September 8, 2024
Indianola Presbyterian Church, Columbus
"Wisdom of our Guide Runner"
Sermon by Rev. Trip Porch
September 8, 2024 Based on Proverbs 4:20-27
I am a diehard fan of the Olympics.
Ever since I was a little kid, I look forward to watching every four years as athletes at the peak of their careers and at the peak of human ability, give it their all and compete for Gold. And then, to watch the camaraderie and respect that forms across international borders just makes it all the more meaningful.
As a diehard fan of the Olympics, you can imagine that this summer has been incredibly fun!
But, and I’m embarrassed to admit this, this is the first year I’ve ever followed the Paralympics at all. And wow, have I been missing out!
In watching the Paralympics I have been awed by the feats of strength, the athleticism, the sportsmanship, in this competition, and learned so much about humanity. How we may come in different sizes, shapes, and abilities, but we all have this drive within us to journey beyond ourselves, to push, to grow, to overcome, to achieve, to climb.
I've even learned about an entirely new sport, Goalball. Where visually impaired players put on blindfolds and enter the arena to try and protect a goal the length of the court while also scoring on the opposite team’s goal. All spectators are told to remain silent because the only way players know where the ball is a little bell inside the ball. As a ball hurdles towards the goal, players listen for the bell’s jingling and dive their full bodies to the ground to block. It's incredible.
Or the swimming! Where athletes with missing limbs, and sometimes no limbs at all, race across the pool faster than I think I could swim.
Of all the stories though this year, and of all the things I’ve learned about the Paralympics, I think what I have found most impressive are the track and field events. In particular, I’ve been blown away watching athletes who are visually impaired compete.
I’ve always been amazed at how well visually impaired and blind people have adapted to navigate the world, but to see folks running at full speed around track blind, and in some cases jumping at full speed rewired my brain I think.
Take for example the long jump, where athletes are oriented into position by a guide so that they know the line they are supposed to run, and then, they listen to another guide who stands on the place they are supposed to jump clapping so that they athlete knows where to jump. The athlete starts to run, with only the sound of the clapping to serve as a guide, they’ve learned how to listen to their guides claps to help them stay on the path, and to know how close they are to jumping, or in the case of the long jump, hurling your body as far as you can into the abyss. They listen to their guides, and it keeps them on the path. Which is the same case with all of the running and sprinting events, where visually impaired runners compete with guide runners, who serve as their eyes and run alongside them to serve as their eyes.
I tried letting my dog guide me the other day when I was on a walk with my eyes closed just to see how it felt. I think I made it about five steps before feeling incredibly uneasy and needing to open my eyes. And we were walking slow! I tried to imagine what it might feel like to be running without sight, and I couldn’t even close my eyes. These athletes are incredible.
They start off the starting blocks next two each other, but with their feet opposite so their gate will be opposite, because as they run, they hold a long thin rope that tethers their hand to their guide’s, who run at their side for the whole of the race beautifully synchronized.
They practice for years to study each other's rhythm and figure out their best strategy to communicate. The guide spends the whole run talking, trying to give the runner the feedback they need to make the decisions they need to, when to lean, when to pass other runners. The guide runners are not allowed to push or pull the runner, their job is to accompany and help the runner along the race.
Here’s how one Brazilian guide runner describes running alongside his runner, Thalita Simplicia:
“We talk a lot and support each other, even though I am 20 years older than Thalita, she treats me like her father. She often tells me when I’m wrong and I always say that I learn more from her than I teach her,” the guide said. “What makes us strong is knowing that we can count on each other in any situation.”
“From the beginning, Thalita enters in concentration mode, she's focused”
“When the starting gun goes off, I need to talk about the curve on the track. She listens to my commands and tries to do her absolute best.”
“The biggest challenge of being a guide is knowing that I am Thalita’s eyes, and I need to be responsible for explaining things to her as much as possible and be careful in the way I speak,” Veloso said. “But this is very rewarding for me, being able to be someone’s eyes, especially Thalita, who is a special person and an exceptional athlete. I am extremely grateful for everything she has given me in my life and I think this has been the secret to our success – knowing the importance that one has in each other’s life.”
The athletes and their guides have such a tight and mutual, and interdependent relationship that when an athlete gets on the podium with the medal, their guide runners are also awarded a medal.
