This isn't tough to imagine. It's a hot summer day. (Okay, maybe this is tough to imagine since we haven't had many—or any—hot summer days.) You've been traveling along the interstate for what seems like the duration of the coverage of Michael Jackson's death and funeral and after what feels like nine days, you are wiped out. A rest area sign, in the far, far distance, is a beckon of rescue calling out to you. "I will help you!" it seems to say. You survive that final stretch of highway, those simple two miles which, of course, are not simple because summertime means road construction here in the commonwealth and yes, in a single lane traffic pattern we Susquehanna County natives know too well, we are stuck behind the slowest of slow moving vehicles: the Penn DOT work truck maxed out in hauling heavy road material. As if in the Fourth of July parade in Montrose (which is about the speed he's traveling), the truck's driver, friendly Pete, waves to all his fellow co-workers who, unlike him, move faster than a snail.

Finally, you pull off the interstate, glide along the rest area's exit ramp, and park on the outer banks of the parking area because all other spaces are full with smart, revived looking people who thought to picnic on what to them is one remarkable day. You limp, hobble or in a daze of dehydration make your way to the water vending machine. While steps away from needed liquid refreshment, you see what you don't want to see. No, it can't be true! There's a sign that reads—and you know what it says without reading it—out of order.

Well, today, there's a nation we've heard about that's out of order. Our text this morning finds Amos, a shepherd from Tekoa, a harsh wilderness area from south Judah, called to speak God's prophetic word to the people of northern Israel. Amos was a blue-collar worker coming to a white-collar society. He was used to getting down and dirty and he knew that going into northern Israel was going to be a challenge. You see, during this time the people of Israel were out of order. The people were living under the rule of King Jeroboam who in 2 Kings 14:24 "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord..." Jeroboam sought to build his kingdom and was quite successful. Under his 41-year reign, northern Israel expanded and brought major prosperity to the nation, particularly to the major cities. A new class of wealthy people derived from the boom in agriculture and trade. This accrued wealth, however, triggered social and economic abuses like nations today of power and prestige, including our own. Coupled with a continuation of Baal worship, this nation provoked sharp judgment from the prophet Amos.

In Bethel, for example, Baal worship was prominent and the people prayed to a golden calf. Jeroboam set up Bethel as a national shrine. After the split of the northern and southern kingdoms, Jeroboam established a religion that would appease his people. Baal worship became popular. It allowed for perverse acts and arrogance of nature. As such, the Israelites had chosen to forget about God and to choose their own standards for living. In a sad yet interesting parallel, this nation led by Jeroboam, like pockets of our own culture today, chose their own measure of what success is and how to attain it.

God, who is always talking to us through many venues including our VBS skit and other people, calls Amos in to speak to a people who are comfortable being conceited, proud in being pompous, and, like that water vending machine we talked about, out of order. God calls Amos to prophesy to people who are setting their own measure of righteousness. The Israelites are setting their own plumb line.

As we talked about in the children's sermon, a plumb line is a cord tied onto a weight that ancient construction workers used as a tool to build a truly vertical wall. A plumb line indicates whether a wall is straight, built correctly, and without flaw. In Amos 7, we see God holding a plumb line next to the spiritual condition of Israel.

God could hold a plumb line to our spiritual condition as well. Here in our church, here in our neighborhood, here in our relationships with one another, how would we do if God were to measure us?

No one here is perfect—especially if we think or release an explicative or two when stuck behind a driver like friendly Pete.  But everyone can try.  Here's how. We'll take this in three steps.

Here's the first. Identify yourself with Amos.  Identify myself with Amos? How? He's never been stuck in traffic along I-81, how can I relate to him? Identify yourself with Amos in what he says in verse fourteen of today's scripture. Read that verse with me now. But Amos replied, "I do not make my living as a prophet, nor am I a member of a group of prophets. I make my living as a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore trees.

Identify with Amos? You're not a professional prophet, either. You don't belong to a group of prophets. You make your living outside the world of prophesy and that's good, because, with gas prices slowly rising again and travel plans that may take you over the road before the end of summer, you just may need the income another job will give you.

