“DELETING FUDs”

LUKE 5:1-11

5:1  Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God,

2  he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

3  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

4  When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch."

5  Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets."

6  When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.

7  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

8  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"

9  For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken;

10  and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people."

11  When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

            The first time I retired, back in 1990, you folks here gave me a Macintosh computer. I was intimidated! Since I had had a secretary for 25 years, I didn’t even know how to type. So I bought some software and I taught myself to type, and I have been having fun ever since.  Recently, I have enjoyed using my digital camera; I download the pictures into the computer and then use special software to manipulate the pictures. I have a lot of fun with that too.  So I like to play with computers. But there is an EXCEPTION. Computers are only fun when they work. 

I hate it when the whole machine freezes-up and nothing will do anything.

I hate it when a box appears in the middle of the screen with large print that says: “You have committed a fatal error.”

I hate it when another box tells me that my wyrogg beta 237fp has committed an error of the hppg 46 type. I didn’t even know I had a wyrogg beta 237fp. Much less that it had committed an error.

Another message says “Submit.” I must admit, there are times when I feel like submitting. And I think I have figured out why that little I-beam thing is called a “curser.”

When these terrifying computer intrusions occur, they never tell you what to do about them. In the past I just pushed the on-off button until everything goes black and the computer stops its whirring noise. Then, in a while, I turn it back on and hope all is well.

That is until just recently. I got an ad that described some of these computer horrors. The ad called them “My computer FUD’s.” The ad promised that their software would delete all my FUD’s. I didn’t know what my FUD’s were either, so I read on. Then I got it. FUD’s are FEARS, UNCERTAINTIES, AND DOUBTS. Isn’t modern technology wonderful! All my fears, uncertainties, and doubts cleared up – simply deleted – for only $39.95 plus postage. 

So I bought one.

Be honest with me, do you think I can have all my fears, uncertainties and doubts deleted for $39.95?

But seriously, we can have FUD’s without having a computer, can’t we? Let’s look at some of our FUDs

The F is for fears. As a baby we are all born with three basic fears, and we have those same fears all through life.

First: Infants are born afraid of loud noises. Then as we grow older, that fear of noise becomes fear of any attack. Second: Infants are also born with a fear of falling. As we mature, that fear becomes a dread of losing control. Third: We are born with a fear of being separated from Mama. Later in life, that fear becomes the apprehension of loss of security and relationships. 

So the F in our FUDs is the fear any seeming attack; we fear losing control; and we fear being left alone and deserted. The U in our FUD’S is uncertainty. Uncertainly faces us at every fork in the road all through life. Uncertainties are a reality every time we are faced with something new or different. Every fork in the road, every change thrust upon us faces us with uncertainty. Many times we just don’t know what direction to take or what to do. The D is for doubt. Doubt is a faith issue. When we feel let down we loose faith. Doubt is a trust problem. Once our faith has been betrayed, can we trust again?

So these are our FUDs; many of the FUDs we face are real, but some are only imagined. What are your own personal FUD’s? Your Fears, Uncertainties or Doubts. Do you think they can be easily deleted? In a time of terrorism and war what can be done about our FUDs? Does that government chart with the green, yellow, orange and red bars help any to alleviate your FUDs? How about bringing up a child today. Do babies in this day and age bring with them any new fears, uncertainties and doubts? Are there any fears, uncertainties and doubts of this church right here in North Reading?

We all attach importance to what we own. And we all have FUDs – Fears, Uncertainties, and doubts – about our money, our things, our house, our security, our pension. We also attach great importance to our relationships, our health, and our way of life. When anything we own, or experience, or relate to is changed, or lost, or threatened; we tend to get upset. We get a whole list of FUDs and then get anxious. Most of you here in church, right now, are dealing with some fears, some uncertainties, some doubts. So what are we to do when we get a load of FUDs?

First bear in mind that there is one inescapable fact of life: Everything we have, or are, will change; all of it. The Bible is full of examples. Nothing stays put. Sometimes we plan change, but quite often change is thrust upon us by surprise, like all the recent floods in Texas. But in any case, everything changes. And change always forces us into something new and different. Very often we don’t like that. Newness makes us work. It makes us adjust. It makes us think. It makes us apprehensive.

