Stephen Palmer
Second Presbyterian Church
Sermons: November 25, 2007

"Worship and Wonder"

Does your mind ever follow the little children out the door when they leave after the children’s sermon and head down the hall for Worship Explorers? I do. Not all the time. But lots of times. Because a few times, several years ago, when the program was called "Worship and Wonder" I went with them. It is a wonderful experience. You owe it to yourself to try it. Tina Harris is always looking for volunteers and observers. It feels like you are in an enchanted garden. Everyone is your friend. Everyone talks slowly, and everyone gives you enough time to think what you want to think and time to feel what you want to feel. You are not rushed or hurried. You go at your own pace, so long as you don’t interrupt anyone else. You hear, see, and experience Bible stories unpacked from a box of objects used by one of the leaders. As you listen and watch and feel the stories, you have time to get inside the story – and consider its many different sides and emotions. And when that’s done – you have an opportunity to choose another Bible story box off the shelf – and remember it and tell it to yourself at your own speed. It truly is a time to Worship and Wonder, to be Worship Explorers together, and to engage in "Godly Play."

One very important thing happens just before you go into the big room where they sit on the floor and listen to Bible stories. Someone nice, called the greeter, meets you at the door. They look you in the eye and ask: "Are you ready to worship?" If you are, you can go right in. If not, you can wait until you are ready. This helps center you and helps you focus on what’s going on inside you; so that you are ready to worship and wonder fully.

Sometimes I wish that what the children call "big church" was more like that. After greeting you warmly, an usher might ask you quietly, privately, "Are you ready to worship." If you are, they could help you find a good seat up front. On a pew – not the floor, thank you very much. If not, you could think about what you need to do to get ready to worship and wonder. Maybe we should add the question to a special place in the bulletin, or put it in the announcements before the call to worship. Let Darla, or whoever is doing the announcements, wait until after we have greeted each other near us, ask: "Are you ready to worship and wonder?" So that we really think about why we have come here.

And if you are wondering about the second reading today, from Luke 23, no I did not forget it. I am saving it for later. It is special.

I. Worship

My dictionary reminds me that worship is both as a noun and as a verb. As a noun, worship is a) reverent love and devotion for a deity or sacred object; b) the ceremonies or prayers by which this love is expressed. So worship can be used to describe our love for a person (God), a thing (money) or ceremonies (liturgy & other actions) or the way we dress (for church or "game day" events). Sometimes "worship" also is used as a title for a person of importance such as a magistrate or mayor in Great Britain. As a verb, worship is the action of showing honor and love as to a deity, or participating in religious or cultural ceremonies, like shopping before 6 am on the Friday after Thanksgiving, or the way we dress when there is a home game in our community or region. Worship does not belong to the church exclusively. But that is a good place to begin.

There is a wonderful action picture of worship in verse 10 of Psalm 85, where the psalmist reminds us that when we are actively engaged in praise before God in mind, in heart and in spirit – God’s steadfast love and God’s faithfulness meet. They meet before us and in us. Can you see it? Either with your eyes closed, hands folded together and head bowed, or with your eyes wide open and looking around in amazement, can you see this amazing rainbow event? Can you feel its warmth and comfort? God’s steadfast love and God’s faithfulness meet. To stand in the fear of the Lord is to stand at the crossroads of life and know that the Lord’s covenant faithfulness and God’s steadfast love are a part of who we are – who we were from the beginning, and who we will become in God’s good time.

Psalm 100, our first reading, offers us a quick study of what worship is. It tells us what to do, particularly for a special Sunday like today, which is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday of the old liturgical year in which the baby born in Bethlehem 11 months ago has grown up, to become the ruler of our lives. And of course, in our culture, this is the Sunday of the Thanksgiving weekend.

The first instruction from Psalm 100 in The Message is "stand up" – move – get on your feet, if you are able – then "applaud God." "Applaud God!" Celebrate the real King among us. Wow, this is good news for all who love to applaud in church! It’s okay to applaud – IF you applaud God! Remember, God is the focus of our worship: not the ministers, not the liturgists, not the musicians, nor the ushers, the custodians or those who prepared and printed the bulletin. While we celebrate worshiping and working together and are thankful for the gifts and amazing talents of others, including our children – we are here to worship and applaud God, not each other. And Eugene Peterson tells us the Thanksgiving password for worship: "Thank you." That’s a keeper.

