HANNAH'S HYMN
Readings:1 Samuel 1:4-20, Mark 13:1-8, Acts 3:19-26, 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, November 18th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
The Hymn of Hannah is one of the lesser known passages of the Old Testament. Who is Hannah? Why is she writing a hymn?
Hannah lived at a time in history before Israel had a King and was ruled by Judges and Priests. The priest at the time was a man called Eli, who was having problems controlling his sons, who were not the godly sort and embraced the spirit of the age. In Scriptures words it was a time when 'everybody did what was right in their own eyes' without considering what God may require of them.
Hannah and Peninnah are the two wives of a man called Elkanah. Peninnah has given Elkanah children, but Hannah has not. Penninah takes every opportunity she can to torment Hannah and remind her that it is she, and her children, who were the blessed ones of God. Hannah's heart is often broken.
Every year the family makes a pilgrimage to Eli's place of worship called Shiloh. It's always tough for Hannah as Peninnah continues to treat her unkindly and remind her of her barren state. One particular year is exceptionally hard and the priest Eli finds Hannah crying in the temple. She comes to God with a heart rending prayer. That if God will grant her a son, she will dedicate the life of that child to God. Eli assures her that God has heard her prayer and she will have a child.
Hannah does indeed have a child. She calls him Samuel. True to her word Hannah brings Samuel to Eli and Eli takes Samuel under his wing, bringing him up in the temple as a priest. Hannah's hymn, our scripture reading, was her thanksgiving to God for answering her prayer and giving her a son.
Although she doesn't know it when she sings her hymn, when he grows up, Samuel becomes one of Israel's most celebrated priests under whose ministry the time of Judges comes to an end and the time of Kings begins. There are two books in the Old Testament named 'Samuel' such is his influence.
As we enter a time of Thanksgiving it seems timely to take a look at one of Scriptures great thanksgiving prayers. As we continue to be a community that rebuilds from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it is good to remind ourselves that God is not against us, but In Christ, seeks to renew our lives.
Hannah's prayer offers thanksgiving for the past, the present and the future.
1. Thanksgiving for the things God has done.
The Message Bible begins the hymn with Hannnah praying; “I'm bursting with God-news! I'm walking on air. I'm laughing at my rivals. I'm dancing my salvation.” She is in a better place than she had been for a long long time. There had been times when she despaired of ever getting through. She had for years had to put up with the bullying and taunting of Elkinah's other wife, Peninnah, but with the benefit of hindsight, could see that even those difficult days had not been without purpose.
If she had not struggled for so long then she may never have considered dedicating the life of her first born to the Lord. She had discovered, that despite the taunting of Penninah, their husband Elkinah had never disparaged her or rejected her, but even in her barrenness loved her and supported her. She had discovered a sense of 'karma' … 'what goes around, comes around'. Her opponents taunts turned out to be hollow and empty. Their foolishness was exposed. She had discovered that faith in God truly was a rock on which to build, and that those who mocked her faith would be found wanting. As verse 3 tells us; "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him deeds are weighed.”
When we travel through hard times, times of great loss and tragedy, we are forced to re-evaluate what really matters in life. Some of those who have seen their homes destroyed have spoken of how it's not the 'stuff' that they are missing, it's the lost photographs and pictures, things often with little financial value, that they most regret losing. It's hard.
Many are not yet in a position to really evaluate the lessons these days are teaching us. It's still to close and the wounds are to deep. Yet even if our only prayer of thanksgiving today is 'Thank You Lord that I'm still here to tell my story” then we are allowing God to teach us and transform us.
There is a gritty reality to Hannah's hymn when in verses 6 and 7 she declares "The LORD brings death and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up. The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.” Hannah acknowledges that there are times when our worst nightmares become our reality. But she won't leave it there. She insists that even as we travel through those times, God is at work in ways that call us to faith. She never tries to justify or explain the dark times. She thanks God for getting through them. She offers thanksgiving for the things God has done.
2. Thanksgiving for the things God was doing.
She sees around her things happening that cause her to be thankful. She rejoices in the blessings of the present. She senses a change, not only in her personal fortunes, but in the community around her. Verses 4-5. "The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.”
