In 1621 the Pilgrims uprooted themselves and sailed for America, a trip so dangerous that the travelers’ guides of the day said, “First, make thy will.” They had many reasons to complain. But they knew they were God’s own and they gave thanks.
Why don’t you, like the majority of Australians, only come near the church for weddings and funerals? We come together in this church because it is here in our worship service that God comes and meets us.
What can we say to those for whom a Day of Thanksgiving rings hollow? Perhaps there is some comfort in remembering the event we commemorate, that first Thanksgiving celebrated by the pilgrims. Those folks had had an exceedingly difficult time.
My mentor told me, “There are only two hard-and-fast rules in the Presbyterian Church: Rule Number One, God has the first and last word on all things. Rule Number Two, if in doubt, refer to Rule Number One.” God is sovereign over us and all creation.
What does it mean to sing a new song? First, it means to accept the fact that times change. Secondly, to sing a new song means to open the door to newness and creativity. Finally, to sing a new song means to “make a joyful noise.”
This week I learned that it was customary for the Hebrews to celebrate God’s mighty acts by writing a new song. For example, when God led the children of Israel through the Red Sea and set them free, Moses wrote a song to commemorate the occasion.
Barbara Brown Taylor said that to preach is to “toss the fragile net of our words over the bone-melting music of God.” Ms. Taylor’s point is that preaching attempts to hint at the majesty of the music of God. And I think that’s what our worship services do.
I particularly like this Psalm, because it calls us to our central purpose as the People of God. “O come, let’s worship and bow down.” I wrote a letter recently encouraging church leaders to attend worship. I said, “Worship is our first duty to God.”
Psalm 91 is addressed to the faithful, not the ungodly. Though God’s providence and protection is available to all, only those who choose to dwell in the shelter of the Lord will experience the fullness of God’s grace and love.
You often hear Psalm 90 at funeral services. That’s because it speaks so poignantly of the limits of our mortal lives and of the timeless dimension of God’s power and love.