The Bucket List: Live in the Moment

Pastor Burcham’s Sermon

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

As many of you know, I have four daughters. I have two older ones and I have two younger ones. So I have a 21-year-old, an 18-year-old and then I have one who is almost 9, important to say almost 9, and then one who is 7. Now having such a wide gap between the two sets of girls has really taught me some things, maybe about myself it has taught me a lot of things but maybe things in general.

For instance, when the older girls were younger, when they were infants, babies, toddlers, I couldn’t wait for them to grow up. I was always looking forward to the next stage. Couldn’t wait until they crawled. Then I couldn’t wait until they walked. I couldn’t wait until they talked. I couldn’t wait until they were old enough to go out in the back yard and I could play catch with them. I couldn’t wait until they went off to grade school and junior high and high school. I was always looking forward to that next stage in life.

Then the younger ones came along. And all of a sudden I realized how fast that time really went by. It just whisked right by. And so, with the younger two, I find that I am not so anxious for them to grow up, even when they were infants and babies, they can crawl whenever. I’m not so sure I don’t want to keep holding them. Alright, now they’re toddlers. I can wait until they go to grade school. I’m not looking forward to always thinking about what’s the next stage for them. I’m just not so anxious for them to grow up. I’ve kind of learned to sort of treasure each moment of each stage.

I’ve kind of heard the same thing from grandparents, too. I’ve heard grandparents say, “We actually are enjoying our grandkids more than we did raising our own kids.” Now part of that is, I think, you can send them home whenever you want. But I think the other part is you realize it goes by so fast, let’s just enjoy the moment.

This morning, we want to talk about living in the moment. As we put together our Bucket List, the things we want to do before we kick the bucket, the things we want to do before we go home to our heavenly Father, this morning let’s learn how to live in the moment. That is, life is so precious and really life is so short, enjoy, to fully comprehend, to experience every moment of every day. Certainly, as we look at Jesus, He lived in the moment. Even during these last few weeks as He’s heading towards Jerusalem where He knows He is going to die, yet even then, we discover He lives in the moment.

As we learn from Him this morning, there are three important things we will need to learn if we’re going to live in the moment. The first one is this: We have to turn our attention to the moment at hand. We have to give the moment at hand our complete and total attention. We have to be engaged with whatever it is we are doing. So often, we can get caught up thinking about the future or thinking about other things that are going on in our life, that we can miss what’s happening right here in front of us.

The book of Proverbs gives us a little bit of wisdom there. Proverbs writes, “Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day might bring.” Don’t boast about tomorrow. In other words, don’t be so fixated on the future of what’s going to happen tomorrow, next week, next year. He’s not saying we shouldn’t plan, we shouldn’t think about the future and make sure we’re set but it says don’t always be focused on something that’s ahead and then miss what’s happening right around you.

I don’t know about you, but I am really guilty of this one. I am so future focused, it’s ridiculous. I am always thinking about what’s going to happen next, what are we going to do now? On my day off, my wife and I will sit down for coffee in the morning. I can guarantee you two sips into the cup of coffee, I know what I’m going to ask. I know it. I still can’t stop myself. “So, what’s on the agenda for today? What are we doing this afternoon?” And then within five minutes after that, I’ll say something along the lines of, “You know, I was thinking about this summer and some of the things we probably need to get done around here.” How many moments have I missed with my wife because I’m thinking about something else? I’m trying to project into the future.

How many moments have you missed? How many moments have you missed with your spouse or your children or your friends? All of us I would guess have been guilty of this. We can be physically present someplace but we’re not really there because our thoughts and our minds are someplace else. You may be physically standing in the kitchen, even talking with some of the family members but you’re not really there because you’re thinking about the office and all the things that happened that day or you’re thinking about all the stuff you need to get done tomorrow or you’re physically present but you’re not engaged with what’s going on around you because your thoughts and your mind are someplace else. You can go out to dinner with your spouse. You can be sitting across the table from them. You can physically be there but you’re not really there because your mind is back home, because you’re thinking about the kids and you’re wondering, “I wonder if they’re really giving the sitter a run for their money right now.” You’re there but you’re not engaged. You can be wrestling around in the family room with the kids or the grandkids but you’re not really there because you’re thinking about all the projects you have to do around the house. We have to turn our attention to the moment or the moment is lost.

