You may have heard the saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, welcome to the club.”

In a Peanuts comic strip, Charlie Brown is complaining that his baseball team always loses. Lucy tries to console him by saying, “Remember, Charlie Brown, you learn more from your defeats than you do from your victories.” Charlie Brown replies, “That makes me the smartest man in the world.”

Most of us know what it is like to deal with failure. We have all been there at one time or another. We’re human, flesh and blood and we make mistakes. And Lucy is right, there is much to learn.

But the truth is, sometimes we won’t learn. Sometimes we look for others to blame. Sometimes we’re tempted to fall into despair or anger. Sometimes we don’t want to even acknowledge we’ve made a mistake. When we give in to these temptations, we learn nothing.

Gary Apple seems to have the ability to use humor to lessen the negative impact of a situation. He once said, “My goal was to retire when I reached 40. I’ve been partly successful – I reached 40.”

That’s a great start. When we are able to laugh at ourselves and admit defeat, we are one step closer to moving beyond it. And then, if we can allow ourselves to look honestly at the situation, chances are there will be much to learn.

I pray today for you and I, that we would trust that God will meet us – even in the midst of our failures. Amid the brokenness of his life, God spoke to the Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness.”

(2 Corinthians12:1-10)

Let us pray: Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.

In Charles Schulz’s PEANUTS cartoon, Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown are gazing over the top of a wall. Both look quite depressed. Patty says, “I need to talk to someone who knows what it’s like to feel like a fool, someone who knows what it’s like to be humiliated, someone who’s been disgraced, beaten, and degraded….someone who’s been there….” In the last frame, there are no words. Charlie Brown simply turns to Patty, arms outstretched.

We’ve all been there.

Every one of us has moments when we’ve needed someone to sympathize with us. Everyone needs someone to be near in moments of pain and struggle. They don’t necessarily need a sermon, or advice, or wise words. They just need someone to be with – a warm hug, a listening ear, a caring heart.

I hope you can be that someone for someone else – a friend, a neighbor, a loved one, a stranger. When we open our hearts to others in love, we receive way more than we give. Just think about Charlie Brown.

Let us pray: Giver of Hope, we thank you that we do not walk alone. We thank you that we don’t have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We thank you that we can cast your care on you and depend on you. We also thank you today for the gift of the faith community – others who are there to walk beside us. We pray today for all those who are desperately in need of your grace – and your presence. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

In Psalm 105 we read:

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.

Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.

Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Not only here in the Psalm – but really throughout all of scripture, there is a sense of enthusiasm – a spark of life that can’t be kept in. In a large sense, our scriptures are stories and poetry that name what God is doing and give praise for what God has done.

Notice the verbs in the Psalm: give thanks, make known, sing, glory, rejoice….

It is widely believed that it was written while the community of faith was living in Exile in Babylon. This Psalm is poetry and may very well have been sung or chanted in worship from a very early time.

In fact, if we were to read this Psalm to the end, it retells the story from Abraham through the Exodus – out of Egypt – God carrying, God rescuing, God saving. We were hungry and you provided. We were oppressed and you set us free. We were thirsty and you brought water from a rock. You carried us out with joy and singing.

Now I just have to imagine that there were people in exile who heard these words, this poetry, this song who were feeling some measure of anxiety; I have to imagine there were people who were worried about their situation and who wondered, “What kind of world will our children grow up in? What will their lives be like?” I have to imagine there were people who were longing for healing: will this diagnosis; this disease, this divorce, this problem get to have the last word in my life? Or is there hope?

And I have to imagine that when this Psalm was read out loud or sung by a congregation, people would hear its overwhelming tone of joy. They would hear the witness of the community over a thousand years. They would hear this powerful reminder that God had moved in their lives in the past, a reminder that we worship a God who rescues, who redeems, who saves. And I have to imagine, these stories, these words would have to give them a measure of hope.

And that is my prayer for each of you today. That you would remember, and hold fast to hope.

Let us pray: Give us open eyes and open hearts that we might notice the beauty of your hand at work in our lives and in this world, even now. Amen.

Today’s message was written by Rev. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

A young woman stood before Beethoven’s piano in a Vienna museum. Presently she struck a few discordant notes. “I suppose,” she said to an attendant, “that many noted musicians have inspected this instrument.” “Oh, yes,” replied the man. “Recently Paderewski was here.” “Paderewski!” exclaimed the visitor. “Certainly, he must have played something wonderful.” “On the contrary, he did not feel worthy to touch it.”

Friend of Dial Hope, wherever you are, this very moment – in a hospital bed, driving to work, your home, your place of business, a payphone, a helicopter over Iraq – you are on holy ground. It is holy because God is with you! Whether your heart is smiling or sad, whether you are lonely or afraid, whether you are hurting, whether you are celebrating – God is as close to you as breathing, nearer than hands or feet. Remember, God loves you just the way you are, but God refuses to leave you there. God wants you to have a heart like his. God wants you to be just like Jesus. Let today be a day filled with joy, hope and contagious enthusiasm.

Let us pray: God of love, we await the miracle of your grace in this time of prayer. Change the chemistry of our doubts and discouragements into a willingness to live the venture of faith. Give us the spontaneous emotion of a child of faith. In the name of the risen Christ. Amen.

Today, I am deeply grateful for those of you who have supported the Dial Hope Foundation with a financial donation. Hope reaches others because of you. Thank you!

There’s an old apocryphal story about an 86-year-old woman flying for the first time. The following announcement over the plane’s intercom: “This is your captain speaking. Our number four engine has just been shut off because of mechanical trouble. However, there is nothing to worry about. We will continue our flight with three engines and will land in Chicago on schedule. Also, I have some really reassuring news for you. We have three bishops on board.” The elderly passenger, who had been listening apprehensively, called the flight attendant. “Would you please tell the captain that I would rather have four engines than three bishops.”

I would too! It’s not that I don’t respect bishops and appreciate their ministry. I do. It is just that, as a pastor, I realize that clergy get no special favors. The Lord shows no favoritism. And, whether we like it or not, understand it or not, sometimes bad things do happen even to good people.

I don’t know why that is. I just know that it is. But I do trust that God is with us – even during the most trying of times. I love the words of Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Our prayer today was written by Rev. Roger Kunkel, founder of the Dial Hope Foundation. Let us pray: O God of all precious things, who hears our pain even when tears of liquid love block our words, create in us a heart of laughter and hope. How great Thou art! Grant us the boldness to lift lazy will out of the desire for security, the paralysis of analysis, to the risk of faith, the laughter of love. God, we love you! Thank you for walking in when the rest of the world walks away. Through the amazing grace of Jesus Christ. Amen.