A homily about rollercoasters and God’s call on your life, with a slight nod to a favorite Stevie Wonder/Red Hot Chili Peppers song.  

I *love* roller-coasters. For as long as I can remember the highlight of many a summer excursion was heading to a local amusement park and getting on the biggest, baddest, tallest, fastest, craziest, zaniest of roller coasters I could find.

Whether it was signing up for a youth group trip, or bugging a friend, girlfriend, or spouse, I’d go with just about any partner-in-crime willing to trek along for the ride. And I still do.

In line waiting your turn there’s this built-in anticipation of watching others yell, scream, and raise their hands in the air, and being reminded that your turn is coming up next.

The ride itself, of course, is where the real thrills are. Slowly inclining to the top, then stopping for a moment at the precipice, and then hurdling down a steep slope with increasing velocity, well, that’s about as good as it ever gets for this particular guy.

After the ride is complete, with blood pumping and with sweat glands draining, you then get to compare experiences with anyone willing to listen. Can you believe that drop? My glasses almost fell off! Boy was that ride rickety! Do you want to go on it again? Or instead try something new! The burst of endorphins from a good roller coaster ride is a thrill that few life experiences can top.

Vacation
Last week our family went on vacation to Orlando. While there you could easily guess where we spent some time…DisneyWorld, of course! I found myself getting pumped up for the rides all over again, thinking YES, here we go! Even better, my wife also loves roller coasters; she’s a catch, I’m telling you. And to both our delights our two children love them too.

Even better, for this Disney trip our four-year-old son is now tall enough to get on most of the coasters, so he had lots of firsts. For each new ride we’d describe what was coming up as best we’re able, and watch as he, and we, got energized to experience the upcoming thrills.

Then, near the end of the day, something funny happened. While in the Magic Kingdom I noticed after riding Splash Mountain that, after all that pent-up excitement of the previous roller coasters, that this one, for some reason, didn’t seem to hit me the way it used to. I’ve been on that ride at least a half dozen times over the past fifteen years, hmm.

Maybe that’s it.

Maybe the excitement is waning.

Maybe my sense of thrill is starting to go.

And that’d be a major bummer.

But then I noticed, a little more closely my young son, and how he experienced that same ride. His hair was all windblown, his arms still in the air, still screaming from excitement, his face awash in a warm, glowing expression. “THAT WAS THE BEST RIDE EVER!!!” he exclaimed.

And I knew it to be true.

“Which one are we going on next?” he asks. I was thrilled to see him so excited.

I also knew, in that moment, that something within me had changed.

I had gone from seeking personal satisfaction – roller coasters still thrill me – to instead finding joy in encouraging, partnering and sharing in these thrills with our two children.

I took this new mindset with me for the rest of our family vacation – we hit Epcot and Legoland later in the week – and have to say it really was thrilling to watch our kids enjoy the amusement parks as much as they did.

Calling
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But it has everything to do to with our calling, the spiritual gifts we’ve been given, and what we do with those gifts.

We all have different God-given gifts; where you find passion, purpose and joy is as unique as your fingerprint.

Ephesians 4 outlines several of the gifts God gives; to some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, some teachers. I’d extend this a little farther, pulling from 1 Corinthians 13, and add that some are gifted with wisdom, some with faith, some with the gift of philanthropy.

And when we use those gifts, the result can be nothing less than thrilling.

As we age tho sometimes the excitement we get from using these gifts can wane.

Preparing for this sermon as wasn’t as exhilarating as when I prepared my first message four years ago.

Going to rock concerts these days, personally, doesn’t bring as much excitement as it did when first experiencing them as a teenager.

Riding the Splash Mountain rollercoaster last week wasn’t the same high it was when I first rode it 15 years ago. And yes, I think a sense of adventure could be considered a spiritual gift. ?

Keep On And
To quote the Stevie Wonder song, Higher Ground, which was also excellently covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers –

Teachers, keep on teaching.
Preachers, keep on preaching.
Believers, keep on believing.
For it won’t be too long – oh no.

But then, take it a step further. Next, instill your passions in the generations that follow.

Teachers, keep on teaching. But don’t forget to experience the thrill of watching your students make that first big connection.

Preachers, keep on preaching. But don’t forget to look for other, future preachers. Help, encourage, and instill, in them, the same passions that drive you.

Believers, keep on believing. But don’t stop there. Be also evangelizers. Share your faith, and the joy it brings you, with everyone you know.

Servers, keep on serving, both here, and in the community. But don’t stop there, invite others to serve alongside you. Let them see the life that it brings, both in you, and in those you serve.

Givers, keep on giving. And I mean this, I really do, without your financial gifts this fine congregation would be no more. But be also teachers, sharing with others how God has blessed you, by blessing others, with your monetary gifts. Share your passion for philanthropy, and what can be done, in God’s name, to re-align this world as God intends.

Close
For when we do, the spiritual gifts that thrill us will never wane. Instead they will be deeply rooted for generations to come. This then helps us to become one body, and one Spirit, just as we are called to the one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

The realization of being intimately part of that, my friends, never loses its luster. The realization, of actively taking part in Gods call on your life, just may be the most thrilling thing of all.  Amen.