Learning from the Challenger

0:00 I have the honor of bringing the word today. And we'll be in Acts chapter 27, continuing our Acts series, getting towards the end. The first human space flight took place on April 12th, 1961, when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth. Following this event, President Kennedy committed the US to landing a man on the moon before the end of the decade. And on July 20th, 1969,

0:47 Apollo 11 landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the lunar surface. In 1975, the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project saw an American Apollo capsule dock with a Soviet Soyuz capsule in orbit, where astronauts and cosmonauts shook hands, symbolizing a shift from intense competition to international cooperation. By 1984, shuttle launches had become so routine that major television networks stopped broadcasting them altogether. Americans were no longer interested in space launches,

1:34 and NASA was not too pleased, so they developed a promotional strategy to once again get Americans interested in space travel. This was called the Teacher in Space campaign. The president got behind the effort. President Reagan announced that the first private citizen to fly in space would be a teacher, and more than 11,000 educators applied for the position. NASA selected Christa McAuliffe, a high school social studies teacher. She was charismatic and highly relatable.

2:20 She made numerous television appearances. Her personality, filled with joy as she was, overshadowed the professional astronauts. The plan was for Mrs. McAuliffe to broadcast two live science lessons from space to millions of classrooms across the United States via satellite. Does anyone in the room remember watching this event from their classroom or home in 1986? Yeah, just raise your hands if you remember this. It's hard to forget, isn't it? This famous event is called the Space Shuttle Challenger launch, if you want to look into it further, if you weren't around

3:06 at that time. Beside-- I'm sorry. Should take a drink. Behind the scenes at NASA, things were not going so smoothly. There were five engineers who tried to stop the launch. They were concerned that due to cold January temperatures, even though that was rare in Florida, the rubber O-rings that sealed the shuttle would lose their elasticity and malfunction. In spite of their efforts to delay the launch, ultimately, NASA decided to override the

3:52 counsel of the five engineers. Why would NASA take such a risk? The Challenger launch had already been delayed five times over six days due to weather complications, mechanical malfunctions, and scheduling conflicts with the previous mission. Millions of schoolchildren were prepared to watch the launch from their classrooms, and you can imagine how inspirational it would be for teachers to watch one of their own teach from space. If they delayed the launch any further, it would fall on the weekend

4:38 when schools were closed, and the promotional efforts and dollars would all be wasted. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, President Reagan was scheduled to give his State of the Union address on January 28th, which would be the very evening following the launch. So NASA was highly motivated to launch on time so that Reagan could mention McAuliffe and the successful mission during his primetime address to Congress. To further complicate the situation, NASA had promised a high frequency and

5:24 routine schedule to Congress in order to secure funding for their projects. Any more delays would put their funding at risk. So although the engineers pleaded for another delay, the management pushed back and gave the green light to launch on the following morning. The morning of January 28th, 1986 was 24 degrees Fahrenheit at Kennedy Space Center, making it the coldest morning on record for any space launch. The engineers had warned that the O-rings would not seal the shuttle below 60 degrees FahrenheitAlthough the shuttle and seals were covered in ice,

6:13 crowds were already gathered to watch the historic event. If you remember those heavy TV carts, if you're part of my generation, they had all been rolled into the classrooms. A great cloud of witnesses, including the parents of the astronauts and the parents of Mrs. McAuliffe, waited on bleachers in anticipation, wrapped in blankets and winter gear. NASA decided to delay just long enough for the Florida sun to start melting the ice. However, the rubber O-rings inside the rocket boosters were still deeply frozen and stiff. At 11:38 AM, the countdown reached

7:01 zero. The engines ignited, along with the rocket boosters, lifting the shuttle into the sky at a temperature of 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Bob Ebeling, one of the lead engineers, was bowed and weeping at his home, praying that the thing he predicted would not come to pass. I considered showing the Challenger launch at this point in the service. However, I ultimately decided against it. Many of you, as you noted, were part of the original audience, and I also didn't want to display something that couldn't also be live-streamed for those watching via the live stream.

7:47 Besides, everyone has phones now, just about everyone, and this short video can easily be viewed on YouTube in remarkable detail. Lastly, and most importantly, if you have traveled to be part of this worship service or you're observing through the live stream and have experienced some kavanah, meaning you have entered into a sacred spiritual place with the Lord and the Kehillah today, I do not wish to disrupt you with such disturbing images. Suffice it to say that the Challenger flight lasted 73.1 seconds before the craft exploded.

