Braver Than You Believe Stronger Than You Seem Smarter Than You Think Luke 17:20-21 2020 All Church Read, “Expotition To The North Pole”

Call To Worship One: Let all who would seek the love and power of God be welcome. Many: For we were all once lost and each of us in Christ received new life. One: Then let us all come together & sing praise unto God’s holy name. Many: And let all who would know of Christ come join us and worship.

(Note, you are encouraged to try reading aloud today’s scripture passages.)

Luke 17: 20-21 Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is within you (among you).” I. As has been planned for many weeks, today we celebrate the 18th year of our annual All Church Read. Given all that is happening in the world, I had to consider if this was the best choice for a sermon subject. After careful thought, I have decided that taking a walking through The is precisely what we need to be doing, especially given all that is happening in the world. Joining past books, A Gift From The Sea, Holes, Tuck Everlasting, Because of Winn-Dixie, Facing The Lion, A Wrinkle In Time, The Last Lecture, The Little Prince, To Kill A Mocking Bird, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Dog Song, The Alchemist, A Monster Calls, The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane and The Hundred Dresses, is this year’s selection, “An Expotition To The North Pole,” a stand alone chapter from author A.A. Milne’s classic Winnie The Pooh, published in 1926.

II. Alan Alexander Milne was born January 18, 1882 in Kilburn, London, and attended small public school run by his father. Interestingly, one of his teachers was the renowned science fiction writer H. G. Wells. Milne graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship, graduating with a B.A. in Mathematics in 1903. Considered a talented cricket fielder, Milne played for two amateur teams largely composed of British writers; among them Arthur Conan Doyle. Milne joined the British Army in World War I, serving as an officer, and was wounded in the Battle of the Somme. Prior to the war, in 1913, Milne had married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt, and their son was born in 1920 following his return. In 1925, Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in , ; retiring there in 1952 after a debilitating stroke. Alan Alexander Milne died on the 31st January 1956 at age 74. III. Beyond the particulars of each year’s selection, undertaking the annual All Church Read is a powerful reminder to us of the importance of tradition and ritual to form and shape our lives (particularly so this year). That 23 families with school-aged children, many of them elementary age or younger, were gifted a copy of Winnie The Pooh is a welcome indication of our congregation’s growing “immaturity.” As a means of honoring all these kids among us, as well as the “kid" within each of us, this annual event is a testament to the importance of reading, at any age, and an invitation to discover the simple joy of holding an actual book in one’s hands and gleefully losing oneself in the story that unfolds within its pages and our own imaginations. Let’s all break out our Big Boots and let the adventure begin…

IV. “Big Boots. As soon as he saw the Big Boots Pooh knew that an Adventure was going to happen.” Sometimes in life, we find ourselves on an “adventure” whether we like it or not (surely you know what I mean). Other times in life, however, we intentionally seek out such an adventure. Our story begins with Winnie The Pooh, a silly old bear, out for a walk and singing a song of his own making as he goes, “Sing Ho! for the life of a bear!” Soon, Pooh happens upon Christopher Robin sitting outside of his house struggling to put on his “Big Boots”; for Pooh, a sure sign that the day ahead would be very interesting indeed. The outcome of any adventure is always determined by two things: the choices we make along the way and our preparations before setting out. Though delighted to see Christopher Robin breaking out his “Big Boots,” there would be no adventure at all unless Pooh first helped him in simply putting them on. V. “Do you think you could very kindly lean against me, ‘cos I keep pulling so hard that I fall over backwards.” Sometimes in life, no matter our resolve, we need others to help us get where we need or want to go. Just as Pooh dug his feet into the ground and pushed hard against Christopher Robin’s back in order for him to get on his Big Boots, we all need others to help balance, support and, even, push against us. My wife, Linda, is often fond of saying, “We aren’t raising children, we’re raising adults.” It is the role of parents to prepare their kids for whatever adventure life presents; to put “Big Boots” on them, as it where. Similarly, it is the role of the church to equip each each other with the theological “Big Boots” every person, young and old, will need to both face and enjoy the adventures which await us. To ask hard questions, accept difficult truths, and to endure what Dr. Seuss so aptly named “The Waiting Place” (Oh, The Places You’ll Go). A place, of late, where we all have been made to reside.