Bear in mind that she is singing this hymn after she has just left her promised son in the hands of the priest Eli. There is no definite hope for the future. She is trusting in the promises of God. Eli, has thanked her for the 'loan' of the child and prays God will bless her. Turns out that's what happens. She conceives three further sons and two daughters. Samuel grows up to be a prophet and anoints Saul as first King of Israel. But she doesn't know that right then. She's simply trusting that God is up to something and senses it is something worth celebrating.
It is hard to read the signs of the times. There's been an election. We have weathered a storm. I personally don't sense a huge movement of change in the nation or even in the church. What I do sense is that we here, are more aware of our own fragility and vulnerability than we have ever been. That is not a bad thing.
If it causes us to examine what we are building our lives upon and to appreciate in a deeper way our need to be a community that cares then that's a positive. If the lines and waits for Gas have revealed that we are far to dependent on fossil fuels, then maybe change will come and we will take with greater seriousness the quest for alternative energy. If the predictions of 100 year storms being every two or three year storms in the future, then I hope we are exploring ways of how we modify our infrastructure so as to live within that new reality.
I sense people are asking questions. Maybe that's what was happening with Hannah. She knew things couldn't carry on as they were but had the faith that God would guide them to better days. This wasn't an easy day for her. She was kissing her son farewell for the foreseeable future. Yet in that moment she felt the embrace of God. In verse 9 she sings “He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.” Which leads us to a third thing.
3. Thanksgiving for the things God will do.
Hannah's prayer has been compared to that of the prayer of Mary, the mother of Jesus, that we know as the Magnificat. Like Mary, Hannah heralds a new age and the coming of a new Kingdom. Like Mary she pictures the nature of this kingdom as one of divine reversals. Verse 8 “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; He seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; on them he has set the world.”. Like Mary, Hannah's son is destined to be a prophet, set aside by God for a great work.
Over and above everything else, Hannah's hymn is hymn of hope. She speaks of her 'horn being lifted high' (verse 1) and how God will 'exalt the Horn of his anointed” (verse 10). The 'horn' was a representation of salvation. In early Israel if a person felt wrongly accused for a crime they could go to the tabernacle where the altar was kept and take hold of one of the four horns that were at the corners and it would be a place of refuge where they could find a fair trial. The horn was seen as a sign of blessing and strength.
In Luke's gospel, the father of John the Baptist, Zacharias, speaks of how God “Has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David”, seen by most commentators as a reference to the coming of Jesus into our world. It was Samuel, Hannah's firstborn son, who anointed King David, the great ancestor of the first born of Mary, Jesus, the one we call our Lord and Savior. There are some fascinating connections between this ancient song of Hannah and the gospel accounts of the New Testament.
As we approach a time of National Thanksgiving, after passing through a time of local emergency and distress, we would do well to take a lead from Hannah and thank God for what is yet to be. None of us knows what the future may hold, but that does not prevent us from committing our way to the God who holds the future in His hands.
Verse 9 in the Message Bible pictures Hannah declaring 'God protectively cares for God's faithful friends, step by step, but leaves the wicked to stumble in the dark. No one makes it in this life by sheer muscle!' As we discovered when the power went out, none of us enjoys stumbling around in the dark. We have all been humbled by the power of the storm. All our muscle, all our defenses and all our well-wishes could not turn back a Hurricane.
Like Hannah though, we can face the future knowing that God is faithful and simply take things step by step. It's an uncertain world. Through faith in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the love of the Holy Spirit, we can live faithfully as those who know God as a friend, experience God's Holy Spirit as a helper in time of trouble, and know Jesus Christ as a Guide and a Savior.
Hannah’s Hymn. Thanksgiving for the things God has done. Thanksgiving for the things God is doing. Thanksgiving for the things God will do. May we find room in our hearts for giving thanks to our God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Building A Life
Readings; Ruth 3:1-5, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44, Psalm 127
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, November 11th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
When a church constructs a new building there will usually be a dedication service. An often used text at such services is the first verse of Psalm 127 “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Such a text is a reminder that our church buildings should never become monuments to human achievement nor should they prove to be a temptation for ourselves to take credit for what God is doing in our midst.
