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Sunday, May 31, 2020: Phones for transformation

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One of the inventions that transformed the world was the invention of the telephone. This happened in the late 1800’s. And even though some of you younger folks can’t imagine life without your cell phone. I am old enough to remember the “Party Line” where each family had only one device and they shared a phone line with everyone in their block. Terrible for talking in private, great for listening on gossip.

 

The phone has come a long way. Like the man who returned his phone because it was working anymore. The repair person examined it and told him, “That’s because you dropped it in the toilet while you were going to the bathroom.” “How dare you say that! How can you prove it?” “Well, your phone took a picture.”

 

The phone has been an instrument of transformation. Here’s a true story about transformation, It’s about a woman named Auburn Sandstrom. Back in 1992, she was 29, the mother of a three-year-old son, trapped in an abusive marriage - and an addict. One night she hit bottom. She was curled up on a filthy carpet in a cluttered apartment, in horrible withdrawal from a drug she had been addicted to for several years. In her hand was a little piece of paper. For hours, she kept folding and crumbling it. It was the phone number for a Christian counsellor her mother had given her in one of their rare moments of contact. Finally, the desperate young mother punched the numbers on her phone. It rang. A man answered.

 

"Hi, I got this number from my mother. Uh, do you think you could talk to me?"   Auburn heard some shuffling at the other end of the line. A little radio in the background was snapped off and the man who answered became very present. "Yes, yes, yes. What's going on?" For the first time, Auburn poured out her story. She told him that she wasn't feeling good, that things had gotten pretty bad in her marriage, that she had a drug problem, that she was scared.

 

The man at the other end of the line didn't judge. He just sat with her and listened. Auburn was encouraged by his kindness and gentleness. It was two in the morning. The man stayed up the whole night with Auburn, just talking, listening and being there until the sun rose. By daybreak, she had calmed down. The raw panic had passed. She was feeling okay. She was grateful to him. "Hey, you know, I really appreciate you and what you've done for me tonight. Aren't you supposed to be telling me to read some Bible verses or something? Because that'd be cool, I'll do it, you know. It's all right."

 

He laughed and said, "Well, I'm glad this was helpful to you." "No, really. You're very good at this. I mean, you've seriously done a big thing for me. How long have you been a Christian counselor?"   There was a long pause at the other end of the line. "Auburn, please don't hang up. I've been trying not to bring this up."   "What?" "You won't hang up?" "No, I won't."   "I'm so afraid to tell you this. But the number you called . . ." He paused again. "You got the wrong number." Auburn didn't hang up. They talked a little longer. Auburn never got his name or called him back.

 

Auburn Sandstrom survived that night. She went to become a successful writer and teacher; she raised her little boy, alone. Who became magnificent young athlete and scholar who graduated from Princeton University. She concludes her story of that night:

 

“. . . the next day I felt this kind of joy, like I was shining. I think I've heard them call it 'the peace that passes understanding.' I had gotten to see that there was this completely random love in the universe. That it could be unconditional. And that some of it was for me . . . In the deepest, blackest night of despair, if you can get just one pinhole of light . . . all of grace rushes in."

 

This feast day today celebrates the love that is OF God and IS God that transforms us all. This was love poured out on the disciples and is still being poured out on us. The disciples huddled together in fear in the gospel HEARD the voice of Jesus that spoke of calm and of peace. In the first reading which occurs after the gospel story, the disciples speak of the joy and excitement of knowing God and being filled with God. There are words coming in and going out in just a small pinhole of light.

 

Both are stories of transformation. Here’s another story. It’s about one of our parishioners Judy Abner. We as staff have been calling parishioners just to see how they are doing. Members of the Pastoral Council land Befrienders have been calling our senior members. Anyway, on a staff call Judy said that she was self-quarantined. Not going anywhere.

 

But nearly every day she picks up the phone and call hospitals, clinics, grocery stores, any place that she can thing of. She calls them to thank them, for their service and telling them, “I will pray for you today.” She says, “God is my constant companion and best friend. I tell God, show me something that today I can do to make you smile.”  The staff person was so moved and mentioned the free chicken meal given out from the Pizza Barn. Judy said, “Oh I don’t need that, but now I know who I can call today.”

 

Pentecost is about being transformed. The disciples were not the same after this event. They were change forever and the world was changed.   Many of us have been saying, “I just can’t wait for things to be back to normal.” But maybe that’s not what this is about. Maybe we shouldn’t go back to how things were. Here are a few of my thoughts, given to me . . .

  1. I pray that the next time a friend grabs me and pulls me in for a hug, I actually take the time to appreciate the gift of their embrace.

 

  1. I pray that when school resumes and I am dropping kids off, I take the time to thank the staff for the amazing gift that they give to families.

 

  1. I pray that the next time I’m sitting in a crowded restaurant I take the time to look around at the smiling faces, loud voices and thank God for the gift of community.

 

  1. I pray that the next time I’m standing in church listening to the voices of praise and taking communion that I take a moment, to thank God for the gift of celebrating together.

 

  1. I pray that the next time I see a person or situation that needs prayer, I hope that I pray as passionately and fervently as I have these past few months.

 

  1. I pray that when I am at the grocery store that I take a moment to thank God for providing me with the necessities of life and the amazing people who work so hard to keep us supplied.

 

  1. I pray that I never again take for granted the ability to hop in the car and visit a friend, or go shopping, take my kids to a movie, etc.

 

So, truth is, I don’t want things to return to the way they once were. I pray that we take the lessons and challenges of the past few months and create a new normal. My goal is to pray more, love harder, and truly appreciate the daily abundance of blessings that were so easily overlooked just a mere few months ago.

 

And to look for ways . . . to make God smile!

 

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