Father Abraham, ancestor of the Jews and Arabs has something to teach us.

Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.

Age need not be the crucial factor in life.

Abraham began the exciting part of life at 75 and was 100 before his son was born.

Men of today at 75 perceive themselves to be in the "sunset years" of life.

Illustration: Williams lists old people of accomplishment, such as George Burns, Margaret Meade, Arthur Rubenstein, Grandma Moses, and Frank Lloyd Wright.

What is crucial is the way older people understand themselves as persons.

Illustration: Three militant octogenarians in Topeka held their home hostage because some "kid" of 50 was telling them what to do.

Every person is worthy of God's love, not just the young and vigorous.

God's promise to make Abraham a blessing is the promise for us at any age.

Father Abraham teaches us how to let go and get on.

Abraham teaches us how to respond when called out of our comfortable ways.

Inertia sets in for anyone who lives all of life in one place.

Abraham's call has no familiar security about it, nothing of the permanent.

Abraham leaves to answer God's call and to take charge of his own future.

The danger of middle age is allowing circumstances to carry us.

Any time we set out toward the unknown, we are making a faith journey.

Jesus models what it means to begin a new life.

There were perhaps 200 people in Nazareth, where Jesus spent 30 years.

When the call came, Jesus put down his tools and walked into history.

Many of our ancestors perilously followed dreams of freedom to come here.

The church is a place where dreams are nourished and visions are kept fresh.

We exist to help people share a dream of justice, safety, and plenty.

Abraham envisioned what could be and was willing to help make it a reality.

God never promised Abraham that the journey would be easy.

God did promise that Abraham would be a blessing to his nation and to the world.

"I will make you a blessing" is a promise to each one of us.