Psalm 127 is about a lot more than building construction. It challenges us to consider the way we construct our whole life. It questions our personal security systems. It outlines the benefits of trusting in God. When we have faith in the grace and love of Jesus Christ we become inheritors of the promises of God. Psalm 127 reminds us of what some of those healing promises are.
Within these wonderful few verses of Psalm 127 we find;
1. An antidote to futility
In the Book of Ecclesiastes the author declares 'emptiness, emptiness, all of life is emptiness'. What we do we gain from all our toil under the sun? What's the point of it? Why do we even bother? The second verse of our Psalm captures this sense of futility, “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat”.
We are encouraged from an early age to build a life for ourselves. We are told the world is full of opportunity, that there's nothing we can't do and if that we just work hard enough then the rewards will surely follow. And for some fortunate folks, maybe it turns out that way. But for many it just isn't true. Oh, yes, they are working their fingers to the bone, but the dreams fade as the years go by and oftentimes there is that sad moment of realization and disillusionment that maybe 'this is all there is' and 'this is all I will ever be.'
When a hurricane called Sandy comes calling the futility level notches up a whole lot higher. All that we have built seems frighteningly fragile. Jesus told a number of stories about foolish builders. Those who said to themselves “I will store up for myself great treasures on earth, only to be told “You fool, this very night your life will be taken from you. Now what will you do with all that you have so greedily accumulated?”
The antidote the Psalmist offers us is in this first verse. “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” This Psalm reminds that we can construct our lives in one of two ways. We can seek to please ourselves or we can seek to please God. Either we invite God to be in on every aspect of our lives or we face life alone. It cautions us that if we leave God out of the picture, then it will lead us, ultimately, to a place of despair. Unless the Lord builds the house of our lives, then we are building in vain. Psalm 127 offers an antidote to futility. Faith in God. Secondly it offers ...
2. An antidote to anxiety
The first verse continues. “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” The job of the watchman was to be on the lookout for danger and take measures to prevent any threat coming upon the city. The psalmist suggests to us that taking human precautions is not enough. That unless we also seek the protection of God over our lives, then no matter how wonderful the barriers we build around our lives may be, they will always prove to be in vain.
We are an anxious society. People worry about everything that it is possible to be worried about and even a lot of things that we really shouldn't be worried about. Why, here I am now sharing my worries about the amount of worrying there is in our worry soaked world! If we could only turn anxiety into a power source then we would never have to worry about losing power ever again!
It's a matter of security. Where do we find our personal security? Again the psalmist offers us the options. We either 1) trust in our personal abilities to supply everything we need to protect us from every danger and disaster that may befall us or b) we trust in God. “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”... unless God watches over us then no matter what precautions we surround our lives with, they are all a matter of vanity... and vanity is not security... and where there is no security all we are building is anxiety. Hurricane Sandy has taught us lot about our vulnerability.
Let's remind ourselves of some of the things Jesus has to tell us about worry. “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” (Luke 12:22-23)
He challenges us “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Luke 12:25-26)
He directs us to the better way, the less anxious way, the secure way “Seek God's kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid... for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. He encourages us: Give to the poor ... Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:29-34).
It's all about security, about trusting in God ...deep questions about what we are building our lives upon. Yet this psalm isn't just about questions, it also offers us a promise. The promise that through faith in God our life will find a center that is powerful and creative and life giving. We see also in this Psalm ...
3. A promise of vitality.
The Psalmist promises us vitality in two specific ways. The first is found in verse 2 'He grants sleep to those He loves.' This promise is in the context of finding an antidote to futility and anxiety. What do we gain from our faith and trust in God to be both our builder and our security? Well, putting it simply, we rest easier! But it's a lot more than that.
The Psalmist is implying that if we have faith that God can both guide us and protect us, if we find our security in the love of Jesus Christ, then we discover a sense of perspective to our lives that nothing else in this world can give us. Again Hurricane Sandy has taught us this lesson, whether we wanted to hear it or not. When everything is stripped away, we understand that our 'stuff' isn't the bottom line. It's having communities that care and people we can trust and taking the next breath that matters most.
