Advent 2B – sermon based upon Psalm 34:1-7, 15-22 & Luke 2:1-20
Good morning. As we continue to make our way toward Bethlehem, we are looking more deeply at some of the gifts that Advent brings. In case you missed it last week, each week in worship we are tying in the theme from the Advent devotional in a variety of ways. The music, liturgy, and even the scriptures have been chosen to walk us through the true gifts of this season. This past week, we've explored the gift of faith. On this second week of Advent we're looking at the gift of peace. And new life and love are the themes we'll connect with in the coming weeks.
So today, we have a story of what it looks like to have nearly everything you think could go wrong, go wrong and still it turns into the best Christmas ever... well, I guess it's the first Christmas ever.
All joking aside, it really is one of those stories that we might be tempted to rush to the happy ending and say it all worked out. But it wasn’t easy to get to that happy ending. A nine month expectant mother and her fiancé had to take a dangerous trip because the government needed to tax them. Upon arrival, there wasn’t room for them in the inn nor did they have the money for a nicer place. We can assume they didn’t have family in the area either. They were all alone and in a bind. But they found refuge in a barn and in the end discovered blessings and a peace they could have never imagined.
Most of us are unlikely to have such an experience that is still being told over 2000 years later but it is much like many experiences we have all had. For example, on the way to what was supposed to be a special dinner out for my grandmother’s 75th birthday, we got a flat tire. Then, I stained my shirt changing the tire. At this point we’re running late and if you knew my grandmother, you’d know that punctuality is next to Godliness. By the time we got to the restaurant, we were so late they gave away our reservations. So, we walk down the road to a greasy spoon diner because it's the only place without a wait and we're tired and hungry and cranky by this point so we go in.
Once inside, we meet a server who smiles and treats us like family. She brings us coffee without asking because she can see we're cold. She tells the soup is no good but the meatloaf is outstanding. And it turns into an evening of comfort and refuge in an unlikely place.
That is a true story and I can tell you lots of others. In my work at the hospital, I meet people all the time who think the worst thing that could ever happen to them would be for their child to be sick and in the hospital. They cry with agony and worry about how they don't think they can handle it. They wonder where God is and why this is happening. They feel alone and lost in a strange place.
But if they keep their eyes open and don't succumb to the despair, what they find is people that have their best interest at heart. They feel hands of care and concern that will hold them in the tough moments. They experience support that comes in unexpected forms and packages. And most importantly, they find God working in their lives, even in this unfamiliar and scary place. I can't tell you how many families when referring to the hospital say to me something like, "This place has been the home we never expected and blessing we didn't know we needed."
Life is like that. Just when it isn't going the way we wanted, we find that God has prepared a place for us where we least expected it. And God is like that. When we toil in the brokenness of the world, God reaches out making a safe harbor in humble and unexpected places.
So, what do we make of all this? Why is it that sometimes we find God in the dark places and sometimes we don't? Is it that God wants to help us some of the time and other times we're on our own? Is it that God picks and chooses on supporting us?
Well, I don't think it works that way. From what we learn in this scripture and what I've seen working at the hospital and in my own life, I believe that God is always reaching and supporting us even if we can't always see it. And more than that, I suspect that we would be far worse off if God weren't constantly reaching toward us to help and support us. Oh, it’s true that sometimes we succumb to despair or become blinded by bitterness or get lost in the mire of worry so much so that we can no longer see God's work and provision for our lives. But when we can stay open to God's work, amazing things happen.
Let’s think back on this story for a minute. If Mary had let the worry of such a long journey overcome her, we wouldn't have such an amazing birth story. If Joseph had let the frustration about having to travel at such an in convenient time blind him, he might have mouthed off to the inn keeper and not even gotten to use the barn. If the shepherds had been more concerned with their own matters, they would have missed seeing the young messiah. Things in this story weren’t going so well for them but they kept journeying forward faithfully. And because they did, they found God’s love and provision laid out for them.
