadn't seen for years, rebuilding family connections and I'm just thinking, you can't plan this stuff, you can't make it up. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!

After our trip to England for the funeral we return to Baldwin. It's dark and we're tired. But when we get up next morning we go outside and Building and Grounds have been at work in the flower beds at the manse. It looks great! That was so kind of you! We have a mail box later in the day filled with wonderful cards and expressions of sympathy. When I'm writing this sermon, I'm in North Carolina and James Taylor comes on the radio singing 'When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand...You got a friend” So now here I am wanting to express to you, this congregation who have reached out to me friendship and concern and love, thank you for being a friend.  Coincidence or God-incidence?

Finally. Last week I'm on study leave at Montreat Conference Center. I am not expecting to be meeting with anybody I know. At the first meal, who comes across to sit with me. Of course. Rev. Bob Wood. Whose late wife Lynn Wood prepared the curriculum I used up at Bluestone Conference Center, Bob, whom I missed seeing up there by a few hours. On Wednesday afternoon we get a chance to reconnect and renew a friendship... and even to grieve a little over the losses we've experienced. We spend more time together than we would have had a chance to had we been passing ships up at camp. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!

Now let me say I have no desire to explain or suggest anything from all these connections other than that it seems to me that there is more going on in and around our lives than we are often prepared to acknowledge. It all proves nothing. But you see, that's what these elements of bread and wine on the table are all about. We are invited to share in the mystery of the fact that our lives can be blessed and nurtured and nourished and changed and are accompanied by the living influence of Jesus Christ, though the power of God's Spirit.

It has for me and mine been quite a summer. I'm thinking, 'Where did it go? What just happened?' But I'm also grateful to God. Grateful to God for a wonderful church family who have been there for me in a time of need. Grateful to God for the love and grace and joy I find through Jesus Christ. Grateful to God for getting me through. It's nothing I can earn. It's nothing I deserve. It truly is a mystery.

And, I'm thinking maybe there's been things that I've shared this morning that have resonated with things you have been going through. Maybe over the summer in your own life there have been things that made connections or caused more questions than answers. And maybe all of that is connected with our walk with God.

So in conclusion I share again the text from Ephesians 3:6 with which I began 'The mystery is... that through the gospel... we are sharers together in the promise...” And I ask you to ponder with St.Paul and myself as we come to the table together: Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan. God's secret plan! Amen.

Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.