God Uses Our Best

Scouting Sunday at KCC, November 8, 2009

Gerhard Dieckmann, Bob Hover, Eloise Boyle, Ana Gobledale

PRAYER: May the words spoken this morning and the meditations of all our minds and hearts help prepare us a bit more for life, O God, increasing our faith and reverence for you, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

How many of you have been involved in scouting?

· As a scout?

· As a parent of a scout?

· As a little sister or little brother of a scout?

I remember going to the award ceremonies...Courts of Honour.. and in Cub Scouts, I gather it’s the “Blue and Gold Banquet.” The Courts of Honour were a big deal in San Francisco where I grew up. I watched my two big brothers move up through the ranks to Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow. We drove them up into the Sierras to Scout camp each summer.

· How many of you have attended Scout camp?

Any Star Scouts here today? Life scouts? Eagle Scouts?

Any recipients of the Gold Award in Girl Scouts? --

And I just want to check if there are any Camp Fire Girls out there? Wo-he-lo!

As part of our mission, our church, Kirkland Congregational Church, has supported scout packs and troupes for many years. Currently we support Cub Scout Packs 554 and 550, providing them rent-free space in which to meet.

Would members and leaders of packs 554 and 550 wave your hands so we can see who you are. Who else was a cub scout or boy scout or girl scout member or leader, here at this church, at KCC?

So, what are scouts known for?

· Helping little old ladies cross the street! What else?

· What values are scouts known for upholding?

o Be prepared!

o Do a good turn daily.

o Honesty

o Trustworthy

o Helpful

o Cheerful

o Brave – courage

o Reverent – reverence

What is the Cub Scout motto? Do your best.

And the Boy Scout’s oath...”On my honour I will do my best...”

In our scripture reading this morning, God equips the widow of Zarephath to do her best. God equips her for the task ahead. But at first she does not feel prepared. She resists doing her “good turn” of the day, to feed Elijah. She is far from helpful or cheerful. But she IS equipped. And when she gets over her fear and selfishness, when she shares what little she has, day after day, she blesses those around her. She is reverent, and allows God to use her. She offers her best to her son and to her foreign visitor, a stranger, Elijah. She does not know what the future holds for her. She does not know if she will have enough food to eat. But she does know that God asks only for her best, and that she gives.

Scouting equips girls and boys for the unknowns of life ahead. Through the learning of skills -- First Aid, life saving in swimming, knots, camping skills – what other skills? – Through these skills, scouts are prepared for life in a very tangible way. Through the development of reverence, scouts, in church and in their dens, packs and troupes, learn how to turn to God in all times, but especially in times of crisis and need.

I once stopped to investigate a group of people gathered on the side of the road. They were hovering over a man who seemed to have stopped breathing. Luckily there was a boy scout on the scene, a grown one, who sprang into action, performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and took charge of the situation.

Scouting, like the church, teaches and encourages children and youth be prepared, and do your best, with God’s help.

This morning we are going to hear from three former scouts who are currently active members of this congregation. They are going to share the importance of scouting in their lives: Gerhard Dikeman, Bob Hover and Eloise Boyle.

First Gerhard Dikeman.

· Gerhard, when and where did you first get involved in scouting?

· What troupe were you in?

· What impact has scouting had on your life?

· How has scouting helped you be the best you can be?

Next, Bob Hover, or “Buckle Bob” as he has been called. An Eagle Scout and a charter member in 1956 of Boy Scout Troop #645 sponsored by the Rotary Club in Bothell. After Bob, we’ll hear from Eloise, a Girl Scout.]

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How Scouting has Impacted My Life & Faith

by Eloise Boyle

(one of three personal accounts shared as the day's message)

The uniform, the sash with all its badges: everyone knows what a girl scout wears. But did you also know there’s a song we all learned when I was a scout? It is about what the girl scout wears on the inside:

She wears a “G” for Generosity,

She wears an “I” for Interest, too,

She wears an “R” for her real sportsmanship,

She wears an “L” for Loyalty.