The Christian message about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is no little thing. It is not, “Oh. God sent Jesus to die for us so that when we die we can all go to heaven. How nice!”The Christian message is that we are on this earth for a purpose, that death cannot destroy and despair cannot obliterate. That there is a pulse that reverberates throughout all creation, a pulse of resurrection energy that can be a restoring force in our own lives through the action of God's Holy Spirit.
In the culture at the time this Psalm was written, vitality is compared to having a huge family. Fertility is seen as the sign of blessing. Verses 3 through 5 : “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”
Now we are in the 21st century, the population explosion is straining our planets resources to breaking point. The option to 'Go forth and Multiply' is morally unjustifiable. We have the responsibility to reinterpret this verse and apply it to our current situation.
We can do so by realizing this promise speaks about community. The primary support community in Old Testament times was your own family. That no longer applies. In the New Covenant community initiated by Jesus, we are encouraged to see all people as sisters and brothers, children of the One Father God. As the old disco hit proclaims “We are family!”
Psalm 127 encourages us to be a church community that is living and active and vibrant with fellowship and love. To put our trust in God to bind us together and grow us in our faith together. It is in and through this community of faith we are called to care for another and bear each others burdens, to pray for one another, to be a witness to the world that declares as a song we sometimes sing says; “They will know we are Christians by our love!'
Which brings us around full circle... “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Such applies to our individual lives and to our community. Psalm 127 offers us;
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, November 11th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
When a church constructs a new building there will usually be a dedication service. An often used text at such services is the first verse of Psalm 127 “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Such a text is a reminder that our church buildings should never become monuments to human achievement nor should they prove to be a temptation for ourselves to take credit for what God is doing in our midst.
Psalm 127 is about a lot more than building construction. It challenges us to consider the way we construct our whole life. It questions our personal security systems. It outlines the benefits of trusting in God. When we have faith in the grace and love of Jesus Christ we become inheritors of the promises of God. Psalm 127 reminds us of what some of those healing promises are.
Within these wonderful few verses of Psalm 127 we find;
- An antidote to futility
- An antidote to anxiety
- A promise of vitality.
1. An antidote to futility
In the Book of Ecclesiastes the author declares 'emptiness, emptiness, all of life is emptiness'. What we do we gain from all our toil under the sun? What's the point of it? Why do we even bother? The second verse of our Psalm captures this sense of futility, “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat”.
We are encouraged from an early age to build a life for ourselves. We are told the world is full of opportunity, that there's nothing we can't do and if that we just work hard enough then the rewards will surely follow. And for some fortunate folks, maybe it turns out that way. But for many it just isn't true. Oh, yes, they are working their fingers to the bone, but the dreams fade as the years go by and oftentimes there is that sad moment of realization and disillusionment that maybe 'this is all there is' and 'this is all I will ever be.'
When a hurricane called Sandy comes calling the futility level notches up a whole lot higher. All that we have built seems frighteningly fragile. Jesus told a number of stories about foolish builders. Those who said to themselves “I will store up for myself great treasures on earth, only to be told “You fool, this very night your life will be taken from you. Now what will you do with all that you have so greedily accumulated?”
The antidote the Psalmist offers us is in this first verse. “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” This Psalm reminds that we can construct our lives in one of two ways. We can seek to please ourselves or we can seek to please God. Either we invite God to be in on every aspect of our lives or we face life alone. It cautions us that if we leave God out of the picture, then it will lead us, ultimately, to a place of despair. Unless the Lord builds the house of our lives, then we are building in vain. Psalm 127 offers an antidote to futility. Faith in God. Secondly it offers ...
2. An antidote to anxiety
The first verse continues. “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” The job of the watchman was to be on the lookout for danger and take measures to prevent any threat coming upon the city. The psalmist suggests to us that taking human precautions is not enough. That unless we also seek the protection of God over our lives, then no matter how wonderful the barriers we build around our lives may be, they will always prove to be in vain.
We are an anxious society. People worry about everything that it is possible to be worried about and even a lot of things that we really shouldn't be worried about. Why, here I am now sharing my worries about the amount of worrying there is in our worry soaked world! If we could only turn anxiety into a power source then we would never have to worry about losing power ever again!
