Good morning,
Welcome to Blue Lake and thank you for coming today.
The message this morning is titled “Bridge of Troubled Water”.
Can you think of a time that you were worried and distracted? I certainly can, let me illustrate with a story:
Once a week we visit the farm in Oxnard, chartering a small plane, typically leaving early on Thursday morning and returning at night. Many years ago we flew in a small, non-pressurized, twin-engine Seneca; four or five passengers would be cramped in this little plane like sardines in a can.
I remember one time, flying to Oxnard in the morning the engines started sputtering when the pilot went above 8000 ft. in elevation. We made it to Oxnard safely and toured the farm. When we returned in the afternoon I asked the pilot, did you get this problem fixed?
He responded: I will have it done tomorrow in Arcata. We stopped in Watsonville to for a quick visit. As we left the Watsonville airport, the flight center folks were chatting about a large encroaching storm. Not a comforting thought.
Upon takeoff, the pilot took the plane, way west over the Pacific Ocean, presumably to stay clear of the SFO air traffic.
By now it is dark, the storm has arrived and we were getting tossed around like a little toy plane, I looked out the window and far away I could see the city lights of San Francisco, we must be at least 5 miles out over the ocean, hail was hitting the plane so hard, I thought it was going to break the windshield.
Up until then there had been conversation in the plane, but as the plane is getting kicked all over, not one word is spoken any longer.
The little engines were roaring, working as hard as they could. I couldn’t help but think about their condition in the morning, sputtering above 8000 ft.
Just the thought of the troubled waters of that angry Ocean below us, prompted the chilling notion, that if something were to happen to this plane in these horrific conditions, no one would ever find it.
If there ever was a moment that I felt troubled, worried and distracted this was it.
It took more than an hour before turbulence finally subsided. I will never forget that flight, as long as a live.
Sitting in that airplane wondering if these were the final moments, made me realize that I needed to surrender from those worries and distractions, to the one thing that bridges all troubled waters.
Worry and distraction and a troubled heart and soul, manifests itself in a condition we call “stress”.
Stanford lecturer and health psychologist Kelly McGonigal’s started her TED talk in 2013, by asking the audience, if they experienced relatively little stress in the past year, a few hands went up.
Intently looking at the audience she asked, how about a moderate amount of stress? A few more hands went up. Finally she asked: who has experienced a lot of stress, now many hands were going up..
A Gallup Poll, conducted earlier this year, revealed that Americans feeling stress, anger and worry are at the highest levels in a decade.
About 55 percent of adults said they had experienced stress during “a good portion of the day”.
In other words, many people are stressed, worried, and distracted as they attempt to swim through the raging river of troubled waters in their daily lives.
Speaking of troubled water, earlier you heard “A Bridge of Troubled Water”, a song released back in 1970 by Simon and Garfunkel. The song became their biggest hit. It was number one on the Billboard 100 for six weeks, selling over six million copies worldwide.
It became one of the most performed songs of the 20th century, with over 50 artists, among them Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, performing this song.
There are some intriguing insights and details on how this song came about.
Paul Simon revealed in a book by Robert Hilburn that a single line, in a Gospel song, inspired him to write “Bridge over Troubled Water”. He shared in a Goldmine Magazine article: The experience of writing it was unique.
The essence of the song took maybe 20 minutes; the first two verses were done in two hours. The music and lyrics came completely naturally.
Simon said: it was like a gift, because I hadn’t experienced one with that intensity before. He said at the time I didn’t think it was about a spiritual experience. To write something that easily and that quickly is a very unusual kind of inspiration. It was one of those songs that people describe it, as coming through you.
The melody is sweeping and memorable. The lyrics are touching. The words are so poignant and piercing to the heart and soul, with the innate promise of a comforter, a rescuer, a Savior, that it resonates at a deep level with the listener.
When you’re weary,
feeling small
When tears are in your eyes, I’ll dry them all
When times get rough, I’m on your side,
When you’re down and out
When darkness comes, I’ll take your part,
And pain is all around, I will comfort
you
Some flower farmers from Wisconsin are here this morning. Last year I went to visit their farm to check on some of our new Ilex varieties that they had planted. At the time of the visit, there was severe flooding and troubled waters roaring through rivers and creeks, it was quite a sight.
Earlier this week there were news reports of the horrendous flooding in Nepal, and it showed a picture of a bridge spanning a huge river of turbulent raging, troubled waters.
Speaking of troubled, in the bible there is a story of a woman called Martha. She was worried and distracted; the original English translation of the bible (King James Version) called it, being troubled.
This is what brings us to today’s reading in Luke 10:38-42 which can be found in your pew bible at page…………….
Please bow our heads. Guide us, O God, by your Word and Spirit, that in your light we may see light, in your truth find wisdom, and in your will, discover your peace, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
38Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” 41But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”…………………
In the Gospel of Luke his story follows Jesus telling the parable of the Good Samaritan. After this story Luke describes how Jesus explains to his disciples the best way to pray, to this day we still recite this in the Lord’s Prayer.
Since before and after his visit to Martha’s house he is in the company of his disciples, it is safe to assume that in verse 38 as they went on their way, “they” included his disciples.