See, this journey toward Bethlehem is one of unknowns and fears like we talked about last week. But faith is journeying forward anyway. Yet, God gives us more than what we need for just a faithful journey. We can find peace along the way. We can know safe havens and helpful nurture. We can experience God's love and work for us that is present and reaching to us even when we can't yet see or receive it. But when we can, peaceful nights of sleep, calm in the storm, and blessings in the midst of difficulty are there for us to claim.
So how do we tap into God’s support for us when we’re just nearly so overwhelmed that we can’t take another step? How do we keep from letting frustration about our circumstances and disappointments get the better of how we deal with it so we can be open to the peaceful refuge God has offered? And what does that refuge even look like?
Well, just like in our biblical story and the stories I told, it requires openness on our part to believe in and see God’s blessing in the tough times. I’m not saying that we have to just be optimistic. Being optimistic is not always realistic. For example, we can’t use positive thinking to take care of mortgage difficulty or brokenness in our relationships. Optimism alone in such situations would leave us homeless and alone.
Instead, openness to the goodness around us is more like faith than optimism. It’s listening to that inner voice to pick up the phone and call a friend for help rather than toughing it out alone. It’s allowing ourselves to see something differently so that we recognize the blessing instead of seeing just another obstacle. It’s knowing that we are really not alone and that if we hold fast to what is truly important, we will find safe harbor even if it doesn’t look like what we expected.
Sisters and brothers, the journey to Bethlehem was a tough one but God provided from them in ways they didn’t know and couldn’t expect. Still today, God is working in our lives to help us along the way. As we journey in faith, may we always be open to the peace and refuge that God offers regardless of what it looks like. May we support one another to ease the burdens. And may we truly experience God’s provision for us when we need it most. Amen.
Showing posts with label refuge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label refuge. Show all posts
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Fearlessness
Ordinary 16A – Sermon based upon Isaiah 44:1-8
Good morning. Today’s scriptures from Isaiah and Romans are an interesting complement to one another. On the one hand, we have God speaking in Isaiah about being the One true God so there is no need to fear. The core of those verses are 6-8 which read, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I'm first, I'm last, and everything in between. I'm the only God there is. Who compares with me? Speak up. See if you measure up. From the beginning, who else has always announced what's coming? So what is coming next? Anybody want to venture a try? Don't be afraid, and don't worry: Haven't I always kept you informed, told you what was going on? You're my eyewitnesses: Have you ever come across a God, a real God, other than me? There's no Rock like me.’”
From the reverse perspective, we have Paul in Romans telling us to not fear because God’s resurrection and release from bondage live boldly within us. The core of those verses, 15-16, read, “This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike ‘What's next, Papa?’ God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.”
So we have this message to live without fear and to live boldly at that. But is that how we experience our lives? Is it possible to be fearless? Are there things we should fear? Does the repeated counsel of the bible to “fear not” mean that fear is bad? Well, we can’t possibly begin to unravel those questions during this time, but I think God has a message for us nonetheless.
First of all, we do fear, whether or not we want to. There are all kinds of biblical stories of fear and the way that fear either did them in or helped them out. We still have the same stories today. In my job as a chaplain, I meet families who receive unspeakable news of their child’s illness and an uncertain future. There is no way for them in that moment to not feel fear because in that moment, they are keenly aware of all they can’t control and the depth of what they could lose. And what about when we are at risk of losing or actually lose our job? Fear is a natural response that reinforces our understanding of how vulnerable we are. And when we are walking down a stretch of street that is dark and unfamiliar, can we get rid of that fear that wells up in us? No, we cannot. That fear heightens our ability to engage our most primal instincts by becoming ultra-aware of our surroundings and also the resources within and around us that we may tap into should something dangerous happen.
So I would never stand here and say that fear is a bad thing nor do I think God is saying such a thing. Fear can be a true gift that brings out the very best in us by reminding us what is important to us and connecting us to resources that we wouldn’t have recognized before. So maybe that is the point. Fear is a response that God pretty much hardwired into us for our own good. But the trick is to take that moment of fear and move forward with new hope rather than being mired in it.
