Sermon – Mark 9: 2-9 – The Son of God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Mark 9: 2-9 – The Son of God

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Transfiguration Sunday

February 19, 2012

Since the beginning of January we have been looking at the identity of God. We heard that God is the creator, God is all powerful, God hears our prayers and knows our names, God is always present with us, God can be recognized in the pages of scripture and in the world around us, and God blesses us richly. From the Book of Psalms we have learned all of this about God. But there is much more that can be learned of God's identity in his Word and in the World he created. God is so much more than we can ever imagine. And therefore we are always finding new things about God. Our understanding of who God is, God's identity, is always growing.

Today we will shift gears a bit and turn to the New Testament. We will look at the Gospel of Mark and join in with some of the disciples to try to figure out who Jesus is. What is Jesus' identity? Can we recognize Jesus in the pages of scripture and in the world God created? Who is this Jesus, was the question on the minds of Peter, James and John. And today they will get an answer of sorts. But before we get to all of this let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

When I lived in DC, the first question I asked whenever I met someone new was, “Where do you work?” This question permeates the culture of Washington DC. Since most people work either for government or government contractors this question is really a question about proximity to power. The closer you are to governmental power the more prestigious is your job. And so everyone wants to know how close to power you are. So if you were to attend a party or church function in DC just about everyone would ask you what you do.

When I moved to California to attend seminary, I found that the introductory question had changed. No longer were people concerned about what I did for a living. On the west coast, people are more concerned with how you have fun. People want to know what you did over the weekend. Did you ski on Big Bear Mountain, or surf off Laguna Beach, or both? Did you see the latest movie? What restaurant did you visi?. Questions about what you do for a living are way down the line out west, if you ever get there.

Here on the Eastern Shore I have noticed that the introductory question usually defines whether you are someone who is born here or came here. The people who are born here have memories of growing up on small farms. They are defined, in large part, by this agricultural history. Even if they no longer do farming they still see themselves as rooted in agriculture. Most of those who come here, like me, do not have this history and these roots. And so we lack this particular frame of reference when we interact with those of you who were born here.

Identity is how we know someone. It can be as simple as knowing someone's name. I am often praying for people I know only from their names and a few details about their diseases. But identity is often far more than that. You may know people as friends, relatives, spouses and the like. You may have deep, intimate knowledge of someone else. So there are degrees with which we can know someone's identity.

The disciples knew Jesus Christ. And it can be argued that Peter, James and John knew him the best. But it took time for them to know who Jesus really was because Jesus did not reveal his identity to them right away. At first, they thought that Jesus was a teacher. After all he was teaching in synagogues all over Galilee. In fact Jesus was a great teacher, so much so that people were amazed. Like other first century teachers Jesus gathered disciples, cast out demons, and healed the sick.

But then something happened that caused the disciples and others to think that Jesus' identity was more than just a teacher. What Jesus did was to give his disciples the authority to preach and cast out demons. The disciples experienced this power for themselves and began to think that Jesus was far more that just a teacher. They thought that he must be like a prophet, maybe even Elijah returned. And so the disciples began to realize that Jesus was not just a teacher, but he was a prophet with extraordinary powers.

But then the disciples saw Jesus do something not even the prophets could do. They saw him feed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. And that night they watched him walk on water. They were there when Jesus made a mute man speak and a blind man see. They knew that Jesus was far more than a teacher and a prophet. And it was Peter who said the Jesus must be the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one, the Son of David everyone was expecting.  It was then that Jesus took them up a mountain and here's what happened.

Mark 9:2-9 ² After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵ Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." ⁶ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) ⁷ Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" ⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. ⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

As they climbed the mountain they probably were thinking about Moses. Moses and his companions climbed Mt. Horeb to come into the presence of God. Maybe Jesus was doing the same thing. Maybe they were climbing the mountain to see God. When they arrived at the top Jesus began to change. His clothes glowed like a light bulb. Peter, James and John must have been thinking about Moses and how his face shined after coming into the presence of God. They must have wondered if God was near.

Then they saw an incredible sight. Jesus was talking with Elijah and Moses. The people of God expected Elijah and Moses to return at the end of time. Remember from the earlier reading today Elijah never died, he simply went to heaven in a whirlwind. And Moses was buried by God who told no one where the grave was. So it was expected that both would return on the Day of Lord when everything was to come to fulfillment. Peter knew that this was to happen at the Festival of Booths when all of Israel came to Jerusalem each year and lived in tents. Peter was so excited at seeing Elijah and Moses that he was ready to make tents for them.

