Union Church

August 31, 2008.
Romans 12:9-21

We have just come through the Olympics. It was quite a mixed bag for Team Canada.
The first week was painful.
The second week was so much more rewarding.
Over those two weeks, so much print space and air time was used up second guessing our Olympic Program.

We were all tuned in one way or another. We saw the fingers being pointed. We couldn’t miss the National Angst.
That first week nothing seemed to work out. We couldn’t make the medal podium for love nor money.
And then someone did and the medals began to flow.

In the midst of all this, during that first painful week, the coaches emphasized to the watching public that our swimmers were achieving personal bests and Canadian records in their events. They were not flopping at the Olympics.
They just were not medaling.
The lessons learned from Athens were expressed loud and clear:

“We are not flopping. We have started over. We are on the move. We are getting better. We are realistic. We are improving.
The medals will come.”

At Beijing, we were witnessing the power of the pep talk.
The Coaches were not only pep talking their specific athletes, they were pep talking the Canadian contingent in Beijing and the Canadian public watching at home.

This is what Paul is doing in our Epistle reading today.
Paul offers a lively pep talk to the Christians in Rome.
Like a world class coach, he sets the tone, the practice,
the attitude and the vision, for realizing the Christian life.
He offers ways around the fears of failure and inadequacy that rob us of our best efforts.

In effect, Paul is saying

“We are not flopping. We have started over. We are on the move. We are getting better. We are realistic. We are improving.
The blessings will come.”

So let’s hear Paul’s message again from a contemporary translation, with the experience of the Beijing Olympics and the awareness of Paul’s coaching genius.

Romans 12:9-21 (The Message)

Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it.
Run for dear life from evil and negativity;
hold on for dear life to good.

Be good friends who love deeply;
practice playing second fiddle.

Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.
Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant.

Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder.

Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies and your competitors;
no cursing under your breath.

Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy;
share tears when they're down.

Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up.

Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.

Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone.

If you've got it in you, get along with everybody.

Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do.
"I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry,
go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink.
Your generosity will surprise him with goodness.

Don't let evil and negativity get the best of you;
get the best of evil and negativity by doing good.

These are sound words, this is a great pep talk for Olympic athletes and Christians who seek to be channels of God’s peace.