Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on 28 April 2024, by Estella Yeung. The scripture readings that day were Psalm 30, and Romans 12:9-21.

Turn My Mourning into Dancing

Good morning, church. Do you still remember what you wanted to be when you were a child? For me, it’s not really a pastor but a tour guide. I just love to tour with friends around my city of Hong Kong, sharing with them all the good things and the not-so-good things I have discovered. Yes, I will happily testify to anyone my love for my city and her people.

 

Our Psalmist today does exactly the same thing in Testifying to the Goodness of GOD, during the good and the not-so-good times. The psalmist deals with persecution, death, loneliness, illness, hopelessness, vulnerability, has become voiceless and, is seeking mercy and found answer to all these things in God.

 

What about us does this seem familiar, have you felt all these things in your daily life ? 

 

Friends, let me remind you this morning even when we are facing all these things, that Scripture tells us in Romans 8:38-39, “either death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

 

Yes - Nothing can separate us from God. 

 

When we are sick, anxious in our loneliness, or hopeless, even in death, God is there, and God is in control.

 

As I have already shared Psalm 30 holds many gems and experiences of life that most of us have or are now coming through, and yet is so full of thanksgiving and praise of God. This morning I would like us to focus on verses 11 – 12, “ You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. So that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.”

 

Henri Nouwen wrote a book called Turn My Mourning into Dancing: Finding Hope in Hard Times. One of my favorites is the story of trapeze. When the acrobats performed their amazing tricks in the air. Some jump between swings, while others catching them on swings. They trust their partners completely and let go of the swings to create beautiful movements. They knew that they could only succeed if they were willing to face the emptiness of space. The circus leader said to Nouwen, “Everyone applauds for my leaps and flips, thinking I’m the star. But the real star is my partner who catches me. All I have to do is to reach out my hands and trust that he will hold on.”

Friends, God is like that too, waiting to catch us and hold our hands through ups and downs, in good times and bad. We can let go of our grip on joys and sorrows and learn to leap in the air and even dance. 

 

In the Scripture, the psalmist contrasts mourning with dancing. Yet in the days of the Psalmist, mourning goes beyond an internal, reflective state. It implies an external, ritual act of mourning. Mourning is the dirge sung over the dead. Mourning is sackcloth and ashes on the head. Mourning is no adornment. In our Chinese tradition, we have similar things like during a family funeral, it is customary to avoid visiting relatives or friends’ homes for 100 days.  

 

In Psalm 30:11, the psalmist might be likening his previous prayer to a dirge, a mourning song he sang for himself. Mourning in Hebrew is “ מִסְפֵּד (mis-pet) [MSPD]” and the root of the word mourning (mispet) is “ סָפַד(safat)SPD]”. It means to beat one’s chest, as one might do in grief. Therefore, “to mourn” is to give a physical expression – a dance, if you will, to grief. 

 

In the second phrase, the psalmist contrasts sackcloth with rejoicing, a concrete image of the clothing that a mourner would wear with the abstract concept of rejoicing. In the third phrase, the psalmist contrasts silence if he had died with the praise he now lives to sing.

 

All the positive words “dancing, rejoicing and singing” in the three phrases are terms borrowed from the vocabulary of praise. The psalmist confesses that God has changed this mourning dance into a dance of praise. 

 

During the pandemic, it was very common for us to help friends and family to buy food when they got Covid. I remember one time, I helped a sister to buy food because her child was sick, so she could not leave home, and all she had was a small pack of rice. When my friend and I delivered the food, our sister invited us into the house. Her home was a small, subdivided unit in a tenement building; it is not a desirable living environment for anyone, especially a mother and child. 

 

Even in these conditions the child was so happy he kept smiling at us. His mother candidly shared with us her experiences after coming to Hong Kong. Her story was very raw and filled with injustice, grievances, familial betrayal, helplessness, and loneliness. 

 

However, God saved her when no one was there for her. And later she was able to leave behind her addiction and bad habits, miraculously escape from the snares of others and completely heal from her serious illness. She, continues in her struggle living in Hong Kong. 