But then a cloud cover the mountain. The fog was so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Peter, James and John had to be scared to death. Maybe they remembered that Moses had encountered God in the midst of smoke and fire on the top of an active volcano. Maybe God himself was about to make an entrance. And then in booming thunder God spoke and called Jesus his son and commanded the disciples to listen to him.

And then everything was back to normal and the four of them walked back down the mountain.

As they were coming down the mountain Jesus explained to them that he must die, but in three days he would rise from the dead, proving once and for all that he truly was the Son of God.

So who is Jesus? Is Jesus a teacher? Yes. Is Jesus an exorcist and healer? Yes. Is Jesus a prophet? Yes. Is Jesus the Messiah, the new David? Yes. But as the disciples found out on that mountaintop Jesus is far more than all of these. Jesus is unique. No one has ever been like Jesus and no one ever will. Jesus is God's son.

The disciples were told to keep this a secret until after Jesus' death and resurrection. Then they were to proclaim it to the world. This is exactly what they did and what we are call to do. We are to proclaim to our world, here in Pocomoke, that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the creator we praise. Jesus is the all powerful one we worship. Jesus hears our prayers and knows our names. Jesus is always with us. We can recognize the presence of Jesus in the world today because we study and meditated on the Word of God. We proclaim that Jesus is our Lord.

But we have to be careful, when talking to nonbelievers, not to say more about Jesus than they can handle. Just as Jesus carefully revealed himself to his disciples over time so too must we reveal the Jesus we know and follow carefully. When talking with nonbelievers start by saying that Jesus is a teacher and talk with them about Jesus teachings. Then as they begin to experience Jesus' power show them that Jesus is a great prophet like Moses and Elijah. And when they finally can accept the reality of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, then point out the this could only happen if Jesus is the Son of God.

So now we know Jesus' identity. And we know how to bring others to faith. We are disciples of Jesus Christ the Son of God. This is our identity. This is who we are.

Lord Jesus we thank you for taking us to the mountaintop this morning. We thank you for revealing your true identity to us through the scripture. We ask that you allow us to follow you as your disciples, to preach the good news, to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and bring others to faith in you, the Son of God. Amen.

Sermon – Psalm 30 – Exalting God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Psalm 30 – Exalting God

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

February 12, 2012

I am concluding today with my series of Epiphany sermons about God as portrayed in the Book of Psalms. All of creation is to praise our creator God. All Christians are to worship our powerful God with total loyalty and full obedience. We pray to our God who knows our names and hears us. We can trust that God is near us even when he seems to be missing. And by meditating on, listening to and studying the scripture we can learn to recognize God in the world. Today we will see that we are to exalt God because of all the blessings we have received. But first, let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Even though most people seem to live well ordered lives, problems are often just below the surface. I remember a few years ago sitting with a couple at a church dinner. At first they seemed like any other couple you might see in church. But I noticed that something seemed to be bothering them. They were tense, agitated. As I talked with them I learned that he was a carpenter, but had not found any work for over a year. She had just been laid off from a part time retail job when the store closed. They had lost their home several months before and put their belongings in self-storage. Last week all their stuff was auctioned away for nonpayment of rent. They were living in their car. They had nothing left. And they had a lot of questions for God.

As long as people have been walking on this earth we have asked difficult questions to God. We ask why a loved one is sick with cancer. We ask why our children have difficult times finding jobs. We ask why a drought has parched our fields. We ask why some students are so difficult to teach. Sometime when our troubles are really severe we ask God why we were even born.

Problems hiding just below the surface of our society have suddenly appeared to the Roman Catholic Church. They believe that for the church to provide contraception products and abortion and sterilization services would be morally wrong. I agree. But this is precisely what the United States Government is requiring the church to do as it provides health insurance to its employees. The church cannot morally purchase insurance that provides these things and if they refuse the government will fine them and buy the insurance themselves. I would like to read to you a letter sent to Roman Catholic churches by Thomas Olmeted, Bishop of Phoenix. 

http://www.diocesephoenix.org/uploads/docs/RELIGOUS-LIBERTY-INSURANCE-LETTER-012512.pdf

I think we should stand with the bishop and the Roman Catholic church and pray for wisdom. We also need to pray that our God given right to religious liberty will never be threaten by a tyrannical government.