8:32 Forensics examiners suggest that the compartment of the craft holding the crew collided with the ocean floor at over 200 miles per hour. There were no survivors. As the engineers had predicted, the O-rings were too stiff to seal the hot gas inside the rocket, causing a massive structural failure. The catastrophe was broadcast live to over 2.5 million schoolchildren and 40 million home viewers. Marcus Raven, who watched from his classroom that day as a young man, said the televisions were turned off afterwards,

9:17 and the teachers were weeping, and they could no longer teach that day. They were likely too devastated to even help their students process the traumatic event. So you might be asking, why am I telling you such a story during this Shabbat message? Good question. There are three reasons. First, some of you were there watching in anticipation nearly 40 years ago. You probably remember the moment, or maybe the memory has faded. In any case, 40 years seems like an appropriate time in which to reflect upon your life and what the Lord has done with you since that moment. For those who were not yet born or

10:06 had never heard of this event before, it is a significant historic moment from which we can learn many things. We have similar threats in our world today, where perhaps the voices of warning are being ignored. But lastly, and most importantly, I have been tasked to bring a message from Acts 27:1-12. In light of studying this passage, the Challenger story seemed to be a fitting modern application. The title of my message is "Learning From the Challenger." My main point is that following the Ruach, following the Spirit, becomes

10:52 difficult in the face of danger, and I'd like to bring three points from the passage. First, it's easier to be like Yeshua when things are going smoothly. Second, life's challenges call for us to make difficult decisions. And finally, what warning signs is the Lord showing us to shield us from disaster? My outline can be found on the YouVersion app, and a worksheet is available to those in the sanctuary. I will be reading from the Tree of Life version of the Bible. Acts 27:1-6

11:38 read as follows. "When it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they handed Paul and some other prisoners over to a centurion named Julius of the Augustine cohort. So we boarded a ship from Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coasts of Asia, and we set out to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next day we sat down at Sidon. Julius, treating Paul kindly, let him go to his friends to receive care."Setting out to sea from there, we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the

12:24 winds were against us. When we had sailed across the open sea, along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came down to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship from Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. It's easier to be like Yeshua when things are going smoothly. I initially wrote that it's easy to be like Yeshua when things are going smoothly, but then I thought, "It's never easy to be like Yeshua." However, it's easier when things are going smoothly. It seems, at least in the early part of this passage,

13:11 that things are going well. It initially appears as if this passage will just be some kind of travelogue. Paul's trip to Rome. Paul would make a scrapbook and take some selfies with Julius, the centurion, and his fellow prisoners. But, as is often the case in life, things are not so simple. First of all, Paul is not on some pleasure cruise to tour the vineyards of Italy. No, rather, he is bound in chains, being carried off to plead his case before the Supreme Court. Paul, if things go well, will fulfill his divine

13:59 destiny of sharing his story with the Roman Emperor Nero. For a brief glimpse of the man that Paul had appealed to, Nero had ordered the assassination of his own mother. He killed his first and second wives. In 64 CE, about five years after this passage that we're reading, Nero was rumored to have started the Great Fire of Rome. At that point, he needed a scapegoat to deflect the rumors. So he targeted the city's vulnerable Christian minority, accusing them of starting the Great Fire

14:44 of Rome. He arrested them and had them burned alive as human torches or torn apart by dogs. Perhaps it is only narcissists who have the desire to rule the world. One more thing about Nero, the most powerful person in the world at that point, before I move on. In the year of Paul's sea voyage to Rome, approximately 59 CE, Emperor Nero would've been 21 years old. Think about that, parents. The most powerful man in the world, 21. Scary, right? And this is the year

15:31 that he got tired of his mother being too controlling and ordered her assassination. Imagine having that much power. He had already attempted to kill her three times, unsuccessfully. She was a powerful woman. But after he succeeded in assassinating his own mother, Nero claimed, when he was put on trial, that his mother was trying to kill him. And when the cover-up was finally revealed and Nero was exposed as guilty, he committed suicide at the age of 30. I just thought you might be wondering about the character of the person that Paul was going to such great lengths to testify before.

16:18 Moving along. For a few verses here in the beginning of Acts 27, things seem to be going according to plan. Based on the "we" in Acts 27, it suggests that Luke, the narrator, might be accompanying Paul on his journey. We also observe that Paul is not the only prisoner on the ship. Julius was the centurion in charge of the prisoners. Commentator Craig Keener points out that these were not passenger ships, but cargo ships. They would be carrying grain or perhaps corn. They had deadlines to meet and products to deliver.