It's a matter of security. Where do we find our personal security? Again the psalmist offers us the options. We either 1) trust in our personal abilities to supply everything we need to protect us from every danger and disaster that may befall us or b) we trust in God. “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”... unless God watches over us then no matter what precautions we surround our lives with, they are all a matter of vanity... and vanity is not security... and where there is no security all we are building is anxiety. Hurricane Sandy has taught us lot about our vulnerability.
Let's remind ourselves of some of the things Jesus has to tell us about worry. “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” (Luke 12:22-23)
He challenges us “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Luke 12:25-26)
He directs us to the better way, the less anxious way, the secure way “Seek God's kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid... for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. He encourages us: Give to the poor ... Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:29-34).
It's all about security, about trusting in God ...deep questions about what we are building our lives upon. Yet this psalm isn't just about questions, it also offers us a promise. The promise that through faith in God our life will find a center that is powerful and creative and life giving. We see also in this Psalm ...
3. A promise of vitality.
The Psalmist promises us vitality in two specific ways. The first is found in verse 2 'He grants sleep to those He loves.' This promise is in the context of finding an antidote to futility and anxiety. What do we gain from our faith and trust in God to be both our builder and our security? Well, putting it simply, we rest easier! But it's a lot more than that.
The Psalmist is implying that if we have faith that God can both guide us and protect us, if we find our security in the love of Jesus Christ, then we discover a sense of perspective to our lives that nothing else in this world can give us. Again Hurricane Sandy has taught us this lesson, whether we wanted to hear it or not. When everything is stripped away, we understand that our 'stuff' isn't the bottom line. It's having communities that care and people we can trust and taking the next breath that matters most.
The Christian message about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is no little thing. It is not, “Oh. God sent Jesus to die for us so that when we die we can all go to heaven. How nice!”The Christian message is that we are on this earth for a purpose, that death cannot destroy and despair cannot obliterate. That there is a pulse that reverberates throughout all creation, a pulse of resurrection energy that can be a restoring force in our own lives through the action of God's Holy Spirit.
In the culture at the time this Psalm was written, vitality is compared to having a huge family. Fertility is seen as the sign of blessing. Verses 3 through 5 : “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”
Now we are in the 21st century, the population explosion is straining our planets resources to breaking point. The option to 'Go forth and Multiply' is morally unjustifiable. We have the responsibility to reinterpret this verse and apply it to our current situation.
We can do so by realizing this promise speaks about community. The primary support community in Old Testament times was your own family. That no longer applies. In the New Covenant community initiated by Jesus, we are encouraged to see all people as sisters and brothers, children of the One Father God. As the old disco hit proclaims “We are family!”
Psalm 127 encourages us to be a church community that is living and active and vibrant with fellowship and love. To put our trust in God to bind us together and grow us in our faith together. It is in and through this community of faith we are called to care for another and bear each others burdens, to pray for one another, to be a witness to the world that declares as a song we sometimes sing says; “They will know we are Christians by our love!'
Which brings us around full circle... “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Such applies to our individual lives and to our community. Psalm 127 offers us;
- An antidote to futility. Allow God to build our lives and life will not be in vain.
- An antidote to anxiety. Find our security in the love of Jesus Christ and we will have a true center.
- A promise of vitality. Trust in God to discover a renewed perspective on life.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Monday, November 5, 2012
“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING”
Readings; Psalm 146, Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12: 28-34
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, November 4th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here.
Last week, Carol Howard Merritt preached about Job and the problem of suffering. Job suffered at the hand of forces that were beyond his control. So this week we have been visited by Hurricane Sandy, and she didn't play nice! She proved well beyond anything we could handle. It's been a tough week for most everybody over a large area of the East coast. Some have lost a great deal. Some didn't make it.
Whilst we are still a little shell shocked by the events we are at the same time very thankful for all those who have come to our aid. People have dug deep into their resources to try and rebuild what has been taken away. The emergency services have been heroic in their efforts. People have pulled together and by and large done what they can they do.
Our reading from the gospel this week had somebody asking Jesus what was the most important thing?
I'm sure if they, like Job, and like many in our area, had just been through a traumatic experience, they may answer differently than they would at a time when all was going well.