See, I think these passages are about just that. Of course we are going to fear otherwise God, Jesus, and so many prophets and disciples would not have addressed it. Just as the examples from earlier speak to how fear can help us, fear can also hurt us if we are in bondage to it. Just this week, I met a patient’s mom who was so locked up by the fear of what might happen that it kept her from experiencing all the love around her and the child. That love could have been so healing for all of them. Or what about when someone loses their job or is walking down that dark road and becomes too paralyzed by fear to make any decision? They become a victim of their circumstances rather than empowered by the learning fear gave them and the hope of such strength. But what do we do to keep from getting mired in it and becoming a slave to fear?
Well, I think we all know from experience that letting go of fear is easier said than done. So what do we do? I think this is a place where scripture has much to offer us. These passages tell us something that we can keep with us to help us move from fear to fear-usefullness and maybe even fearlessness.
The Isaiah passage reassures us that God is true and with us so we are never alone no matter what happens or is to come. Romans tells us that when we keep our focus on what is Holy by listening to that inner calling, we will always find meaning and direction. Both of these passages tell us that fear need not bind us if we receive the reassurance found in scripture and live by it’s guidance.
But still, this is easier said than done. So, I want us to pause for a few minutes and think in some really practical ways about how we already do use this guidance and how we might use it better and more fully to let go of the fears that bind us.
First, what ways to we use trust in God and focus on the Holy to help us move past fear? Well, prayer is a common one. Prayer is a ritual that creates comfort because we believe in its power or find it familiar. Another way we let go of fear is by seeking the refuge of our holy community. Fear also often dissolves when we engage in actions which we know will produce goodness and love. By working for love, we forget the fear and feel stronger. What else works? Reading scripture or other texts that cultivate the Holy, opening ourselves to the body of Christ as it reaches out to us, immersing ourselves in creation whether it is a sunset or our families… all these things are practical ways we seek to let go of fear and move forward with hope.
What ways might we adopt that we aren’t already doing to help us shed the chains of fear? Maybe it’s watching out for others who are struggling and reaching out to them. We’ve mentioned rituals that are familiar but perhaps sometimes letting go of an old fear is about trying something new. What might that be in each of our lives? What if letting go of a fear is about redoubling our efforts? Maybe it’s a matter of focus. Could it be about listening to the yearnings God implanted in us as Romans suggests? The important thing is that we find what will help us take the fear that wells up in us, use what it has to teach us, and move forward without being caught in its bondage.
Now, what fears bind us? Think about what specific fears make your chest tighten and pulse rise when you think of them? Most of us have many fears but for now, let’s just trust that what comes to each of us is what God wants us to look at in this moment. Some of us are afraid of losing people close to us. For others it is being left. Still others of us fear being out of control while some of us fear pain and suffering. No matter what is coming to our minds, God wants us to find a way from fear to hope.
So, how can we use God’s calling and find release from these fears? Where is our comfort? What steps do we need to take to find release and healing from the things that bind us now and the fears that will come along later? It’s hard work and takes intentionality on our part. How will we find stamina to do this? Our desire alone for release and healing from fear just isn’t enough. What steps will we take to live the life of expectancy and hope that God is calling us to?
Sisters and brothers, these few minutes of looking at our fears and our resources are just a beginning and we can’t begin to answer these questions but the questions are worthy and need to be challenged. Nevertheless, one thing is for certain. The bible would not address fear so frequently if God didn’t know we would need extra support to find a path through it.
But we are not helpless. We have the body of Christ to help us along the way, God’s Spirit with us to give us stamina and hope, and God’s promises to guide and hold us along the way. May God guide our path, heal our wounds, and lead us in a more excellent way each and every day. Amen.
