Sermon and Pastoral Prayer for Sunday 3.15.20

“LEAN INTO GOD”

I have been praying a lot about what message I want bring to you today – those of you who have gathered in the sanctuary, those who are watching online or a viewing a recording later, and those who are reading these words from an email or on our website. What do you need to be reminded of? What promise of faith and God can I share to sustain you today, tomorrow, and during the uncertain days ahead?

The truth is, the anxiety and fear so many of you have shared with me, is shared by me. I don’t have any answers about how things will change. Believe it or not, pastoring a church during a global pandemic was not covered in seminary and the resources that are available to church leaders are being created as we speak by church leaders – even I have been asked to help create some. A friend of mine, Leah, who pastors a church in Illinois, posted a note in her office that reads: “Everybody, since I have not pastored people thru a pandemic before, I don’t know all the answers. But, I’m paying attention to science and praying for wisdom. Together, we’ll take courage, be patient, consider the least of these and press onward while loving our neighbors. Love, your pastor. PS – wash your hands.”

Because I don’t know what you need to hear, I am going to tell you what I need to hear. What I need to be reminded of, because I have a hunch that it is probably the same thing you need. And to do so, I want to turn to the Psalms. Hear these opening verses from Psalm 77:

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame.
²In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me and save me.
³Be to me a rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress, to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.

⁴Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
⁵For you, O Lord, are my hope,
    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
⁶Upon you I have leaned from my birth;
    it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.

Have you read the Psalms? Have you prayed with the Psalms? If you haven’t, I encourage you to start. The Psalms are not only the poetry of the Bible, but within them you will find every human emotion: from fear, to praise, to grief, to sadness, to apathy, to outrage – every emotion that humanity experiences is written about. Some of the Psalms are filled with extraordinary praise of God. Some of the Psalms are raging at God. And some, like Psalm 77 which I am focusing on today, are about reminding ourselves of God’s presence. As I read it, I am hearing myself – saying what I know to be true but needing to remind myself and you.

Reading and praying the Psalms is one of the most ancient spiritual practices. Indeed, of all the scriptures Jesus quotes throughout the Gospels, he quotes the Psalms the most. Jesus used the Psalms on several occasions to outwit the Pharisees. He quoted the Psalms frequently in his teaching, when he was feeding the 5000, and when he was being interrogated by Pilate. And, on the cross when he cries out, “My God, my God – why have you forsaken me?” he is quoting and praying Psalm 22.

The ancient monastics prayed the Psalms daily, usually going through the entire Book of Psalms in a couple of months during worship. The modern-day monastics continue that tradition. In my studies to prepare for what was my planned Lenten sermon series on modern-day prophets, I found that each person I was studying had praying the Psalms as one of their most important spiritual practices. Mother Teresa, who was to be the focus of today’s sermon prayed Psalm 113 every day. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who I talked about last week, in his letter to the seminarians of his illegal seminary in Nazi Germany, said there was nothing more important for their spiritual life than praying the Psalms.

So, there must be something to it. I worry, though, that mainline Protestants far too often overlook them. Of course, Psalm 23 is a comfort to so many people and we frequently hear it read at funerals. Liturgy is often written based on the Psalms, including a lot of liturgy that I have used here at First Congregational. But, my experience is we tend not to spend a lot of time just reading the Psalms for what they are – honest and true prayers that speak to us in many different and valuable ways. But, I think we should start.

We are, I believe, at a shifting point in human history. A global pandemic has and will continue to effect every aspect of our lives, including our faith. But what those effects are and how they will play out in the long term, we simply cannot predict. Will we care for our neighbors, or will we sacrifice them? Will we persevere in strength, or will we give into fear? Will we hoard, or will we share? Will we get sick, or will we stay healthy? There are so many questions, there is so much fear, there is so much being thrust at us every minute – and yet, in the midst of it all, we can and will find God.

Psalm 77 continues:

O God, do not be far from me;
    O my God, make haste to help me!
¹³Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
    let those who seek to hurt me
    be covered with scorn and disgrace.
¹⁴But I will hope continually,
    and will praise you yet more and more.
¹⁵My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
    of your deeds of salvation all day long,
    though their number is past my knowledge.
¹⁶I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God,
    I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.

“O God, do not be far from me.” There is no more pertinent prayer than that for today.

It is going to be hard for us to keep up with what is happening in the world. We will become, quite necessarily, more and more distant from one another – though we will work to make sure that distance does not mean isolation. News will come in that is frightening, and news will come in that is heartening. Pay attention to both – because God exists in both. For every scary statistic you hear, read about the Italians who are leaning out of their windows to sing together while their country is on lock-down. For every scary story you watch – remember to follow the advice of Mr. Rogers – and look for the helpers, because they are always there. And when you are struggling to find the words to pray – open your Bible, turn to the Psalms, and I promise you will find the words there.

During times of tremendous unrest and dis-ease are times when we must, as the Psalmist says, lean into God. We must lean into God and into our faith. It is, for such a time as this, that we must rely on the teachings of Jesus to help mark our paths. Remember, to not judge one another and act with grace. So, if you think people are over-reacting, try to see them as acting out of a deep place of concern and love for you and your health. And, if you think people are under-reacting, try to see them as working to inject a sense of peace and calm in a chaotic time.

Remember, your body is a temple. So, get plenty of sleep, eat regular and nutritious meals, practice good hygiene, and distance yourself as necessary.

Remember, the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. So, take only what you need and do not hoard. Share from your abundance freely and graciously. If you are receiving deliveries, tip the driver generously. Help our local businesses by buying a gift certificate now, and not using it until business has returned to normal.

Remember, Jesus took breaks to pray. Develop a habit, if only for 10 seconds a day, to stop and pray for our neighbors, our world, and for yourself. Perfect words are not required, God knows what is in your heart. And try reading Psalms, trust me – it works.

Remember, the greatest commandment: to love God with our whole selves, and our neighbors as we love ourselves. Check on your neighbors, call them regularly and see if they need anything. We will be setting up Covenant Partners in the next couple of days – to check in on one another and pray for one another. Do the same for everyone around you. If you need help, ask for it. If you are in a place to help, offer it.

Our Psalmist says:

You who have done great things,
    O God, who is like you?
²⁰You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
    will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will bring me up again.
²¹You will increase my honor,
    and comfort me once again.

Beloved Community, we will lean into God. In that presence, we will find comfort, peace, wholeness, and community. We will know that we can never be isolated, even when we are distant – because God is with us always. Peace and Comfort to you all. Amen.

PASTORAL PRAYER

God of Wholeness and Peace – in all of the seasons of our lives, we find you. In every moment, in every event – we find you. When we are joyful, you are there. When we are fearful, you are there. When we are afraid, you comfort us. Your abiding presence is something we know that we can trust, and for that we are so grateful.

It is in that gratitude, that we turn to you today in prayer. Dear God, you know everything that we carry in our hearts – even things that we are not willing to admit to ourselves. Help us to turn over to you all of those things that burden us, and to find your peace. When we are feeling that we must carry the weight of the world on our shoulders, help us to rely on you. When we are feeling alone and isolated, help us to experience your presence. And, always help us to lean into you – for you are the great comforter of our lives.

We pray this day, not only for ourselves but for our neighbors and the world:

We pray for those who are afraid and uncertain.