Willing

 

I had the opportunity to preach at my church yesterday. I chose to preach from the gospel lectionary reading, so I preached the same text as many preachers around the world. That’s a neat thought to me.

 

The text was John 6:1-21. It was the stories of Jesus feeding the 5000 and of Jesus walking on water.

 

As I read and studied the text, one phrase kept sticking out to me: “then they were willing to take him into the boat.”

 

There was Jesus, walking across an angry sea, standing in the middle of a storm, and the disciples had to decide if they were willing to take him into the boat.

 

What other choices did they have? Leave him standing in the middle of the sea getting battered by waves and rain? Tell him to keep walking? Tell him they don’t believe that he is actually Jesus and reject his statement of I am?

 

As the idea of willingness unfolded, so did a sermon…and a song.

 

Since the sermon is too long to post, I will post the lyrics to the song.

 

In the picture, you can see the original lyrics penned by a friend…and then you see can scribbles and arrows and chords and what looks like a mess…but it actually did end up a song summary of a sermon that ended with one simple question:

 

Are you willing to let God speak to and/or work through you today?

 

-----

 

The King of Kings was tired

He asked for a little rest

But the people still cried out for Him

And he was willing

To give them all his strength

To heal their brokenness

Even though they didn’t understand

He was willing

 

The boy was small and hungry

He had travelled many miles

Be he saw what was needed

And was willing

To give all that he had

To feed all those around

Even though it left him nothing

He was willing

 

You don’t have to have a plan

You don’t have to know it all

You don’t have to be perfect

Just be willing

No, you don’t have to have a plan

You don’t have to know it all

You don’t have to be perfect

Just be willing

 

The disciples rowed off shore

They paddled in a storm

They left all alone

But they were willing

To see Christ as he was

To let him in their boat

Even though they were scared

They were willing

 

She felt she had no purpose

That she had little to give

How could God use her

But she was willing

To give away her hope

To freely share her love

To give of her compassion

She was willing

 

You don’t have to have a plan

You don’t have to know it all

You don’t have to be perfect

Just be willing

No, you don’t have to have a plan

You don’t have to know it all

You don’t have to be perfect

Just be willing

 

You don’t have to be perfect

Just be willing