She wears an “S” for her Sincerity,

She wears a “C” for Courtesy,

She wears an “OUT” for outdoor life,

And you can tell she’s a real Girl Scout!

The phrase “she’s a real girl scout” is often used derisively, to indicate that a woman is a do-gooder, a Pollyanna, maybe a goody two-shoes (“boy scout” is used that way too). Well, you know what? A real girl scout says, yes, that’s right, I do believe in caring for others. Yes, that’s right, I do believe I can make a difference. Yes, that’s right – I strive to be the change I wish to see in the world.

The Girl Scout Promise:

On my honor, I will try

To serve God* and my country,

To help people at all times,

And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

One of the things I love about the Girl Scouts of America today is the asterisk after the word in that promise. The Girls Scouts say: “The word God can be interpreted a number a ways, depending on one’s spiritual beliefs. When reciting the girl scout promise, it is okay to replace the word “God” with whatever word your spiritual beliefs dictate.” It is okay: we recognize you, we honor you as you are.

My own experience with scouting was an ecumenical one: I grew up in a mixed faith neighborhood, and my mother, our troop leader, made sure we celebrated and explored other faith traditions. As a Catholic, I loved that we attended a Passover seder through the girl scouts. I learned about this place called “Hebrew school” and was sure glad I didn’t have to attend. We learned about bat mitzvah – and the fact that “mitzvah” is a commandment from God – often used to mean “a good deed performed out of religious duty.” I was fascinated by the sanctuary of the Episcopal church in which we met. I believe that this exposure was vital in shaping who I am today, and that multi-cultural outlook certainly led me to the UCC.

Being a girl scout was empowering. Girls could do anything they set their talents to, and we were encouraged to move out of our comfort zone to earn those badges that seemed so difficult to achieve. Success was celebrated, and there was no limit to what we could do in the world.

The Girl Scout Law

I will do my best to be

Honest and fair,

Friendly and helpful,

Considerate and caring,

Courageous and strong, and

Responsible for what I say and do,

And to

Respect myself and others,

Respect authority,

Use resources wisely,

Make the world a better place, and

Be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Be considerate and caring, courageous and strong, responsible, use resources wisely, make the world a better place. I believed that 40 years ago, I believe that today and I practice that belief through our activities in the UCC. There is a deep connection between the woman being formed in Troop 422 in Cheltenham PA and the woman who serves this church as moderator. I finished my girl scout career in high school with a difficult, multi-part exploration of how we can draw on faith to carry out the principles we learned in scouting. I was able to complete that assignment because the GSA — and my mother, through her dedication to GS leadership — empowered me, celebrated me and my sisters in other faiths and races, and set a high standard of service to the world.

I tell people I was a girl scout until I was 15. But you know what? Through my faith, and thanks to my church, I will always be a girl scout.

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What amazing stories of how Scouting has helped these three be the best people they can be, so God can use them at their best. We are grateful that today they continue to serve God through this church.

As I stood on that roadside with an unconscious man at my feet, I was grateful for the scout leaders and meetings that had prepared that Scout who leapt into action to meet the crisis at hand.

God equips the widow of Zarephath at the last minute. Scouting prepares girls and boys ahead of time.

The church, too, has a mission to equip people to meet the challenges of life. A primary mission of Kirkland Congregational Church is to support groups like the scouts, like the 12-step programs, like English as a second language classes, -- groups that prepare and equip girls and boys, women and men, to do their best, to do their duty to God and their country, wherever they live.

Let us pray. Loving God, thank you for all the good things about scouting, especially for packs 550 and 554. Thank you for this church that continues to extend itself, small as we are, to serve the community through sharing our building. As we walk through life, help us be prepared to do the right thing. Help us be cheerful and helpful, trustworthy and honest. We remember scouts and Christians around the world, striving to serve you and their countries, where they face great obstacles -- war, drought, severe poverty. While we care for those near at hand, let us always reach out to the stranger, as did the widow of Zarephath, and share what we have. Amen.