Good morning. Today’s scriptures from Isaiah and Romans are an interesting complement to one another. On the one hand, we have God speaking in Isaiah about being the One true God so there is no need to fear. The core of those verses are 6-8 which read, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I'm first, I'm last, and everything in between. I'm the only God there is. Who compares with me? Speak up. See if you measure up. From the beginning, who else has always announced what's coming? So what is coming next? Anybody want to venture a try? Don't be afraid, and don't worry: Haven't I always kept you informed, told you what was going on? You're my eyewitnesses: Have you ever come across a God, a real God, other than me? There's no Rock like me.’”
From the reverse perspective, we have Paul in Romans telling us to not fear because God’s resurrection and release from bondage live boldly within us. The core of those verses, 15-16, read, “This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike ‘What's next, Papa?’ God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.”
So we have this message to live without fear and to live boldly at that. But is that how we experience our lives? Is it possible to be fearless? Are there things we should fear? Does the repeated counsel of the bible to “fear not” mean that fear is bad? Well, we can’t possibly begin to unravel those questions during this time, but I think God has a message for us nonetheless.
First of all, we do fear, whether or not we want to. There are all kinds of biblical stories of fear and the way that fear either did them in or helped them out. We still have the same stories today. In my job as a chaplain, I meet families who receive unspeakable news of their child’s illness and an uncertain future. There is no way for them in that moment to not feel fear because in that moment, they are keenly aware of all they can’t control and the depth of what they could lose. And what about when we are at risk of losing or actually lose our job? Fear is a natural response that reinforces our understanding of how vulnerable we are. And when we are walking down a stretch of street that is dark and unfamiliar, can we get rid of that fear that wells up in us? No, we cannot. That fear heightens our ability to engage our most primal instincts by becoming ultra-aware of our surroundings and also the resources within and around us that we may tap into should something dangerous happen.
So I would never stand here and say that fear is a bad thing nor do I think God is saying such a thing. Fear can be a true gift that brings out the very best in us by reminding us what is important to us and connecting us to resources that we wouldn’t have recognized before. So maybe that is the point. Fear is a response that God pretty much hardwired into us for our own good. But the trick is to take that moment of fear and move forward with new hope rather than being mired in it.
See, I think these passages are about just that. Of course we are going to fear otherwise God, Jesus, and so many prophets and disciples would not have addressed it. Just as the examples from earlier speak to how fear can help us, fear can also hurt us if we are in bondage to it. Just this week, I met a patient’s mom who was so locked up by the fear of what might happen that it kept her from experiencing all the love around her and the child. That love could have been so healing for all of them. Or what about when someone loses their job or is walking down that dark road and becomes too paralyzed by fear to make any decision? They become a victim of their circumstances rather than empowered by the learning fear gave them and the hope of such strength. But what do we do to keep from getting mired in it and becoming a slave to fear?
Well, I think we all know from experience that letting go of fear is easier said than done. So what do we do? I think this is a place where scripture has much to offer us. These passages tell us something that we can keep with us to help us move from fear to fear-usefullness and maybe even fearlessness.
The Isaiah passage reassures us that God is true and with us so we are never alone no matter what happens or is to come. Romans tells us that when we keep our focus on what is Holy by listening to that inner calling, we will always find meaning and direction. Both of these passages tell us that fear need not bind us if we receive the reassurance found in scripture and live by it’s guidance.
But still, this is easier said than done. So, I want us to pause for a few minutes and think in some really practical ways about how we already do use this guidance and how we might use it better and more fully to let go of the fears that bind us.
First, what ways to we use trust in God and focus on the Holy to help us move past fear? Well, prayer is a common one. Prayer is a ritual that creates comfort because we believe in its power or find it familiar. Another way we let go of fear is by seeking the refuge of our holy community. Fear also often dissolves when we engage in actions which we know will produce goodness and love. By working for love, we forget the fear and feel stronger. What else works? Reading scripture or other texts that cultivate the Holy, opening ourselves to the body of Christ as it reaches out to us, immersing ourselves in creation whether it is a sunset or our families… all these things are practical ways we seek to let go of fear and move forward with hope.
