I Think. I Can.

Here is a reprint of an illustration that was used for a sermon. I thought it was appropriate to use it as part of my message:

In Search of Watty Piper: A Brief History of the “Little Engine” Story
Celebrating More Than One Hundred Years of Thinking I Can!

Story of the Engine that Thought It Could. Published in the New York Tribune on April 8, 1906, this story is attributed to a sermon by the Rev. Charles S. Wing to the Norstrand Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church in Brooklyn; the church had just paid off its mortgage after many years. This is earliest full version I have discovered to date:

In a certain railroad yard there stood an ex
tremely heavy train that had to be drawn up an 
unusually heavy grade before it could reach its
 destination. The superintendent of the yard was 
not sure what it was best for him to do, so he
 went up to a large, strong engine and asked :

“Can you pull that train over the hill?”

“It is a very heavy train,” responded the en
gine.

He then went to another great engine and 
asked:

“Can you pull that train over the hill?”

“It is a very heavy grade,” it replied.

The superintendent was much puzzled, but he 
turned to still another engine that was spick
 and span new, and he asked it:

“Can you pull that train over the hill?”

“I think I can,” responded the engine.

So the order was circulated, and the engine
 was started back so that it might be coupled
 with the train, and as it went along the rails it
 kept repeating to itself: “I think I can. I think
 I can. I think I can.”

The coupling was made and the engine began
 its journey, and all along the level, as it rolled 
toward the ascent, it kept repeating to itself:
 “I —think —I can. I —think —I— can. I —think— I —can.”

Then it reached the grade, but its voice could 
still be heard: “I think I can. I—– think—–I—–can. 
I —–think—– I—– can.”

Higher and higher it climbed, and its voice
grew fainter and its words came slower:

”I ——-think ——–I——-can.”

It was almost to the top.

“I ———think”

If was at the top.

”I ———can.”

It passed over the top of the hill and began 
crawling down the opposite slope.

’I ——think——- I—— can——I—– thought——I——-could I—– thought—– 
could. I thought I could. I thought I could.
 I thought I could.”

And singing its triumph, it rushed on down 
toward the valley.

Letter about God moving at MAX @MNU

Here is a letter from Dr. Spittal, President of MidAmerica Nazarene University:

Board of Trustees,

I wanted to forward the message I sent to the regional NYI council this morning.  The youth from your districts are on our campus today, and nearly 1,000 are in attendance, almost 200 more than last year, here for the events and activities related to MAX. 

But I especially want to give praise for the moving of the Holy Spirit in our opening service last evening.  The altars were lined with hundreds of students who began to come forward even before the speaker concluded his message.  Throngs of your young people gave their hearts to Christ last evening, and we celebrated and cheered as they came.  In essence we saw revival, and the Holy Spirit moved in a way I have not seen in years. I am sure many of your youth have never witnessed a moving of God like we experienced last night.

We have been praying all year for our campus, and especially for our athletes.  Our desire for them is that God will move into our athletic programs and speak to the hearts of the outstanding young men and women who have come to utilize their unique talents to play a sport they love.  Our desire is that through athletics at MNU they will discover God for themselves and be radically transformed through Jesus Christ.

In the midst of the altar call last night, I looked up to the balcony where a large number of our football players were sitting, because their coach had told them to be there last night.  Throughout the evening I watched as the speaker engaged the crowed and spoke directly to the football players in the balcony.  When the altars began to fill with young people, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the football players begin to leave as a group and was sad to see that they were leaving.  But to my surprise and delight, I was thrilled when they came to the main floor and together came down the aisle to the altar and there joined the hundreds of others who were seeking God.  Praise the Lord.

We must realize that many of our students and yours have never witnessed a moving of the Holy Spirit in revival.  But last evening the presence of God was very real and the moving of the Spirit on young hearts was amazing.  As our football players walked down the aisle of the church, our students and your young people cheered, with tears, as they watched God move in response to their prayers.

Please continue to pray for the Lord to reach the rising generation in a new and powerful way.  My prayer is that as these young people return to your churches they will bring the spirit of revival with them and in doing so bring revival to our churches.  I have great confidence in the rising generation of the church because I can see God at work in them for their time and for his purposes.

If there is any doubt why our passion for MNU must be sustained…we witnessed the basis for that commitment last night. 

We give praise for what God is doing on the campus of MNU.

David J. Spittal

President