"God is good! All the time! All the time, God is good!'
I use this refrain, well, all the time. Whether starting a worship service, with a choir, among friends, etc., the staff at my church have begun to associate this phrase (which did not have its genesis with me by any stretch of the imagination) with me because I use frequently. This morning, I was struck by (to use a phrase from Charlie Hall, which he borrowed from someone else) the phrase "the bright sadness" in regards to the aforementioned liturgical piece. Sometimes, it's an easy thing to say, other times, it's an act of faith to proclaim it!
This morning I enjoyed a wonderful cup of hot coffee sitting in my backyard in beautiful, overcast, cool weather, while praying the Office of the Dawn. The liturgy had, as usual, several interesting intersections with what is going on in this part of the world lately. How can we affirm the statement, "God is good all the time!" in the midst of hurricanes and poverty, and war? On the face of it, it's pretty tough to do, as a Christian, unless you have the Christian hope alive in you. Unless you have the hope that comes from knowing that Jesus is the true Lord of Creation, that in his life, death, and resurrection Jesus conquered death and inaugurated the reclamation project that is the Kingdom of God and that God is at work, with us, in bringing about the new heaven and the new earth that God has promised as found in Revelation 21 and 22. Without that hope, Christian faith doesn't make a lot of sense, at least not for me. I wonder, perhaps, reconciliation project is a more appropriate phrase than reclamation project?
As I prayed outside this morning, the winds were swirling and you could see the rotation of the bands from Gustav overhead. The trees and our windchimes were very noisy, the neighbors had things being knocked around their patios. All of these sounds and sensations were juxtaposed with the words from the office.
The opening line, chanted out loud, sounded more like a statement of faith and a challenge in this setting: Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God! How pleasant it is to honor him with praise!
Which was followed with: My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
In the midst of the challenges in this life, God is at work! The already-not-yet-ness of the Kingdom of God on full display!
The liturgy continued with two stanza's from Charles Wesley's "Rejoice, the Lord is King."
Rejoice, the Lord is King!
Your Lord and King adore;
mortals, give thanks and sing,
and triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
rejoice; again I say, rejoice!
Jesus the Savior reigns,
the God of truth and love;
when he had purged our stains,
he took his seat above.
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
rejoice, again I say, rejoice.
In the midst of the storms of life (both literal and figurative) Jesus the Savior reigns! Sometimes, it's easy for me to lose that in the swirling winds of life. Do you struggle with that from time to time?
Penultimately, here is the small verse from this morning's office, which speaks yet again to what God is doing!
"Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you together; yea, I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord."
Zephaniah 3:19-20
Hello!!!!!! Liturgy and life, intersecting, informing, and shining light on each other!
Do you see it?
It is beautiful.
May you receive this blessing today, which also comes from the office: May the Lord bless us and keep us and cause His face to shine upon us from this day forth and forever more. Amen.
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