“Voices
of the Modern Church, Part III” was preached at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church
on Sunday, April 5, 2018. This sermon included the words, phrases, and questions
of Sunnyside members who participated in an online opportunity to lift their
voice. Inspirations for this sermon
include Scripture, creative preaching, the people of Sunnyside Presbyterian
Church, human experience, The Rev. Dr. Nancy Lammers Gross, and the workings of
the Holy Spirit. You can listen to an audio recording of this sermon here.
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Our scripture
reading, Psalm 51, will be read as part of the sermon today.
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We
approach the end of our mini-sermon series: “Voices of the Modern Church.” Over
the past three Sundays including today, we walked a journey together. We
approached the Word of God, which is the Word read in scripture and the
Word interpreted by preaching, through the abstract.
We
challenged ourselves. We listened for the voices around us as a part of God’s
voice, and we listened intensely, we listened intentionally, and we listened
intimately.
Now
I’m going to give a brief summary of each sermon as a refresher for those who
were here and as an introduction for those who were not. Regardless, as a
friendly reminder, all sermons are posted on our website, so I invite you all
to take a listen if the Spirit moves you to do so.
Our
first sermon featured a “What If…” question and answer activity. Our own
Sunnysiders wrote a “What if…” question on one side of a notecard and then they
answered their own question with a “Then…” answer on the other side of
someone’s else notecard without knowing the “What if…” question that was
actually on that card. As we went through each question and answer
pairing—there were 24 total—we made the claim that the Word of God is given, established, promised, and kept forever.
Our
second sermon featured seven our own Sunnysiders as they preached in six
different languages. During the sermon, their voices were lifted, and we made
the understanding that even if we didn’t understand every word in that moment,
we understood praise was happening, and therefore we understood that God
understood on our behalf. Now I hope you had a chance to read the translations
of each sermon on the sheet of paper that was distributed after worship because
their reflections were sacred, they were powerful… they were a gift. Each of
them praised God by saying who God is, which brings us to our second claim: The Word of God comes to us when we
acknowledge who God is to us, which is praise and worship.
Each
sermon approached a different way the Word of God is lifted through our own
voices. Once again, we do that today. Over the last several weeks, I invited all
Sunnysiders to participate in an online opportunity for their voice to be
lifted. Those who participated were asked to read Psalm 51 and allow themselves
to be brought into its poetic words. They would read a section of the psalm,
and then they would respond with their own interpretation by considering their
own experiences, feelings, memories, and emotions. What I didn’t tell them is
Psalm 51 is not an easy psalm to understand; it’s about a plea to God,
sinfulness, sacrifice—just to name a few themes.
We
received thirty responses, and based on those who told me that they had filled
it out, the age range of those who responded was from 13 to 80. After reading
their responses, I brought these 30 reflections together into one cohesive,
poetic, modern retelling of Psalm 51. And I have to say, through their
interpretations, a greater understanding of the Word of God came to me. Through
their voices, a greater understanding of the Word of God comes to all of us.
And so that’s our claim for today: We receive
a greater understanding of the Word of God when we listen to the voices of the
modern church.
Hear
now Psalm 51 as told by the voices of the modern church:
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1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Forgiveness.
A plea for forgiveness. Help me ask for forgiveness. I pray to God for
forgiveness. Forgive me. Forgive me. Forgive me! Wash the sin away.
This
reminds me of the time in 4th grade when I got in real trouble for the first
time. All I did was sneak some soda into a water bottle when I was supposed to
be drinking water, which doesn’t seem like a big deal now, considering my
behavior throughout the more recent years. But I remember feeling so incredibly
guilty and praying as hard as I could that God would forgive me. I think that
is the most I’ve asked for his mercy still to this day.
I
pray my failure will not hurt other people. I make so many mistakes. I have
sinned. I am imperfect.
Steadfast
and abundant, you are bigger than my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
I
cannot do it alone. I need your help, O God.
Let
me be enveloped in your grace. Wash me white as snow.
I
imagine it’s like when I have an ink pen stain on a white shirt, and I have to
blot it out continuously with alcohol and then I have to wash it. It's time
consuming and requires patience.
Water.
Wash me with your healing waters.
There
is hope here… God I need you. Always. I need you.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgment.
5 Indeed, I was born guilty,
a sinner when my mother conceived me.
No
one is perfect. I was born a sinner and I sin daily. My sin separates me from
you. My actions have not lived up to what is expected of me. I will always fall
short. I will make mistakes and must suffer the consequences.
I am
left with so many questions.
Why
do I sin? Why am I compelled to sin? By becoming flesh, I embody sin? Am I
broken, God? If we were all counted for our transgressions, who would stand?
I
feel guilty. I feel like dirt. I was born with strengths, and I have used these
strengths to do wrong. I was also born with weaknesses. I am not good enough
for you. I don’t deserve to be saved.
Yet
you save me anyway. In your love, I am accepted as I am. I am yours, O God, and you will lift me up
from the quagmire. Whatever judgement you pass is right and justifiable. Thank
you for making me pay you back in kind. Thank you for even more forgiveness.
Forgiveness
lessens the darkness of these words.
6 You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
God,
I ask for your assistance in my prayers. This is me trying to draw closer to
you. All truth and wisdom come from you. Let me be truthful and raw.
