“God’s Presence in Our Lives”      2013

Psalm 143:1, 5-11    John 14:18-20, 25-29

 

Psalm 143:1,5-11

1Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness; answer me in your righteousness.

5I remember the days of old, I think about all your deeds, I meditate on the works of your hands. 6I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. 7Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me, or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit. 8Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9Save me, O Lord, from my enemies; I have fled to you for refuge. 10Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path. 11For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life. In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.

 

John 14:18-20, 25-29

18”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 25”I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

 

     When things have gone badly, or we’ve been hurt or wounded

            in ways that we struggle to understand why,

                        have you found yourself wondering and asking,

                                                “but where is God in all of this?,

                                                            or what in the world is God up to?

 

Can you identify with the words of the psalm?,  vs. 1, 7

            Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness; answer me in your righteousness. Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me, or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.

 

We are not told anything about the details or circumstances

            of what was going on when the psalmist wrote this,

                        but aren’t the feelings behind those words familiar?

 

            The psalm is called a lament,

                        there are several of them in the Bible.

They are poems of someone struggling desperately or in trouble,

            and they are pleading for God to step in and help…

                 … a plea for God’s presence amid disaster and tribulation.

 

We all know about life experiences, trauma that makes us cringe,

            the crush of overwhelming discouragement or disappointment,

                            those times

                                    when our hard work and best efforts have failed ---

-- and so trying to make sense of it and comprehend,

            we long for the Lord to give some answer or explanation…

               … or how to begin putting life’s pieces back together again.

 

So the struggling psalmist turns to God for answers?   …vs. 5           

            I remember the days of old, I think about all your deeds, I meditate on the works of your hands.

 

The poet looks beyond the current circumstances and troubles,

      and remembers stories of the Lord’s steadfast loving kindness

            - for the Bible is full of them,

                                                    or maybe he recalls his own experiences

                                                            of God’s gracious wisdom and compassion.

 

Since high school, it’s been my practice to write down my prayers,

            and when I get discouraged, feel troubled or without hope,

                        I find it helpful to reread some of those prayers,

                                    especially the ones written during my disasters,

                                        as testimonies to the loving faithfulness of God-

                 - who has seen me through all my life’s trials and storms.

 

Continuing with the psalm, notice that it doesn’t say,

            “help me redouble my efforts and push a little harder”

… but first, it’s turn and inquire of the Lord, vs. 6, 8, 10

            I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.      Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.

                       

Have you ever been rushing on your way to an appointment,

            and somehow gotten turned around and maybe a bit lost,

                        and so feeling anxious, you drive a little faster.

 

            Well you know, if you are not headed in the right direction,

                        even driving a lot faster

                                    will probably not help you get there any quicker.

 

When I was doing business in Washington DC,

            which can be a pretty complicated city to navigate,

                        I learned quickly that when lost, it’s a lot faster

                                    to pull over, stop and check the map,

                                                  then to cruise around lost and confused

                                                     feverously guessing which way to turn next.

 

So too the psalmist writes,

            Teach me the way I should go, Teach me to do your will…  à  à

    “I am lost & confused, Lord, show me the way to go, your will”

                                    --- that is to stop and check the map

                                                  rather than driving around lost in a panic.  

 

The psalm is a prayer we have all needed to pray,

            especially when we are struggling and just hanging on…

… it’s a plea for the Holy Spirit, for the power & presence of God.

 

When I read scripture, sometimes I find it helpful and meaningful

            to imagine that I am there,

                 watching and experiencing as the biblical scene unfolds…

… especially a powerful scene like the Upper Room when Jesus

            was speaking to his disciples the night he was arrested …   

 

… and when he said,  vs. 29

            And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

 

Can you imagine the tension and anxiety in the room that night?

            The disciples knew that something big was brewing,

                        but it didn’t make sense – it wouldn’t compute.

There probably wasn’t anything Jesus could have said,

            and nothing they could have heard  to resolve their distress.

 

Jesus comforts & reassures them  by teaching about the Holy Spirit

            so that they will understand and be able to respond,

                        and know that Jesus was not abandoning them,

                            but that something more, someone more was coming.

*   Jesus was promising the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

 

vs. 18, 26, 27

            I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

            Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

 

The Holy Spirit is

            an often neglected and a misunderstood part of our theology…

                                                … so let’s go over a few basics.

            First, the Holy Spirit is a person, not an it,

                        and not “the force be with you” as in Star Wars.

 

*  God the Father, sent Jesus Christ the Son of God,

          God in human flesh to teach and reveal the truth of God,

                   in order to fulfill God’s will and purpose,

                             which is the salvation of humankind

                                      from the consequences of sin and death.

 

While Jesus walked the roads of Palestine as a human being,

            he was limited to a particular finite space and time,

                        meaning that at any time he could only be in one place.

 

Then Jesus ascended back the Father as described in Acts 1,

            and the Holy Spirit was sent to the disciples on Pentecost.

The Spirit is the infinite presence of God always everywhere

            continuing the work and ministry of Jesus

                        through the mission and ministry of the Church.

