I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Early this summer, my High School Football Coach from Elk River, Terry McLain, died. He was a legend: many successes, inducted into 3 Halls of Fame, coached for 24 years, went to the Prep Bowl many times, coached many athletes that went on to success in college.
Me and four of my brothers played for him. My older brother and the next younger brother were captains and stars. I played a number of positions under Coach McLain. My best position . . . bench. I was no good. Or rather I was average on a great team, so I didn’t play much.
Anyway, when he died, us Anderson boys decided to sit together in the pew for the funeral. But then the family heard I was attending and asked me to help out at the altar. It’s called con-celebrating. “Sure.” I told them. But then the pastor of St Andrew’s heard that I was con-celebrating and asked if I would give the homily, or rather we both give a homily. “Sure” I told him.
So here’s me . . . bench warmer Anderson, called up. Not to play, but to preach. I went from the bench to the pulpit. And I must say, I knocked it out of the park because instead of focusing on all the glories of Coach McLain and me exaggerating my high school career (which many of us do) I focused on my view from the bench. That is, wanting to be part of a system that made me, a bench warmer, want to be part of. It wasn’t the glory, or the trophies or the accolades but being part of a team. And the interesting thing was that at the reception after the funeral, I heard lots of stories from former players about their goof-ups, their dropped passes, their time on the bench. Instead of a time to brag and exaggerate the glory days . . . it became a time for laughter and joy. I doubt that many of the players wanted to join me on the bench, but something wonderful was happening . . .
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow,
Tho' none go with me I still will follow,
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
The song is titled, I have decided to follow Jesus. What does that mean to follow Jesus? St James, in the second reading challenges us that following Jesus is not just professing, or talking about faith but dong something with our faith. He writes, “For what good is to have faith, if we don’t demonstrate, use it, show it?”
In the gospels, there is never a time Jesus said to worship him. People did, but Jesus only said, “Follow me” like in today’s gospel. Jesus also asked the disciples who he is, Peter boldly states that he is the Christ. Right on. But when Jesus says that he will be rejected and killed, Peter freaks out and rebukes him (rebukes means to criticize). Jesus tells them, that to follow Jesus is to “Take up your cross and follow me.”
This is crazy. For it goes against what most of us think about how to live . . . we want to be successful, pure, knowledgeable, perfect. Jesus says, “No, be a loser, be the one who is rejected, sit on the bench of life with no glory. If you try to beef up your life, you’ll lose it. But when you lose your life for the sake of following Jesus, you save it.”
This is weird stuff. Fr. Richard Rohr says, “After age 30, success has nothing to teach you.” It's cute to have successes, but you are not going to grow from them. You grow from your losses, your failures, your mistakes. And for you under 30, yes do strive for success (e.g. get that trophy, that award, that promotion) just don’t believe it . . . that’s not who you are.
We are ALL challenged to follow Jesus. To go make a difference in the world, as James talks about.
Go volunteer, go get your hands dirty, go do something even AS no one recognizes it or applauds you for it.
Do the right thing. Be the best version of yourself. Don’t settle for what the world tells is important . . . follow the Jesus way with the cross leading you to resurrection.
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.