September 23, 2007 - Pentecost 17
Psalm 113
O.J. Simpson.
We can't hear his name without remembering a jury declaring him innocent in the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman. More recently, he has made the news for allegedly trying to steal back some of his own sports memorabilia from a Las Vegas hotel and for trying to publish a book entitled, "If I Did It."
No doubt, we all have our own opinions about Simpson, but that's not why I bring his name up today. I recently saw an interview with Ron Goldman's father and sister, Kim, on Oprah. One part of that interview really struck me and I want to share it with you today. You see, Ron's family has bought the rights to this book, "If I Did It." Like everything regarding the murders of Ron and Nicole, this is full of debate and judgement. In the interview, Oprah kept asking the Goldman's why they want the rights, why they have decided to publish this book, if this was something that could give them peace or closure. This is what really struck me in that interview.
In response to that word, "peace" being spoken, Kim Goldman hung her head. Her father spoke in response to Oprah's questions and then Kim spoke. And she was angry. Angry that Oprah would assume she would ever find peace after the death of her brother. You see, for her, peace is not an option. Her brother has been taken from her. He is never coming back. And now, 13 years later, there is still no closure. No peace. And in her mind, there never will be.
When I heard her say these things, when I saw her tortured look and felt the anger in her words, I was sad. Sad for her and her resolve to never find closure -- to never know peace again.
This past Friday marked a fairly obscure holiday. We don't get off of work. It's not a date that is indelibly marked in our minds like July 4th or December 25th. But, it's an important day, nonetheless. September 21st is the International Day of Peace. Passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, the resolution states that this day should be "observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the day.
As we think about our nation steeped in a war in Iraq, we know the need for this day. As we see news stories from even within our own community of people harming other people, we know the need for this day. As we experience the lack of peace in our own lives because of personal tragedies and struggles, we know the need for this day. And we know that a single day of peace will never be enough. We know that it needs to extend into days, weeks, months and years.
The psalm we sang together today is officially called an "Hallelujah Psalm", but I like to think of it also as a psalm of peace. In Jewish families today, it is still used at the celebration of the Passover. Gathering together to remember their history of being delivered by God from slavery in Egypt, this psalm is often sung or spoken before the meal. It presents a picture of God as the helper of the humble -- a God who "sits enthroned on high, but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth." A God who "takes up the weak out of the dust and lifts up the poor from the ashes." And for our purposes today, a God who finds places and people torn apart by violence and tragedy and brings peace.
I can't remember where I heard the following definition of peace or who initially said it, but I like it. "Peace is not the absence of war, it is the presence of God." I think this is one of the things the Hebrew people figured out in their journey from slavery to freedom. Terrifying things happened in their journey to the promised land. They were chased by the Egyptians. Food and water often seemed to run short. Temptations came at them to worship idols or complain against God. In their journey, there was no absence of war or struggle or difficulty.
Yet, there was peace because God was present and God made His presence known. God's presence was known as the Red Sea opened for the Hebrew people to pass through and closed over the Egyptians (Ex. 14:21ff). God's presence was known as manna was provided for the people in the wilderness -- just enough for each day (Ex. 16) -- and as God made water pour forth from a rock (Ex. 17). God's presence was known as they were led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21-22). God's presence and the peace that comes from that presence is celebrated in Psalm 113.
Jesus also speaks to this kind of peace in part of his farewell address to the disciples in the Gospel of John. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you," he says. "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 world will never be a perfect place. The sinful nature of our humanity will continue to allow us to wage war and harm our neighbor. The vulnerable nature of our humanity will continue to allow us to become sick and die.
Yet, peace will also prevail. Perfect peace will be ours as we recognize the presence of God in our lives. Jesus Christ gives us this peace through the power of the Holy Spirit. We, then, have the power, because of the saintly nature of our humanity, to not only receive this peace, but to enact it in the world.
"Peace is not the absence of war, it is the presence of God." As we experience God's presence in our lives, it empowers us to spread God's perfect peace, justice and healing to our world which is in desperate need of it. With these thoughts in mind, I want to close this morning with a prayer I learned at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp this summer. Please pray with me.
We cannot merely pray to God to end war; for we have already been given the humanity to find peace within ourselves and with our neighbors; if only we would use it.
We cannot merely pray to God to end starvation; For we have already been given the resources with which to feed the whole world if we would only use them fairly.
We cannot merely pray to God to root out prejudice; For we have already been given eyes with which to see the good in all people, if we would only use them wisely.
We cannot merely pray to God to end despair; For we have already been given the power to give hope and support to the oppressed, if only we would use it justly.
We cannot merely pray to God to end disease; For we already have been given great minds with which to search out cures and healings, if only we would use them constructively.
Therefore, we pray for strength, determination, and the wisdom to act on our prayers. Amen.2
I want to teach you all a song today. It's a song about the peace we can feel in our lives. We've been talking about peace today. Sometimes it's hard to feel peaceful. Things in our lives stress us out or make us anxious or bother us. Is there anything bugging any of you today? (stress at school, fighting with a brother or sister or friend, worrying about someone who is sick. . .) There's always going to be stuff like this happening in our lives, but we can still have peace because it is a gift from Jesus. Whenever we feel Jesus' presence in our lives through prayer, coming to church or Sunday school, receiving Holy Communion, getting a hug from someone we love, we can have peace.
The song is called "Peace like a River". I'll teach you the hand motions and the words.
I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river
I've got peace like a river, in my soul (in my soul!)
I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river
I've got peace like a river, in my soul (in my soul!)
