Journey to Adulthood
A Sermon of The Rev. Dr. David A. Killian, Rector
All Saints Parish
Brookline, Massachusetts
March 28, 2004
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Journey to Adulthood Sunday
Text: Philippians 3:8-14
I
In today’s first reading from Isaiah, we hear these words, "Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing." How appropriate, Nora, Hannah, Will, and Kotaro, as you take an important step in your journey to adulthood. God is about to do a new thing in your lives, blessing you as you accept new responsibility in our faith community. This is big step in your life, and you may wonder if you are up for it, so it is very assuring to hear the words from Isaiah, "I will make a way in wilderness and rivers in the desert." Don't worry. God is with you. God is making a way for you.
In the time of the prophet Isaiah, the Kingdom of the Israelites was conquered by the Babylonians. The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Their leaders, artists, and many of the people were carted off to exile. They felt lost and hopeless. Isaiah speaks the word of God to them: "I am about to do a new thing." God says the same thing to us in our darkest moments, whether we are a young person growing in maturity or an adult dealing with other problems. Life is not always easy. We face disappointments, defeats, struggles, broken relationships, illnesses, death of loved ones, and feelings of being betrayed.
Yet God is with us even in our most difficult moments. Psalm 126, which we prayed today, is the song of the Israelites who were freed from their captivity in Babylon. "The Lord restored the fortunes of Zion. . . Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy."
II
Today's Gospel is the parable of God's unending attempts to communicate mercy and love. God doesn't give up on us. God is the Prodigal Father that we heard about last Sunday who goes out to the road each day to see if his son is coming home. God is the merciful Mother who welcomes us back after we have strayed. Paul in today’s epistle to the Philippians, tells of being "found in Christ." What a beautiful image, "found in Christ." Imagine that you are on a hike in the forest and you became separated from your companions; it is getting dark, the temperature is dropping you are feeling cold, and you wonder if you will make it through the night. And then you are found and restored to your family and friends.
Nora, Hannah, Will, and Kotaro, sometimes in the journey to adulthood, you may feel lost, a little strange: not quite an adult, but no longer a child; wanting to be accepted and part of the family, yet also wanting to push away and be independent. Like Paul, you may feel lost. He was persecuted and mistreated. But then he was found by Christ, he was accepted -- and he knew who he was and who he was meant to be. The journey to adulthood is about being found by God and becoming the person that you are meant to be.
III
I want to tell you about a young frog named Fred, who lived with a colony of frogs in a large, deep well. There in the isolation of the dark, cavernous walls, they lived in peace. The only threat to their happy existence was the bucket that was lowered into the well to draw water. As soon as they heard the screech of the pulley, the frogs hid in the water or clung to the wall until the danger passed.
One day, Fred, after diving for cover during one such alarm, looked up and saw bright light above the well. He could see colors; he could feel a bit of warmth from the occasional ray of brightness that filtered into the murky depth of the well; he could see the smile of the beautiful maiden who came every day to draw water from the well. He began to wonder if the bucket, instead of being a danger, might be an opportunity.
The young frog decided that this had to be explored. The elder frogs were incensed. "A foolish idea," they warned. "This has never been done before. It will be the ruin of our colony. Outside the well there is only desolation and destruction. How can a young frog like you pretend to know better than our ancestors! You will be lost forever!"
But the young frog had made his decision. He crouched on the right spot, jumped into the pail at the exact moment, and rose with the bucket to the light above. The other frogs were horrified. The elders forbade any talk about him.
Months passed without any frog mentioning Fred or anyone forgetting him. Then, one day, a familiar croak was heard from above. The curious frogs looked up and saw their friend. Another frog appeared by his side and seven baby frogs gathered around them. Fred croaked his greetings to his friends below.
"There is a wonderful world waiting for us up here. There’s water that runs clear and clean. There are soft, green blades that sprout from the ground. There are plenty of little beetles and tasty insects. And there are many frogs of many types. See, I married one and we are very happy together with our family."
The elder frogs reminded the other frogs that the young frog was still considered a criminal and they would punish him if he came down. Fred said he had no intention of returning to the darkness of his old life in the well. He wished them all well and then hopped away with his happy brood. The ruling council forbade any mention of the disturbance and life went back to normal within the steep walls of the dark well.
The next morning, when the young maiden pulled up the bucket from the well, she was astonished to see it was full of frogs.
Nora, Hannah, Will and Kotaro, my prayer for you is that you might be like that bold young frog who took a leap into the light. I pray that you might follow the light of truth wherever it takes you and that you will come back and invite others into the light. My wish for you is that you will see how God is doing new things in your life, making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. I pray that you, like St. Paul, may be found in Christ, and that you may know and realize God’s great love for you at every step of your journey to adulthood. Amen.