Today's Sermon

 

"Awe and Wonder"

 

Psalm 29
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of God’s name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
God makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare;
and in God’s temple all say, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to God’s people! May the Lord bless God’s people with peace!

During my sabbatical last summer, one of my main goals was to get outside and to revel in the beauty of creation. Our world is magnificent, and I wanted to spend time appreciating the beauty.  To spend time in awe and wonder.

I tried to remember to take pictures along the way, and want to share some of them with you now –

• Lake Tahoe
• The waterways of Venice
• Ghost Ranch, NM
• Muir Woods
• Cultus Lake, OR
• Vancouver, BC

There really aren’t words to describe this kind of beauty.  You just say wow and feel grateful to experience it.  Or, as the Psalmist writes, you say, “Glory!” as you stand in the presence of beauty.

This is the second week in our sermon series focusing on the Psalms.  Our Psalm for this week – Psalm 29 – celebrates the many ways that God is present in creation.  All the elements are mentioned in this Psalm – The voice of God is over the waters, flashing forth flames of fire (how about that for alliteration!), causing the oaks to whirl. Water, fire, earth, wind – God is present in it all.

Did you notice, however, that the imagery the Psalmist uses is not tame?  The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness.  The voice of the Lord strips the forest bare. We certainly know that just as nature is incredibly beautiful, it can also be incredibly destructive. The pictures coming out of southern California after the fires are heartbreaking, as were the scenes from North Carolina after the massive flooding a few months ago. What do we do after something like that?  When so much has been destroyed?  Where is God in the midst of that?

I have some thoughts about that, but I realize that I certainly don’t have all the answers, so I went looking to see what others might have to say.  Perhaps my favorite response was a bit of a non-answer, by Vanderbilt Divinity professor Mark Miller-McLemore.  He writes, “There is an unavoidable ambiguity to a creator/nature god, especially one of such vast force and power. Sometimes nature blesses. Sometimes it curses. How do we make meaning of that? Such a God rules and blesses, but bad things happen to good people anyway.  We likely have no final or even satisfying answer.”[i]You are welcome … I’m glad my research is clearing it up for us all.  It’s very Jesus-like to answer a question with more questions.

Following the North Carolina floods, I read with interest the reflections of the Rev. Carol Hovis, who had some strong opinions to share. Carol is the former executive director of the Marin Interfaith Council who now lives in Asheville, one of the areas hardest hit by the flooding.  She wrote, “God did not create what happened in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee. Humanity did. The two biggest takeaways from this disaster are:

1) We are harming ourselves by harming our planet;

2) We are harming humanity when a small percentage of people hoard resources and the vast majority are struggling to make ends meet.

I have seen and experienced the truth and power of energy, Spirit, God in the relationships, the collaborations, the leadership, the generosity, the capacity of every person and community I’ve encountered these past eleven days. That is God for me.”[ii]

Creation offers so many questions that we can’t answer.  How can something be so awesome and wonderful, and at the same time so scary and destructive?  Why do natural disasters happen?  Are they God-made?  Human-made? Just a part of life? We certainly have our theories and opinions, but none of us has a final or even satisfying answer. And, as Carol notes, God continues to be present with us.

I am drawn to the very last verse of Psalm 29.  After listing all of the ways that God’s voice is present in the beautiful and powerful creation, the Psalmist writes, “May the Lord give strength to God’s people. May the Lord bless God’s people with peace!”  That is the translation in our pew Bibles.  I actually prefer the more assertive NIV translation, which states, “The Lord gives strength to God’s people; the Lord blesses God’s people with peace.” It’s not a request – it’s a statement of truth.

The title of our sermon series is “God is holding your life.” However you view natural disasters, our God is not a God of violence and destruction, but a God of strength and peace.  God holds our lives, present with us in the times of trial and hardship, and present with us in the times of beauty and awe and wonder.  Mark Miller-McLemore concludes his analysis of this Psalm by writing, “This is a psalm to be read aloud and treasured, as it pronounces God’s power, as it raises hard questions, and as it assures us of God’s grace, strength, and peace.”  God is holding your life, always.

The scriptures offer us this promise, certainly, but nature itself also tells us of the glory of God. A story is told about the hermit Antony, who lived in the desert of Egypt in the third/fourth centuries. When he was once asked what he would do if one day he could no longer read scripture, Antony replied, “My book, sir, is the nature of created things, and it is always on hand when I wish to read it.”[iii]The Celtic tradition teaches that God speaks to us through two books – the little book, which is the Bible, and the big book, which is creation.  There is so much to learn and experience and enjoy about God through creation.