Jesus knew how to live in the moment and He knew how to give His complete and total attention to that moment. Jesus is heading to Jerusalem at this point in time. He knows when He gets there He has a battle on His hands, that He’s going to get arrested. He knows He’s going to be beaten. He knows He’s going to head out to Calvary and He’s going to sacrifice His life for all of mankind. I would say He has a few things on His mind. And before He gets there, there are some things He wants to do. He has people to see, places to go.

The disciples are keenly aware of that and so when these families start bringing their kids to Jesus so He could bless them and pray over them, the disciples think, rightfully so, and say, “This is not a good time. The Savior is really busy right now. He has a lot on His mind. There are a lot of things He needs to do.” But Jesus won’t hear of it because Jesus lives in the moment and so Jesus says to them and we know it well, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” But here’s a small fact that maybe slipped by us. “When He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there.” When He placed His hands on them. In other words, Jesus didn’t say, “Okay, kids, come on, gather around.” Do a quick object lesson. Make a sock puppet. Give a blessing. And say, “Now go ahead, go on your way back home.” He was completely engaged with those children at that moment in time. They had His total and complete attention. And He wasn’t going to move from there until He had an opportunity to touch and bless each and every one of them. And once that moment was gone, then He continued on towards Jerusalem. He knew how to live in the moment and turn His attention to that moment.

It’s good news for us, Friends. Because that means when we approach Jesus in prayer, He’s never too busy. He’s never preoccupied with something else. But He gives you His total and complete attention. He is completely engaged and listening intently to whatever it is you want to talk about. Jesus turns His attention to the moment.

If we’re going to live in the moment, we have to turn our attention to the moment. That means if we’re at work, then we’re fully engaged at work but when we’re home, we have to learn to be fully engaged at home. When we’re with our spouse and with our kids and with our friends, with our neighbors, we have to learn to be fully engaged, fully present and turn our attention to that moment and not let it slip by. That’s how you live in the moment.

We live in the moment when we turn the when into now. You see, so often we live in this idea of “when something happens, then we’ll do such and such.” When these circumstances come about and when everything is all set, then we’ll do this thing we’ve been meaning to do. We live in the when and then, instead of turning that when into now. So, in other words, we say, “You know, when the kids get older and they move out of the house and they go off to college, then we’ll reconnect as a couple and we’ll work on our marriage.” We’ll say, “When my career finally gets established and we’re all set, then I’ll re-engage with the family and I’ll spend some time with the kids.” We say, “When we get a larger home, then we’ll host a small group in our house.” We say, “When we’re more financially set, then we’ll start giving back to God and worshiping Him with our offerings.” We live in the when and the then. We wait until all the circumstances are just right and then we do something. We have to turn the when into now and stop waiting for the circumstances to be right, waiting for the stars to align but act now. Jesus lived in the moment. He didn’t do the when, then. It was always now.

If we go ahead just a little bit in time as Jesus is heading out, still down to Jerusalem, there is another place where He is in the moment. It says this, “As Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. Two blind men were sitting on the roadside. And when they heard Jesus was going by, they shouted, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.’” Now get this, “The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet. But they shouted all the louder, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.’ Jesus stopped and called to them, ‘What do you want me to do?’ He asked. ‘Lord,’ they answered, ‘we want our sight.’ Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately, they received their sight and followed Him.” Jesus didn’t live in the when, then. He didn’t say, “When this crowd is dispersed, then I’ll go over and see what these gentlemen need.” He didn’t say, “When I return back to Jericho someday, then I’ll see if I can help them.” He didn’t say, “When you get to heaven, then you’ll have your eyesight back.” He lived in the now. He stopped, walked over to the men and immediately they received their sight. Jesus lives in the now, not in the when, then.

