I was to visit both churches that Pastor Paul served - the Norwegian one in the country and the Swedish one in Elbow Lake metro.
The Norwegians had their service first - at 9am. James was Swedish and went to the church in town. So he sent me off with hurried directions to the Norwegian church in the country. Now remember, he knew the country roads like the palm of his hand. I on the other hand, who had been confused every time we got in the car, managed to get completely lost.
Driving around with great haste, frantically trying to get my bearings and with a hollow feeling in my stomach, I never made it to the little Norwegian church where I was to assist with the worship service. By about 9:30 I managed to find my way to the Swedish church in town where I hid from everyone, waiting with great embarrassment for Pastor Paul to show up. Luckily, when Paul did arrive, he had humorously played up my absence with the Norwegians and was looking forward to letting the Swedes in on my trouble.
In trouble. Depending on who you are, being “in trouble” can mean a variety of things.
*If you're a kid, it can be the result of disobeying mom or dad.
*For a teenager, it can happen from staying out too late.
*If you're a teacher, it can mean having to deal with uncooperative students.
*If you're the accountant in your home, trouble can mean a shortfall in the checkbook at bill-paying time.
*For farmers, trouble comes in the form of breakdowns, infestations, frost, and drought.
I think it's safe to say, that no matter who we are - no matter what age we are - or what occupation we're in - or where we live, we all have times in our lives when we get in trouble. Times when our lives become disrupted. When we're faced with a crisis, or some kind of stress. Times when we have to adjust our lives. When we have to change and adapt to some new element that's been thrust, often unwillingly, into our lives.
*For the child or teenager, it often means accepting the discipline of parents.
*For the family bill-payer, it can mean sitting down with creditors to square away one's finances.
*For the farmer it may mean having to use sprays, losing a crop, or worse.
Regardless, trouble disrupts. Trouble interrupts. Trouble challenges us to rethink and change.
And the common denominator of all trouble, is that not one of us is immune to it. All of us, sooner or later get into it. At some point in our lives, most of us daily, and I include myself in that group, have to deal with trouble. It's a fact of life. Things fail. Relationships break up. We break down.
The Bible reading from Genesis, the third chapter, offers us some guidance in dealing with trouble. Specifically, Genesis shows us how God responds when we get in trouble.
This bible story from Genesis has gotten into its own trouble from time to time. Attempts to use these verses to understand the origin of evil, or to place blame on God, or each other, for the origins of sin have been unhelpful.
Some of you have heard sermons on these verses or received instruction that stresses the shame of the first humans, and therefore the shame of all of us before God.
Other people look to this Bible story and want to focus on the serpent's curse and ask questions which are impossible to answer. Just the other night, I watched a television preacher equating Adam's hiding from God in the Garden to the way the alcoholic hides behind the bottle.
Suffice it to say that the greater learning in this story is how God responds when we get in trouble.
This is precisely the claim of Scripture today: That God - the One who created us, knows us and watches over us responds in times of trouble and uncertainty.
In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve have just eaten from the tree of the forbidden fruit - eaten what they weren't supposed to.
God had given very specific instructions to leave that tree alone, and if they did eat from it, they would immediately die. So after eating, they withdrew and hid in the trees. They knew they did wrong. They feared big trouble was headed their way. So they hid.
God, in the meantime the Bible tells us, is out in the garden taking a walk and enjoying the trees in the evening breeze. God created the trees specifically to enjoy their beauty, we learn in a previous verse. I like to picture God enjoying this evening stroll and to make the evening even more pleasant, God looks for that man and woman who had been created to enjoy the garden too. But on this evening, the pair isn't out enjoying the creation. They've gotten into to trouble, big time, and now they're hiding from God who told them not to eat of that tree.
God calls out to Adam, "Where are you?" That's it, "Where are you?"
Of course, God knew where they were. Of course, God knew exactly what tree they were hiding behind. God had created these two humans with God's own hands. They were God's children. It bothered God that Adam and Eve had been disobedient, and so God went looking for them.
Now, I don't know about you, but whenever I was in trouble as a kid, my mother never just said, "Where are you?"
But with Adam and Eve, God simply calls, "Where are you?"
There's no threat, no demands, no anger expressed. Nothing more forthcoming but the simple question, "Where are you?"
God doesn't step into Adam's trouble and berate, accuse or sentence. But God also doesn't come in with some big miracle and instantaneously right a wrong situation, either.
All God did was to help them know where they were. God said, "Where are you? Stop for a minute and look at where you are, Adam, and what has just happened."
God gently gave them a place to start, in their going from a position of trouble and helplessness, to one of wholeness.
What marvelous examples today for us, this Adam and Eve - for those times when we get in trouble. During those times when we get confused and mixed up. When we withdraw into hiding like Adam. Times when we don't know what to do. During those times when we are at a loss to figure out what the problem is that got us into such dire straits.
Remember God's words to Adam, "Where are you?"
We are God's children. God made each one of us. God cares when we get ourselves into messes. Like a good and loving parent, God wants to help us in such a way so we can figure out how we got into trouble. God wants to help us in such a way that we don't make the same mistake again and again. That's how God helps us.
Finally, what is the outcome of God's assistance? It's getting on with business. Simply that. In the case of Adam and Eve, nothing miraculous came of God's help. God provided them clothes so they wouldn't have to be embarrassed in their nakedness. God enabled them to get back to the business of living.
Of course, they had to move to another neighborhood. God helped them even in that, and they continued on. In the same way God wants to help us, only insomuch as it will help us to get on with our lives.
God knows we have families, duties, jobs and dreams. God knows we don't like to spend our entire life wallowing in a state of confusion or despair or trouble.
That's why when God sees us in trouble, God says, "Where are you, Kurt?" "Where are you, Chris, Tom, Nancy?" "Where are you my child?"
Friends, God knows