Usually we get by without our problems rising to the surface. Our daily lives usually fit together well enough that the big issues don't come up often. And when problems do arise we can cope with them, at least if they are not too bad. But when big problems arise we question God, asking why. Usually these hard problems are just under the surface. We don't face them directly, but we know they are there. This leads us to lead lives filled with nagging doubts and diminished joy.

The author of Psalm 30 knew all of this. She knew that these questions lurked just below the surface of our carefully controlled lives. And she knew that when foes threaten the peace of ordinary life or when ills threaten our health and prosperity these questions surface. The psalmist remembered a time of good health and prosperity. She thought that it would last forever and nothing would ever touch her. She probably lived in a beautiful home and all of her children were healthy and did well in school. Maybe her husband just bought a new combine. Maybe the principal just gave her a raise. She felt as secure as a mountain, and confident that God would always preserve her lifestyle.

Then something happened: three years of drought left them heavily in debt. She lost her job because of government budget cuts. One of her children started using drugs, and her daughter got pregnant. On top of all of this she heard from her mortgage company that foreclosure was near and she had to move. Suddenly all the tough questions just under the surface appeared and just like Job she was tempted to curse God. But she didn't curse God. She prayed. Why God, did all these things happen to me? Didn't I praise you enough? What about you faithfulness? She called out to God for help.

And this is what we are to do. When misfortune befalls us and we find ourselves dealing with problems beyond our control we cry out to God asking for his love, reminding him of his faithfulness, petitioning for healing and restoration. We do these things because of our faith and because we know that with God our night of weeping will become a morning of joy. This is what the Psalmist experienced: a time of suffering and sorrow followed by period of bliss.

When we experience the joy of being delivered from illness and foes we are to exalt God, lift God up in praise and worship. This helps us to build up a reservoir of faith that will sustain us when troubles returns. That's why worship is so important. Every week we lift God up in praise and song and thanksgiving for all of our blessings. Through this our faith grows so that we are able to withstand problems when they do arise. This is all the work of the Holy Spirit who works through our prayers and singing and proclamation of scripture to grow our faith. And it is the Holy Spirit who comforts us and sustains us when those troubles do arise.

Sadly not everyone in our community or in our families comes to worship. Not everyone experiences the work of the Holy Spirit though the proclamation of the word of God and in our prayers and praises to build up their faith. These people live their lives with the difficult problems just below the surface and when trouble arises, as it will, they have no faith to sustain them. They need our help. They need our prayers. And this is why it is so important for us to pray for our families and neighbors and friends every day. That's why we pray for our community in worship as we share our joys and concerns. That's why we exalt God every week in worship, not just for ourselves but for a world that desperately needs our prayers.

The psalmist wrote a poem describing all this. Here it is, Psalm 30.

^NIV Psalm 30:1 A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David. I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. ² O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. ³ O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. ⁴ Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. ⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. ⁶ When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken." ⁷ O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. ⁸ To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: ⁹ "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? ¹⁰ Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help." ¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, ¹² that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Psalm 30 is a prayer of personal testimony and a call to community worship. It has been used over and over by the faithful to express their gratitude for the delivering power of God. We are told that this psalm was used after the returning exiles from Babylon had rebuilt their temple. They experienced their own suffering during their time of captivity and while rebuilding their city. And with the completion of the temple they used this psalm to lift up God for blessing them so richly.

In the second century before Christ, Psalm 30 was again used. The temple in Jerusalem had been desecrated with a altar to the king. But after a war for independence and freedom they were able to worship as they chose. So they removed the altar and cleansed the temple. They rejoiced, exalting God for all he had done.

And, of course, it wouldn't be very hard to imagine the leper in the first story you heard today singing this psalm after Jesus healed him.

So let's pray for all the people losing their homes to foreclosure. Let's pray for the churches facing difficult decisions about health insurance coverage. Let's pray for family members who are sick. Let's pray for peace in troubled parts of the world. And when we see God redeeming the lost turning their weeping into joy let's worship God will singing and praise.

Lord God, we have come before you in praise. We know that you have been with us as we have faced many problems. Today we exalt you, lift you up with praise and thanksgiving for all you have done for us. We especially praise you for sending your son to redeem us. Amen.

