I’m Tommy Gilchrist, a senior at Parkland High School (at least for the next two-or-so weeks). I just finished serving a term on session. To preface this sermon, let me first apologize to my parents, because in about 5 minutes I’m going to break their hearts.
Fun fact: my sister is one of the best card players you’ll ever meet. Over the last few years, my whole family has become somewhat obsessed over this card game, Euchre. You’ll see us playing it pretty much every time we go out to eat. Now, I don’t know how well any of you know my sister, but I don’t think anyone would guess it at first glance. But let me tell you, she’s a real card shark if there ever was one. I don’t know how she does it, because anytime I ask her, it seems as though she has only a rudimentary understanding of strategy. Yet, she somehow ends up beating the pants off of me every time. I really wish I could figure it out.
I don’t know how familiar you are with the game, Euchre, but simply put, it is a game of trusting your partner, a game of counting on them to know what to do in the crucial moments of the game. It’s a lot like life: we are often put in situations where we must trust others blindly, hoping they’ll play the right card at the right time.
In Luke 24, Jesus, having risen from the dead, prepares to leave his disciples behind and ascend to heaven. Put yourself in the disciples’ shoes for a minute, and imagine how they must have felt: a motley of excitement, sadness, and anxiety. While they have just witnessed the immense joy of the risen Christ, they’re also saying goodbye to a friend, and anxious for a life ahead without their mentor.
Jesus has played his card and is counting on them to carry it through.
In 121 days, I will say goodbye to Allentown, Pennsylvania forever. Or at least for the next four years, or so I hope. Just like the disciples, I feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. I’m excited for the new experiences, new friends, and new challenges. Yet, I’m anxious about leaving behind everything familiar: my family, my friends, and my church.
The disciples had to trust that Jesus had equipped them for what was to come, even though he wouldn’t physically be with them. They had to trust in his promise of the Holy Spirit, and in the teachings and experiences they had shared. It’s a lot like trusting your Euchre partner to make the right moves, even when you can’t see all the cards they hold. It’s a lot like trusting that I am ready for this next step in my life, because of the lessons I’ve learned and the support I’ve received from everyone along the way.
In life, just like in Euchre, we must sometimes trust others to take the lead. This fall, my parents will have to trust that they have prepared me to face the world on my own. They are letting go, trusting that I will keep true to the many lessons they taught me, and that I can navigate the world on my own. At the same time, I must trust others, too—my new classmates, professors, and future friends. Trusting that they will accept me, support me, and join me in this new chapter of life.
Faith is trusting in what you can’t see because of what you can see. Because they trusted Jesus, the disciples went on to spread his teachings across the world, regardless of whether he was there to physically hold their hand. We trust because of everything we have seen come out of it. In Euchre, sometimes you have to play a card not knowing for sure if it’s the perfect move, but trusting it’s the right one based on what you’ve seen so far. That’s faith. It’s looking at the cards you hold, the hands you’ve already won, and playing your next card with confidence.
As I stand here on the brink of a major life transition, I am reminded of Jesus’s ascension, and the promise he left behind to his disciples: he asked them to trust in that promise, to hold on to hope, to believe in the Holy Spirit.
Today, I ask you to hold on to the same trust and faith. Trust in the foundations laid by those who have taught you, led you, and loved you. Trust that the same God who was with the disciples is with us now, guiding, teaching, and holding us up when we’re unsure of our next step.
As we face changes and challenges, let’s remember to trust—like playing Euchre, and like saying goodbye to what’s familiar. And always remember, when we let go and trust in God, we’re never truly letting go into nothing. We’re letting go into his hands, the best and safest place we could ever be.
