An elderly lady had finished her shopping and, upon returning to her car, found four young men in the act of getting into her vehicle.  She dropped her shopping bags and drew a handgun from her purse, and shouted at the top of her voice, "I have a gun, and I know how to use it!  Now get out of that car!"  The four men got out and ran like the wind.  The lady, somewhat shaken, loaded her shopping bags into the back seat and tried to insert her keys to start her car.  She tried and tried, but couldn't, and then realized why.  A few minutes later, she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down.  She drove to the police station, told the sergeant who couldn't stop laughing.  He pointed to another room where four pale young men were reporting a car jacking by a crazy, elderly woman carrying a large handgun.  Fortunately, no charges were filed.

          It seems to me there are a lot of people running around these days, acting as if their very lives are being stolen by crazed people.  "If he gets elected, what will we do?" we cry.  "The economy will fail!  Terrorists will get us!  The world will hate us!  The courts will run us over."  Frankly, I think we all need to take a deep breath, and remember who's in control of this world.  Our God is not asleep.

          And let's all be sure about one thing:  No matter who gets elected, America is stronger than we think, and if we all just do our duty, meaning we pray and then vote our consciences, I believe we will be surprised what the Lord has in store for us, regardless of what the outcome may be.  I am not yet ready to concede that the entire future of America is hanging in the balance of this election.  It's important, but God is still in control.

          On this Reformation Sunday, let me give you my personal "Voter's Guide."  This is what I believe to be important as Christians.  I've gone to the Bible for these "Ten Bits of Wisdom" to take along when you vote.

          (1) God has given us a standard of truth that we'd better follow.  (2) Marriage is between one man and one woman.  (3) Human life from conception to the grave is a gift of God.  (4) Human wisdom is a blessing, but it must never override God's wisdom.  (5) Those who have much should help those who have little.  (6) Church and state are separate, but when the two worlds collide, we must obey God first.  (7) All people should live by the tenets of their faith, including elected officials.  (8) Be careful you don't believe all the world tells you.  (9) Never forget who created you, and  (10) For better or for worse, all rulers come from God.

          Those ten are all biblical, and you might be saying, "Who can disagree with those?"  Actually, many do and that's their right.  The important thing is that we follow God's directives, the best we can, in all of life.  I pray Christians will make choices according to biblical standards, not just opinion or party line.

          Today's scripture text has an interesting metaphor - living stones.  Stones are lifeless and hard, but through the miracle of faith in Christ, God can make living stones out of sinful, hardened people.  Side by side with other living stones, we form a living temple.  It's not by our own reason or strength that this happens, but by the blood of Christ shed on Calvary.  His sacrifice makes us acceptable to God, and by His wounds we are healed.  And being healed, we become living stones in God's temple, a holy priesthood who "declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9)

          Stones come in all sizes and shapes, especially in the Holy Land.  Houses are built of stone and graves cut out of rock.  Jerusalem is built on a limestone hill, and much of the rich Israeli farmland is made up of decomposing granite.  Rocks are used for everything, from furniture to weapons.  Old Testament civil laws allowed for stoning people, and sadly, young men these days throw stones at each other in a tragic conflict of passionate hatred.

          Stones were once used to build altars to honor God.  In the early days of the Old Testament, whenever God did something amazing, the people set up "standing stones" as primitive but lasting memorials to recall forever what God did in that place.  Still today you can find dozens of tall standing stones at high places crucial to Hebrew history.  We may no longer know exactly why they're there, but we know they're about God.  Yes, many are just tourist attractions and show how easily we forget what God has done for us.  But stones and rocks will ever remind us of God's actions in human history.

          The New Testament is rich in rock imagery, and it nearly all points to Jesus.  In today's lesson He is called the Living Stone "rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him." (1 Peter 2:4)   St. Paul calls Him the Corner stone on which the apostles have built the church (Ephesians 2:20).  He's also called a Stumbling Stone that causes the enlightened people of this world to trip and fall over their worldly wisdom (Romans 9:32).  St. Peter calls Jesus the Capstone of the Arch, the one that holds the rest of the stones in place (1 Peter 2:7).  In summary, Jesus is the Rock of our Salvation who shed His blood that we might be forgiven.

          And we, too, are called stones, "living stones" made alive by the blood of Jesus Christ.  We, too, are "standing stones" that testify to the grace and mercy of God in our lives.  And so St. Peter calls us "living stones, being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood."  We are all part of the walls that make up the church of God.  Then let's stand strong and steady, so the church will be strong and steady.

          Over the years I have held many graveside services at Ft. Logan National Cemetery, where there are thousands of marble standing stones, each honoring a fallen soldier.  Ft. Logan is a peaceful yet moving place, and the sight of all those white marble headstones never fails to grip me.  Some are for those who fell in battle, but most honor men and women who died later on.  Each stone stands for a life, and I often wonder what kind of life is behind each name, rank and service branch etched on it?

          And then silently, within my heart, I wonder what my own headstone will represent.  And in years to come when you have a stone standing over your final resting place, what kind of life will it represent?  Will yours be a life of service or of selfishness?  Will it be a life of faithfulness or foolishness?  Will your life have been cemented into Christ the rock, or will it have rested atop shifting sands?  I suppose it will have a little of each.  That's why the Lord Jesus must forgive us, and that's why each of us must continue to grow in the Word of God.

          Jesus told a story about two men who built their houses.  One house was built on sand and it fell.  The other house was built on rock and it stood firm.  Actually His story was about building lives.

          Will we be the wise one or the foolish one?  Will we build our lives on sand because it's easy, or will we do what is right?  No one ever said following Jesus would be easy.  But it is always worth it.

          A man received a call from his wife just as she was about to fly home from Europe.  "How's my cat?" she asked.  "Dead."  "Oh, honey, why didn't you break the news to me slowly?  You've ruined my trip."  "What do you mean?" he asked.  "You could have told me he was on the roof.  And when I called from Paris, you could have told me he was acting sluggish.  Then when I called from London, you could have said he was sick, and when I called you from New York, you could have said he was at the vet.  Then, when I arrived home, you could have said he was dead."  "OK," he said.  "I'll do better next time."  "By the way," she asked, "how's Mom?"  After a long silence, he replied, "She's on the roof."

          When these elections are over, we're all going to need some plain talk, no more shaded half-truths, no more campaign rhetoric.  And we will need people willing to stand for Jesus Christ.  "We are God's house of living stones, built for His own habitation; He through baptismal grace us owns, heirs of His wondrous salvation."  God give us all courage to speak the truth in love, and may He even more give us true faith to be living stones for Jesus, amen.

Copyright © 2004 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.