I am
asking for forgiveness for everything I have done wrong. Be my light. Guide me
away from darkness. Bring me into a world of joy and happiness. Change my
heart, O God; make me into who you want me to be. I want to be a better person.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be
clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
I
reflect on my own life. I have had more bad things than good things happen to
me. It is hard to move away from the past and be a different person than I was
the day before. It is hard to be able to be joyful when I have more reason to
feel bitter and down.
God,
you can fill me with sorrow, but you can also bring me joy and gladness. You
free me from my sin and guilt. By your power, bring my own thoughts from bad to
good.
Bring
hope into my despair, and bring light into my darkness. Let me hear joy and
gladness… don’t we all want that?
Let
me rejoice so that as even as low as I can find myself in the gutter of my
life, I have hope that you, God, will make me better. Jesus, you save me.
Nothing
is possible without God; with her everything is possible!
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Forgiveness
isn’t easy. Forgiveness can hurt. Yet you forgive me over and over again. I’m
sorry that I hurt you over and over again. Life is painful. Our bones are
broken. We crave joy and gladness. May I always learn from my mistakes.
I am
so thankful for your forgiveness and wisdom. I am reborn.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
I
want to have a good life; I know you want me to have a good life.
Make
me fresh. Give me a new opportunity; I look to your guidance. Guide me to live
a life like Jesus. Guide me and lead me. Renew my faith. This may be a large
task, but I know you are up for it.
Creation
of a clean heart is not a one-time act – it’s a lifelong journey.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
To
be with you, God, is the goal. Why is this so hard? How do I see joy in the darkest of times and
places? Help me find this joy. Sustain me; do not abandon me!! Even in the
darkest times, I trust that God will bring me to the light and will shape me as
a beacon of hope for others.
I
feel like I have prayed for forgiveness of my sins in this way in my recent and
most mature years. I’ve not only prayed for God to forgive me, but prayed for
God to stay with me, because God is all I really need.
12 Restore to me the joy of your
salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
Sustain.
Sustain in me a willing spirit. Sustain me with the long-standing strength and
support of the Spirit; of your Spirit.
I feel
new. I feel fresh confessing my sins.
I
remember the first time I felt your love. It was like a warm light over my
entire body. I was alone, but I wasn’t lonely.
It
makes me think of my mom.
I am
restored in the joy of your salvation; restored like making an old building
beautiful and useful again. It is better than a Disney ride; it is better than
the birth of a child. Your salvation is the greatest thing; offered free, no
charge—just God’s great grace.
I know you are always there, God. I turn my eyes to you. The Holy Spirit is
with me. It makes me smile. Hallelujah.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your
ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
Help
me to love those who hurt me. Let only kindness and compassion leave my mouth.
Help me not be afraid to share your love. Help me step into uncomfortable
places so others can know you too. Help me move away from sin and be cleansed
by the Holy Spirit. Help me to live in the name of the Lord. Help me bear witness to you.
I
get this help from you through my community of faith: Sunnyside.
God,
I praise you for your grace and mercy. I praise the Lord in thanksgiving! You
have saved me from my sin; therefore, I offer myself to you. I am so grateful
that I will do your biddings.
Hear
my promises:
I
will confess my sins. I will share your love forever. I will share God’s word
to all of those around me. I will teach others about God. I will teach others
in Sunday School about God. I will teach them how they can be reformed. I will
pray for others who wish to be heard by the Lord. I will help others fulfill
God’s work. I will let my actions show others the love you offer. I will spread
my understanding of the benefits of doing good works.
Great or small, I will sing loudly enough for everyone to hear the Good News. I
will tell everyone about you, O God!
Thank
you! You changed my life.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
Let
the words I say reflect who you are. Let my voice only speaks words that
glorify you.
In
everything I do, I will glorify you. I promise this. The person I am—the person
you made me—will always sing praise for you. Thank you for loving me and
allowing me to love myself.
These are my words of praise:
I
praise the Lord when I speak. I know you are there when I pray for others who
are hurt or when the world is suffering. I will use my voice to serve you and
to lift up others. You are a forgiving God, and so I praise you. I praise you,
O God! You hear my troubles. You turn to me when I need help. You teach me to
do your work. You show me the ways I have to go. And so I praise you. In the
darkest times of my life, I learned that you were there beside me. No matter
how many times I turned away, you always showed me you were there. Thank you, O
God, for your love and for never giving up on me.
16 For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a
broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
When
I sin, I feel hurt inside. If I put myself first, my life and the lives of
others unravel. I know it’s very difficult to correct a mistake in life. Yet
you love me in every situation I get myself into. I have been broken. I have
cursed your name by not understanding. But my heart is beginning to heal
because you comfort and support me. You see my repentant heart. You see my
broken spirit. My spirit longs for you.
So I
will be a sacrifice for you. Offering myself is the most acceptable sacrifice.
Today—today!—I become the hands and feet of Christ.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19 then you will delight in right
sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
I
want to praise you, God. I want us all to praise you. Thank you, God, I praise
you! And so we offer everything we have to you. We give you all we have. Let
our lives be worthy of your sacrifice.
Asking
for help no matter the circumstance never gets old with you, faithful God. Your
steadfast love endures. You spread your love.
Since your love has taught me to love myself, let your love help me teach
others to love themselves. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made in your
image. I ask that you help me remember that; I ask that you help others
remember that.
Make
this your promised land. Construct. Rebuild. Repair. Restore. Our community can
bring us even closer to God. A better society is built through protest,
advocacy, aid, and justice. Your good works inspire my good works.
Let
us all go out in peace. We will walk the walk of Jesus. I see a future full
with love and laughter.
I
have been blessed.
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The
Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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