Recount, Not Re-Count

Recount, Not Re-Count

 

Isaiah 63:7-9
63:7 I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD, the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, because of all that the LORD has done for us, and the great favor to the house of Israel that the Lord has shown them according to the Lord’s mercy, according to the abundance of the Lord’s steadfast love.

63:8 For God said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely"; and God became their savior

63:9 in all their distress. It was no messenger or angel but the Lord’s presence that saved them; in God’s love and pity God redeemed them; God lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

 

Happy New Year! Now, the big follow-up question—what would MAKE your New Year happy? (Take a few moments to ponder this…)

 

Maybe we start like Third Isaiah did—recounting the good deeds of God, on their—and OUR—behalf. 

 

First of all, we have to stop right there and clarify that the word is “recount,” not “re-count.” Since 2020, we Americans have had a real problem with “re-counts.” When one “high profile” candidate LOST a national election and claimed “election fraud,” all “Hades” has broken loose when a member of that particular political party loses. Not being willing to accept defeat, candidates have cried foul, and have demanded re-counts, sometimes supported by angry mobs. One man’s massive ego (“Surely I couldn’t POSSIBLY have lost!”) has led to wholesale questioning of what has typically been a highly secure election process in this country. In this most recent mid-term election, a number of candidates continued to question the integrity of the process and demanded re-counts. Result? Sorry, you actually lost, Kari Lake. Sorry, you actually lost, Dr. Oz. In all fairness, we did not see this “re-count” act from this party (or the other one) prior to “You-Know-Who” and his loss in 2020. Thankfully, the mid-terms saw a lessoning of this “re-count” behavior, and most especially the angry mobs like the ones that stormed election centers in Arizona in 2020 and the U.S. Capitol in January of 2021.

 

No, the word Isaiah 3 uses here is “recount,” which means “recall” or “remember,” but with a note of “how many times did this occur” added in. So, in your moments of pondering either the blessings of 2022, OR what would give you a Happy New Year in 2023, what did you come up with? I urge you to make an actual list of these, so the past blessings can be your “praise list” to start off 2023, and your “What would make you happy” one could be at the top of your prayer list, going forward.

 

Looking back, 2022 was my first full year as a retired person. I loved the two careers I had during my “working” years—the first, working in local cable TV program production (and some radio), and the second, 36 years as a United Methodist pastor. Both careers embraced what I consider my “best gifts,” and blessed my family and me richly. (I said “richly,” not “rich,” as neither occupation moved us up too many tax brackets!) I must say, though, that retirement has been a wonderful experience. Dara and I have not let much moss grow on our Northsides during this first year. So far, we have been on one cruise, with a second booked for February. We spent a week at Myrtle Beach, a week at Lake Erie, a week at the Chautauqua Institution (I served as chaplain at the United Methodist House during Week One of the 2022 season), and attended a Native American Immersion Experience in Oklahoma. We spent a few days at Disney and Universal Studios, Orlando, with our daughter’s family. Of course, we have made several trips to Louisville to visit our grandchildren, and to celebrate both of their birthdays. And we’ve taken several “day trips” to interesting destinations, not to mention a bunch of nice Summer drives in the Batmobile (2008 Mazda Miata convertible, jet-black, of course). 

 

We enjoy just staying home, as well. When I was appointed as lead pastor at St. Paul’s in 2014, the Sterlings left parsonage life, as that church offered a housing allowance instead of a home. We used this to purchase our first house in 37 years (we owned one shortly after we were married in 1977), a three bedroom townhouse in Adams Township, Southern Butler County. Even at home we’ve been busy, having a whole new HVAC system installed, as well as new wall-to-wall carpeting, throughout. We each have a “cave” to hang out in—Dara’s is a fully-equipped sewing/embroidery/quilting room, while mine is a nice study with many books, a computer center, a Bowflex, and a treadmill. Did I mention a comfortable Lazyboy and a big-screen TV?

