"The Weakest Link" - II Cor. 12:2-10 - July 6, 2003

When the television program, "The Weakest Link," first came out it was a big hit. I even got into it for awhile because I found I knew many of the answers. But, the more I watched the more I became disinterested. I felt embarrassed for the contestants who were voted off the stage. To be labeled the "weakest link" on the program seemed humiliating and degrading.

Unfortunately we live in a society that encourages a "survivor" attitude. Its all about winning, succeeding, eliminating the competition and looking out for number one. We teach and model personal self-sufficiency. Those who are weak don’t have a chance.

The Apostle Paul saw it differently. For him, weakness was a sign of strength. Paul had a thorn in his side. We don’t what it was. It could have been bad eyesight, malaria or arthritis. Paul, however accepted his limitation and in fact was grateful for it. "I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong."

Rather than boast of his achievements, Paul "boasted in his weaknesses." Paul, like any of us, had appealed to God to be free of his hardships, but God responded to Paul by saying, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness."

Power in weakness? You got to be kidding. No one wants to be the weakest link. We would rather be the winner of "Survivor." But this is exactly the paradox of the Christian faith. When we give of ourselves and lift others up, we are lifted. When we experience sorrow and suffer we experience joy. When we are last, we are first.

Rev. Barbara Leoanard tells about the time she experienced the death of her nephew. She was feeling overwhelmed and worried that she would not be able to be effective in ministry. The experience made her more sensitive to others who were hurting. The "weakness" in her enabled her to be more compassionate and effective with others who were struggling. (from Homiletics, July 2003)

A person may be in crisis but they are still capable of giving. During difficult times we are more in touch with our feelings and emotions. The more in touch we are with our inner selves the more in touch we are with others. This I believe is what God was trying to convey to Paul when God said there is power in weakness.

When Harry Day’s father died just before harry was to enter Stanford University, Harry was forced to run the family ranch instead. Life was hard. The little adobe house on the New Mexico border had no electricity or running water and was many miles away form the nearest city.

But life went on and Harry eventually married Ada Mae. When their first child was born, they traveled 200 miles to El Paso for the delivery, then brought their baby, Sandra, home to start her life with the limited resources the ranch offered.

There wasn’t even a school within driving distance. So Ada Mae did what she had to and began home schooling little Sandra at four, reading to her hour after hour every day. But Harry and Ada Mae knew that they wanted their daughter to have a college education, the one Harry had missed. So later they sent Sandra to the best boarding school they could afford.

Not only did Sandra go on to college, but in 1952 she graduated from Stanford University Law School near the top of her class. She then tried to join a law firm. At first, Sandra received only offers for legal secretary positions. She started her career in San Mateo, California, as assistant county attorney. Later, she and her husband moved to Arizona, where she built a promising law practice.

It was 29 years after Stanford that she received a phone call from Attorney General William French Smith. President Reagan had nominated Sandra Day O’Conner to be the first female justice of the Supreme Court. The rest is history. (from Chicken Soup for the Women’s Soul) There is power in weakness.

Paul states that he had a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble. He had an abundance of revelations and this acted as a reminder to keep him from being too elated. We have a natural tendency to think of thorns in the flesh as punishment. Paul, on the other hand, sees them as a way of keeping us in check.

Jan Karon has written a series of books about life in a small town called Mitford. Its a fictional place and the main character is Father Tim. Most of the stories are about the members of his congregation. He frequently refers to an eccentric couple called, Uncle Billy and Aunt Rose. They are a royal pain in the neck. Church members are often challenged by their incorrigibility and crudeness. However they are just two characters in a cast of hundreds. They are also very loyal and supportive of Father Tim and his ministry. Just when you think they will react in some embarrassing fashion they surprise you with their goodness and generosity.

Every church has their Uncle Billy and Aunt Rose. In fact, all of us have people in our lives who we often refer to as our "thorn in the flesh." While it seems they are there to make our lives impossible, perhaps God places them there to make us stronger.

One time there was a man in the choir who couldn’t sing. The other choir members often complained to the choir director that he sang off key and made it difficult for them to stay on track. Several of them put pressure on the choir director to do something. The choir director went to the pastor and told him that the man was creating a problem in the choir. He felt the pastor should go to him and suggest that he might want to be an usher or do something different in the life of the church.

The pastor went to the man’s home for a visit. He tactfully told the man that perhaps he might be better off not singing in the choir. "But, I like to sing in the choir," the man said. "It gives me great joy and a sense of participation. "But you sing off key and it affects the quality of the choir," the pastor said. The man then replied to the pastor. "You know, you are not the world’s greatest preacher, but I listen to you every Sunday. And because you are my pastor I support you and listen even though there are few times that I get anything good from your sermons." The pastor thanked the man for the visit and said, "I guess were lucky to have people like you who want to sing in the choir." The pastor then left and went home.

"When I am weak, I am strong." Thank God for the weakest links.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio