Thinking back through this past year - do you remember the importance of “dimpled chads” - “swinging chads”? This year began with the inauguration of President Bush. In 2001 there were race riots in Cincinnati - rolling blackouts here in California - Timothy McVeigh was executed - the Chinese captured one of our spy planes - in March the economy began a recession.

On September 11th - a day - events - images so indelibly etched in our minds that when we simply say 9/11 - immediately we all know what we’re talking about. On 9/11 we are all shocked by the most fatal attack on American soil in U.S. history. 2 thousand plus died. Thousands more were injured. Millions were terrorized. We’re at war against terrorists.

This has been a very difficult year. We’ve all had to work through and are continuing to work through some very serious issues. Beyond 9/11 some here have been dealing with unemployment and financial uncertainty. Some in this congregation are feeling the loss of loved ones - others prolonged illness. There are struggles at home. We all have concerns - issues we’ve been dealing with. 2001 was fast - busy - difficult. 2002 will probably be more of the same.

Which brings us to Psalm 31. Years ago a man - cornered - bruised by adversity - struggling with a low self-esteem - turned to God, and found in Him a place of rest and repair. That man was David. Listen to what David wrote of His experience with God.

Psalm 31:1-5: In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed; in Your righteousness deliver me. Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; be to me a rock of strength, a stronghold to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; for Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me. You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me; for You are my strength. Into your hands I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.

Also, look with me at verses 19 and 20: How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men! You hide them in the secret place of Your presence for the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

David’s point is basic - simple - needed for our lives each day. GOD IS OUR REFUGE.

When we need a solid rock - not just a small stone - God is our rock - our foundation of strength. He’s our fortress - not just a low wall to hide behind - but a massive - impenetrable fortress of protection. He leads us - guides us - directs us through all of the dangers of this world and those around us. He is the one who ransoms us - saves us from the penalty of our sin. In Jesus Christ God gives us salvation. David cries out to God.

Reading these verses - thinking through how David’s cry can applied to our lives today and in the year ahead - there are two thoughts of application - of encouragement - that I’d like to share.

First - WE CAN TRUST GOD WHO IS OUR REFUGE.

David shows us this in verse 5: “Into Your hand I commit my Spirit”. It’s a conscious - deliberate - act of the will. “I will turn to You. I will trust You with my life.”

On the Sunday after 9/11 churches were full - packed. As the days go on - distancing us from those terrible events - attendance is returning to where it was. God is no longer urgently needed. How soon we return to the normalcy of our lives and forget that God is the refuge we need to turn to each day.

In 1968, a routine flight bound for New York became anything but routine. Descending to the airport, the pilot realized the landing gear refused to engage. He worked the controls back and forth, trying again and again to make the gear lock down into place. Having no success, he asked the control tower for help.

The airport sprayed the runway with foam as fire trucks and other emergency vehicles moved into position. Disaster was only minutes away.

The passengers were told of each maneuver in that calm, cheery voice, that pilots manage to use at times like this. Passengers were told to place their heads between their knees and grab their ankles just before impact. It was one of those I-can’t-believe-this-is-happening-to-me experiences. There were tears - a few screams of despair. The landing was seconds away.

Suddenly the pilot announced over the intercom: “We are beginning our final descent. At this moment, in accordance with International Aviation Codes established at Geneva, it is my obligation to inform you that if you believe in God you should commence prayer.”

The belly landing occurred safely. No one was injured. The next day one of the passengers call the airline and asked about the prayer rule the pilot had quoted. Back to cool reserve, their reply was a simple “no comment.”

Amazing. The only thing that brought out into the open a deep-down “secret rule” was crisis. Pushed to the brink - back to the wall - right up to the wire - all escape routes closed - only then does our society crack open a hint of recognition that God might just be there, and “if you believe... you should commence prayer.”

What does it take to bring us to “commence prayer” - to fall to our knees and admit our need for God?

On May 18, 1980 Mt. Saint Helens in Washington State erupted. It’s hard to forget those awesome pictures of smoke and ash rising thousands of feet into the air - 1,000 feet of the mountain’s summit blown away - miles of desolation blasted out of a once living forest - 57 people dead - hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. When I lived in Portland every day I would look at that sheered off mountain - the top as flat as a table top - and wonder at the explosive force which shaped it.

A reporter for a local television station was in near the crater when Mt. St. Helens irrupted. He came back with pictures and sound track of his own personal nightmare. With the camera and mike on the reporter literally ran for his life. The pictures were blurred and murky. Amidst panting - and gagging - coughing - and gasping for air - this reporter cried out to directly to God - no formalities - no cliches - no memorized prayers - just the despairing cry of a man in crisis.