VI. “‘We are all going on an Expedition,’ said Christopher Robin. 'We’re going to discover the North Pole.’” So begins the day’s “Expotition,” as Pooh mispronounces it, with almost every denizen of The Hundred Acre Wood setting out together: , , Kanga, Owl, Eyeore, Rabbit (and a host of his relatives) and, of course, Christopher Robin in the lead with Winnie The Pooh near to his side. Pooh, for his part, isn’t really clear on what the “North Pole” is, exactly, but so long there is something out there to be discovered he is up to the challenge of trying to discover it. Providing, of course, the assurance that there will be things to eat along the way of discovery; though he’s never eaten a “provision” and isn’t sure what it will taste like. “We’re going on an Expotition, all of us, with things to eat. To discover something.” Sometimes, the most wonderful adventure requires only the decision to set out, good preparation and necessary equipment, and a hope for discovery however loosely defined.

VII. “They had come to a stream which twisted and tumbled between high rocky banks, and Christopher Robin saw at once how dangerous it was. Eventually, every great adventure arrives at some moment which determines the breath, depth and future direction of that adventure; most often through trial and tribulation. In today’s story, Christopher Robin recognizes this “Dangerous Place,” and calls upon his traveling companions to work together to overcome the challenge which confronts them: to traverse a stream and arrive safely on the other side. Though easy enough to correlate current events, this part of the story reveals a deeper dynamic: how different people recognize the same moment differently. Whereas Owl and Piglet view the stream as either an ambush, at worst, or a surprise, at best, Pooh likens it to a prickly “gorse-bush.” Though we all share the same reality, we must honor the different ways in which each of us understands and accepts that reality. This is true for the children in our lives as they learn of the world, and the adults in our lives as they confront the world. VIII. “Christopher Robin called out, ‘Halt!, and they all sat down and rested.” After climbing very cautiously up stream, going from rock to rock, they came to a place where the banks widened to a level strip of grass where they could all sit down and rest. Reminiscent of last week’s scripture reading where God makes us to lie down by the still water, Christopher Robin recognizes the importance of availing themselves of the opportunity to rest, nourish and strengthen for the challenge to come. Together they set themselves to work putting out provisions, sharing with others what each had brought. When Christopher Robin checked to be sure everyone had something to eat, it was determined they had nothing suitable for Eyeore (“As Usual.”). As fortune, fate or grace would have it, Pooh soon realized that the spot upon which he’d chosen to sit was, in fact, right atop a thistle bush (apparently, a tasty treat for Eyeore). Remarking that Pooh’s weight had “taken the life out of them,” Eyeore imparts a pearl of wisdom for the future (and our present): “A little Consideration. A little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.”

IX. “There came a sudden squeak from Roo, a splash, and a loud cry from Kanga. “Roo’s fallen in,’ cried Rabbit, and he and Christopher Robin came rushing down to the rescue.” While washing for the meal (by himself for the first time, Kanga proudly notes) Roo falls into the stream. In this unforeseeable and unbidden event the adventure is wholly and forever transformed from lark to crisis in what seemed the blink of an eye. Except Roo doesn’t see it that way; not at all. “Look at me, I’m swimming!” he exclaims. “And down he went over the waterfall into another pool.” Never one to miss the opportunity to offer a self-evident truth, Owl comments: “In a case of Sudden and Temporary Immersion the Important Thing was to keep one’s Head Above Water.” At certain times, it is good to be reminded (again) of such a truth no matter how self-evident. As Roo beamed from his swimming prowess, Eyeore unsuccessfully offered his tail to grab, Christopher Robin moved to help, and Rabbit offered a rescue suggestion.