What ways might we adopt that we aren’t already doing to help us shed the chains of fear? Maybe it’s watching out for others who are struggling and reaching out to them. We’ve mentioned rituals that are familiar but perhaps sometimes letting go of an old fear is about trying something new. What might that be in each of our lives? What if letting go of a fear is about redoubling our efforts? Maybe it’s a matter of focus. Could it be about listening to the yearnings God implanted in us as Romans suggests? The important thing is that we find what will help us take the fear that wells up in us, use what it has to teach us, and move forward without being caught in its bondage.
Now, what fears bind us? Think about what specific fears make your chest tighten and pulse rise when you think of them? Most of us have many fears but for now, let’s just trust that what comes to each of us is what God wants us to look at in this moment. Some of us are afraid of losing people close to us. For others it is being left. Still others of us fear being out of control while some of us fear pain and suffering. No matter what is coming to our minds, God wants us to find a way from fear to hope.
So, how can we use God’s calling and find release from these fears? Where is our comfort? What steps do we need to take to find release and healing from the things that bind us now and the fears that will come along later? It’s hard work and takes intentionality on our part. How will we find stamina to do this? Our desire alone for release and healing from fear just isn’t enough. What steps will we take to live the life of expectancy and hope that God is calling us to?
Sisters and brothers, these few minutes of looking at our fears and our resources are just a beginning and we can’t begin to answer these questions but the questions are worthy and need to be challenged. Nevertheless, one thing is for certain. The bible would not address fear so frequently if God didn’t know we would need extra support to find a path through it.
But we are not helpless. We have the body of Christ to help us along the way, God’s Spirit with us to give us stamina and hope, and God’s promises to guide and hold us along the way. May God guide our path, heal our wounds, and lead us in a more excellent way each and every day. Amen.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Our Refuge and Strength
Trinity A – a sermon based upon Psalm 46
Good morning. It is a true joy to be with you today on this Trinity Sunday where we celebrate that Christians are bad mathematicians or have a different kind of math… a math that says that 1 Father + 1 Son + 1 Holy Spirit = One Big God.
Okay, I figured that joke would either reveal that you were asleep or that I am a geek but I couldn’t help myself. The fact that we set aside a day to consider the Triune God, Trinity Sunday is an interesting thing to me. We definitely spend time talking about God, Jesus, and the Spirit. And we give a gentle nod to the fact that they are intertwined. But do we really stop to stand in awe of how amazingly God’s love, Christ’s redemption, and the Spirit’s creative energy works in and around us and with each other?
Today is probably a good day to do that because last week we talked about a pretty tough calling to keep reaching out even when we don’t understand other parts of the Body of Christ. And this week I said we’d look into our refuge, nurture, and growth together within a community of faith. And that’s what we’re going to do.
Today’s Psalm starts with a phrase familiar to many of us: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” This Psalm shows a great deal of trust and hope on our part in a God that is ever present and truly helpful in our daily lives. But is it just trust and hope? Could it be the Psalmist’s experience that first brought these words to song and then to paper? Could it be that for all our struggles to feel God’s presence, we still have a powerful experiences of and a deep knowledge of God?
I suspect so and on this day, the day of the church picnic where we share in the joy of fellowship, there is no better time to look at our experiences of each other and God in our midst. So, let’s look deeper at this Psalm and more closely at this community.
The 46th Psalm is broken into 3 different sections. The first looks at the turbulence of the earth. The second considers the unrest of people and nations. Finally the third upholds experience of God in being still and recognizing God’s works.
On first look you may think, now what does that have to do with our refuge, nurture, and growth together within a community of faith? Well, there are lots of ways to look at this Psalm. If we were soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan, we may be looking at it for what it says about God’s dealings in political matters. And if we lived in earthquake ravaged Haiti or tornado torn Joplin, MO, we might center in on God’s work of creation in spite of the ebb and flow of nature and destruction. But for today, let’s look at it from right here… from this community of faith.
See, we know what it’s like for the “waters roar” and the land to tremble. The recent floods and storms have reminded us just how fragile our things of human design are. And if we look back in time, we need not go too far to see the damage wrought by nature. We also know what it’s like for the nations to roar and put our sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, grandchildren, parents and loved ones in harm’s way. But in the big times, the everyday times, and all the in between times, how do we know that God is our refuge and our strength?