We shared for three hours that day -  three hour that impacted my life offering me privilege to witness a true testimony of God. Like the Psalmist, she finds her answers in God. She ends by telling me that she used to cry for long periods, but God saved her so she could rejoice again.” Her story testifies that our God is a living God, as the Lord takes off her sackcloth and clothes her with gladness, turning her mourning into dancing in praise.  

 

Church, as a people of praise means that we learn to live ready to welcome people from all walks of life into our community, we cannot turn our back to those suffering such as the psalmist of Psalm 30, sinners like David and the skeptics, those questioning disciples and if you want to know more about them, join the upcoming Discipleship bible study next Sunday.

 

But back to Today, Romans’s 12:9-21 is a guideline for Genuine love and teaches us how to welcome those who are in pain. Romans 12:9 starts with, “Love must be sincere, the original Greek text says love without pretense, you cannot fake it; hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love, taking the lead in honoring one another. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serve the LORD. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people in need. Extend hospitality to strangers. All these are very important in this time of our churches in HK. 

 

Our focus of the day is mourning and dancing. So, let’s go straight to v15. Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn.

 

Last month, my professors went to the UK and co-organized a Cantonese youth camp with the local churches caring for new immigrants from Hong Kong. They brought us good news that many participants have encountered Jesus, and God raised the youth to serve no matter where they are. 

As a pastor-to-be and an HKer, I am so happy for their churches in the UK and may God strengthen their faith in the midst of changes living in a new country. 

 

When Paul says about mourn with those who mourn, it is for those who had not suffered persecution and exile would share the burden of sorrow. But this is not easy, right? 

 

In a recent local TV drama, “Warrior Within 2” (ViuTV《打天下2》), the main character’s mother shared the news of her husband’s cancer with a church group. One said, “This is a trial given to you by God, you should have faith.” Another said, “This is God’s punishment for your husband’s sins”. After hearing what they said, she became more sad and very angry. The scene went viral online and resonated with many.

In Nouwen's book, he explains that we avoid listening or approaching those who suffer because it makes us uncomfortable and reminds us of our own pain.

 

KUC is my fourth placement church. As a pastoral intern, I have the privilege of getting to know different people and hearing a few difficult personal stories. Honestly, many times, I do not know how to respond except cry to God in my heart; sometimes, I cry with the persons, sit with them, and lift the burden to Jesus.  You may ask me, ‘I am trying but I don’t know what to do when I meet sad people?’ 

 

Church, Paul is not asking us to be a counsellor or a judge but to be a friend and a companion. When we do approach others we must be careful with our words - a small change in phrasing that does not shame the persons but invites the individual to tell their stories. 

 

Diane Langberg, a well-known Christian psychologist says, “Trauma is the biggest mission field in the 21^stcentury.”. Trauma is no stranger to our city. To heal, we need community. Yet, trauma works against community as the pain may be unspeakable, leaving the survivors mute, detached, shame or some might mis-label them for “lacking faith”. 

 

To cry out in lament is not lack of faith, but precisely the opposite – it is a form of faith appropriate for life in pit, like Psalm 30. We all have the power to create a safe space in KUC where people can share their painful experiences with those who care and know how to listen.

 

It is now for me to realize that the demonstration of an attitude of curiosity, openness, acceptance, and love towards those who suffer is crucial when listening to their testimony. This is what I could contribute to the mother’s recovery who I mentioned before. 

 

To walk into the journey of becoming a wounded healer, just like traveling on plane, in case of emergency, it is important to “fasten our seatbelt” with God and take good care of ourselves before we intend to help others. 

 

It is okay to be not okay and that’s why we can seek help and seek hope with other pilgrims, especially friends and family we trust.

 

Friends, we heal not in isolation, but in togetherness. Our God is the living source of power and the Lord’s miraculous work would turn our mourning into dancing of praise. 

 

Now, if God asks us, “would you let go, and let me dance with you?”

May we have the courage to accept the invitation.