Things like, “Oh my God! Oh, Lord God, get me through. God, I need you, please help me. I don’t know where I am. It’s too hot, so dark, help me, God! Please! Oh, God!”

We may mask our need - ignore it - pass it off with cool sophistication and intellectual denial. But, take away the cushion of comfort - remove the shield of safety - and we all start looking for a refuge - a place of safety.

What does David say? God is our refuge. God is our fortress. He is our strength. David says, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”

When Jesus was crucified - hanging on the cross - as He took His last breath - Jesus spoke to God, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” (Luke 23:46) That statement of trust has been echoed by many martyrs since.

Stephen, the first martyr - as he was being stoned to death - looked up into heaven and spoke to Jesus, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” (Acts 7:59) John Hus - the great reformer - being executed by the Roman Catholic church as a heretic - gazed into heaven and said, “Into Thy hands, O Lord! Do I commit my spirit.” Polycarp, Jerome, and others died with these words on their lips.

Martin Luther - who himself died with these words on his lips - Martin Luther said this, “Blessed are they who die not only for the Lord, as martyrs; not only in the Lord as believers, but likewise with the Lord, as breathing forth their lives in the words, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” - daily living trusting God.

We don’t have to wait until some great inner crisis of our soul - till martyrdom - or what may feel like martyrdom - living the Christian life under our own power and wisdom with the weight of the world crushing down on us. In every circumstance - whatever comes in 2002 - good or bad - we can commit our spirit - our lives - into the hands of the good - faithful - patient - loving God who is our refuge.

The second thought of encouragement is this - GOD HAS GIVEN US EACH OTHER FOR ENCOURAGEMENT.

David reminds us of this in verses 19 and 20 - God’s goodness is “stored up for those who fear you - those who take refuge in You. You hide them. You keep them.” David is writing this for those who will read his words - relate to his experiences - that they themselves will trust God as their refuge.

During the reign of Oliver Cromwell, the British government began to run low on silver for coins. Lord Cromwell sent his men on an investigation of the local cathedral to see if they could find any precious metal there. After investigating, they reported, “The only silver we could find is in the statues of the saints standing in the corners.”

To which Lord Cromwell replied, “Good! We’ll melt down the saints and put them into circulation!”

That’s not bad theology. Christianity is not plaster people cloaked in thin layers of untarnished silver and topped with metal halos. Christianity is real people - like us. Melted saints - humbled saints - saints being refined by God - circulating through the mainstream of humanity - bringing worth and value - encouragement and support - down where life is lived in the raw.

Listen to these words by the Apostle Paul from 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

These words were written to real people. People who were trying to live in obedience to God in the midst of a society which was persecuting Christians - faithfully serving God while continually coming up against a brick wall of opposition - real people living in very difficult circumstances. Real people who needed each other for real encouragement.

And as Paul says, they were doing it. They were willing to admit their needs to each other - willing to serve one another - and God was using them - to build each other up.

Paul says, “encourage one another.” The Greek word for “encourage” is “parakaleite”. We’re called to be “parakletes”. Which - by the way - is not a small bird. A “paraklete” is someone who is an encourager - someone who lovingly, mercifully, humbly, following the example of God towards them - comes alongside someone else and gently lifts them up - becomes their refuge and strength.

There are 6 million plus people living in the Bay Area. And, yet, sometimes we feel very much alone. Who are the people who genuinely care enough to listen - and are good at keeping our confidence? Who are those who will come to our aid and rescue? Each of us needs a paraklete. Each of us can be a paraklete.

Too often churches can be places where guilt is added. Criticism is freely given. Stress is piled on. Often people will say that they feel safer out there - in the world - than in the church. We come to church and put on our church faces because we’ve been taught by experience that that’s how you have act at church.

But, if God is our refuge - if we’ve really found our strength and security - our confidence for life in Him - the life of those who have found their refuge in God should be different. Rather than talking about each other - or neighbors - or our children - or whoever - or whatever - we should be talking about the goodness of God - His mercy - His provision - His grace. Encouraging each other from God’s blessings towards us.

The Church of Jesus Christ should be a shelter - should be a fellowship - a community of faith - where people can come and say, “I’m at the end!” “I’ve had it!” “I need help!”? The Church should be a place to hide and heal.

God is our refuge. What a wonderful reality. As we begin this year together may we trust Him - surrender our lives to Him daily - and encourage each other in His goodness.