The Joy of God is My Strength

18th January, 2010 - Posted by nwilsonadmin - No Comments

The Joy of God is My Strength

January 24, 2010

Rev. Nancy Wilson

Nehemiah 8: 1-3; 5-6; 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31; Luke 4: 14-21

This week what I would like to do is more “towards a sermon,” than a sermon. Reflections on the lectionary readings, thoughts, images and maybe some points.

The text from Nehemiah is a powerful one from Israel’s history: as the exiles return, and under the leadership of Nehemiah, begin to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. A eunuch and former employee of the foreign oppressor, Nehemiah leads his people to re-build their lives again. His partner is Ezra the priest – together they help the remnant community rebuild spiritually as well as physically. In this passage, the law has been re-discovered, and all the people assemble, for the first time in a generation or so, as free people, to hear God’s law. As they hear it, they weep uncontrollably – in grief for all that was lost, perhaps in awe of the power and beauty of the text, of what it means to re-connect to God as a people. Nehemiah tells them not to weep, but to seize this as a moment of joy, “for the joy of the Lord is our strength.”

I heard Desmond Tutu speak once about being faithful in the midst of apartheid – and, what he spoke about was the “joy” of serving God in community with others in the struggle. Everyone was astonished – he spoke not of the suffering, so much, but of joy – and it was evident in his words and in his body!

I think of all the images of the Sunday after the earthquake in Haiti, worship services in the streets, by the side of churches that had been destroyed, in camps for the homeless. The power of praise, and song, and touching God, and even joy, in the midst of all that sorrow and pain.

I think of the story of MCC that gets repeated over and over – people who felt like they had no right to God, who had believed the lies that God couldn’t love us or use us. Sunday, at my home church, an 18 year old soldier was there, her grandmother brought her to church because she needed to connect to her faith. Her fundamentalist father had rejected her.  There was sadness all over her face, but, hope, as she was embraced by other young people in MCC, and older ones like me as well. Joy, joy, in discovery. In hearing the Bible new, with new ears and eyes, weeping and joy together. Do not grieve, all is not lost. The Word of God is for you, the joy of God is your strength, and you will need strength.

Psalm 19 rhapsodizes on the “perfection” of the law, of its power and beauty. The commands for justice, to love ones neighbor as oneself. What is your favorite law or command? “Love one another as I have loved you . . .” “Do not stand by the blood of your neighbor,” perhaps. Or, maybe it is a story. Mine is usually the story of the Prodigal in Luke 15. So much packed in that parable. Perfection, grace, redemption, love.

I feel less sure about how 1 Corinthians 12: 12 -31 fits into this grouping. If we had multiple services, I might use this for an evening service. Thinking of the church organically, is so important. Each local church, and, maybe, each denomination/movement/ cultural incarnation of Jesus’ body. How can we come to see our churches as “body?” Especially in cultures than have denied “body.”  How can I see/feel/trust, that when we pray and sing, and worship, and commune, we do that as one body? As we listen actively to the preacher, we respond with our voices, our bodies. We respond to You, together. We act, serve, help, care, love, witness, work for justice, as a body. When we do it right, it is perfection, it delights You. We are one with You and your law and your ways.  God, how it must thrill You when we get it, when we really behave and live as though we are unified in You.

It is what the Buddhist’s call “inter-being,” or interdependence, everything depends on everything else in some way.

Luke 4: 14- 21, Jesus’ first sermon. Jesus, who as a 12 year old was already in love with the law, with God, with God’s word. It was like honey to him, and yet it also burned in him. Jesus came to re-interpret that law, and to even shape a “new” law and new commandment, of love and grace. Still a young man, he quotes Isaiah 61, saying that the “Spirit of the Lord is upon” him. And that the prophets words are fulfilled in their hearing, in little Nazareth. When they try to dote on him,  he doesn’t let them try to get away with trivializing him or his message. He is speaking revolution, good news for the poor, those who are blind, oppressed, in prison. He tells them that they never listen to their prophets, and that they are not listening now. The older folks, the ones in power, who have comfortable positions, who invited him to speak, are furious. He is challenging them, asking them to repent, to open their hearts, to allow themselves to have their hearts broken and healed.

But, they will have none of it. Jesus’ vocation as prophet and Messiah in the making is almost shortcut as their tea-party rage becomes murderous. Throw him off the cliff! Don’t tell us we need to change!  Who does he think he is?

Peterson’s The Message says, “but he gave them the slip and was on his way.”

Indeed, on his way to healing, preaching, miracles, disciple-making, a cross and an empty tomb. And, into our Body, the Body of Christ.

May the joy of God be your strength, today, as you are on your way.   Amen.