"How Excellent"
a condensed version of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Trinity (and Confirmation) Sunday, June 3, 2007 at Union Congregational Church in Somonauk, Illinois.

PODCAST of "How Excellent"

Over the next couple of months, I’m often going to be spending time preaching from the Psalms. I love the poetry of the psalms. I love the raw emotions they express. I love that they offer hope. I love that they often convey hopelessness. All in all I love the imagery. I love how the Psalms describe the human condition, God’s presence and strength and even the feelings of isolation we all feel at one time or another. I think the Psalms are excellent as tools for inspiring us and moving us and showing us that in our celebrations and in our despair we are not alone. Others have been there before and others have felt the emotions we feel. God has been present through the best and worst times in our lives and the lives of others.

But while the psalms are wonderful poetry, I don’t think that they are not good sources to look for God's promises. They share the beliefs of the writers – but not necessarily universal truths. Let me give you a few examples:

• Romans 5:1-- Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, -- That’s a promise verse.
• John 3:16 -- For God so loved the world that he gave his only son. That whoever believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life. -- promise verse.
• Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith -- it is not of your own doing -- it is a gift of God -- not of works. -- promise verse.
• Psalm 88:14 O LORD, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face away from me? Not a promise verse.
• Psalms 137:8-9: O Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you have done to us. Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks! Not a promise verse

That's just something to keep in mind as we explore the Psalms this summer.

Today is excellent – excellent music, an excellent confirmation celebration, excellent participation from our Confirmands in our worship service. It’s an excellent time of praising God. We’re praising God in our prayers and in our songs.

But that brings me to today’s rant. Praise songs. I’ve heard and sung many of them over the years. I’ve heard and sung traditional praise songs and contemporary praise songs. Like any genre of music, there are what I consider good and bad praise songs. And then there are whiny praise songs. Whiney praise songs really creep me out. I’m not talking about genuine songs that praise God and encourage all singing to grow in their faith – it’s the overdone whiny ones that get to me.

Oh God, you’re so great

And I never want to look at anyone except for you

And no matter what you’re in every one of my thoughts

I just can’t do anything without asking you first

Should I have lunch right now or should I wait until later?

When should I breathe in again?

Oh God you’re so great

OK – I’m exaggerating, but you may have heard songs that feel just as ridiculous. I like a song that praises God (You are so excellent!) but doesn’t go right down the sappy and ridiculous road in the process.

Psalm 8, in contrast to some whiny and sappy praise songs, is a praise song that gives me hope. I see genuine awe of God and genuine thankfulness for creation – but with a perspective that doesn’t call humanity helpless. There is beautiful imagery and a focus on God. The words praise God and acknowledge how majestic, excellent and wonderful God is. It wonders why God, with all the "excellentness" would even care about humanity. And it is thankful that God does.

Psalm 8 is a song of praise – It is a song with perspective.

Psalm 8 is excellent.

God is excellent.

Do you know what else I think is excellent? It is the unexpected, deep and profound thoughts that come from the minds of our Confirmands. The words I’m going to share with you – genuine words of our Confirmands beliefs, aren’t necessarily good sources to look for God's promises. Some of what you hear doesn’t fall into the normally accepted beliefs of Christians. However, these words share the beliefs of the writers. They invite us to ponder what we believe – and to be inspired and moved.

Listen to what our confirmation students believe about God our creator, Jesus our savior and about the Holy Spirit.

• God created us for a reason
• God will never give up on us.
• God is neither male or female
• God makes mistakes and also doesn’t
• God listens to you when no one else does.
• God hates no one.
• God forgives me and loves all the time, even when I do wrong.
• God loves everyone no matter what
• God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit.
• God helps everyone and comforts everyone. Even if they don’t hear a "voice" they can find out what they need to do.
• Jesus is the messiah and son on God.
• Jesus cares.
• Jesus was not perfect because humans are never perfect.
• Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to save us
• Jesus will return to Earth again at some point to help us or to save us and I don’t know if it will be when I’m alive but I believe he will come again.
• The Holy Spirit is always there
• The Holy Spirit is the one who guides you and protects and helps to lead you down the right path or that helps you make the right choice.
• The Holy Spirit is in everyone and is around everyone, even those who don’t believe in God because they are all God’s creations and all need to be looked after.
• The Holy Spirit might as well just be the air.
• Even if we start going down the wrong path, the Holy Spirit will help us turn around and go back.
• The Holy Spirit is alive with me no matter what happens.
• The Holy Spirit listens to you and goes wherever you go.
• People do not have to see God or heaven to have faith and to believe.

Confirmands – you are excellent. I am really looking forward to continuing to be your pastor now and through your high school years and beyond. Today is a milestone – but it’s not at all and end. It’s a significant and excellent day on your journey of faith. Everyone here has experienced significant and excellent days in our journey of faith. We’re all continuing on this faith journey. We are inspired and moved and we do get to learn about and experience God’s promises. Let’s all continue on it together. We can learn and ask questions and have fun and help one another. We can trust and cry and live our lives genuinely loving God and loving each other. I think that makes God smile. I think that God, who loves us no matter what, will look at us – the ones God has created, and continue to say, "How excellent."

Close with prayer.

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