Dear Christian friends:

I grew up in Westminster, California on a small farm. Since we were only five miles from Huntington Beach we used to go to the beach about once a week during the summer. I myself never became much of a surfer, but I remember going out on the pier and watching the boys and young men catch a wave on their surf boards and ride to the shore. This was in the twenties and thirties when they used the long and heavy boards.

You may not realize it, but riding a surf board on a powerful wave and soaring like an eagle on a strong wind current have much in common. One thing they have in common is that they have to wait a lot. The eagle has to wait for the right wind current to come and the surfer for the right wave. We Christians also have to wait on the Lord a lot.

Our texts talks about us soaring on wings like eagles. So this morning, I want to talk about


There are three lessons we can learn from the eagle and surfers:

1. Don't enjoy the waiting;
2. Acknowledge the source of power;
3. Don't be discouraged.

Don't enjoy the waiting! It's not the purpose of eagles just to sit on a limb or on the cleft of a mountain. It's also not the purpose of a surfer just to sit on his board out beyond the waves enjoying the cool and the chatter between the surfers. And its not the purpose of a Christian to sit around not doing kingdom work. (Ephesians 2:10)

So we see that God has created us to soar. As individual Christians we know that God has a plan for our lives, so that our lives make a difference and give glory to Him.

God also has a plan for our congregation. A plan that will give glory to Him and be a blessing to our community. Our pastor and the leaders of our congregation are aware of this and have been sharing their vision with all of us via the Epic Vision endeavor. We are about to begin the building of new facilities so that we may take up new outreach ministries.

At this time we are not sure as to what specific ministries God may lead us. It might be a ministry to those with developmental disabilities. It could be a ministry to those with mental illness. (Refer to the June/July issue of the "Lutheran Witness"). Regardless the ministries will be about the Good News of God's love in Jesus Christ for sinners. At this time we are waiting to soar with the Gospel of salvation.

However, we should not enjoy the waiting. Eagles don't enjoy the waiting. They are made to soar and dive on their prey. Surfers do not enjoy waiting for the huge swell which will become the crashing breaker to carry them to the beach. They're always on the lookout and ready to paddle quickly to be in the right position to catch the wave and ride it to the shore.

Surfers live to surf; eagles live to soar. We Christians should be living to soar also. When waiting we need to be on the lookout for opportunities to soar. We need to be ready to fly when the wind current hits. We should be frustrated and complain to God when there is no wind current enabling us to soar.

Israel complained to God, saying "My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God." (verse 27b) Then God told them that in His own good time and way He would cause those who hope in Him to "soar as on eagles wings."

This leads us to the second lesson we may learn from the eagle and the surfer, namely, that we must trust in the Lord for the power and strength to soar. The eagle wastes a lot of energy if it "flaps" itself off a tree limb. Surfers waste a lot of energy catching a weak wave. Both eagles and surfers are lifted to their heights by a power outside themselves. Likewise we kingdom workers are enabled by a power outside ourselves, the power of God in Christ.

Those who trust in their own selves, in their own sufficiency in their services conflicts and burdens will utterly fail and fall. (verse 30)

In our text Isaiah says, "Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall,"(verse 30). And he doesn't just mean those young in years, but all those regardless of age who are novice Christians, who depend mostly on their own flawed thinking and strength, who don't wait on the Lord.

I'm sure that we all at one time or another have experienced these false starts, these failures and discouragements in the course of our service and ministries. I must confess that I have at times failed to pray and wait on the Lord and all my great plans and work accomplished nothing.

I thought that I knew it all and could succeed on my own. After many failures I saw the folly of trusting in my own wisdom and strength, of not waiting on the Lord.

But those who wait on the Lord, who are conscious of their duty to Him, and by faith rely on Him, and commit themselves to His guidance, will not fail. (Read verse 31) Just as the current of air permits an eagle to soar, just as the power of the wave allows a surfer to speed to the shore so the power of the Holy Spirit inspiring us through the Word and the Sacraments enables us to soar for our God.

We will have grace sufficient for our work and service. Our strength will be renewed as our work is renewed. We will be anointed, our lamps will be supplied with fresh oil as the five wise virgins waiting for the bridegroom. God will be our strength every morning as we pray each day: "O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of stress." (Isaiah 33:2)

If at any time we have been foiled and weakened, we will recover ourselves, and so renew our strength. God will supply us strength and wisdom as our office or work requires. Whom God calls He supports! We will have strength to labor, strength to wrestle with God in prayer, strength to resist temptation, strength to bear the burden. Our yoke will be easy and light. (Today's Gospel) As the day so shall our strength be.

When we acknowledge that the source of our power is outside ourselves, from God by the Holy Spirit who comes to us through the Gospel Word and Sacraments, we shall soar on wings like eagles.

However, this does not mean that we will be soaring constantly and at our own will. We will soar when God sends the strong current. Like the eagle and the surfer there are days of calm, no soaring wind currents and no surfing waves. So we must not be discouraged in the waiting to soar.

In the waiting we could be discouraged in a variety of ways. We might experience some false starts, attempting to do ministries which God does not have in mind for us to do. (Tell of your experience at Pilgrim, attempting to start a Sunday School for deaf children.) I felt like Israel, (read verse 27) Many of you, no doubt, felt the same way when you had to shut down your school ministry. What a gut wrenching experience that must have been. You probably felt as Israel at that time.

In the past our congregation has enjoyed the blessings and benefits of waiting on the Lord. You must have done some soaring fifty years ago. Our ministry of music is an outstanding example of this. When Ferol and I moved here to Covina two years ago and were looking for a church to join we, of course, made the rounds visiting the various congregations in this area. But when we experienced the music here at St. John's we just had to join. I have preached in many of the churches in Los Angeles county and beyond and have never found one so blessed with talented musicians. The ministry of music here at St. John is soaring on wings like eagles, thanks be to God!

We have indeed seen God's blessing upon our years of waiting upon Him. However, I want to remind you that we're still waiting. God has done some truly great things among us and through us during the past years, but the greatness of God is found in the fact that He is not through with us yet! While we are much more hopeful and encouraged than we were a few years ago, we're still waiting on God. For what, we're really not sure, but our awesome God is a God of hope and new life. Even now as we launch out on our Epic Vision endeavor, He is working out His plan for us in our midst.

So, brothers and sisters in Christ, take these words of Isaiah to heart. Take these lessons learned from the eagle and from surfers to heart. Together, let us continue to wait to soar!

Amen.