Sermons for the Month

A Word for Seeing God's Perspective
DATE: January 21st, 2007
SERVICE: Third Sunday after the Epiphany
TEXT: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN

Why is it that we stand up when the Gospel lesson is read? Why, in traditional worship, do we welcome the Gospel with the Alleluia verse? Why, in some churches, is there a Gospel procession to the middle of the congregation for the reading? Is it just a good time in the service to get some exercise, to move around a bit before sitting through the l-o-n-g sermon?

As is always the case when it comes to liturgy - which is the fancy name for the "work of the people" in worship - there is a reason behind the action. In this case we are standing to greet Jesus and to listen to him; the Gospel lesson and the sermon are the ways he comes among us and speaks to us directly.

I read this week that in some churches in Scotland there is a unique ceremony. An officer in the Church of Scotland comes marching down the aisle with an open Bible in his hand and all the people stand up. As he places the Bible on an elevated pulpit they say, "Amen! Amen!" (1)

Now, that sounds like the account from Nehemiah that we read today. It's an interesting story. The abbreviated background is that the people of Israel have returned to Jerusalem from exile. The city and its walls have been rebuilt. Now, after the reconstruction, there is a need for reinstruction. A new community is needed, one that is formed under the guidance that God provides. So, the people ask - let me say that again - the people ask the priest Ezra to read God's word to them in the public square.

Keep in mind that these are the very people who, according to previous accounts, were divided by disagreements and injustice. So, Ezra stands on a platform that was made for that purpose and reads the book of the law, which is the first five books of the Old Testament, Genesis through Deuteronomy. The people - men, women and youth who are old enough to understand - stand for at least six hours listening to this presentation of God's word. Can you imagine that? (And people complain if they have to be in worship for more than an hour!)

It's important to realize that what he was reading was not just a listing of rules. Included are stories, poems, lists of names, all of which reminds the people of where they have come from, who they are, and how they should live. The story of the past gives guidance for the present and future. They are listening for the voice of God, as did their ancestors when the first covenant with God was made. (2)

And, their attentiveness leads to understanding. It seems as if the Levites - the priests - were spreading out among that great congregation to give explanations of what was being read. (This is, you will note, is what I attempt to do every Sunday.) The understanding then leads to remorse. They could see where they had gone wrong. At this point the Promised Land is no longer theirs, and they realize that the loss has to do with their faithlessness, and that of their ancestors.

The interesting thing, though, is that the story does not end there. The leaders tell them it's a holy day, to stop mourning, to celebrate and to share the feast with those who have none. Their strength can be found in joy, not grief! "The joy of the Lord is your strength," they proclaim.

What's the joy of the Lord? It's usually thought of as the grace of God, the forgiveness God grants people that then leads to a transformed heart and life. Indeed, their lives are changed by the joy of the Lord.

Isn't that a great Bible story? It reminds us of the importance of the Word of God, and the healing power of God's grace, which is nothing new to Lutherans. Two of the most important things that Martin Luther did were translating the Bible into the language of the people, so they could read it for themselves, and change the focus in preaching to proclaiming the gospel.

In most Lutheran congregations the preaching is guided by God's word. We use a lectionary which is a list of scripture passages; four are assigned for every Sunday. Each passage has multiple verses and they fit together, moving from one week to the next. Sermons are based on those passages, and in that way flow out of the Word. That's in contrast to the pastor picking a topic and then looking up five or six verses, usually taken out of context, that address that topic.

I have to say, though, that however it happens, hearing God's word is vital. How else can we learn to see life from God's perspective? And, God's word helps us understand ourselves. I like what one Pastor wrote, "This is the great thing about Scripture. When you know God you begin to understand yourself, because you are made in the image of God." (3)

The people of today's reading were hungry to hear God's word. Are we? A new magazine called "Rev!" (Revving up Ministry) crossed my desk and an article in it indicated that Christians desperately need to acquire that hunger. This is because, and I'm quoting here, "…Christianity has forgotten what it means to be the church." The author writes that we are so far removed from the church of the New Testament that much of Christianity is, "at best irrelevant and at worst a fraud." (4)

Now, that's a bit strong as far as I'm concerned, but I would agree that like the people of Nehemiah's day we need reinstruction to reclaim our past and apply it to our future. If I were to summarize that article I would say that it challenges us to be Biblically grounded and culturally relevant, with transforming people into disciples of Jesus as our primary focus.

What that means, then, is that the church - meaning this particular group that meets at 2726 W. Market Street - seriously evaluates what it needs to become, what changes need to be made, to do so. And, it means that the church - meaning individual Christians - are willing to be the church, living out their transformed lives, wherever they are, be that in the mall, the coffee shop or the gym.

All that transforming has to be based in something, and the people in today's Old Testament story got it right when they asked for God's word. It's the best source of guidance for us. Now, you'll notice that I did not say that it's a step-by-step manual telling us what to do first, second and third. We were given a mind, heart, soul and free-will for a reason, after all. But, God's word is a means by which we see life - see ourselves - from the Divine perspective.

And, the amazing thing is that that perspective is filled with Divine grace toward us. That's a source of joy for us, but also for God. It also is a source of strength for we who fear being irrelevant and phony, and instead long to be the relevant and real conveyors of God's love for the world.

AMEN

(1) "The Shining Light" by Ray C. Stedman, Nehemiah Series, Message #6, www.pbc.org

(2) Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, by Johanna W.H. Van Wijk-Bos, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Kentucky, 1998, pgs. 72-73.

(3) Same as #1

(4) "When is a Church Really a Church" by Bill Easum, pg. 17ff, "Rev", January/February 2007, Vol. 10, No. 3

---