August 30, 2009 Message

Psalm 72

For me this has been a summer of the Psalms, basing each Sunday’s message on the Psalm reading for that day. The Psalm reading, for the last three months, has become the entrée to the meal, in and of itself and has provided the lesson of the day. Back in June, we began this series with the same reading as today (Psalm 72): “Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son. May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.” (1-2) So today, we have gone full circle.

The request when we started, for God’s way to be the king’s way, the people’s way, and our way, now becomes a reminder. There is still the hope God’s moral order will never be broken, God’s way of doing things will be ours, God will be honored by our “delivering the needy… the voiceless… and the weak… because, to us, they really do matter” and finally, and that there be more than enough for everyone everywhere.

The idea that the church can be vigorous, creative and permanent only when, and if, it responds to those areas of human need crying out to be heard remains. There can never be any room for indifference or the compromising of ideals. This is the song the psalmist sings – and meant to be our song as well.

And sandwiched between this need to treat others with God’s justice and righteousness – with fairness and honesty – were half a dozen other songs, each revealing more of what a true relationship with God is to be.

1) We are to give thanks for and request God’s help and continued support in all aspects of life. What it comes down to is this – our hope lies in trusting God always (even during the times when trust comes hard and we are most anxious). It is especially at those very times that our trust in God acts to calm our worry and fear of things that might possibly happen. This is our song.

2) Our praise of God comes from remembering God’s great act of creation which brings about the realization that everything in the world we think is ours IS, and always has been, God’s. And because everything – including people – belongs to God, nothing is beyond God’s power or outside God’s control. This is our song.

3) God is always “here” for us because we are God’s. God makes us more than ordinary – God makes us someone very special. Like David, God finds us, claims us, strengthens us, protects us from our enemies, loves us, and lifts us up. God says, I will not break my pledge to you or take back my promises, ever.” This is our song.

4) Foolishness is not believing what we say when we say we believe there is a God. We are to believe it and stop worrying. Trust God to do what Gods intends. Believe God will provide what is needed, and more, to do God’s work. Our faith and trust should be as abundant as God’s love and mercy. With God, there is always more than enough –to go places where we have never been, to do things we have not attempted, and to be things we have never envisioned. After all, there was food enough to feed the five thousand – and more left over! This is our song.

5) Gratitude to God should be the basic attitude for every part of our lives - "from beginning to end.” That’s all a person really needs to know to succeed in life. Our delight in God’s creation creates in us an awe and wonder that in the end makes us all wise. And in our wisdom, our praise of God becomes whole-hearted and our love of God complete, as we are overwhelmed totally by God’s gracious love. This is our song.

6) God is not limited to certain places, like church buildings or temples – so neither should our worship of God be limited to any one time or place. Because of that, our worship is misdirected whenever the place of worship takes priority over the object of our worship, God. Worship is not worship at all when our hope and trust is misplaced in a building– rather than in God who is found there. This is our song.

1b. When the disciples thought their boat was going down, they were right in one thing – “when the storms of life were raging” – they called upon Jesus who did care. Sure, they questioned his caring then, but later they never did. When things in their lives threatened to take them down – their trust in the Lord remained strong throughout. During their pain and suffering and depression, there was never a question, ever again, if Jesus cared. May our song be as certain.

2b.Through the psalms we are taught God is Lord; everything is God's; nothing is ours. There is only one king – one person in charge – (and it’s not the leader of any nation, nor is it us). The things we think are ours, are really not. They are God’s so use them wisely. God provides what we have and entrusts it to us to use for God’s glory, not ours. May our song be as humble.

3b. God promises to always be here for us, for you and for me – no matter what. God will do that! The Bible is full of stories of God’s people falling away and failing to keep their end of the deal, and yet God continued to keep God’s promise. Because God did not lie to David, God will not lie to you! We can trust God to keep God’s word. May our song be one of as trusting.