 

As Jesus explained, the Holy Spirit bears witness to Christ,

                        teaching and reminding the disciples

                                    of all that Jesus did and taught them.

 

            And for us, the Holy Spirit bridges the gap of history

                        between the disciples back then, and us today

                                    by being present in us and with us   inspiring us,

                                                    and as we gather     as the body of Christ ---

                                                            -- fulfilling the promise of Jesus:

                                    “when 2 or 3 gather in my name, I will be there among you.”

 

* The Holy Spirit is the presence of Jesus Christ in the present,

          who guides   and helps   and supports us  to live as Christians

                   amid all the changing complexities of our modern world.

 

* It is by the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit

            that our Christian hope, joy and peace are vibrant and alive,

                              and that we have a yearning and hunger for our faith

                                     and our relationship with God   to grow ever deeper.

 

* It is by the Holy Spirit that we are led and directed

            in the continuing process of transforming us inside and out

                        to become and live  more and more   Christ-like  lives

                                    as the Spirit guides our response to God’s grace.

 

Though the Bible is already written and its contents complete,

            God is not finished,  God continues to speak…

                        … through the person and presence of the Holy Spirit.

* It is that Spirit who opens the truth of Scripture to us.

 

One time, long before I became a pastor,

            I was reading a passage that seemed to directly contradict

                        another part of the Bible I had recently read.

I thought long and hard trying to make sense of it,

            trying to reconcile the two biblical texts, but I could not.

 

            Later on, as I was writing my prayer,

                        I started discussing my question with God,

                                    by writing out my thoughts and confusion…

                                          … and then like a flash, I could suddenly see it.

 

            I understood, and the two texts together made sense to me,

                        and combined,  they took me to a much deeper place…

* … that was the Spirit inspiring, opening up God’s word to me.

 

I have since reread my prayer several times, still get goose bumps

            and it’s still an amazing experience of grace and blessings,

                  to see again that moment of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration.

 

* I find that as  my faith matures – more attune to the Spirit,

          by experience I am learning to listen and be more sensitive,

                   more willing to trust and step out in faith:

 

            ~ to speak welcome to a stranger, or to let a resentment go,

                        ~ or consider how I’ll be heard before responding,

                                    ~ to show God’s compassion to that person in need,

                                                                ~ to offer and pray with someone

                                                                           though not knowing what I will say.

* By the Spirit we can live beyond ourselves & our understanding.

 

In college I got into spelunking, or exploring caves of Virginia.

            I even got a miner’s helmet with a little carbide lamp,

                        but my lamp didn’t shine very far into the darkness,

                                    so I couldn’t see more than a few steps ahead.

 

One time when we heard about a waterfall that flowed in a cave,

            we got a friend to show us the way, a mile or so deep inside.

My lamp wasn’t very bright, too dim to see any distance up ahead,

            so I had to trust our guide to know and show me the way,

                        to help me across rock faces when I could see where to go.

 

But when we eventually arrived

            it was one of most amazing waterfalls I’ve ever seen.

It was truly incredible

            to hear and watch the water crashing through the darkness,

                 … but only because we trusted the guide to show us the way.

 

* In life we can rarely see or know our way very far ahead,

          our future is uncertain,

                   but we are called to trust in the Holy Spirit of God,

                             that God is present and at work,

                                      as we’re called to accept, obey and follow.

 

I suppose it may be my human ego and pride, that I like to think

            I can take care of myself and handle things on my own…

                   … and perhaps call on God

                             just for the big stuff, when I’m over my head.

 

            And if I work a bit harder, put in a little more effort,

                        just a few more hours, or learn from the right book,

                                    then surely God will be pleased with me,

                                                and I will achieve my goals as accomplished…

          … but for the most part it doesn’t work out that way.

 

* One of the early symbols of our faith was a boat .

            It was never a rowboat with oars, but always a sailboat.

 

It’s a symbol of the Holy Spirit and Pentecost,

          the sails filled with the rush of wind as described in Acts 2.

                                 The symbolism is obvious,

                                        the boat is wind-powered, or Spirit-powered.

 

            And who does the work on such a boat?

                        It’s the wind, the Spirit,

                             and it doesn’t move by the work of the people within.

*  It’s all grace – the Holy Spirit does all the heavy lifting.

 

I’m guessing, that most folks in Las Cruces, NM

            don’t have a lot of experience with sailboats,

                        or trying to paddle a 30 foot sailboat back to port.

 

One time out in the Chesapeake Bay, there was a dead calm,

            we couldn’t get the motor to start,

                        and so we started paddling back to Annapolis…

… and for all our efforts, our aching backs and muscles,

            we made very little headway,

                        until finally someone towed us back in.

 

*Our Christian lives & the Church of Jesus Christ are about grace,

          and meant to be God-powered, not human effort-powered.

 

Our task is not to row harder,

          but to position our sails so to catch the Spirit-Wind,

                   by presenting our sails for the wind to drive the boat…

                             and getting in on   whatever God has going on.           

 

It is as we read in Jeremiah 29:11

            For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.