In the light of all we are going through right now, what would you say was the most important thing to remember? (Ask congregation for their responses)
After the congregation had responded, expressing thankfulness just to still be alive and sharing storm stories... there wasn't really much less to say and we went to prayer. But if I had preached the rest of the sermon …
When Jesus is asked by a very religious Jewish gentleman, “Which is the most important commandment?” Jesus firstly answers him with something known as the 'shema'. 'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.'
We know the account of Moses leading the people out of slavery in Egypt to a new land. In the Old Testament the Book of Deuteronomy tells us how, before they reached the promised land, Moses gave the people the laws.
On the doorposts of traditional Jewish homes (and many not-so-traditional homes!) you will often find a small case known as a 'Mezuzah' attached to the doorpost. Sometimes those entering the house will pause to touch it and offer a prayer. Inside the 'Mezuzah' is scroll with the words of the 'Shema' written upon it.
In you attended one of our local synagogues you may notice that when some of the men come to worship they have a leather pouch, known as a 'tefillin' or 'phylactery' strapped to their head or on their arm. In the pouch are the words of the 'shema'. They take quite literally the command of Moses that these laws were to be written on the door frames of their houses and tied on their hands and bound on their foreheads.
This morning is a communion service. Something we do to remind us that loving God is important. We will take bread and wine and invite God to renew our lives so we can be faithful disciples. It is not our practice to write the law on our gateposts or wear pouches with the law on our heads or arms. Yet many of us may have pictures or plaques with bible verses on them. Many of us may wear a cross somewhere near our heart as a reminder of what we believe.
Jesus adds something else. A second command that was equally as important as the first one. 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Jesus saw how even the most religious people could do one and sometimes forget about the other! They were so busy thinking about God that they forgot to think about other people!
It has been said, “The church is the only institution in the world whose main reason for existing is the benefit of those who are not it's members!” We worship our God in order that we may go out and serve our neighbor. I've been in churches where they say or have printed in their bulletins at the end of the Sunday service something like “The worship is over, now the service begins.” or even, “The service is over, now the worship begins”... because worship is all about doing, not just about saying prayers or singing hymns!
Maybe, right now, we are more in touch with the loving neighbor part than we are the loving God part. We have been reminded this week of the importance of loving our neighbor. We have been grateful for good neighbors who have checked on us,and told us what they knew. We have had a chance to reach to others and help where we can.
Getting back to Job, who we were thinking of last week. At the end of the Book of Job everything is restored to him. Some commentators feel that the ending we have was not the original ending of the book. That the first draft of Job ended with Job, having lost everything but having gained something that meant a lot more to him. The knowledge that God was with him in the midst of his unprecedented trials and suffering. That though there were things he would never understand, God would still be there.
When you do read the happy ending in Job it does all seem a little fantastical. He inherits so much and lives so long! Another commentator suggests that we should remember that in some Old Testament stories numbers are used symbolically. That maybe all the things Job had restored to him were not in this life at all, but in eternity.
Well... I'll leave the commentators to sort that out. For today, I think it is safe to say that when a hurricane hits your life, you aren't too worried about what the future may hold, or about a happy ending, you just want to get through each day. Job discovered that by trusting in God he could mange to do just that.... and even more than that his relationship with God was strengthened and deepened.
Here's our chance around the table to ask the Lord of the Storm to help us clear up after the storm. Here's an opportunity to be thankful that we're still here to tell the tale of Hurricane Sandy. Here's an opportunity to recharge our spiritual batteries. Here's a chance to remember that Jesus went through the storm of a crucifixion to let us know that whatever happens, we are loved, that whatever depths of suffering we travel through,God knows how it feels and promises to help us through.
Like Job, we may never understand why bad stuff happens. Like Job, may we also discover the most important thing. God is with us and can help us in the task of rebuilding what has been destroyed. Let us recommit our lives to loving God by loving our neighbors! Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, November 4th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here.
Last week, Carol Howard Merritt preached about Job and the problem of suffering. Job suffered at the hand of forces that were beyond his control. So this week we have been visited by Hurricane Sandy, and she didn't play nice! She proved well beyond anything we could handle. It's been a tough week for most everybody over a large area of the East coast. Some have lost a great deal. Some didn't make it.
Whilst we are still a little shell shocked by the events we are at the same time very thankful for all those who have come to our aid. People have dug deep into their resources to try and rebuild what has been taken away. The emergency services have been heroic in their efforts. People have pulled together and by and large done what they can they do.