And Jesus doesn’t play the when, then game with us either. Jesus doesn’t say, “When you start living right, then I’ll love you.” Jesus doesn’t say, “When you start making a greater effort to follow me, then I’ll forgive you.” Jesus doesn’t live in the when, then. Jesus says, “I love you now.” Jesus says, “I forgive you now.”

We have to turn the when into now. Now is the time to be reconnected to your spouse. Now is the time to be re-engaged with your family. Now is the time to start that small group. Now is the time to start worshiping God with our tithes and our offerings. Now is the time. We’re going to leave behind the when, then because if we’re going to live in the moment and not lose those moments, we have to turn when into now.

The third thing we have to do if we’re going to live in the moment is we have to turn our intentions into actions. Intentions mean nothing. We can have all the best intentions in the world but if we never act upon them, they mean absolutely nothing.

We get a word of wisdom from James. James says this, “Anyone then who knows the good that he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” Did you catch that? He’s not just saying that when you do something wrong, you’re sinning. He says anyone who knows the good he’s supposed to do and then doesn’t do it, sins. When we know what we’re supposed to do but we simply just don’t follow through on it, scripture calls that sin. That’s these intentions which mean nothing. The saying is true. The road to hell is paved with all kinds of good intentions. I can have the best intentions of the world but nothing will change unless I act upon them. I can have every intention of the world that I’m going to start taking care of this body God has given to me and I’m going to start eating right and I’m going to start exercising. I’m going to start doing things I need to do to live healthy but if I never do it, nothing changes.

I can have every intention of the world that I’m going to grow in my relationship with God. I’m going to start reading my bible every day. I’m going to join a bible study group. I’m going to be more regular in worship. I can have all the intentions in the world but if I never put them into action, nothing changes. The road is paved with good intentions. Intentions have to get translated into action. Jesus had more than just good intentions. Jesus put them into action.

Let’s move ahead a little bit in His life. Jesus is at the Garden of Gethsemane. He’s been praying there and now all of a sudden the guards, the chief priests and all that come to arrest Him. You might recall, Peter whips out his sword and cuts off the ear of this one guy because he’s going to fight them all off. It’s not going to happen. Jesus stops him and rebukes him and then Jesus says this, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” But hear this, “But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled? Jesus had more than just good intentions. He didn’t just intend to someday redeem mankind. He didn’t just intend to lay down His life as a substitute for ours. Jesus put it into action. It was a willful act on His part. It was a choice He made. He allowed them to arrest Him. He allowed them to beat Him and mock Him and spit upon Him. He allowed them to nail Him to the cross knowing that at any moment, in a split second, if He says the word, twelve legions of angels will be dispatched and come to His aid. But Jesus more than just intended to give His life for you. He did it. He did it. He sacrificed Himself so you could live. More than just intentions but action.

My friends, it’s time for us to move from intentions into action. It’s time for us to stop just intending to live the new life that God has graciously given us and to start living it, to stop planning about and thinking about and someday, one day, that’s when I’m going to start doing this and I’m going to start doing that. It’s time to do it. It’s time to hold this life God has given to us as precious and every moment, every day is a gift. And on top of that, He gives us the gift of a new life and the promise of an eternal life. So it’s time to stop just having the intention of living the new life God has given to us and let’s put it into action. Let’s live in the moment and not let even the split second slip by because every minute is a gift from God. And we want to enjoy and use that gift. That means we need to live in the moment. We have to turn our attention to that moment and be engaged in whatever it is we’re doing to truly be present with family and friends. It means we have to turn the when into now and stop waiting for all the circumstances to align and act now. And it’s time to take our good intentions and put them into action. It’s time to live in the moment. And then, my friends, you will know what it is to live life to the full. Amen.

Copyright 2008 Gloria Dei Lutheran Church