Sermon - John 3: 1-17

<p>I grew up as a sailor.  From the age of two, my dad had me flying across the water on a Hobie 16, propelled by harnessing the power of the wind.  I came to know my husband, Corey, through sailing, and sailing remains a special part of my life.  My dad gave me a poster that I hung wherever I was, moving through high school, college and even into early adulthood that had an anonymous quote “You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails.”  Sailing is a challenging and invigorating sport because of the lack of control you truly have.  You are totally dependent on the wind.  Wind shifts, dies, and puffs so powerfully it tips you over, flinging you off the boat and into the water… as a little girl I would beg my dad “Promise you won’t let us tip!”  He would say, “I can’t promise that we won’t tip but I’ll promise that I’ll do my best to keep us from tipping.”  As teenagers Corey and I became more daring and tried to see how many times we could tip in one day...enjoying the rush of being overpowered by the wind.  Now <strong>my</strong> kids beg <strong>me</strong>, “Mom, promise you won’t let us tip!” and I give them the same response my dad gave me.  You must respect the power of the wind while sailing, and admit that you don’t have complete control.  Sailors become keenly tuned to the wind.  My dad would say to me: “feel the wind on your cheek”, and “watch for signs of the wind on the water”.  The most essential -- and often frustrating -- rule of sailing is that it is impossible to sail directly into the wind.  If you need to move in the direction of the wind you must zig-zag back and forth toward your destination.  “You cannot direct the wind but you can adjust your sails.”</p> <p>Jesus’ words today remind me of this quote that I have lived by.  Jesus tells Nicodemus “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.  So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (Jn 3:8)</p> <p>Nicodemus is a leader, a Pharisee, someone who