In the book of Proverbs, The God of the universe is shown not as some aloof deity, or as an all-powerful puppet master, but instead as an intimate companion for each person in life. Throughout proverbs, God’s wisdom is given as though a parent is sharing wisdom with a child. As though the God who is as big as the universe is also as small as to care for each person, to guide each of our steps and teach each person how to live. It’s a close relationship, a relationship that reminds me a lot of the relationship between paralympic runners and their guides.
There is reason that blindness is such a common theme to faith, because so often it feels like we are navigating this world without sight. Like we are lacking the basic information we need to know what we should do, or where we should turn, or just how to keep on putting one foot in front of the other. Like somehow on our own, we just can’t make it, we won’t be able to finish the race.
But Proverbs tells us that we are not on our own, that God is with us in this life, running step in step right next to us. That all we have to do is listen to God's guidance to know where to run.
“My son, pay attention to my words.” God says
Bend your ear to my speech. Don’t let them slip from your sight. Guard them in your mind.”
‘Focus your eyes straight ahead; keep your gaze on what is in front of you.
Watch your feet on the way, and all your paths will be secure.
Don’t deviate a bit to the right or the left; turn your feet away from evil.”
God’s wisdom is speaking still. But it takes practice to learn how to listen, it takes daily communication to learn God’s rhythms, to know God’s ways and to know how to adapt our running in this life to be able to finish the race.
When you feel like you are navigating this world on your own, like you are trying to make your way through the darkness… hold on tight to the tether, because God is there running with you, telling you what you need.
Through daily communication with your guiding god and spiritual practice…
May you learn to listen,
may you learn to follow,
may you learn to trust where God is leading you.
Amen.
WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE
PRELUDE “Path” Brad Jacobsen
INTROIT “We Come as Guests Invited” Christopher R. Dent
Today’s introit is sung in memory of the hymn writer Timothy Dudley Smith who died August 12, 2024.
WELCOME Rev. Trip Porch
One: This is the day that the Lord has made
All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it
*CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Beloved Community! Why have you gathered today?
All: We seek God’s wisdom to guide us and show us how to live.
Leader: Are you ready to follow when God’s wisdom leads down unexpected paths?
All: We will trust, and we will follow wherever God’s wisdom leads us.
Leader: Well then, Beloved of God, what are you waiting for?
All: Come! Let us seek to know God’s wisdom together, Let us listen and worship!
*HYMN 456 “Listen, God Is Calling” NENO LAKE MUNGU
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION by Rev. Andy James Mary Rebekah Fortman
We long for wisdom, O Lord, but prefer that it be our own. We turn away from the ideas of others and ignore the possibility and promise that come from life together with you. Most of all, we drown out your gift of Wisdom as she seeks to get our attention, for we believe that we know better or would prefer to decide where we make her welcome. Forgive us, loving God. Bring an end to the self-righteousness that ignores you and awaken us anew to the Wisdom that comes only from you. Show us how to walk in your ways and listen to your promise each and every day… Individual confession offered in the silence
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*RESPONSE OF PRAISE 659 “Know That God Is Good”
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
One: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,
All: And also with you.
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
ANTHEM “Great and Awesome God” Mark Hayes
SUNG PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION 174 “Come and Seek the Ways of Wisdom” MADELINE
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 4:20-27
Trust in the Lord and the Blessings of Wisdom.
My son, pay attention to my words. Bend your ear to my speech.
Don’t let them slip from your sight. Guard them in your mind.
They are life to those who find them, and healing for their entire body.
More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.
Have nothing to do with a corrupt mouth; keep devious lips far from you.
Focus your eyes straight ahead; keep your gaze on what is in front of you.
Watch your feet on the way, and all your paths will be secure.
Don’t deviate a bit to the right or the left; turn your feet away from evil.
Holy Wisdom, Holy Word
Thanks be to God
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Dorothy Kyle
SERMON Rev. Trip Porch
WE RESPOND TO GODS WORD
TIME OF OFFERING online giving is available at www. indianolapres.org/give
OFFERTORY “Path to Peace” James Michael Stevens
COMMUNION
INVITATION TO THE TABLE
GREAT PRAYER
SHARING THE BREAD AND CUP “One Bread, One Body” ONE BREAD ONE BODY
*PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world guided by your wisdom and in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen .
*HYMN 740 “Lead Me, Guide Me” LEAD ME, GUIDE ME
TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
CHORAL RESPONSE “May God Support You All Your Days” Lee Hastings Bristol Jr.
POSTLUDE “This is My Father’s World” arr. Lauren Compton
Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452