PROPER 28C 2007
Psalm 98:5-10
Our gospel lesson for today is a
very difficult one to interpret – for me, it is impossible to understand. Over
the years I have tried to figure out this passage, which is similar to
So, admitting that I don’t really
know exactly what Jesus is saying in this passage, there is a phrase that expresses to me a general
truth in life. After the disciples talk
about how beautiful the temple is, Jesus
says: “…the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another….” This prophecy was fulfilled when the Romans savagely
destroyed the city of
In the last couple of years I have
been blessed to visit some of the ruins of the ancient civilizations of
And I thought about our lives, and how often that which we thought was so secure is now torn down. Children experience this when mom and dad separate. What once seemed so secure is now taken away. And of course this happens to the couple also. We can lose a job, or have our health take a turn for the worse – I think about my 23 year old niece who spent six weeks in the hospital with a flesh eating disease of her hand. We can experience the death of a loved one, our dreams can be shattered, and on and on. Life has a way of often tearing down the stones of our life.
So when I read the New Testament lesson, I was struck by the phrase: “Brothers and Sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.”
Isn’t it true that we can become weary in life, whether we are old or young. I can remember a five year old son of a friend, after a week of Kindergarten, asking his Dad: “Dad, how much longer do I have to go to school?” After a week, he had already had enough! But now he had another 12 or more years! He would get weary, year after year, class after class, homework and more homework, getting up early.. I can still remember it all!. Or what about the man or woman locked in a job that they really don’t like, but they have to work to pay the bills. Day after day, year after year, spending the bulk of their lives, doing something that they really don’t like. We can become weary.
But besides becoming generally weary in life, what really struck me about what the apostle said was the concept of not becoming weary in “doing what is right.” In the Christian faith, we often find ourselves having to dig deep in our souls and go against our natural instincts, and do what we know God wants us to do. We read this in Gal. chapter 5:
So we are often in a real struggle within ourselves. Anyone who battles an addiction or a real bad habit knows this struggle.
And then we are surrounded by a world which always doesn’t embrace or support living a Godly life. In the writings of John we see the concept of the “world” verses the things of God. We are told to “not love the world of the things of the world” because it is passing away.
So not only are we often in a struggle within ourselves, but we also find our selves having to resist some of the things of the world around us.
And then, on top of all of this, Jesus tells his followers that many of them will be persecuted simply because they are Christians. Now you and I may not have experienced much of this, but many Christians in the world today, as well as many down through the ages have been persecuted for following Jesus.
I have this image of each of our lives being in a big river with a steady current. So we are floating down the river of life. But as Christians, if we are going to do what is right, we have to begin to swim against the current. This current is often our sinful and fleshly desires. It is often the ways and manners of the world around us. And, at times, it could be people around us who do everything they can to undermine our Christian faith.
So, life itself, in general can make us weary. And added to this, when we strive to follow Jesus and live as He wants us to live, we add another level of struggle to our lives. This can all seem to be pretty depressing. We can grow weary. We can decide to give up the struggle and simply float down stream – in the words of that great teacher Timothy Leary!
How can we not grow so weary we simply give up? Where do we get the strength? Where is the joy and fulfillment in life?
I believe, that if a person is going to live the Christian life, and not grow weary in doing what is right, they will have to learn how to worship, or using another word, praise, God. Christians need a regular infusion of the Spirit of God if they are going to live the Christian life. Though this is not my favorite image, we often need to gas up our spirits so we can keep going. One of the key ways that we do this is through the worship , or praise of God.
In our Psalm this morning we read the Psalmist exhorting us to Shout with joy before the Lord.. to lift up our voices in song, to sing with the harp, and trumpets and horns. I have learned from my experience that something happens in our soul when we worship and praise God.
Years ago there was a book out in the Pentecostal circles called Power in Praise. It basically said that no matter what happens to us in our lives, we need to learn to praise God. In so doing, we experience the power of the Spirit of God.
So I am going to talk a little about how to go about worshipping, or praising God.
The first step, in my mind, is that when we worship, we need to stop and say to our selves, by faith, that God is present, listening to me. Whether we are by ourselves, or gathered together, our whole experience changes when we believe that God is listening, and paying attention to us! I will always remember when a pastor had us change the words to the song: He is Lord… to YOU are Lord, and encouraged us to sing as if Jesus was listening. This changed my whole attitude to worship. We in the liturgical tradition can become like robots, repeating words we don’t even think about. We can sit in church and talk to our neighbor and take communion and never have any real sense of the presence of the Spirit of God.
So when you come to worship, say to yourself, the Lord of heaven and earth is paying attention to me. Imagine Jesus in your mind listening to your songs and prayers.
Next, in some way consistent with your personality…. Let yourself go a little!! Loosen up in song and prayer. I know we are Episcopalians, and Lutherans, and Methodist, and some Roman Catholic types, and we are not Pentecostals, and never will be, but something will happen in your soul when you learn to sing and to shout and to make music to the Lord. I believe we were created to worship, and when we do, great power and strength is unleashed in our souls. In the book of Acts we have the story of Paul and Silas, who, after being beaten and thrown in prison for sharing Jesus with the people of the city, pray and sing hymns to God around midnight. And the story goes that a great earthquake shook the prison and the prison doors were opened.
In truth, this same thing can happen to us in our lives. We can be struggling and weak and tired, and then come and worship and praise God, and the chains of our souls can be released. I have experienced this many, many times.
When you come here on a Sunday morning, first come into this place and take some time and pray to God, settling into God’s presence. This is one of the good traditions of our church. Please learn not to carry on long conversations before the service. We play calm music so that people can ready themselves to worship.
And then as we go through the service, say the prayers to God.. Personalize them. Make them yours. Listen to the lessons. Pay attention to the sermons – as best you can. And when it comes to singing. SING. If you can’t sing, then shut your eyes and speak words of praise to God. “ I thank you Lord for this day. I praise you for the beauty of this place. I praise you for all you have given me…. And on and on… whatever is in your heart. But don’t just stand there bored….
And if we sing a song with a little movement, don’t be afraid to move a little. David danced before the Lord with all of his might. Now of course if he had been in an Episcopal church the ushers probably would have removed him!! But God was pleased with David! It is Ok to feel God. Of course faith is not all feeling, but we are feeling and emotional beings, so it is OK to feel emotion in worship.
As we take the body and blood of Christ, as best you can, make this a time of personal devotion. Please don’t sit there and talk. If you have children, simply explain to them that now is not the time to talk. One of the strengths of our worship tradition is that there are built in times when we can individually come to God in thought and prayer. You can sing along with the choir, or read a Psalm from the prayer book, or simply pray quietly.
It is a privilege for us to gather together to praise and worship our great God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Christians down through the ages have risked their lives simply to do what we freely do. One of the great benefits we receive as we worship is the strength to live our lives, striving to do what is right.
As we begin this holiday season, I pray that you will take your praise and worship of God more seriously. What better time than Thanksgiving to deepen our praise of God. Practice giving praise and thanks to God daily this week. Come here Wednesday night and give thanks with your brothers and sisters. As your family gathers, take time before the family meal to give thanks, maybe allowing each person to say what they are thankful for.
So I leave you with this challenge. Don’t grow weary doing what is right. Practice, practice practice, giving thanks and praise. It will do you good. AMEN!