X. “But Pooh was getting something. Two pools below Roo he was standing with a long pole in his paws, and Kanga came up and took one end of it, and between them they held it across the lower part of the pool; and Roo, still bubbling proudly, ‘Look at me I’m swimming,’ drifted up against it and climbed out.” Disaster narrowly averted, whew! Children’s television icon, Mr. (Fred) Rogers, an ordained Presbyterian minister, often recounted the story that upon seeing something on the news which frightened him, his mother, Nancy, would offer these words of comfort: “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” In times of trouble or crisis everyone seems to have something to offer, beginning with their own opinion on the matter (like Rabbit), well intentioned but unsatisfactory solutions (like Eyeore) and, certainly, a good-hearted desire to help (like Christopher Robin). The true helpers, though, are those like Pooh who simply figure out a way to actually make a difference, without fanfare, comment or conspicuousness; and, almost always by working together with others. XI. “‘Pooh,’ said Christopher Robin, ‘where did you find that pole?’ Pooh looked at the pole in his hands. ‘I just found it,’ he said. ‘I thought it ought to be useful. I just picked it up.’ ‘Pooh,’ said Christopher Robin solemnly, the Expedition is over. You have found the North Pole!’ ‘Oh!’ said Pooh.” Though, perhaps, one of the simpler selections we’ve made for the All Church Read, this year’s “An Expotition To The North Pole,” nevertheless contains a truth as sweet as honey in a jar: they didn’t know what they were looking for but they found it anyway. I can think of no better way to sum up the adventure that is the journey of faith. So often people set out to find and explore faith thinking we already know how and where to look, or believing it to be something set and static, or that it must feel the way we imagined it, or will cause us to arrive at some certain and specific place. However, a convincing case can be made that the very things we initially imagine faith to be are actually obstacles which we, ourselves, have placed in our own way. These expectations not only impede the journey, they dampen the joy of discovery which fuels the fire of faith. If we stop to think about it for a moment, how could we ever expect to truly know faith until we find it (or it finds us); usually through adversity? Like Pooh discovering the “North Pole” simply out of the need to help rescue his friend Roo, I suspect many people are finding faith over the course of these past two weeks. The only real way to journey by faith is to begin with the assumption we don’t necessarily know what we are seeking, while at the same time fiercely trusting that it is out there to find. And the best way to find what we seek, perhaps the only way, is by adopting a child-like approach that with regard to faith everything is possible; to welcome the full measure of adventure. XII. “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is within/among you.” If Pooh was surprised to discover from Christopher Robin that the “North Pole” was right there in his hands, imagine how surprised the disciples were to discover from Jesus that the Kingdom of God is right here within/among them/us. The Greek word Jesus uses in this last sentence, ἐντός (entos) may be translated as either “within”or “among”; each with vastly different implications. Rather than existing as some far off realm, does Jesus mean to say that the Kingdom of God is actually WITHIN us; or, does Jesus mean to say that he himself is the kingdom of God and now that he has physically come near to the disciples that the Kingdom of God is AMONG them? Further, if one accepts the “among” option, does this mean it is true only for the disciples way back when with Jesus physically standing there, or is it also true for us TODAY as the Church which stands as the body of Christ? Rather than feeling like we need to choose one particular translation or meaning over another, I would suggest we approach this in a Winnie The Pooh like fashion, as bears of “very little brain.” Not that reasoned inquiry isn’t important, it is; but sometimes the adventure of faith requires more possibility than mere will thinking allow. In order to welcome in a child-like fashion the full measure of adventure such that everything is possible, perhaps the best choice is “All Of The Above”; that the Kingdom of God is within us and among us; then certainly, but also now. XIII. “‘Pooh has found the North Pole,’ said Christopher Robin. ‘Isn’t that lovely?’” So ends “The Expotition to the North Pole.” It would seem, however, that our adventure together as a church, a nation and as a world must continue on in earnest. We have come to a “Dangerous Place,” and we are “climbing very cautiously up the stream now, going from rock to rock.” Like Pooh discovering the “North Pole,” and the disciples discovering the Kingdom of God, we, too, have much yet to discover all that is within us and among us as this story unfolds. We should be heartened, though, by the faith preparations we have been making all of our lives; the theological Big Boots we have donned, the provisions of a fierce trust we carry, and the goodness of the companions with whom we journey.

XIV. The writer of Ecclesiastes comforts us with the reminder that “to every thing there is a season.” This, too, shall pass. We need only abide each other for however long we must reside in “The Waiting Place.” Finally, I charge you to remember and believe the words of Christopher Robin to Winnie The Pooh: You are Braver Than You Believe, Stronger Than You Seem, and Smarter Than You Think! “Sing Ho! for the life of a bear!” Yes, it is lovely (still). Amen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4IOrH_FMIs