17:04 For the right price, passengers could tag along for the ride if they happened to be heading the same direction. By verse six, they are already boarding their second ship. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, is mentioned in verse six. Perhaps you remember him from Acts chapter 19, where an angry mob of silversmiths looking for Paul dragged Aristarchus to the outdoor theater. And as they were about to converge upon him, the city clerk dispersed the crowd, if you remember that story. In Acts chapter 20, he's also mentioned as an official

17:50 delegate from Thessalonica who traveled with Paul to bring relief to the persecuted Yeshua followers in Jerusalem. Paul would later refer to Aristarchus as a fellow prisoner, so I guess he also got into some trouble with Paul, and a fellow laborer in his letters. He remained with Paul until the very end. It amazes me that before cell phones and the internet, the community was so tuned in to what was happening with PaulThey knew when he was traveling, and they were going with him. It strikes me that Paul had made many friends along his

18:36 journey. He considered people important, perhaps even more important than destinations. People were inspired by Paul's message and sacrifice, and desired to join him even when it meant facing all kinds of danger. But at least in the very first paragraph, it's all good. When they arrive in Sidon, Julius is kind enough to let Paul visit with his friends. Play amongst yourselves. In the land. Sidon was a standard travel hub on the imperial grain route.

19:22 It's kind of like how when you fly with Delta, no matter where you're trying to go, you find yourself in Atlanta. Sidon was a bustling maritime city. Luke notes Julius' kindness in allowing Paul to receive care from the community. However, I must note that anything that Paul received in care would also lighten Julius' burden. Who knows what kind of meager rations of food and supplies they had while they were on the cargo ship. Winter was approaching, and a journey could take months if it was successful.

20:08 It is highly likely that the community of Yeshua followers would have given Paul all kinds of support, including blankets and food. Knowing Paul, any kindness that he received would likely be shared with his fellow travelers, and Julius also. At the very least, it would have saved Julius some money, as it was Julius' job to keep the prisoners alive to face their sentencing in Rome. In verse four, we get our initial hints of adversity. The winds, or the Ruach, was against them. Remember here, they have no outboard motors like we do today. Rather, these are heavy cargo

20:55 ships powered by sails. Following the power of the wind, the Ruach, was their only hope of getting anywhere. So having the wind against you is bad news. However, this first obstacle is averted by using the island of Cyprus as a shield from the prevailing winds. Yet, the island of Cyprus would only shelter them from the wind for so long, until they passed it. Once they passed Cyprus, they would have to face the winds in open waters. We see their journey is continually becoming more dangerous

21:41 and precarious. It's funny that children often can't wait to grow up. They want to drive. They want to work. They want to be taken seriously. Yet many of us adults wish that we could be kids again. Remember when we used to play? Remember when we were not burdened with so much responsibility and expectation? Remember when our bodies were not continually in pain? If we were fortunate enough to be cared for as children, there was a time when we didn't need to have it all figured out. There was a time when we had the freedom to explore our interests.

22:30 There was a time when we would just hang out with our friends with no clear goals in mind. And if you're still in this stage of life, enjoy it. Even as adults, we might experience seasons where things seem to go smoothly. We find suitable employment. Our health and the health of our family and friends is cooperative. Maybe we have large extended family structures or large circles of friends. But what happens when our health breaks down? What happens when our loved ones get sick and die? What happens when longstanding relationships become estranged due to unforeseen circumstances?

23:18 These are the times where it is most difficult to reflect the character of Yeshua. It is easy to be kind when your friend or loved one is affirming you. But how do you show kindness in the face of accusation? How do you stay peaceful when you feel betrayed by those whom you love the most? How do you stay joyous when you know that you have hurt a dear friend? It's much easier to follow Yeshua when things are going smoothly. Thankfully, in the first six verses, though there are hints of danger to come, everything is running according to schedule. Paul's companions have joined him on the journey.

24:06 Paul met his friends in Sidon and received care. Even Julius the centurion, as fearsome as he was, was feeling the good vibes, and I'm sure Paul repaid his kindness. Though the winds had shifted against them, they overcame the adversity, sailing along the coasts of Cyprus, Cilicia, and Pamphylia, arriving in LyciaJulius is wheeling and dealing at this point, finds a ship bound for Italy, and they all board, Paul and the fellow prisoners and companions. Acts 27:7-10 read as follows: "Sailing slowly

24:54 for a number of days, with difficulty we made it to Cnidus. As the wind did not allow us to go further, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone. Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was already dangerous because the Fast," Yom Kippur, "had already gone by, Paul kept warning them, telling them, 'Men, I can see that the voyage is about to end in disaster and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but

25:40 also of our lives.'" Life's challenges call for us to make difficult decisions, and sometimes to listen to the voice of the challenger. We are no longer in the smooth sailing part of the passage, and the Ruach is not with them. The wind is literally against them, and their travels have become exceedingly difficult. Can anyone relate to this? Yet with difficulty, they make it to Cnidus. I had to look up the pronunciation of this word.