4b. God will deliver God’s people and God’s church. There is never need to worry about whether what we have is enough, as individuals or the church, if we know with God there is always enough. If God intends for it to be done, God will provide. Believe it, but most importantly trust it will happen. When it comes to God, think positive. It would be foolish not to. May our song be as cheerful.

5b. When we give thanks with our whole heart, when we "study" the works of God through worship, when we cultivate an "irresistible attraction to the grace of God," we truly become wise. And in our wisdom we are almost as infatuated with God as God is with us. May our song be as wise.

6b. There is only one reason for coming to church. We come to church, first and foremost, to be in the presence of God. We don't come for a myriad of reasons, least of which is the building. We come to meet God so that we might glorify God and enjoy God forever. When that happens, our worship IS really about the praise of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and our worship of God transforms us. May our song be as joyful.

A song always comes from the heart, from deep inside everyone of us. It can be sweet or it can be sour. It sometimes speaks of a relationship with God, or not. A song a person signs reveals a lot about that person. A song is an important thing.

Mark tells of the time the Pharisees hassled Jesus’ disciples for not “observing traditional religious practices” and Jesus came back with words from Isaiah, suggesting it is in fact the Pharisees who have distanced themselves from God by focusing on their “traditions” rather than on God’s commandment. Listen … there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out... it’s from within… from the human heart, that evil intentions come.”

May the songs we sing bring us ever closer to God.

August 23, 2009 Message

Psalm 84; John 6:56-69
“Worship’s Where and Why”

Children’s Message: A story about God’s house. God is not limited to a certain place – and neither should be our worship of God.

This summer I have focused my study on our readings from the Psalms – which for the most part have been songs of praise and gratitude, of thanksgiving and worship. Last week the message based on Psalm 111 ended with my saying, “… it is a wise thing to praise God whole-heartedly, to love God completely, and to fear God totally - when fear means being overwhelmed by God’s gracious love. When we give thanks with our whole heart, when we "study" the works of God through worship, when we cultivate an "irresistible attraction to the grace of God," we truly become wise. And in our wisdom we are almost as infatuated with God as God is with us. It is good to be wise, isn’t it?

Today’s Psalm is about worship, especially the ‘where’ of it. When we want to praise God with our whole heart, when we want to love God completely, when we want to be overwhelmed in God’s presence - where do we go? Psalm 84 is also about the proper attitude of worship – of being in a ‘right’ frame of mind and doing things for the ‘right’ reasons. The psalmist models for us why we worship and what it looks like when we do.

Psalm 84 is a joyful song of praise not of a building but of the God whose presence is mysteriously and powerfully experienced there. It serves as a reminder to God’s people of where their praise is to be directed. And yet the ancient Hebrews, over time, got it all wrong. They looked at their temple as more than a sacred place. It became for them a reminder of a better and happier time. To them it represented their ‘glory days’ when everything was at its best and life was secure. Their faith and hope became centered on a place – the temple. So when the temple was destroyed, the people’s hopes and faith were crushed and broken as well. Over the years, their worship became misaligned. Their hope and trust was placed in a building– rather than in God who was found there.

Walter Brueggemann says that Psalm 84 "lives at the edge of self-congratulation," and warns us that our own tendency toward "exaltation of the church as building or institution runs the risk of falling in love with an idol." However, he says, if we read it carefully, we'll understand "that the celebration of the Temple actually points beyond itself to the reality of God, who is the real source of life and the real focus of trust." That's the key, isn't it? Keeping God at the heart of everything, especially our worship. Place is important only when the worship there is directed toward God.

Psalm 84 is also about an attitude of worship – being in a ‘right’ frame of mind or doing things in a ‘right’ way and for the ‘right’ reasons. In verse 2 the psalmist says, “My soul longs, …it faints for…; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” There is a deep passion for God, maybe even infatuation, in the psalmist voice and a longing to be in the presence of God. This is evidenced by the prayer at the end of this psalm, which is not a petition or asking for something but rather the expression of a deep yearning for communion with God and desire to be in God’s presence.