Well, if you’ll indulge me, I think I have a unique prespective on this question. I’ve been helping in worship at First Pres consistently for over a year now and a few times before that over 2 years. But I’ve not been here for worship only. I’ve talked with many of you during coffee hour. I’ve sat in some of your homes to grieve. We’ve run into one another at local festivals or stores. Even as recently as last week, we’ve shared in the joy of baptisms and new members. You’ve reached out to me and to one another and much much more. And all along I’ve been watching. I’m a people watcher and you’ve given me plenty to take in.
See, during times of looking for a new pastor, some churches spend thousands of dollars on a consultant that comes in and studies a congregation to then give them a report telling them what was observed. But as someone who loves and cares about you, I’m going to tell you for free what I’ve seen.
In you, I have seen that there are more ways for the waters and nations to roar than just literal ones. The very foundations of many of your lives have been rocked by things that happened in your life or the lives of those around you. Unthinkable deaths, illnesses too scary to talk about with more than a few people, losses that leave you questioning how to cope and how to support one another have swept through in the past year just as they do in all years.
But I listened to your words to one another. I heard you say things like, “I don’t know what to say to make it better but I am here for you” or “I am grateful I have you around me to help us through this.” I also watched your actions. You sent cards, shared rides, offered meals, and shared with one another. You have been that beautiful interplay of God’s love, Christ’s healing, and the Sprit’s binding that one another need. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
However, I’ve been watching during more than just the crisis moments. I’ve watched the everyday times and if you ask me, the true measure of a community is not only in how well they rise to the occasion of crisis but what they do day in and day out. I see that you love to learn and grow.
You have church school, Sunday night conversations, Tuesday evening studies, VBS, and other special events. And those events are not just about growing intellectually or spiritually but they are also about the time spent with one another in seeking and learning together.
I also have watched you in stewardship. I’ve overheard conversations of concern about how to deal with financial issues with integrity. I’ve witnessed the birth and development of new gifts and callings such as when I overheard one of you talk about something that needed to be fixed and then you realized that maybe it was your calling to fix it. And the coffee hour helpers, greeters, ushers, flower arrangers, table setters, dish washers, meal cookers, baked good donators (and eaters), liturgy helpers, prayers, and so much more can’t even begin to be calculated when you start to look at stewardship. This congregation loves to do things for one another and for each other and it’s awe inspiring to stand back and see. “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
But all that I’ve named has been about the “doing” not about the “being.” The most meaningful things I can name about First Presbyterian as a congregation are about “being.” For example, everyone is interested in the search for a new pastor. And whether it’s the conversations I know are taking place in the PNC or the ones in the pews, those conversations are ongoing. Debate, vision, disagreement, and hope get tangled with practical concerns. And you know what? They should be messy or we’re not faithfully and fully seeking God’s guidance. But at the core of all the outward swirling and energy is a deep seeded desire to be together.
And this “being” goes further than just looking for a new pastor. In the past year, I’ve come up with a theory about this church that I’ve shared with many of you. The theory comes from why I think it is that you have a history of being so vibrant in times without a pastor when many congregations collapse. My belief is that your liveliness and growth comes from your deep knowledge that YOU are the Church, not some person standing here. You know that WE are the body of Christ using all kinds of different gifts and I suspect that some of those gifts come out even more during times without consistent pastoral leadership.
Faith like that can’t be bottled and it can’t be taught. But it can be cultivated by relationships of people being with each other and being one another’s refuge and nurture. “Be still, and know that I am God!”
“Be still, and know that I am God” is an utterance that invites being not doing. On a day like today where we celebrate fellowship with one another the thing I’ve learned most strongly about this community is that whether it’s in committee or in the pews, there is a yearning for God. Some of you describe it as that feeling you get that keeps you coming back. Others identify it through what you do. But no matter how you think about it, that desire and longing for God finds some sort of voice here.