He entered a certain village. It is not mentioned by name, but the Gospel of John, describes what happens to Lazarus the brother of Mary and Martha.
In John 11 it mentions Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. You may ask, where is Bethany? Present day Bethany is called al-Eizariya (Arabic for “Place of Lazarus”) located only 3 miles from Jerusalem on the eastern slopes of the Mt. of Olives.
The narrative seems to suggest, that Martha was the older sister, and the head of the house. She welcomed them into her home. This is where the stress causes her blood pressure to rise. Hosting Jesus with his entourage of 12 disciples requires preparation and organization.
Food needs to be prepared. Things need to be tidied up. I remember a few years ago we hosted a “Field to Vase Dinner” for 150 people in the middle of the Tulips in our greenhouse. Preparation and anticipation of a large crowd is stressful.
Martha was distracted by her many tasks (verse 40), she was distracted, troubled and stressed out. and here her little sister doesn’t seem to have a care in the world, sitting at the feet of Jesus taking it all in.
So rather than turning to her younger sibling and calling her out for being a lazy and inconsiderate, Martha, turns to Jesus saying: Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.”
The problem with Martha is that she is worried and distracted. The word “distracted” comes from the Greek word periespato, which literally means being pulled or dragged in different directions.
Martha’s distraction and worry, her stress, overshadows the main intent of her hospitality. Instead, she embarrasses her sister in front of her guests, She even goes so far as to accuse Jesus of not caring about her (Lord, do you not care…?).
Martha’s troubled heart; her worry and distraction prevent her from being present with Jesus. She has missed out on the “one thing” needed to be a gracious host, shown by paying attention to her guest, not just any guest, but Jesus of Nazareth!
The question is: is Jesus reply a reprimand or rather an invitation: Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.
Folks, you may wonder: what is the one thing??
The one thing, for Martha is to take a “time out”, stop for a moment and smell the Roses or in this case the Roselilies, and accept the presence of Jesus in her live, to listen to what he has to say.
What does the “one thing” mean to us?
Many of us, can certainly relate to Martha. Feeling pulled in different directions, feeling worried and distracted and troubled by many things, in our fast-paced world in a culture of hectic schedules, voicemail, text messages and a never ending stream of emails.
Jesus said in Luke 12:25, “Can any of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?”
We recognize that worrying does no good, but still are inclined to do so, when we are down and out, when we’re weary and feeling small, when times get rough.
The path to peaceful living begins with “one thing”.
After Martha makes her displeasure known, Jesus offers her a “Bridge over Troubled Water”, the path to peace. Jesus tells her in verse 42, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her”.
Jesus instructs Martha, and this is also is an instruction to all of us, the one thing to be “concerned” with, the one thing to focus on, first and foremost. And that is:
A relationship with Jesus Christ,
When we put Jesus first in our lives, we will no longer be alone or without help. Like a “Bridge over Troubled Water”, when times get rough, when darkness comes, when pain is all around, Jesus will comfort you, he will be by your side, he will take your part, he will dry your tears.
Earlier this week, I was talking to a friend in Holland, someone who seems to have it together, and appears to always have contentment and peace.
But right as we were wrapping up the conversation he said: Lane, I want you to know I have been reading this book on achieving, spiritual transformation, because my heart is troubled.
This friend on the surface, has much tranquility and peace, but the opposite was true.
He said it is impossible to look into another one’s soul, and the struggles they may be facing, and the uncertainties, the troubled waters they are attempting to navigate.
But here is the beautiful thing.
Here is the Good News:
Surrender to Jesus and he will give you the kind of peace and comfort that you will not find in any self-help book or course.
And once you gain that inner peace, it will not be taken from you. Just like Mary chose the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
James Cash Penney (founder of J. C. Penney stores) made some unwise decisions and became very depressed. He worried so much, that he developed shingles. He went to see his doctor, who admitted him to the hospital, but his condition became worse.
One night he was prescribed a sedative, that quickly wore off, and he awoke believing that he would die that night. He wrote letters to his family and fell asleep.
He woke up the next morning and was surprised he was still alive, he could hear singing from a little chapel. Walked over there and the words of the hymns being sung the scripture and the message spoke deeply to his condition.
He listened to the singing, and message with a weary heart, but then something happened. He later said, I can’t explain it, I can only call it a miracle. I felt as if I had been instantly lifted out of the darkness of the dungeon, into a warm brilliant sunlight.
He said, that from that day forward, his life was free of worry, and it was all because he realized that God would take care of him.
Be still my soul the Lord is on thy side, leave to thy God to order and provide.
Jesus told his disciples in John 14:27: peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, let your hearts not be troubled.
Are you troubled?
Are you going through hard times?
Is there pain all around?
Are you trying to keep your head above the turbulent waters of the raging river in your daily live?
Jesus is the bridge that takes you across safely.
As we leave this morning, less us be reminded that:
No matter the troubles in our lives,
No matter our financial conditions,
No matter the conditions of our health,
No matter the hardships facing us,
Put your trust in Jesus Christ, accept him as Lord and Savior, and he will provide the “Bridge over our Troubled Water” and take us on the path through that narrow gate to the Kingdom of Heaven.
The promise of Eternal Life,
Thank you
God Bless you,
Amen.
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