For some that communion and presence may be in the place where the church meets – a building. Perhaps that is what it means for us and why we are here today. More than anything else in the world, we yearn to be with God here in this place. We look forward to coming every week. We are glad always to worship God. If that is why you have come, I hope you find God here today. 20th century American writer Kurt Vonnegut once said, “People don't come to church for preachments, of course, but to daydream about God.” In other words, people don’t come to be preached to, they come so they can think about God in ways they have never thought of before. People come to expand and enlarge their understanding of God. They come seeking to actually be with God.

Brueggemann says the temple (or church) may be "only an access point to the reality of God, and that God is always and everywhere with us.” So, is he saying the church is not the only place God can be found? There are other sacred places? If he is saying that, then wherever we are, we can be “on holy ground” and "at home with God."
Imagine what our worship of God might look like if it were not here. What would the house we seek look like, or the nest in which we might find safety? Where would the place be you would feel most blessed? Where could you hardly wait to go? If all week long you have been battered by the world, by busyness, by disease, by financial hardship, or by family problems, where would you go? Would it be a place where your worries could be left behind and where you could enjoy just being with God. If we found ourselves daydreaming today, what would we dream?

20th century author and theologian Thomas Merton suggest this daydreaming isn’t necessarily an easy thing to do when he says, “Just remaining quietly in the presence of God, listening to [God], being attentive to [God], requires a lot of courage and know-how.” As the title of Ringo Starr’s hit says, “It don’t come easy!”

What does this church building represent to you? Is it your home, or God's home, or both? What does it mean to gather here in prayer, to petition and praise the God who cannot be contained even in the whole universe let alone confined to one place? What are we to do here? Do we have a responsibility to provide a place of prayer for people shaken by a life changing, and sometimes shattering, events? Do we open our doors so any one who comes might find God here? Are we seen as a place of sanctuary, where those who hurt might find safety?

If not, why have we come? The Psalmist reminds us there is only one reason for coming to church. We come to church, first and foremost, to be in the presence of God. We come to meet with God. We don't come out of habit or obedience. We don’t come for the announcements or to catch up on the latest news. We don't come because of the prayers and the music. We don't come because of the pastor and the sermons. We don't come because of the building and fellowship. We come because we want to meet God, here in this place. And if in meeting God our aim is to glorify God and enjoy God forever, then our worship IS really about the praise of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – that is why we come. And in our worship of God, we are transformed. That is good news indeed!

August 16, 2009 Message

Psalm 111

The children who attended Camp E.D.G.E. will remember that E.D.G.E. was an acronym - or ‘acorn’ as Sparks referred to it – a word whose letters were in turn the first letters of words which formed a phrase or sentence. Do you remember what E.D.G.E. stood for? It stood for Experiencing and discovering God everywhere, right? And the Greek word for fish, IKHTHUS, was the ‘acorn’ for the phrase JESUS CHRIST, GOD'S SON, SAVOUR. Well Psalm 111 is one of seven psalms found in the Bible that are ‘acorns’ of sorts, using every letter of the ancient Hebrew alphabet to create an acrostic pattern that says God’s laws cover life from A-Z.

Psalm 111 is also a song of thanksgiving that teaches gratitude should be the core attitude for every part of our lives - "from beginning to end.” In fact, the ancient Hebrew people often memorized this psalm so they could meditate on it’s truth day and night – as it contained everything a person needed to know to be successful in life.

Can you think of anything more important in living our lives than gratitude? Are you grateful to God for everything in your life? When the heart is grateful, it is opened – and when it is, other hearts are opened as well. And yet, much of the time, gratitude may be the farthest thing from our minds, crowded out or push aside by everything we have to deal with at work, at school, or at home. It is at those times, we need psalms like this to remind us of what is really important in life so that we once again center our lives on what really matters.