26:27 And although the C is silent in Cnidus, for Paul and those aboard the ship, the sea was not silent. They were facing the wrath of the sea. And as winter was approaching, they were likely facing bitter cold. Paul was a seasoned traveler, a frequent sailor, if you will. However, if you've ever found yourself on a vessel moving against the sea, you will know that this can be a terrifying ordeal. In addition to the cold, they were likely dealing with hunger, dehydration,

27:12 sunburn, nausea, and the terror of uncertainty that comes from being tossed on the sea. What I'm about to share will sound ridiculous in comparison, but I'll share it nonetheless. I was once on a cruise with Val, and the sea was tumultuous. And even though we were on this giant ship with all this luxury around us, I felt dwarfed by the enormity of the waves crashing around us. The continual rising and falling of the ship can be terrifying for people like myself

27:58 who are prone to overthinking. And although it was supposed to be a pleasure trip, I was not enjoying myself. Rather, my energy was spent on somehow staying calm in the midst of the creeping dread within my gut. Couldn't sleep. It was worse at night. My father and his wife happened to be on a cruise ship some years ago where they encountered an even more serious storm than what Val and I encountered. People were tossed about, and the ship went into panic mode for several hours, I'm sure in the middle of the night also.

28:43 There was even a court case following this cruise due to the negligence of the crew. They had ignored some of the warnings. And you cannot pay my dad's wife enough money to get back on a boat due to the trauma of that experience for her. I tell these stories to accentuate how much more Paul and his fellow travelers must have been experiencing. Paul was not a novice either. We learn elsewhere that he had already experienced shipwreck twice at this point. How many times have you experienced shipwreck? Any hands?

29:30 I know Ari had a close encounter to this. He's thinking about it now. Paul didn't even get to have his bath towels folded into the shape of animals each morning before the buffet. This was no pleasure cruise for Paul and his companions. In aviation, when a plane crashes or there is some serious incident, the chain of events are examined. For instance, in the story of the Challenger, as I noted, we observe how there were many factors that led to this tragedy, from funding to impatience to the impending State of the Union address to the desire to have a teacher on board to display the flight

30:18 during school hours. Each of these human factors played a role in the tragedy that would follow. Fair Havens, referring to safe anchorage or peaceful refuge, was a common stopping point for a voyage to Rome.It was a place of shelter from the harsh seas, typically. It was a place to gather supplies, and for Paul, seemed to be a place to gather his thoughts off the treacherous ship for a moment. Paul had a bad feeling about the journey ahead. Alas, it was more than a feeling. Paul dealt with the facts. Sorry, Mark.

31:07 Perhaps they were waiting for more favorable conditions in which to move forward. Yom Kippur, it says, had already passed, and this was a time of year, the wintertime, known for rough seas. Paul was warning the crew and the passengers that their lives were in danger if they continued on this journey. It must be noted that Paul himself had an inner vision and call from the Lord to go to Rome. He was on a divine mission from Yeshua Himself to testify before Caesar. Paul would have been highly motivated to complete the journey if possible. However, consider this. Here's a prisoner in

31:53 chains telling the crew that the journey is not safe, and that they should spend the winter in fair havens instead. It might appear that this prisoner was seeking to avoid his sentencing. It is also important to remember that this is a cargo ship. There was likely a great financial incentive for getting to Rome without delay. These would also become links in the chain of events that would lead to a disaster. Although Paul was a powerful man of God, he did not presume that the ship would be safe because he was on it. He also didn't presume, like Jonah, that the ship would be in danger because he

32:41 was on it. Had little to do with him. And Paul did not tell the waves to be still, like Yeshua, and even if he did, it didn't work. Following Yeshua doesn't guarantee us a safe passage through life. In fact, if Paul were not following Yeshua that day, he probably would have been safe in Jerusalem. When we follow Yeshua, we follow the crucified one. Paul claimed to know nothing but Yeshua crucified. Some will tell you to forget about the humble Yeshua,

33:26 the meek Yeshua, who suffered for our sins. Sadly, they have strayed from the truth and the power of the gospel. Additionally, Paul did not say, "Thus sayeth the Lord." He didn't pull rank. Rather, he humbly appealed to their humanity. In Judaism, life is the most important element. When there are ethical questions, protection of life is the highest priority. It means more than land. It means more than money. It means more than cargo. Paul warns those on the ship that should they continue this

34:15 journey, they were putting the ship, the cargo, and most importantly, their very lives at risk. What is the value of a life? Life's challenges call for us to make difficult decisions. What are you willing to sacrifice to save a life? What are you willing to sacrifice to save a relationship? In community, it is inevitable that we will offend each other. I'd say it's even normal. We are all imperfect creatures, seeking to reflect the Lord and often failing. But like Paul, we can take the time to assess the situation.