Write it down, the worship this psalm encourages is joyful. Be joyful! It’s hard to miss the call here for laughter, exuberance, enthusiasm, and mirth – that is gladness mixed with gaiety. The call to joy is not religious hype. It is honest-to-God joy, like the 5-year-old boy watching the sunrise on a Florida beach for the first time. To anyone who could hear, he shouted. "Wow! Way To Go God!" "Way To Go God!"

Worship is a deep joy because, as far as time runs, the past, the present and the future are ruled by the loving-kindness and faithfulness of the Lord.

That we, as individuals and as communities, worship is clear enough. The harder questions are do we worship the right things, in the right priority? Among the things we and this community worship, what is in second place, or third place? We should remember always that we are a people who worship many things; probably too many things. And clearly, it appears we worship too many that do not satisfy in the long run.

II. Wonder

Like "worship," "wonder" also is a noun and a verb, which is similar to, but very different from, "worship." "Wonder" also arouses awe, surprise, or admiration; marvel. But unlike "worship," "wonder" also can produce feelings of puzzlement or doubt. To "wonder" is to be opened up to curiosity or doubt. And finally, wonder invites us is to be inquisitive, to explore the mysteries of life and the nature of the unknown. Doubt, wonder and curiosity are very important if our faith is to keep growing. The lack of wonder leads to faith that is wooden and stale –out of touch with the Living God. On the other hand, wonder makes us ask hard questions. And often our hard questions lead us to the answers that make sense for us. It’s okay to doubt your faith from time to time, but be wary of putting all your faith only in your doubts.

One of the more lively expressions of Biblical wonder and humor is Bill Cosby’s classic creative monologue about the conversation between Noah and The Lord over the building of the Ark. When the Lord calls Noah, Noah at first says "Yes Lord," then "Right!" and finally "Who is this really?" Sometimes God’s word to us has to be heard repeatedly before it really sinks in as trustworthy. Let’s hope that we don’t wait so long that God asks: "Noah, how long can you tread water?"

Now, we are ready for the second reading from Luke 23. As I read it, you are invited to wonder about what it means for us today, on Christ the King Sunday, and the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Here I will be using the New Revised Standard Version with a few modifications. Luke 23:33-43: A Drama In Tree Acts: The Crucifixion, the Mocking of Jesus, and The Assurance of Salvation. Listen for God’s Word for us.

"When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders SCOFFED at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also MOCKED him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him (in Greek, Latin and Hebrew), "This is the King of the Jews."

One of the criminals who was hanged there kept DERIDING him and saying to him, "Are you not the Messiah (or the Christ)? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

The Word of the Lord / Thanks Be To God.

One of the most powerful themes running through the Bible, like a unifying thread, is "give thanks in all things." And yet sometimes it sounds too glib to be practical.

In his unique selection of details about the crucifixion, Luke, the careful writer of great faith, records the taunting of Jesus by three groups, using different verbs: the leaders "SCOFFED;" the soldiers "MOCKED;" and one of the criminals "DERIDED" him. Note that all three taunts focus on the saving significance of Jesus’ death: "He saved others, let him save himself." "Save yourself." and "Save yourself and us." The significance of the scene becomes apparent in Luke’s titles for Jesus: "The Messiah of God," "the Chosen One," and "the King of Jews." Luke believes Jesus is the Christ. He implies that Jesus is Christ, the King. As we wonder about these events today, do we agree with Luke or are we full of doubts about who Jesus really is for us?

And in the exchange between Jesus and the penitent criminal, recorded only in Luke, Jesus continues his ministry by assuring a sinner of salvation: "For the son of man came to seek out and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10).

This Sunday, let us offer our worship and wonder for God’s greatest gift to us, his Son, who came to seek out and save the lost, like us. How or why did he do it? Luke does not defend any particular theory of the atonement. I am not sure of the whole answer, but I believe hymn writer Charles Wesley is on the right path when he called Jesus "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling." And that’s enough to wonder about for today. "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" that is Christ the King.

In the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.