So, listen once again to Psalm 111– and, as you do, pick out a few phrases that for you anchor the notion of gratitude in the text and in our hearts.

1Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

2Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.

3Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.

4He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the Lord is gracious and merciful.

5He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant.

6He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.

7The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.

8They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.

9He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name.

10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.

For me, the two phrases that stand out are: (1) " I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart " (v. 1) and (2) " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom " (v. 10).

I. The Psalmist thanks God with his whole heart.

This thought also occurs in another acrostic Psalm: "Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart" (119:2). It is a phrase that comes from Deuteronomy relating to both worship and the law of God. Its message is that, if the Lord scatters the people of Israel among the nations (i.e. the Exile), the way to reverse that dispersion is to "seek the Lord your God...with all your heart and soul" (4:29). Also the first commandment Moses gave to Israel was the Shema: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" (6:5).

Our seeking God with our whole heart means that God fully engages us – and we become fully connected. It doesn't mean necessarily that we drop out of other activities, though it could - if just for a short time, but it does mean God is to be “part of the equation” no matter what we are involved in. And if that is the case, Scripture says, we won’t go unrewarded. We will find God (in what we are doing). (Deut. 4:29 and Jer. 29:12-13)

A story is told that soon after the death of the greatest rabbi in the world, a traveler said to one of his disciples, “Your rabbi and spiritual teacher was famous for his wisdom. What did he focus his life on the most?” The disciple thought a while and said: “To whatever he happened to be doing at the moment.”

Wisdom, in other words, is the gift of living the present to the fullest, and learning from the now whatever is needed to respond honestly to whatever the future holds. And yet sometimes this wisdom can be risky. In living like this - in the moment - there are blessings beyond description and imagination, but whenever you give your heart to God completely, or anyone else for that matter, you open yourself up to loss and perhaps even pain. The Psalmist challenges our hearts today to the expectation of both as we continue (or begin) to thank God with our whole heart.

II. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

In the Biblical concept of wisdom, gratitude and "study" provide its foundation. When it says that the "fear" of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the Psalmist is not talking about being afraid of what God will do or backing away from God in fear. As Gerhard von Rad, the leading OT theologian of the last generation says, “the fear of the Lord is not a state of anxiety but includes both the experience of awe and the irresistible attraction to the graciousness of God.”

With God described as "awesome" in the previous verse, the proper response in verse 10 is to "fear the Lord." Today we might think of "fear" as something scary, something we want to get away from, or something that will harm us. Yet in this Psalm of gratitude, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." It is a good thing; it is a positive aspect of our faith. Sr. Joan Chittister, in Wisdom: A Gift or a Task? writes, “Scripture maintains that “fear of the lord”—means holy astonishment, complete wonder and awe at what God does in my life and the life of everyone around me. Scripture says such (wisdom) is basic to life, fundamental to holiness, and full of unrelenting challenge.”

Nancy deClaissé-Walford, Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages at McAfee School of Theology (Atlanta, GA) helps us to better understand today’s Psalm when she writes, “The word "fear" (yara') appears in the Hebrew Bible as a synonym for "love" (Deuteronomy 10:12); "cling to" (Deuteronomy 10:20); and "serve" (Deuteronomy 6:13; Joshua 24:14). It is powerful in meaning,” she says, “but it has more to do with feelings of awesomeness. It is more about being in the presence of the holy other with cautious reverence than it is about the sweaty-palmed, shaking, gasping for breath kind of fear we often experience.”

So, it is a wise thing to praise God whole-heartedly, to love God completely, and to fear God totally - when fear means being overwhelmed by God’s gracious love. When we give thanks with our whole heart, when we "study" the works of God through worship, when we cultivate an "irresistible attraction to the grace of God," we truly become wise. And in our wisdom we are almost as infatuated with God as God is with us. That is good news. Praise be to God!