In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Hanging in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC is a series of four paintings by the artist Thomas Cole. The series is called “The Voyage of Life”. The four paintings each depict a stage of life: childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. The first painting is of childhood. It shows a mountain with a dark cave at its base and a river is flowing out of the cave. A beautiful boat glides out of the cave and inside the boat is a laughing baby. A guardian spirit is standing right behind. The painting shows childhood as a time of wonder and joy.

The second painting is called “youth”. The baby has grown into a teenage boy who is confidently steering the boat. The guardian spirit is now standing on the bank of the river watching the teenage boy boldly chart his course. The painting shows youth as a time of dreaming and absolute self-confidence.

In the third painting the scene has changed dramatically. The youth has become a man, the river has become a raging torrent, and the sky has become dark and threatening. The man in the boat is caught up by forces he can’t control and with the rudder broken he can’t steer the boat. All he can do is look up to the sky and pray. Adulthood then is a time when the joy and wonder of childhood, the confidence of the teenage years have been tamed by the tragic experiences of life.
The final painting is called “Old Age”. The battered and weathered boat has finally reached the ocean. The dark clouds remain, but the river is still. The boat’s occupant is now an old man. His gaze is no longer fixed confidently on the river of life but rather heavenward where angels are shown to be cavorting back and forth.
Now each of us is at a point on the “Voyage of life”. But unlike the paintings the various stages of our journey are not so clearly delineated. One stage tends to flow into another; childhood into youth, youth into adult, adult into old age. There is a mixing; a blending that takes place at the various stages of the voyage of life.
So how do you know when you’re getting old?

Is it when everything hurts and what doesn’t hurt doesn’t work. Or is it when get winded playing chess, or perhaps when your back goes out more than you do. Maybe its when you know all the answers, but nobody asks you the questions or you sink your teeth into a steak, and they stay there. Are these the telltale signs that you’re getting old?

Now if we return to the painting entitled “Old Age”, there is another sign and that is the direction of the gaze of the old man in the boat. He looks no longer at the river of life that is now flowing into the ocean, but rather his eyes are lifted upward, he looks heavenward.
The river of life holds no new possibilities, no new opportunities; the limits of the voyage of life have been reached. The present state is barren of dreams.

In our reading from Genesis, we meet a couple of old people whom we have met many times before, Abraham and Sarah or at this point in the story Abram and Sarai. Abraham is ninety-nine years old and Sarah is ninety. Back bent, no teeth and struggling with health, their voyage of life is coming to an end, no new possibilities, and no hope of child at this age. Their present state barren of dreams and hopes, their gaze perhaps directed heavenward.

And yet it is into this situation that God comes, “I am the Lord Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful…”

In response, Abraham laughs at the utter foolishness of such a promise. I bet it was a great big belly laugh that came from way down deep inside. “Stop, Lord, Stop. Oh you’re killing me. Me, a father a ninety-nine years old and Sarah ninety.  But four chapters later, we read “and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.” She gave birth to Isaac.

Can’t you just picture it? The Thursday morning seniors centre with the line dancing going on, the crafts going on, and the Bible study. And then in walks Abraham and Sarah with the baby. Everybody has a great time cooing over baby Isaac and laughing with Abraham and Sarah concerning the ability of God to work wonders in what was a barren situation.

Now we can never get too old, too set in our ways, that God cannot or will not surprise us or shock us. Old dogs can learn new tricks. But I am not so sure that we believe that. We are creatures of habit. We cling tenaciously to that we are familiar with like the three Presbyterians changing the light bulb. With one changing the bulb and the other two talking about how good the old bulb used to be.

Perhaps this is simply a longing for security, a stable place in what is a rapidly changing world. A world that often leaves us dizzy and disoriented like a ride at the Western Fair.

We want things to remain the same, set in our ways, fixed in our expectations. And yet with the recent decisions made at the annual meeting we know that this cannot be. Perhaps like Abraham and Sarah, our present looks somewhat barren, bereft of possibilities. But God who is present with us now and who goes before us will surprise us, shock us, and cause us to laugh.

Abraham laughed when he was confronted with God’s promise. Maybe in the beginning it had an edge of disbelief but that soon changed to astonishment when the promise of God came true. And yet laughter is often our natural response to those moments when we realize that the future is not totally in our hands, that God is working, busy and creative.
Laughter reminds us that we can take our situations and ourselves way too seriously sometimes. Even though we are in the dark days of Lent, we laugh, its Easter.

Laughter has a close relationship to faith, a humble recognition that the fate of the world, the future of the church, the significance of our very lives is not left entirely up to us. God is working in our midst and so we are not allowed to give up hope for ourselves or for our world. For our voyage of life is actually a journey of faith. We do not make this journey alone for we are in the company of a multitude across the world and across the ages.

We then are a pilgrim people held by a common vision- the coming of the Kingdom of God in all its fullness. God is fashioning us into something new for the purpose of sharing the good news of God’s love for the world. I realize things look confusing and messy right now but we share this journey of faith in the company of our risen Lord who is busy making a way when we thought there is no way. And Abraham laughed because he learned there is nothing too wonderful for God. THANKS BE TO GOD, AMEN.