Shalom Aleichem is the creator of the character, Tevye, in the warm and wonderful musical, "Fiddler on the Roof." The play deals with our abhorrence to change. Remember the great song “Tradition.” Tradition was being trod upon. The young people didn’t care about the old ways of doing things. The government was forcing them to move. What used-to-be will be no more. All through the play, Tevye fusses at God about the way He is running things here on Earth. Looking up at the skies, Tevye worries and scolds about everything, including his work as the village dairyman, "With God's help, I starve to death," he complains. "And now my horse is lame, so I pull the cart. Today I am a horse. Where is justice? If I can pull this cart with two legs, why can't the horse with three?” Shalom Aleichem's characters hit close to home for most of us. We don’t like change forced upon us either. We worry. We fuss. We blame.

A great basketball coach, John Wooden of UCLA was a positive-thinking man. One of his great motivating statements to his players was: "Nobody is a real loser - until he starts blaming somebody else!"

We are all subject to the FUDs – the fears, uncertainties, and doubts. And this constant anxiety that we burden ourselves with robs our lives of joy. It can rob us of sleep. It can be a drain on our energy. And also, it can cause, or contribute to, many forms of illness. Turn on the T.V. and notice the constant listing of remedies, reliefs, pills, liquids, sprays and syrups, all of which are made to make us feel better in our heads or stomachs, noses or backs, chests or feet – and many other body parts that I am amazed they talk about. We are so full of worry, anxiety, or stress, we would welcome a $39.95 solution. The apprehension of change makes some folks retreat and wish for what was, like Tevye, in the Fiddler on the Roof. Apprehension makes some folks angry. It makes some of us look for someone to blame. But for others, the fear and apprehension energizes them. It empowers them to look for positive options. 

Jesus told a parable about the ten maidens going to a wedding party. Five went prepared with enough oil for their lamps for the whole night. The other five, you remember, left their oil at home. The five who came prepared stayed awake, and were ready when the bridegroom came. The other five were not only unprepared, they fell asleep and their lamps went out. Jesus’ message is clear. Keep your lamps lit! Keep your faith ablaze. Stay  prepared. And try not to be caught of guard. And stay awake, Jesus says. Be alert for possibilities.

Dr. Karl Menninger, a famous and wise psychiatrist, was asked what to do when a person felt overcome by worry and anxiety. The doctor said, "Get out of your house, lock the door, go across the railroad tracks, find someone in greater need than you, and do something! Do something to help him or her."  Menninger said: Worry and anxiety lock us up in the darkness of ourselves. The light and power of God allows the dawn to break; it gives us the energy to look beyond.

Jesus always did this. He would go off by himself to reflect, then he’d go out and help others. Jesus faced  his own fears head on; and he often said to others, Be not afraid. He was talking about those anxious fears that immobilize us. In this morning’s scripture he told the disciples not to be afraid. Do not be anxious he counseled. 

One more thing.   When Jesus' death was predicted to his disciples, they were all filled with the FUDs – fears, uncertainties, and doubts. And they added another one – denial. It was then that Jesus told them something amazing! He said that the true might and power of the Messiah would be made known to people through his weakness. In other words, God, in the man Jesus, was willing to go through all of our FUDs – our human fears, uncertainties, and doubts; God did this to identify himself with us. He wanted to show us his kinship with humanity – with you and me. He went through the same worry, anxiety, suffering, and death that everyone of us goes through.

The important word here is through. He didn't just experience it; he went through. There was completion! There was the dawn of new light. There was resurrection. There was new life. The message of Easter is clear. Worry, anxiety. suffering, death – none of these has the last word, when they are handled in a Christ-like way. And what is that way? knowing that God's love surrounds us and supports us, if we are open to it. It enables us to live life more fully and creatively. It lets us see the dawn of new light. It enables us to perceive new opportunities. It opens new doors and windows. We are able to experience what we never knew was there before. That is what the good news is all about.

Faith looks over the walls of Fear. Trust looks around the corner of Uncertainty. Hope pushes through the locked door of Doubt.

Faith believes there is a solution to every problem. Even when the problems seem to defy solutions, faith believes that we can bring our oil, keep our lamps lit, and stay awake to possibilities!  There is no $39.95 CD that will delete our FUDs. However, there are things we can do.

Please join me today and during the coming week in saying:

I will face my FUDs head on with faith, hope, and love.

I will use my faith to seek solutions immediately, instinctively, impulsively, and intelligently.

I’ll use my hope to look upon what is going on, not as an insurmountable setback, but as an opportunity to grow and to be more effective.

I will use my love to balance forgiveness with accountability and mercy with responsibility.

I'll go work right now and light my lamp, cast out my net, and feed my sheep.

I believe that with the help of God I will be able to accept, to embrace, and to move through any change to come.

Amen

Rev. Dr. Hal Fohlin

July 1, 2007