Our reading from the gospel this week had somebody asking Jesus what was the most important thing?
I'm sure if they, like Job, and like many in our area, had just been through a traumatic experience, they may answer differently than they would at a time when all was going well.
In the light of all we are going through right now, what would you say was the most important thing to remember? (Ask congregation for their responses)
After the congregation had responded, expressing thankfulness just to still be alive and sharing storm stories... there wasn't really much less to say and we went to prayer. But if I had preached the rest of the sermon …
When Jesus is asked by a very religious Jewish gentleman, “Which is the most important commandment?” Jesus firstly answers him with something known as the 'shema'. 'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.'
We know the account of Moses leading the people out of slavery in Egypt to a new land. In the Old Testament the Book of Deuteronomy tells us how, before they reached the promised land, Moses gave the people the laws.
On the doorposts of traditional Jewish homes (and many not-so-traditional homes!) you will often find a small case known as a 'Mezuzah' attached to the doorpost. Sometimes those entering the house will pause to touch it and offer a prayer. Inside the 'Mezuzah' is scroll with the words of the 'Shema' written upon it.
In you attended one of our local synagogues you may notice that when some of the men come to worship they have a leather pouch, known as a 'tefillin' or 'phylactery' strapped to their head or on their arm. In the pouch are the words of the 'shema'. They take quite literally the command of Moses that these laws were to be written on the door frames of their houses and tied on their hands and bound on their foreheads.
This morning is a communion service. Something we do to remind us that loving God is important. We will take bread and wine and invite God to renew our lives so we can be faithful disciples. It is not our practice to write the law on our gateposts or wear pouches with the law on our heads or arms. Yet many of us may have pictures or plaques with bible verses on them. Many of us may wear a cross somewhere near our heart as a reminder of what we believe.
Jesus adds something else. A second command that was equally as important as the first one. 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Jesus saw how even the most religious people could do one and sometimes forget about the other! They were so busy thinking about God that they forgot to think about other people!
It has been said, “The church is the only institution in the world whose main reason for existing is the benefit of those who are not it's members!” We worship our God in order that we may go out and serve our neighbor. I've been in churches where they say or have printed in their bulletins at the end of the Sunday service something like “The worship is over, now the service begins.” or even, “The service is over, now the worship begins”... because worship is all about doing, not just about saying prayers or singing hymns!
Maybe, right now, we are more in touch with the loving neighbor part than we are the loving God part. We have been reminded this week of the importance of loving our neighbor. We have been grateful for good neighbors who have checked on us,and told us what they knew. We have had a chance to reach to others and help where we can.
Getting back to Job, who we were thinking of last week. At the end of the Book of Job everything is restored to him. Some commentators feel that the ending we have was not the original ending of the book. That the first draft of Job ended with Job, having lost everything but having gained something that meant a lot more to him. The knowledge that God was with him in the midst of his unprecedented trials and suffering. That though there were things he would never understand, God would still be there.
When you do read the happy ending in Job it does all seem a little fantastical. He inherits so much and lives so long! Another commentator suggests that we should remember that in some Old Testament stories numbers are used symbolically. That maybe all the things Job had restored to him were not in this life at all, but in eternity.
Well... I'll leave the commentators to sort that out. For today, I think it is safe to say that when a hurricane hits your life, you aren't too worried about what the future may hold, or about a happy ending, you just want to get through each day. Job discovered that by trusting in God he could mange to do just that.... and even more than that his relationship with God was strengthened and deepened.
Here's our chance around the table to ask the Lord of the Storm to help us clear up after the storm. Here's an opportunity to be thankful that we're still here to tell the tale of Hurricane Sandy. Here's an opportunity to recharge our spiritual batteries. Here's a chance to remember that Jesus went through the storm of a crucifixion to let us know that whatever happens, we are loved, that whatever depths of suffering we travel through,God knows how it feels and promises to help us through.
Like Job, we may never understand why bad stuff happens. Like Job, may we also discover the most important thing. God is with us and can help us in the task of rebuilding what has been destroyed. Let us recommit our lives to loving God by loving our neighbors! Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
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