"Shouts of
Joy"
a condensed version of the
sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Sunday, December 14, 2008 at Union Congregational Church, United Church of
Christ, in Somonauk, Illinois.
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I love parades
What famous parades can you think of? Here are a few off the top of my sermon preparation thoughts:
What are parades about? Are they marches of celebration and holiday festivities? Yes! Are they commemorations of important events? Yes! Are they processions to honor the memory of important people and important event? Yes! Are they journeys from sadness to joy? They certainly can be!
This week’s Bible reading from Psalm 126 is either a song sung as the people of Israel returned from Exile or a song sung (maybe even during a parade) to commemorate and celebrate that return. It’s filled with jubilation, remembrance of deliverance from hardship and unhindered shouts of joy.
I don’t know if I want to think anymore about what other kinds of meaning might be in this Psalm.
I think I just want to breathe in deep and smile.
Because I’m having a difficult holiday season.
So many folks are. Our national economy continues in recession – even as God’s economy is always one of abundance. Sickness and disease are all around us – making joy seem far, far away.
Sure – for me this holiday blues relates to my father-in-law, Joe. The effects bile-duct cancer that is causing the poisoning of his body is so difficult to watch. The strong, vivacious man I have known and loved for 25 years doesn’t seem to be there anymore. He doesn’t recognize anyone and is rarely even awake. His vital signs are getting weaker and weaker.
And my thoughts of loss and sorrow and sadness are all over what is usually a time of preparation for joy.
And I know that dad’s joy is so close and that there is reason to celebrate the life he has lived and the extra time we have been able to spend with him for the last two years.
But sadness is the most powerful emotion I’m feeling.
And I think I’m ready to talk about what more is in today’s Psalm. As filled with joy as it is – it has sadness at its heart. It could have been written after God’s people had returned from exile – rejoicing – but I think that there’s a sadness in it that came from before – when things were awful.
And instead of looking at this Psalm and thinking, "God promises that joy is coming" because I’m in a place where sadness seems too powerful for it to be turned to joy, I look at this Psalm and know that it is a joyful and sad song – but also a song that is comforting -- maybe just because music is comforting.
I don’t want to pick it apart or say that everything’s going to be all right or to preach that God is going to bring joy out of sad situations.
I really just want to smile. I want to feel the joy of a parade without having to understand why. I want to sing a joyfully sad, bluesy song that gives me a warm feeling maybe because there’s hope in it, but more likely because the music itself is comforting.
I hope you’d like to smile with me today, too. At least try -- it’s my birthday, after all.
© 2008 Kirk Moore – ccli 1497207
I think that God has given us music because even in awful times we need at least some tiny shouts of joy.
Close with prayer.
© 2008 Union Congregational Church, All Rights Reserved