Sermons at Church of the Good Shepherd

Rob Quam, the executive director of the Care Center, frequently makes the point that the Care Center staff and volunteers are not the good Samaritans in Jesus’ parable which we just heard. Rather, the Care Center is more like the inn to which good Samaritans from our community bring those who have suffered significant loss, who are not able to take care of themselves, who are often, in one way or another, half dead. The financial support that our congregation and other congregations and individuals provide the Care Center allows them to take care of those who are brought to them until they are able to get back up on their feet again and move on with their lives.

The theme for this year’s Vacation Bible School was “God is our hero.” We told the children about five people in the Bible, some young like them, and some older like me, who were heroic because God helped them be a hero like him. We learned that with God’s help, heroes can do the unexpected, heroes can take action, heroes can step out on faith, heroes can save the day, and heroes can stand for the truth.

This is what several Florida residents, high-ranking elected officials, Gulf shore businessmen, college professors and environmental scientists have to say about the crude oil beginning to come ashore on the beaches of Pensacola: “It’s like we’re on a death watch here.” ”It could be the beginning of a major catastrophe for this state. Florida survives on the back of the hospitality industry. For us it’s do or die.” “Picking up tar balls is going to be a way of life on at least some Florida beaches for months and maybe years.” “People here have faced extraordinary natural disasters. We’ve rebuilt. We’ve come back and I think we’ll come back from this as well.” “How could anyone prepare for a catastrophe of this magnitude? This is like a year-long hurricane.

I offer four verbs of advice to our graduates, inspired by today’s Bible readings: to croon, to clap, to clean and to convene. Those who croon, clap, clean and convene consistently and continuously will have a full and abundant life.