We can't hear his name without remembering a jury declaring him innocent in the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman. More recently, he has made the news for allegedly trying to steal back some of his own sports memorabilia from a Las Vegas hotel and for trying to publish a book entitled, "If I Did It."
No doubt, we all have our own opinions about Simpson, but that's not why I bring his name up today. I recently saw an interview with Ron Goldman's father and sister, Kim, on Oprah. One part of that interview really struck me and I want to share it with you today. You see, Ron's family has bought the rights to this book, "If I Did It." Like everything regarding the murders of Ron and Nicole, this is full of debate and judgement. In the interview, Oprah kept asking the Goldman's why they want the rights, why they have decided to publish this book, if this was something that could give them peace or closure. This is what really struck me in that interview.
In response to that word, "peace" being spoken, Kim Goldman hung her head. Her father spoke in response to Oprah's questions and then Kim spoke. And she was angry. Angry that Oprah would assume she would ever find peace after the death of her brother. You see, for her, peace is not an option. Her brother has been taken from her. He is never coming back. And now, 13 years later, there is still no closure. No peace. And in her mind, there never will be.
When I heard her say these things, when I saw her tortured look and felt the anger in her words, I was sad. Sad for her and her resolve to never find closure -- to never know peace again.
This past Friday marked a fairly obscure holiday. We don't get off of work. It's not a date that is indelibly marked in our minds like July 4th or December 25th. But, it's an important day, nonetheless. September 21st is the International Day of Peace. Passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, the resolution states that this day should be "observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the day.
As we think about our nation steeped in a war in Iraq, we know the need for this day. As we see news stories from even within our own community of people harming other people, we know the need for this day. As we experience the lack of peace in our own lives because of personal tragedies and struggles, we know the need for this day. And we know that a single day of peace will never be enough. We know that it needs to extend into days, weeks, months and years.
The psalm we sang together today is officially called an "Hallelujah Psalm", but I like to think of it also as a psalm of peace. In Jewish families today, it is still used at the celebration of the Passover. Gathering together to remember their history of being delivered by God from slavery in Egypt, this psalm is often sung or spoken before the meal. It presents a picture of God as the helper of the humble -- a God who "sits enthroned on high, but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth." A God who "takes up the weak out of the dust and lifts up the poor from the ashes." And for our purposes today, a God who finds places and people torn apart by violence and tragedy and brings peace.
I can't remember where I heard the following definition of peace or who initially said it, but I like it. "Peace is not the absence of war, it is the presence of God." I think this is one of the things the Hebrew people figured out in their journey from slavery to freedom. Terrifying things happened in their journey to the promised land. They were chased by the Egyptians. Food and water often seemed to run short. Temptations came at them to worship idols or complain against God. In their journey, there was no absence of war or struggle or difficulty.
Yet, there was peace because God was present and God made His presence known. God's presence was known as the Red Sea opened for the Hebrew people to pass through and closed over the Egyptians (Ex. 14:21ff). God's presence was known as manna was provided for the people in the wilderness -- just enough for each day (Ex. 16) -- and as God made water pour forth from a rock (Ex. 17). God's presence was known as they were led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21-22). God's presence and the peace that comes from that presence is celebrated in Psalm 113.
Jesus also speaks to this kind of peace in part of his farewell address to the disciples in the Gospel of John. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you," he says. "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 world will never be a perfect place. The sinful nature of our humanity will continue to allow us to wage war and harm our neighbor. The vulnerable nature of our humanity will continue to allow us to become sick and die.
Yet, peace will also prevail. Perfect peace will be ours as we recognize the presence of God in our lives. Jesus Christ gives us this peace through the power of the Holy Spirit. We, then, have the power, because of the saintly nature of our humanity, to not only receive this peace, but to enact it in the world.
"Peace is not the absence of war, it is the presence of God." As we experience God's presence in our lives, it empowers us to spread God's perfect peace, justice and healing to our world which is in desperate need of it. With these thoughts in mind, I want to close this morning with a prayer I learned at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp this summer. Please pray with me.
We cannot merely pray to God to end war; for we have already been given the humanity to find peace within ourselves and with our neighbors; if only we would use it.
We cannot merely pray to God to end starvation; For we have already been given the resources with which to feed the whole world if we would only use them fairly.
We cannot merely pray to God to root out prejudice; For we have already been given eyes with which to see the good in all people, if we would only use them wisely.
We cannot merely pray to God to end despair; For we have already been given the power to give hope and support to the oppressed, if only we would use it justly.
We cannot merely pray to God to end disease; For we already have been given great minds with which to search out cures and healings, if only we would use them constructively.
Therefore, we pray for strength, determination, and the wisdom to act on our prayers. Amen.2
Kid's Sermon
I want to teach you all a song today. It's a song about the peace we can feel in our lives. We've been talking about peace today. Sometimes it's hard to feel peaceful. Things in our lives stress us out or make us anxious or bother us. Is there anything bugging any of you today? (stress at school, fighting with a brother or sister or friend, worrying about someone who is sick. . .) There's always going to be stuff like this happening in our lives, but we can still have peace because it is a gift from Jesus. Whenever we feel Jesus' presence in our lives through prayer, coming to church or Sunday school, receiving Holy Communion, getting a hug from someone we love, we can have peace.
The song is called "Peace like a River". I'll teach you the hand motions and the words.
I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river
I've got peace like a river, in my soul (in my soul!)
I've got peace like a river, I've got peace like a river
I've got peace like a river, in my soul (in my soul!)