Sermon
You may know that I like to do creative things. I don't consider myself creative though. I consider it practicing rebelling. We hear that the teenage years are when young people begin to rebel against their parents and rules in general. Evidently the terrible twos, or the horrible eights don't count as rebelling, it's called pushing boundaries. If you don't do that when you're two, or when you're eight, or during your teen years, you can probably count on finding a way to break a rule or two at some point in your life after that.
Some of us break rules only when given permission – so was it really a rule then? I took a class about the Psalms once, and we were given the assignment to write our own psalm. Having learned a lot about psalms, we were to write a psalm that featured anything we had learned. I thought it was really great that of all the structures and reasons and backgrounds for the psalms, some were written in the form of an acrostic. They used the first letter of either the alphabet, or the first letter of a phrase, to line out the psalm. I wrote a psalm that I called Psalm 151 (since there are already 150), called it “of Debra” instead of “of David,” gave it the heading “for the flutes” (of course) since so many of David's psalms were for the flutes, and decided to use the acrostic structure to line out the letters of my professor's name. T.E.D. H.I.E.B.E.R.T. My psalm probably said something like “Happy are those who study with Hiebert, for they shall get ordained,” etc. Writing our own psalm gave me permission to not worry about rules like “all psalms must be sacred,” or “all psalms talk about God,” and think instead about things like “all psalms have something to say,” or “all psalms come from an experience.” Having permission to write my own psalm made the psalms in general seem more approachable.4 The psalms in the Bible ARE sacred because they're a very important part of our Christian story and our development and history as Christians.
The longest acrostic poem in the psalms is Psalm 119, with 176 verses. The psalm uses all 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, one eight line section per letter. In the case of this particular psalm, some scholars say that each stanza begins with subsequent letters in the alphabet in order to make memorizing it easier. Other acrostics use letters of the alphabet or a phrase to emphasize that phrase.
The psalm we read today is an acrostic when written in Hebrew. The message in this acrostic psalm is a strong one. It is the last of the Psalms specifically said to be written by David and therefore represents a lifetime of David's learning and insight about God who is faithful. It is less a psalm about the power of a king than it is about the unique power, for all, that comes from our heavenly king. For David from whom was expected so much, and who had received such great praise as the king who was going to save all of Israel, to be pointing to the kingdom of God for deliverance instead of the kingdom of David and his descendants is quite a message. In v.13, David declares “your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations” and v.17, “the Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.” “God as heavenly king is faithful in a way that no king of Israel ever was, and God's kingdom of righteousness endures forever, in contrast to the Davidic monarchy that could not last. He points the Israelites who have known humiliation and defeat at the hands of the Babylonians to the kingdom of God rather than to the kingdom of David's descendants.”3
This particular psalm was recognized as unique among those songs of praise and its inclusion of all, by being included in the Talmud (The Talmud is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law and Jewish theology) with instructions saying, “Everyone who repeats the Tehillah (Word of Praise) of David thrice a day may be sure that he is a child of the world to come”3
So this is a psalm that would be read in community three times a day, probably memorized, and therefore the community would be familiar with the words and the message. This psalm of praise re-iterates over and over the word “all.” In just these lines we read today, the word “all” 13 times. All people, all times, all things, all God's works, all God's people, all generations, all words, all deeds, etc.
V.14 says, “the lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.” Is there anyone here today who is falling? Anyone bowed down? If not today, then another day, we all are, have been or will be. David writes this after a lifetime of knowledge and experience of God, with all the wisdom that has come his way. A message like this from David, tells me that this is no slouch who reminds us that the nature of God is forever, covers all things, is for all people, and there are no barriers to being under God's wing. V.18 proclaims, “the lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” The only criterion for inclusion in the realm of God's care, is need recognized and expressed. Indeed, the main requirement for getting help from God and knowing God's salvation is calling on him out of one's need. God looks for those open to divine direction and help.
That is something that is terribly hard. I usually think I'm open to ask for help, but sometimes I either put off asking for help or try to avoid it altogether. And even with God, who you would think I would be the most open to asking for help, sometimes I feel like if I ask for help from God, I must be a disappointment to God for not being strong enough on my own! How crazy is that!? We all do things like that in our minds all the time. Do you ever find that the more you actually need help, the less likely you are to actually ask for the help? I think that the deeper the sense of need the greater the sense of shame and anger – shame that we can't fix it ourselves if we've been people who have always done things ourselves; shame that we got ourselves into a pickle in the first place; shame that we are so “easily” overwhelmed as we tend to compare everything to each other – someone's pain is worse, someone's struggle is worse, someone's resilience is stronger; anger that we have been let down by circumstances, by friends, by life, or even by God.
Having helpless feelings or feelings without a place to put them, or a solution to the thing that's bringing such distress, make us very vulnerable. Making our needs known to God, especially very deep feelings make us self-conscious or shy or tongue tied. It might be a good idea to keep the most difficult prayers private at first. When we say things out loud even to ourselves in private, sometimes it takes us by surprise. Saying it aloud makes it real. Have you ever felt left out by some of the grand words and images found in scripture, often psalms? That's not reality, I think to myself. For years I would “pray” in my head only, and say to God, “What about me?!” Or I would get really kind of mean even and almost dare God to make me feel better.
Psalms of praise like Psalm 145 are very difficult to hear or speak when we are suffering. When we are feeling grateful, words of praise fall smoothly off of our tongues. Knowing how much David had been through by the time he wrote this gives the words a little more meaning. Reading or reciting these things in community gives the praise strength in numbers and in volume as we raise our voices together. Not so much when we read them in community but not in the same room though! Reading in community means that those who cannot feel the truth of these words don't have to speak them, yet can feel part of the community for whom they are meant.
I'm going to close by reading the scripture for today again. If you would like to read along either in the room, or in your homes feel free. If you'd like to just listen, that's fine. And if you can do neither, we know that God understands us wherever we are and that God is with you in your journey.
If you feel called to read along outloud or silently, the scripture can be found in your actual Bible, believe it or not, and can also be found in the bulletin or guide that you have through your email.
Here is Psalm 145:10-18:
All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.
The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Amen.