Sisters and brothers, our calling is into community… a community that holds and nurtures. As we spend time together and in the days and years to come, God invites us to be still and consider how that yearning for God has been fulfilled. We’re invited to step into the wonder of the trinity as God’s partners in creation. If it has been lacking, we’re invited to question what can we do to let down our own walls or to help reach through the barriers of fear that others have.
Now, I’m not naive enough to think that we live in a culture where all our spiritual and emotional needs can be taken care of by one group of people. The fact of the matter is that God’s refuge and strength enter our lives from many places and often our closest supports are outside this community. And that’s okay. But while we’re here and when we’re considering what we want here to be like, God’s invitation is for us to pause in gratitude for what this faith community has been in our lives. God’s invitation is to know that no matter what comes along, we are not alone. “God is our refuge and strength.” Amen.
Good morning. It is a true joy to be with you today on this Trinity Sunday where we celebrate that Christians are bad mathematicians or have a different kind of math… a math that says that 1 Father + 1 Son + 1 Holy Spirit = One Big God.
Okay, I figured that joke would either reveal that you were asleep or that I am a geek but I couldn’t help myself. The fact that we set aside a day to consider the Triune God, Trinity Sunday is an interesting thing to me. We definitely spend time talking about God, Jesus, and the Spirit. And we give a gentle nod to the fact that they are intertwined. But do we really stop to stand in awe of how amazingly God’s love, Christ’s redemption, and the Spirit’s creative energy works in and around us and with each other?
Today is probably a good day to do that because last week we talked about a pretty tough calling to keep reaching out even when we don’t understand other parts of the Body of Christ. And this week I said we’d look into our refuge, nurture, and growth together within a community of faith. And that’s what we’re going to do.
Today’s Psalm starts with a phrase familiar to many of us: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” This Psalm shows a great deal of trust and hope on our part in a God that is ever present and truly helpful in our daily lives. But is it just trust and hope? Could it be the Psalmist’s experience that first brought these words to song and then to paper? Could it be that for all our struggles to feel God’s presence, we still have a powerful experiences of and a deep knowledge of God?
I suspect so and on this day, the day of the church picnic where we share in the joy of fellowship, there is no better time to look at our experiences of each other and God in our midst. So, let’s look deeper at this Psalm and more closely at this community.
The 46th Psalm is broken into 3 different sections. The first looks at the turbulence of the earth. The second considers the unrest of people and nations. Finally the third upholds experience of God in being still and recognizing God’s works.
On first look you may think, now what does that have to do with our refuge, nurture, and growth together within a community of faith? Well, there are lots of ways to look at this Psalm. If we were soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan, we may be looking at it for what it says about God’s dealings in political matters. And if we lived in earthquake ravaged Haiti or tornado torn Joplin, MO, we might center in on God’s work of creation in spite of the ebb and flow of nature and destruction. But for today, let’s look at it from right here… from this community of faith.
See, we know what it’s like for the “waters roar” and the land to tremble. The recent floods and storms have reminded us just how fragile our things of human design are. And if we look back in time, we need not go too far to see the damage wrought by nature. We also know what it’s like for the nations to roar and put our sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, grandchildren, parents and loved ones in harm’s way. But in the big times, the everyday times, and all the in between times, how do we know that God is our refuge and our strength?
Well, if you’ll indulge me, I think I have a unique prespective on this question. I’ve been helping in worship at First Pres consistently for over a year now and a few times before that over 2 years. But I’ve not been here for worship only. I’ve talked with many of you during coffee hour. I’ve sat in some of your homes to grieve. We’ve run into one another at local festivals or stores. Even as recently as last week, we’ve shared in the joy of baptisms and new members. You’ve reached out to me and to one another and much much more. And all along I’ve been watching. I’m a people watcher and you’ve given me plenty to take in.
See, during times of looking for a new pastor, some churches spend thousands of dollars on a consultant that comes in and studies a congregation to then give them a report telling them what was observed. But as someone who loves and cares about you, I’m going to tell you for free what I’ve seen.
