Terry Paul Choyce
January 14, 2007, Brunswick Street United Church
A few weeks ago Paul and I went to see an excellent movie called The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith and his true-life son, Jaden. This movie is based on the life of Chris Gardener. When the movie starts, Chris has a wife and 5 year old son. He sells portable bone scanner devices, which look like sewing machine cases. His business is not going well, to say the least. But he is a hard worker, a dedicated father, and an intelligent - but uneducated man. His wife gets fed up with having little money, and she leaves Chris and her son.
Life goes from bad to worse, when Chris decides to take a six month training program to become a stock broker. This is a very unlikely profession for an uneducated Black man to pursue in 1981. The chances of him succeeding were tiny. And he would not get paid for six months. In the process he and his son became homeless. They slept in a shelter similar to Pendleton Place, or in the bathroom in the subway station. Chris was at the bottom of his life, but he did not lose confidence in himself, and his ability to succeed. Despite all odds, and with a huge self-sacrifice, he did become a stock broker. And today, the real life Chris Gardiner is a multi-millionaire.
The moral of this story is to not give up on yourself. Even when things are at their lowest, have faith that you and God can transform your bad situation to a happy one. Bad stuff happens to everyone, but we do not have to accept rough times as our lot in life. We must flow through them, using the power that is within you to make the changes necessary to make your life better.
In our Old Testament reading Jeremiah did not think he was up to the task God asked him to do. God told him that he would put words into Jeremiah's mouth, so that he could "build and plant." There are many examples throughout the Bible where God has empowered people to do his will. God does not want us to be unhappy. Do you want your children to be unhappy? God wants us to have self-confidence and the drive to make our lives better.
Nikki De Carteret wrote a fantastic book called Soul Power. On page 7 she writes "Soul Power is the spiritual energy that is found within, rooted in the essential self and nurtured through our unfolding relationship with the Divine... The discovery of Soul Power unleashes the power of love, self-acceptance, and spiritual healing. When you tap into your Soul Power you will receive insights about yourself, your energy will increase, and you will feel more alive and alert to the joy of living." Jeremiah had to discover his Soul Power.You have to discover yours too.
In the Gospel lesson (Luke 13:10-17) Jesus heals a woman who has been bent over by an evil force for 18 years. She had faith that Jesus could heal her. Jesus had faith that he had the power to heal her as well. Her inner power merged with the Divine power of Jesus, and she stood up straight. Most of Jesus's healings were a combination of personal power and the power of the Lord. People believed they could be better, Jesus touched them, and they were healed.
Caroline Myss has written many books about self healing. In The Anatomy of the Spirit she writes "personal power is necessary for health.....Healing is an active and internal process that includes investigating one's attitudes, memories, and beliefs with the desire to release all negative patterns that prevent one's full emotional and spiritual recovery...We each need the will to begin to use energy for the creation of love, self-esteem, and health."
Caroline has proven with thousands of people, that they can heal themselves by analysing why they are sick, and then changing the thought patterns and behaviours that perpetuate the illness. Then with a combination of personal power and Divine power, healing can take place. I have met people who have had miraculous healings this way. Rev. Linda Yates, who is the minister of St. John's United Church is one of them. I will tell you her story in another sermon.
Jesus in no longer physically walking among us. But God sent the Holy Spirit to be with us always. The trinity is the Creator, the Son ,and the Holy Spirit. Inside you, and all around you, this powerful Divine force exists to make our lives better. You can use this energy to improve your life, or you can waste it. God gave you the free will to decide how you will think and how you will act. I personally choose to acknowledge and rejoice in this Divine power that is constantly available to me. I feel like I have a relationship with God which makes me capable of doing more than I could ever do alone. And for that I am so grateful.
How will you use the power of God in your own pursuit of happiness and health?
You are the ultimate authority in determining the quality and direction of your life. Live it with love and peace and self-confidence, and the whole world will bea better for it. You, my friends, have the Power.
Praise be the Lord
