Reflections

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on 30 July 2023, by Rev. Bud Carroll. The scripture readings that day were Psalm 105:1-11 and Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52.

This past week, thanks to Google, I’ve discovered that in the English Standard Version of the Bible, the words joy, joyful and rejoice appear 40 times more often than the words happy and happiness. Furthermore, there are more Biblical references to singing than to prayer. So…… does this mean rejoicing and singing are more important than happiness and prayer? No, but it does suggest that in our Judaic/Christian faith journeys, it is important – yeah imperative for us to “Sing to the Lord”.

Two good examples of this come from the Book of Psalms – Psalm 13 from our July 3rd Revised Common Lectionary readings and today’s Psalm 105. Both are timely and timeless.

The first two verses of Psalm 13 include four agonizing “How Long” questions. Some Biblical scholars call them lamentations; others say complaints; petitions, pleas or requests. These questions are more than personal. They’re a reflection of the history and faith journeys of the people of Israel.

1. How long will you forget me Lord? As if God would ever forget any of us. Why would God ever do that? Yes, there are times we may feel God is not listening. But who is really forgetting – God or us?

2. How long will you hide your face from me? Strange, because in the Jewish tradition, no one would ever expect to actually SEE God. Life is not a game of trying to play “hide and seek” with God. Then, as now, if you don’t feel the presence of God in your daily life, guess who’s moved!

3. How long must I bear so much pain and sorrow? When did God ever promise us life would be free of pain and sorrow? Never. Only that amidst such difficulties God is with us – Immanuel!

4. How long will my enemies make fun of me? I can just hear God saying to the Psalmist and the people of Israel – and to you and me!, “toughen up my children life is full of enemies, problems, difficulties and dangers. Some we create, others we endure. Deserved or unearned, they are real.

Then the Psalmist makes a 180 degree turn from “poor, poor Israel” to these affirming words “… sing to the Lord who has dealt bountifully with us”.

Psalm 105: also records the many ways the people of Israel experienced God’s faithfulness – through thick and thin; storm and safety; disaster and delight; peril and protection. It both begins and ends with an invitation to praise God in both word and action: give thanks to God; make known God’s deeds among the people; tell of God’s wonderful works….

In many ways these two Psalms are “selfies” – pictures of our own lives; our own day and time; many similar experiences both sweet and sour. So how can we best ”Sing to the Lord”? First, let’s be clear this “singing” has nothing to do with music. It’s about how we live; how like the Psalms, we praise God in both word and action. Let me suggest two or three possibilities;

Sing with determination. You’ve probably heard this story a dozen times: a woman told her office friends she was going on a diet that night. The next day she came to work with a HUGE chocolate cream cake. “Wow, what happened to your diet?” they all asked. “Well, when I drove by the bakery this morning, I saw this cake in the window. So I asked, ‘Lord if you want me to have this cake, let there be a parking place right in front of the bakery’. Well, you know what? I drove around the bakery fifteen times and finally there was a vacant parking place right in front of the bakery!” Well yes, she was determined, but maybe not too wise.

I love that old Gospel hymn “No Turning Back”. “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back”. The Psalmists learned this and their lives grew beyond fear, loneliness, pain and sorrow to great joy. It’s the same for you and me – it’s takes courage, persistence, patience and determination to follow Christ. But sing we will. Sing we must for God continues to deal with us bountifully.

Sing with gratitude. Martin Rinkart, a pastor in the German Lutheran church was born in the late 1500s in a small town in Germany. During the Thirty Years War, the town suffered untold religious, political, physical and economic turmoil. Famine and disease were rampant. In English we describe this as “The Plague”. Rinkart was the sole surviving pastor. During the War’s latter years, in one year alone, he conducted some 4,000 funerals including that of his own beloved wife! And yet Rinkart could pen these unbelievable words of gratitude that we sang at the beginning of today’s worship:

Now thank we all our God, with

heart and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done,

in whom this world rejoices…

O may this bounteous God

through all our life be near us

And ending with these words: All praise and thanks to God…whom earth and heaven adore; for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

Whether you sing with music, through daily actions, attitudes, thoughts, feelings or prayers – sing. Sing to the Lord with grateful hearts.

Sing with worthiness. On Easter Sunday 1975 at Wesley Village Methodist Church on Tai Hang Road, I baptized 75-year old Granny Chen. . As I served her Communion that day, I noted her gnarled and twisted fingers. I thought “oh me how can I tuck a communion wafer into those hands.” The same with the communion cup. As she consumed the wafer, crumbs fell like snowflakes and the juice dribbled down her clothing. I was reminded of the Communion ritual, “We are not worthy to gather up the crumbs under this thy table oh merciful Lord”. But she was so worthy. A highly valued daughter of God! A few Sundays later back at the church, I was again looking over my sermon notes when I heard a voice, “Pastor Bud how can I help you?” It was Granny Chen. My ugly, selfish thoughts? “Just leave me alone while I look over these sermon notes.” Then I said, rather unkindly, “Take these bulletins and fold them”. Unworthy me! My ugliness remained. I really wanted her to take the unfolded bulletins and go as far, far away as she could – just leave me alone. Before you could say “KUC” she was back with the “folded” bulletins. They looked like this [show]. I started to say, “you folded them the wrong way.” But then the bounteous love of God’s Holy Spirit cut through my own unworthiness and I replied, “Wow, Granny Chan, nobody in the world can fold bulletins the way you do”. That was true!! Her smile stretched from Jordan Road to Macau – and back.

In one of today’s Gospel parables, Jesus told his hearers a tiny mustard seed – hardly visible - grows into the “greatest of shrubs”π . From seemingly nothingness to something of great value, great worth.

Granny Chan was one of God’s mustard seeds. And no one could fold bulletins Granny Chan style. My sisters and brothers, no one can sing to the Lord like you! Each of you has or her own style. Mustard seeds we all! But sing you must. Sing with determination. Sing with gratitude; sing, sing to the Lord. Amen.

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, July 30, 2023

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