St. Francis of Assisi was well known for his love of creatures and creation.  I want to share with you his writing titled, “Canticle of the Creatures.” I invite you especially to notice how he praises God for each of the elements, and what they bring to his experience of God.

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
yours are the praises, the glory, and the honor, and all blessing.
Praised be you, my Lord, with all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day through whom you give us light.
And he is lovely, shining with great splendor, and bears a likeness of you, Most High One.
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars.
In heaven you formed them, clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
Through air and cloud, through calm and every weather by which you sustain your creatures.
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water,
so very useful and humble, precious and pure.
Praised be you, my Lord through Brother Fire, by whom you light up the night,
and he is beautiful and playful, robust and strong.
Praised be you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains us and directs us bringing forth all kinds of fruits and colored flowers and herbs.
Blessed are those who endure in peace, for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.

Yes, wind, fire, water, and earth can be scary and destructive.  But they can also be beautiful and life-giving. When we give ourselves the time to sit with each of these in awe and wonder, we are drawn ever more closely to the divine.

Christine Valters Paintner describes herself as an “urban monk and part-time hermit.”  She has written a beautiful book titled, “Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements.” In the book, she examines the four elements in depth and offers prayer practices for each to help us embrace and embody the awe and wonder of creation. I want to invite you into the practice at the very end of the book, which incorporates all four of the elements. This is an embodied practice which involves standing and turning to face different directions.  If that is not comfortable for you, you are welcome to remain seated and just move your head and shoulders as is comfortable.

WIND
Begin by facing east, the place of the rising sun, of morning, of new beginnings, and the season of springtime. Become conscious of the element of wind: breathe in its gifts of air. Remember that the word for breath and spirit is the same in Hebrew – Ruach. Imagine the breath of God breathing into you at the very moment of your creation. Welcome God’s life-giving breath into your life. See the dawn of creation, the birds and the winged creatures flying across the morning sky. Join them for a moment in their song, recognizing that air sustains our voices.

Notice where in your body you feel the gifts of air, breath, lightness, and the invitation to express your voice.

Ponder where in your life you feel the gift of air. Where are you being invited to greater flights of possibility? What song are you being called to sing?  With the psalmist say: “You ride on the wings of the wind” (Psalm 104).

FIRE
Turn toward the south, the place of the midday sun, the warmth and fullness of the day, and the season of summer. Become conscious of the element of fire. Feel the heat in your own body, the energizing and expanding fire that sustains your life. Imagine the fiery tongues of the Spirit resting on the disciples at Pentecost, and welcome God’s fire and passion into your life this day.

Notice in your body where you feel the gift of fire, play, warmth, and creativity burning. Reflect on the chemical reactions within your own cells and organs that ignite and fuel your energy, life-force, your purpose and possibility.

Ponder where in your life you feel the gift of fire. Where are you being called to a more passionate response? What sets you aflame with love? With the psalmist say: “The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire” (Psalm 29).

WATER
Turn toward the west, the place of the setting sun, of endings and transitions, and the season of autumn. Become conscious of the element of water. Find your pulse and feel the power of water pumping through your body, sustaining you. Imagine the power of God present in the great sea and in the cleansing and renewal of baptism.

Notice in your body where you feel the gift and flow of water. Feel the gifts of tears, of your emotions, of the time of twilight, of letting go and turning within.

Ponder where in your life you feel the gift of water. Where are you being invited into a deeper surrender to the flow of life? With the psalmist say: “Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters” (Psalm 77).

EARTH
Turn toward the north, the place of the midnight moon, a time for reflection and turning inward and the season of winter. Become conscious of the element of earth and the way your body is made of earth and will one day return to the earth. Imagine God as the potter and you as the clay being formed and shaped. See God as the vine and you as one of the branches extending out into the world. Experience your rootedness in the divine.

Notice in your body where you feel the gifts of earth, of seeds holding wisdom underground, of roots sinking deep. Rest in your grounding and in your place on the earth. Find a few moments for introspection and solitude.

Ponder where in your life you feel the gift of earth. Where do you need a deeper sense of grounding? Where is the call to more contemplation and resting in stillness? With the psalmist say: “The earth is full of your goodness” (Psalm 33).

Now place your hands over your heart or in prayer position and get in touch with the still center within you. Ask for a blessing on your dreams, longings, and desires.  Open yourself to awe and wonder – to the discovery of how the Spirit is moving in your life and in our world. Amen.[iv]

[i]Feasting on the Word, Year B, Vol. 3, pg. 34.

[ii]Facebook post, October 7, 2024

[iii]Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire, by Christine Valters Paintner, pg. 2.

[iv]Ibid, pg. 139.