35:03 We might be tempted to take steps that would make the situation even worse. Like revenge. Like Nero. We might even seek a scapegoat instead of taking ownership for our own actions. However, Paul had been transformed by the Ruach, both physically and spiritually. He was transformed physically in the sense that the winds were against his journey, and rather than being stubborn or believing that the ship would be safe because he was on it, he recognized the weight of the situation. If he was going to testify in Rome and fulfill this mission from the

35:50 Lord, it would have to be in the Lord's timing, and this did not look like the proper time to proceed. He had also been spiritually transformed by the Ruach. What's ironic is that Paul had a far more important mission than those transporting grain that day. Grain is important. Don't get me wrong. People need sustenance to survive. But for these sailors and the Romans, this was just one ship of many. They would have other journeys where they can make up the money. There would be other ships bringing food to Rome. Paul was on a mission that would

36:36 alter world history.He must have had a sense within of the magnitude of his mission. And yet, even still, to save a life was more important than his ministry. Acts 27:11 through 12 read as follows, "But the centurion was persuaded more by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was said by Paul. And because the harbor was unsuitable for wintering, the majority reached the decision to set out to sea from there, if somehow they might reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing northeast and southeast, and spend the winter

37:23 there." What warning signs is the Lord showing us to shield us from disaster? The ship's crew heard Paul's voice, although not in the biblical sense. However, the captain or the owner of the ship, in certain translations, had his own opinion. If they stayed in Fair Havens, the ship would be at risk from the rough seas, and they would likely have to offload the grain at a deep discount, if anything. So the majority made the decision to proceed in spite of the danger

38:08 and in spite of the warnings. Majority decisions can be quite dangerous. Rene Girard writes on mimetic theory, where we think something is right because someone else thinks it's right. We simply mimic someone else rather than thinking for ourselves. Unfortunately, Paul had no support in his view. He was a prisoner, and he would have to proceed in chains whether or not he wanted to be on that ship. Imagine how that would've felt. Clearly, the decision made by the majority would value monetary profit rather than the profit of the Lord.

38:56 In a capitalistic society, we often find ourselves in the same scenario of valuing profit margins over human life. We tend to think about what we do more than who we are. Jonathan Neimeyer led an excellent Wednesday night live discussion this week, or last week, where we pondered ideas about identity. I know that he did a good job in leading the class discussion because I came out with more questions than when I arrived. Rabbi Ari discussed how the strength of our community is not only national and ethnic diversity, but our unique personalities, views, and

39:42 approaches to issues. I am blessed to be in the company of such people. Valuing diverse views and personalities is a key way to avoid disasters in community. What warning signs is the Lord showing us to shield us from disaster? The Challenger engineers saw that the O-rings would not do their job in cold temperatures. Though they warned everyone they could, the majority decision was to value funding and social pressure over the lives on the ship. Though Paul must have felt immense pressure to get to Rome to appeal to Caesar, the very thing he wanted to do,

40:28 he saw that the conditions were not right, and he warned those on the ship. They decided to proceed anyway, putting the ship, the cargo, and their lives at risk. What is happening in your life during this season? What big decisions are you facing? What judgment calls do you need to make this week? Are you putting the lives of others first, or are you stubbornly staying the course of the plans you made in spite of the warning signs? Paul was willing to put his big, hairy, audacious goal on hold in order to take care of others and potentially save

41:16 lives. In conclusion, following the Ruach becomes difficult in the face of danger. We discussed this through two statements and a question. First, it's easier to be like Yeshua when things are going smoothly. Second, life's challenges call for us to make difficult decisions. And lastly, what warning signs is the Lord showing us to shield us from disaster? Shabbat shalom. Yevarechecha Adonai ve'yishmerecha.

42:01 Ya'er Adonai panayv eylecha vi'chuneka. Yisa Adonai panayv eylecha ve'yasem lecha shalom. Yisa Adonai panayv eylecha ve'yasem lecha shalom. Beshem Yeshua, meshiheinu. In the name of our Messiah, Yeshua, amen and Shabbat shalom.