In you, I have seen that there are more ways for the waters and nations to roar than just literal ones. The very foundations of many of your lives have been rocked by things that happened in your life or the lives of those around you. Unthinkable deaths, illnesses too scary to talk about with more than a few people, losses that leave you questioning how to cope and how to support one another have swept through in the past year just as they do in all years.
But I listened to your words to one another. I heard you say things like, “I don’t know what to say to make it better but I am here for you” or “I am grateful I have you around me to help us through this.” I also watched your actions. You sent cards, shared rides, offered meals, and shared with one another. You have been that beautiful interplay of God’s love, Christ’s healing, and the Sprit’s binding that one another need. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
However, I’ve been watching during more than just the crisis moments. I’ve watched the everyday times and if you ask me, the true measure of a community is not only in how well they rise to the occasion of crisis but what they do day in and day out. I see that you love to learn and grow.
You have church school, Sunday night conversations, Tuesday evening studies, VBS, and other special events. And those events are not just about growing intellectually or spiritually but they are also about the time spent with one another in seeking and learning together.
I also have watched you in stewardship. I’ve overheard conversations of concern about how to deal with financial issues with integrity. I’ve witnessed the birth and development of new gifts and callings such as when I overheard one of you talk about something that needed to be fixed and then you realized that maybe it was your calling to fix it. And the coffee hour helpers, greeters, ushers, flower arrangers, table setters, dish washers, meal cookers, baked good donators (and eaters), liturgy helpers, prayers, and so much more can’t even begin to be calculated when you start to look at stewardship. This congregation loves to do things for one another and for each other and it’s awe inspiring to stand back and see. “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
But all that I’ve named has been about the “doing” not about the “being.” The most meaningful things I can name about First Presbyterian as a congregation are about “being.” For example, everyone is interested in the search for a new pastor. And whether it’s the conversations I know are taking place in the PNC or the ones in the pews, those conversations are ongoing. Debate, vision, disagreement, and hope get tangled with practical concerns. And you know what? They should be messy or we’re not faithfully and fully seeking God’s guidance. But at the core of all the outward swirling and energy is a deep seeded desire to be together.
And this “being” goes further than just looking for a new pastor. In the past year, I’ve come up with a theory about this church that I’ve shared with many of you. The theory comes from why I think it is that you have a history of being so vibrant in times without a pastor when many congregations collapse. My belief is that your liveliness and growth comes from your deep knowledge that YOU are the Church, not some person standing here. You know that WE are the body of Christ using all kinds of different gifts and I suspect that some of those gifts come out even more during times without consistent pastoral leadership.
Faith like that can’t be bottled and it can’t be taught. But it can be cultivated by relationships of people being with each other and being one another’s refuge and nurture. “Be still, and know that I am God!”
“Be still, and know that I am God” is an utterance that invites being not doing. On a day like today where we celebrate fellowship with one another the thing I’ve learned most strongly about this community is that whether it’s in committee or in the pews, there is a yearning for God. Some of you describe it as that feeling you get that keeps you coming back. Others identify it through what you do. But no matter how you think about it, that desire and longing for God finds some sort of voice here.
Sisters and brothers, our calling is into community… a community that holds and nurtures. As we spend time together and in the days and years to come, God invites us to be still and consider how that yearning for God has been fulfilled. We’re invited to step into the wonder of the trinity as God’s partners in creation. If it has been lacking, we’re invited to question what can we do to let down our own walls or to help reach through the barriers of fear that others have.
Now, I’m not naive enough to think that we live in a culture where all our spiritual and emotional needs can be taken care of by one group of people. The fact of the matter is that God’s refuge and strength enter our lives from many places and often our closest supports are outside this community. And that’s okay. But while we’re here and when we’re considering what we want here to be like, God’s invitation is for us to pause in gratitude for what this faith community has been in our lives. God’s invitation is to know that no matter what comes along, we are not alone. “God is our refuge and strength.” Amen.
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