Walking in the Footsteps of a Dreamer

January 19, 2003

The Rev. Dr. Anthony J. Godlefski, Pastor

Montgomery United Methodist Church

Joel 2: 28-29 

Luke 2: 22-32

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, good morning! You know, this weekend we pause to remember a great American, a great saint of God, a great Christian minister. His name, of course, is Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now, if I were to ask you, of all the wonderful speeches Dr. King made and all the things he said, if there was one thing, one phrase that comes to mind when you think of Dr. King, what phrase would that be?

[Everyone speaking together: “I have a dream.”] Yes indeed: “I have a dream.” Dr. King had a dream that children would walk together. Dr. King had a dream that people would get along with one another. Dr. King had a dream that people would be able to see beyond the exterior to the interior, to the creation, the spark of God that He put into each and every one of us. That was Dr. King’s dream! He felt it was not yet a reality, but he had a dream, and he proclaimed it with great courage and great energy and great bravery.

I’m inviting us to think of Dr. King this morning as not simply a historical figure who did great things in his day. I’m inviting us to think of Dr. King as a living energy, because the thoughts he had were living energy. They help us today as much as they did back then. I’m inviting each of us to become a dreamer. I am inviting each of us to walk in the footsteps of a dreamer, Dr. King. But not only in the footsteps of Dr. King – in the footsteps of the greatest dreamer of all, the One whom Dr. King pointed to repeatedly and unashamedly, his Lord, your Lord, my Lord, Jesus Christ. I invite us all today to walk in the footsteps of a dreamer and to dream big dreams, too.

What does it mean to have a dream? To have a good dream? To have a dream that comes from God means to have an idea, a concept in mind, something that will bless you and will bless those around you, whether it be nearby or the whole world. A good dream is one that leaves the earth a better place than when we found it. A good dream is one that has its origin and source in God. A good dream is something that leaves the world better, something that leaves the world lovelier, that leaves the world a better place to be. That’s a good dream, and that’s the challenge before each of us as Christians.

The prophet Joel says this: “Thus saith the Lord, in those days I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your young persons will have visions, and your older persons will dream dreams, men and women alike.” What foresight! What an exciting challenge!

In the Gospel reading, we heard about old Simeon. He was an older man, but the Bible says he was a good man and he loved God. And Simeon had a dream. Simeon had a dream that God would send from heaven a special someone that would be the culmination of Israel’s search and a light for the Gentiles for the rest of us. One person, two big tasks. And he had another dream, and the dream told him, “Simeon, go to the temple today, because He’s here.” And Simeon went, and he saw Mary and Joseph. They were holding the baby, and Simeon just knew that this was the One.

“May I hold Him?” And they put the baby in Simeon’s arms. Simeon looked up to heaven and said, “Lord, let thou now thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, the hope of Israel, and the One to lighten the Gentiles.” Lord, my life is complete, my dream has come true, and I’m holding Him! And Simeon’s life was complete, and his dream did come true.

Do you have a dream?

“Oh, Pastor, what a question! Well, I think I did, but it kind of got lost. It got buried under a pile of tasks. It got covered over with the dust of errands. It got squashed with fear.”

My invitation to you, dear friends, is to dust off your dreams. Go back in the archives and dust them off, because God has wonderful plans for you. Dare to dream a big dream. It’s God’s call. It’s what makes life exciting. No matter what your heartbreak, no matter what you’ve been through, no matter how disappointed you may have been, it’s not too late to dream. “Your young people shall see visions; your older people shall dream dreams.” It’s not too soon, and it’s not too late. Now is the time to think big, to dream big.

Dream big for your church; dream big for your world; and dream big for you.

Dream big for your church. I was talking with one of our members not long ago, and he said to me, “You know how good things get started in a church? Somebody stands up and says, ‘I have an idea.’” Isn’t that wonderful? That’s how things get started.

I had a conversation with a dear lady who is still my friend. She was the chair of the Administrative Board in my very first church. We had this conversation twenty-some years ago. I said to her, “What’s your fondest dream for this church? What’s your fondest hope for its future?”

She said, “Oh, oh, I guess my fondest dream is that we muddle through somehow.” I knew I had my work cut out for me! Friends, listen: muddling through somehow, sometimes, is the bravest thing you can do. And most of us have been there. It’s the fine art of putting one foot in front of the other, and sometimes it is the bravest thing a person can do. But let’s not make it a lifestyle! Friends, the clock is ticking, the meter is running, and the sand is running through the hourglass. Let’s not just muddle through! Let’s ask God what God’s dreams are for this church. Let’s dream it, and let’s say, “I’ve got an idea.” Let’s move forward bravely. Dream big dreams for your church.

Dream big dreams for your world. Have you read the newspapers and the headlines lately? There are such things going on in the news, it’s enough to make you despair. Things are happening in North Korea and … it’s unthinkable. It’s enough to make you say, “What’s a person to do?” What can we do in the face of all this? It can make us feel helpless. Don’t let it make you feel helpless, because there is something you can do, Christian. You can pray, and you can dream. And that’s where good things start. You can say, “I’ve got an idea that’s bigger and better than what’s going on in that part of the world, and I’m going to pray to God for it.” Prayer has power. And you never know when God might call you to do something that’s going to fit into the overall scheme of things and make the world a better place.

How many of you are worried about the Berlin Wall today? I’m not either. It’s amazing, because I worry about a lot of things. But I’m not worried about the Berlin Wall today. Thirty years ago, we were really worried about the Berlin Wall. It was a tinderbox. It was explosive. People were getting killed. But then, one day, the Berlin Wall fell. And now it’s a thoroughfare, and you can buy souvenirs there.

You know why I think it fell? I think it fell because people prayed. People said, “I have an idea that’s bigger than that. May that wall fall, and may the ideas behind the division fall.” And they did, praise God! So don’t feel helpless; there are things we can do, as a community and as people who pray. Pray for your world. Dream big.

And friends, pray for you. Ask God what God’s dreams are for you. It’s important. I’ve talked with some of you, especially over the last month or so, and your burdens and heartbreaks are real. But don’t give up! It’s hard, but it’s not hopeless. God still has a dream for you. God still has something for you to do, something important and something good. Make enough room in your dream for God to fit in. Whether it’s a personal tragedy or a business concern, let God’s dreams breathe through you and lighten you, lift you up. God has a plan for you.

Can I read just a few things from Dr. Schuller’s Pearls of Power?

“May your thinking be big enough for God to fit in. You can go anywhere from where you are, if you are willing to dream big and work hard. Nothing is impossible; some things just take a little longer than others…Most people fail to dream because creative desires, daring dreams, and dynamic imaginings are killed before birth by a subconscious fear of failure…The dream that comes from God calls us to fulfill His will by taking an active part in His Kingdom.”

Oh, dear friends, the call is clear. My prayer is that one person that may have read this with a spirit of despair and brokenness may go forth now knowing that God has a dream for him or her. May there be a glimmer of hope in your heart as you move into this day and this week. Dream big, because God is blessing you now, because God loves you. I do, too. Have a wonderful week. Amen.