 

We are thankful for all of the “perks” of retirement, the trips, and the freedom, but most of all, we are thankful for more time with family and each other. This Christmas was especially wonderful. I am writing this message from the cozy little home we rented in Middletown, KY (Louisville suburb) just a few miles from our daughter’s family. We have been able to take in many of our grandchildren’s holiday activities, as well as the incredible Christmas concert Christ Church United Methodist put on. (Our daughter played flute in the orchestra.) We have enjoyed outings and visits with our son-in-law’s parents who now live in Louisville. And to top it all off, our son, Evan, who lives in Alaska (works for the National Fire Service) and his friend, Connie, flew down to spend time with us all, too. It just couldn’t have been a much more blessed time!

 

2022 also saw another change in our family. My mother, who is now 92, broke her hip in January and moved permanently into a senior care facility in Oil City. This has been a good placement for her, as she is now getting some socialization, decent meals, and excellent care. We make frequent trips up to visit with her, as does my brother, Jay, and my brother, Jon, who lives in Oil City. We are most thankful that stellar facilities such as Oakwood Heights exist!

 

Dara and I have had a blast, so far. I am most thankful of all for her and our companionship. We celebrated 45 years of marriage in 2022, and it has all been good! I worship the ground she walks on, and am in awe of the amazing person she is. The depth of her Christian faith is far, FAR greater than my own, and an ongoing inspiration to me. She seems to appreciate that I am willing to leave her alone sometimes so she can pursue her various interests, yet I appreciate that she is not tired of me hanging around! Seriously, we function quite well independently, but deeply treasure our “together” experiences. 

 

Yes, this is what it means to “recount,” as the prophet says. While I have been listing personal blessings, are these not all directly attributable to the involvement and agency of our God? While we have been blessed to make good choices in our lives, we fully believe God has guided these, as we bathe our lives in prayer, together. And while we have “sown good seeds,” generally speaking, we know that it is God who brings the harvest. We are recipients of God’s amazing grace through our relationship with Jesus Christ—aren’t we all? 

 

Isaiah urges Israel to “recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,” citing “great favor,” mercy, abundance, and “steadfast love” as examples. And as I recounted some of my own blessings, it is with compounded awe I realize that Isaiah addresses ME in saying, “God lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.” We certainly feel the blessed effects of God “lifting us up,” especially as our “days of old” are finally here!

 

The New Year is a wonderful time to take stock of your past blessings, but it is also a good time to renew your faith in the salvation of God offered to us all. AND it is a fresh opportunity to set some new goals for the year ahead. If you haven’t already, take some time to ponder what would grant you a HAPPY New Year, as I mentioned earlier. And then make this part of your prayer list for 2023.

 

Personally, here are some of the things that would be in my HAPPY New Year. I will refine and better define my personal health activities, which are pretty random, right now. I do my “workouts” at home, but thanks to the “Silver Sneakers” program, I can join the nearby gym facility to do more than my Bowflex allows. I will walk more regularly with Dara, who is quite disciplined in this endeavor. We will continue to travel, visit more with family, and enjoy each other. These things make me very happy! I will continue to broaden my reading, will continue to write a weekly sermon and post it to this blog, and purpose to write more poems. There are a couple of other writing projects I hope to begin, so 2023 sounds like a good time to jump into those, as well. I also hope to keep this Isaiah passage as a kind of “theme verse” for the New Year, as recounting our blessings has the power to jazz up our faith. 

 

Of course, none of us is able to know what unexpected challenges the New Year may bring, and some of them could certainly be significant. Again, though, the prophet reminds us that “God became their savior in all their distress,” and that when we are “down,” God will lift us up! 

 

We have just celebrated the birth of Jesus, and have been seasonably reminded that his beginning was humble, hazardous, and was not greeted by everyone of that day as a blessing! This weekend’s passage from Matthew reminds us, too, that he and his family had to “flee” these threats. And let us not forget that for 30 years, we know almost nothing of what Jesus and his family faced, but at the least, it included the death of Joseph along the way. We also know the trials that were ahead for Jesus, including his trial and crucifixion at the hands of those who felt threatened by his live and message. And yet, what God has wrought through his life is the salvation of every human who opens her or his heart to Christ. May 2023 be a year of constant recounting of this miracle on our behalf!

 

So, here is your homework assignment: make your lists of both the blessings you “recount” from 2022, and the things that would result in a Happy New Year in 2023. Commit them both to prayer, and with much thanksgiving, believe in wonderful things! And may we all experience God’s steadfast love like never before in the New Year! Shalom, Beloved! Amen.