THAT CAN-DO
ATTITUDE
Jeremiah 23:23-29; Hebrews 11:29-2; Luke 12:49-59
“You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the
appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the
present time?”
 |
| the Can Do |
Before The Perfect Storm, there was the 1978 blizzard that lashed the
Massachusetts coast with blinding snow, 90-mile-per-hour winds and 40-foot
waves. Into the juggernaut sailed the small pilot boat Can Do and its crew of five civilians on a doomed
mission to assist two other vessels imperiled by the storm. As in The Perfect
Storm, all hands were lost; but since the Can Do sank only a few agonizing miles from shore, there are records of terse
radio transmissions to help the author recreate their last desperate hours.[1]
Perhaps most of
us here have stories to tell, or at least memories to share, of the Blizzard of
’78. I remember parts of the storm well—the National Guard came into Gloucester
to dig us out; no one was allowed to drive, even if your road had been cleared—you
had to walk everywhere you wanted to go. I remember not having to go to school
in Boston for several days—that was awesome.
And I remember
the Can Do, a pilot boat from
Gloucester, and the story of how its captain and crew headed out beyond the
breakwater the night of the storm on a mission to do whatever they could to
assist in the rescue of the men aboard the storm-split tanker, Global Hope, and
the floundering Coast Guard Cutter sent to assist that ship. The Captain of the
Can Do, Frank Quirk, was known for his heroics; he was always saying, “I’ll
give it my best shot.”
People who earn
their livings from the sea are experts at reading the skies and sensing omens
in the wind. They had to be, for their lives depended on this skill. There was
no room for false prophecies, as we heard from the passage in Jeremiah. Forecasting
the weather is not as easy as reciting a poem: “Red sky at night, sailors’
delight; red sky at morning sailors take warning.” Navigating a stormy sea can be extremely stressful.
In a matter of a few hours 7 foot waves became 70-foot walls of water that
February night in 1978. There’s nothing quaint or poetic about the water or the
weather.
There’s nothing
really quaint or predictable about Jesus, either. Luke tells us the Lord is
stressed out—all of us can identify with him, can we not. We’ve been there…and
Jesus has been there, too. Part of Jesus’ stress was the anticipation of his
death, his baptism by crucifixion that he knew was looming just over heaven’s
horizon.
Jesus’ stress is
exacerbated, though, by the observable laissez-faire attitude of the crowds. He
is so frustrated with them that he calls them Hypocrites! He said, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you
immediately say, ‘It’s going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the
south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens.
Why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”
In other words, Jesus is telling them that God
is about to do something new, huge and life-changing right under their noses,
and unless they start reading the signs of the times and get on board with it,
they will be left behind, alone to face their maker. God’s judgment is imminent. Death looms. They were in danger, and they
didn’t even know it.
Captain Frank
Quirk and his crew of friends, Charlie Bucko, Don Wilkinson, David Curley and
Kenny Fuller all knew that they were in danger when they set out from
Gloucester for Salem Sound that late afternoon in February; death loomed. Yet,
they headed out anyway; they were willing to give this rescue mission their
best shot: they had that Can Do attitude—not the idea that they were going to
be just fine despite the danger, but the deeply committed love and
determination to do their part, whatever they could, to save fellow mariners
from being swallowed forever by the sea, from having their names added to the
more than 5000 engraved for eternity on the Fisherman’s Memorial, which stands still,
overlooking Gloucester Harbor.
Captain Frank and his Can Do crew sacrificed
their lives during the Blizzard of ’78. Christ gave his life to save us from
sin and death so that we will not perish but have everlasting life with God. Are
we willing to take risks, to do what it takes, to give Christ our best shot to
lift up this Church, His church? If we are willing, then we must become experts
of that Can Do Attitude. It is time to look at the horizon, feel the direction
of the wind, study the skies of faith. It is time to be baptized with Christ
into the fire of a whole new beginning for His Church, our church.
A
great opportunity has appeared on our horizon, friends. Our Church Council has
interpreted its meaning as one of hope; the forecast is all about
transformation. The signs of our present time include new life, new beginnings.
I
mentioned to you last Sunday that the Council was to meet with a leader of the
Hope Partnership for Transformational Ministry on Tuesday evening. We held a
conference call with Matt Rosine, the Minister of Congregational Development
from the Partnership.
Matt spent an
hour with us expertly answering the many thoughtful questions about what the
Hope Partnership New Beginnings program has to offer churches just like ours.
When
the call was over, we talked for quite a while more. And we decided to head out
into the open water of New Beginnings. We have adopted that Can Do attitude,
willing to give the church our best shot, and we very much want all of you to
be a part of what’s coming over Heaven’s Horizon for us. We need leaders and
followers; we need support, love and prayers. We need everyone to own their
part of the voyage so that our mission will be amazing, passionate, life-giving
and God-glorifying. We need YOU on board with that Can Do Attitude.
Of course, there
may be stormy seas ahead, but we are confident that our Savior, Jesus, will
pilot us through whatever dangerous
shoals we may encounter during this voyage to new hope, renewed faith, amazing
opportunities to serve God. By faith, like our ancestors, we will set out with
God into a new beginning. As of today, the destination is not yet revealed, but
we can trust the Lord to see us through, for God has a great purpose for us, I
just know it. I feel it. I see the signs all around us.
The Council has
interpreted the signs of our times accurately, and they are about to lead us on
a tremendous journey to turn this ship around. Will you get on board with us,
leave the shores of laissez faire church life and become a partner in the transformation
of First Parish Federated Church? Please say, “Yes!” New life looms; God’s
blessings are imminent. Praise God for the council’s leadership; praise God for
those who will come forward to serve with that Can Do attitude. Praise God for
New Beginnings! The forecast for our future is now extremely bright! Amen.
August 18, 2013/First Parish Federated
Church of South Berwick, ME/The Reverend Donna Lee Muise, Pastor
[1]
Publishers Weekly review of Ten Hours
Until Dawn: The True Story of Heroism and Tragedy Aboard the Can Do, by Michael Tougias.