But wait. Let's come at this one piece again. Amos said he doesn't belong to a group of prophets. If we define the word prophet as one who reflects the word of God to people, then, by your presence here this morning, you are among a group of prophets. You are among a group that delights in hearing from God and reflecting God's message in your daily life.  You are among a group of people who hear and respond to God's communication. While we, too, may try to come up with an "oh, not me" excuse as to why we can't be true agents of God in a world out of order—ah, Will, that's just not how we do things here in Harford or at First Congregational-UCC—you can equally identify with what God commands Amos to do in the last verse of our reading this morning.  Take a look at that last verse now. What does God command Amos to do in verse 15? God says, "Go and prophesy to my people in Israel."

So again, number one: identify yourself with Amos. Go and prophesy. Know that you, too, are called to reflect God's message, even in places today that, like Bethel, are difficult.

Okay, if we're looking for excuses, and sometimes we do that, reflecting God's message can be tough. But you are tough, too. Here's the second point to consider this morning. By design, you are built tough. That's right. By design, you are built tough.

We've been talking about interstate travel this morning, and whether we drive one or see one as we're out and about, we know that pick up trucks are advertised as these awesome, powerful forces you must have. The Ford commercial, as many know, says its trucks are built Ford tough.

You are built God tough. Yes, sometimes you don't feel tough. Sometimes, honestly, you may not even want to be tough. Sometimes, if we're honest with ourselves, we may not even look tough, but we are. We are tough, or strong, because we believe in Christ. We listen to Christ. We respond to Christ.

Here's a true story. I mentioned this last week but didn't expound on it then. I went to visit someone in the hospital, someone who, during that visit, looked pale, tired, and wiped out. This person truly was truly going through a tough time. This person was also tough.

But wait, some here may ask. How can you say this person was tough when they looked pale, tired, and wiped out? How can this person, this frail senior citizen be strong when hospitalized with something that truly is, no pun intended with what we've been talking about, taking them for a ride? Here's the answer to that question. They're tough because they have faith.  With their faith, they are, by design, tough. With your faith, realize who you are.

Yes, get out of what you consider to be the driver's seat because you know you're not driving, do a 360, and realize who you are. Realize how you were made and by whose image you are made in. And realize why you're here in church. Realize what this service, what this family, and what this word of God does to you, and for you.

Yes, you may identify with Amos sometimes because you may think you can't do it—the task, the job or the road ahead is just too difficult—I'm not a professional speaker, I'm not charged or charged enough with God in my life, I'm not strong, but you are. By design, you are built tough.

Though built tough, this person in the hospital felt walloped. This person let me know they felt walloped. This person is one we can relate to because deep, deep down, though worn out and frail, whether hospitalized or not, we can feel weak sometimes too.  That's when we rely on God to carry us. That's right. In a springboard step from last week's message where we talked of strength in weakness with a lesson from Paul, this week we plug in that same message and apply it in a profound, practical way. When we are down, rely on Jesus. Yes, our third and final point today is that when we're down, the tough rely on Jesus.

The mark of a strong person is when they know they need help. The strong among us are made strong because they have the characteristic of wisdom in that they know that they can't handle everything. Because they can't handle everything, they rely on others for support. The greatest support, as we know, comes from the greatest, and the greatest is God.

Even Superman had kryptonite. Even the man of steel had a weakness. Now fortunately for us, we don't have to see a lot of blue, red and gold Lycra in a superhero costume because sustaining, life-giving strength is not physical. No, the physical will eventually wear away. The real strength is in the spiritual in that the spiritual provides the way.  Spiritual strength is that strength that carries us when we are weak. Spiritual strength is that which sees us through those tough times, like stays in the hospital, or stress through the work week or daily grind, because spiritual strength rests not on ourselves and our own devices. No, spiritual strength, through a personal relationship with Christ Jesus, taps us into the sustaining strength and support of God.

Don't wait until you're on a slippery slope to develop that personal relationship with the Son.

Consider this. One of the greatest and most complex structures ever built was completed in 1350. It stands 179 feet high but it leans some 16 ˝ feet perpendicularly from where it should if it were measured by a plumb line.

The Tower of Pisa—known as the Leaning tower of Pisa—is one of the most intriguing architectural phonemes in the world. The tower was built using a plumb line, but the builders did not construct the foundation of the structure deeply enough in relation to the height of the building.

You are built on a solid foundation. Relate to Amos and respond to the call to get out there and prophesy. Built God tough, you can get out there, share God's message and live by God's command. And if, if you ever need to lean like a certain tower we just talked about, you'll find God's shoulder in Jesus Christ, our friend and guide.