He has lived for nearly a century, but it has not been without effort and some close calls. He served in the Navy during World War II, helping to transport troops who were landing on Utah Beach at Normandy on D-Day. It was dangerous duty, and he nearly didn't make it on more than one occasion. He has had cancer and brain surgery and is now living through a global pandemic.
But he almost didn't even make it to his 11th birthday. He has a dent in his head, which he often absently runs his fingers over, to prove it. When he was 10, he and some friends went over to the local park after a heavy, fresh snowfall to go sled riding. He launched off the top of the hill but doesn't remember reaching the bottom. Along the way he slammed head-first into a granite block covering a storm culvert, which was hidden in the snow, instantly breaking his jaw, fracturing his skull and knocking himself unconscious.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital. But at the morgue, his mother insisted on seeing him one last time, and she noticed one of his eyes flickering, then the other. Richard still remembers waking to see his mother. He would slowly recover and get on with the rest of his life, which has turned into an exciting, additional 87 years and counting.
A remarkable man, veteran, architect, inspiration to everyone in his community, 97 years old - and he almost didn't reach his 11th birthday. How would not just his life but so many have been changed if he hadn't?
There's another man I want to tell you about in worship this weekend who almost didn't reach his 6th birthday, and yet he was once called "the most influential leader since the apostle Paul." He had an impact on the spiritual life of millions around the world, from three hundred years ago down to this very day. How might the world be different if he had not survived?
His name is John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement. Come (either online or in person) and hear more about him and the difference he has made in our new series that begins this weekend: "What's So Amazing About Grace?"
Grace (and Hope) to you,
Pastor Duane