Lent and Holy Week Program for 2012

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek

Presbyterian Churches

Lent and Holy Week 2012

Sunday Worship – Wednesday Bible Study - Holy Week - Easter

Sunday Worship

9:30am at Beaver Dam

11am at Pitts Creek

February 26 – 1 Peter 3: 18-22

Jesus Suffered for our Sins

March 4 - Romans 4: 13-2

Jesus' Cross was Raised for our Justification

March 11 – 1 Corinthians 1: 18-21

Jesus was Crucified for our Salvation

March 18

Celebrating the Gifts of Women

March 25 – Hebrews 5: 5-10

Jesus was Made Perfect to give us Eternal Life

Holy Week

April 1 – Philippians 2: 5-11

Palm Sunday

Jesus humbled himself so we may call him Lord.

April 5 – 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26

Maundy Thursday 7pm

at Pitts Creek

The Wrath of the Lamb:

A Tenebrae service

Resurrection Sunday

April 8 - Easter

6:30am – Joint Service with Bethany and Salem Methodist churches on the Pocomoke river

9:30am – Beaver Dam

11am – Pitts Creek

Jesus was Raised on the Third Day to make us Witnesses. - Acts 10: 34-43

Wednesday Study

Living the Sermon on the Mount

7pm at Pitts Creek

February 22

The Prayer of Jesus

February 29

Investing in God's Reign

March 7

Forgoing Judgment for Forgiveness

March 14

Practicing Loyalty to God

March 21

How to Tell a True Ethic

The Reverend Jeffrey T. Howard, Pastor

Beaver Dam Presbyterian Church, 345 Makemie Road, Pocomoke MD

Pitts Creek Presbyterian Church, 210 Market Street, Pocomoke MD

Sermon – Psalm 147 - Blessed by God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Psalm 147 - Blessed by God

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

February 5, 2012

Since the Feast of Epiphany, on January 6, we have learned a lot about God. We are to praise God, the creator of the world. We are to worship God, who has all power in heaven and on earth. We are to pray to God, who knows each of us individually and listens to our prayers. We are to trust that this God is present in our world even if we sometimes lack the ability to see him. Today we will see what we can do to be able to perceive God's presence with us. But first let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Psalm 147 was written for the returning exiles coming home after their captivity in Babylon. When they arrived in Jerusalem they saw the ruins of their once great city that they had left decades before. And so when the priests assembled them together for worship and called out “Praise the LORD” they had to wonder what they were praising God for. Of course they knew that it was “good to sing praises to our God.” They remembered that praise is pleasant to do and certainly fitting for the LORD, their God. But it had to be difficult to praise God after all they had been through.

We experience this as well. We come to church each week and sing praises to God. But sometimes we wonder why we should praise him. Maybe our difficulty arises from a relationship problem. Maybe the problem is economic or health related. Maybe the problem effects you or a loved one. Whatever it is we sometimes experience problems and find it hard to praise God. Now think of what it must have been like for the returning exiles seeing their homes and businesses destroyed and their fields choked by weeds. Praising God had to be the furthest thing from their minds.

After a while, the exiles learned that God was there with them as they gathered the stones they needed to rebuild their homes and city. They also saw God as their friends and families began return from exile. As families were reconciled, God was seen in the mending of long broken hearts. At night God was seen in the countless stars of the sky. As the rebuilt city took form they marveled at the great power of God who could take a humble people, defeated in battle, living in exile and use them to do such marvelous things. So gradually they picked up their musical instruments and began singing praises to God.

That's what happens to us. When tragedy befalls us in any way we just keep going trusting that God is out there somewhere. We live our lives each day doing the normal things we do. And eventually we realize that God had been there all along to comfort us and guide us and give us strength. And when we realize that God is there we too are ready to begin praising God once again in thanksgiving for all the blessing we have received.

As days turned into weeks and months the people who had returned to rebuild Jerusalem became concerned about food. Their farms had been destroyed by the Babylonians. What would they do when they ran out of the food they had brought with them from exile? How would they survive the long winter? What would they eat without a harvest? They worried about their future, and this worry made it difficult for them to praise God.

Worrying about the future is possibly the biggest problem in America today, We worry about the economy. We worry about jobs. We worry about taxes and debt. We worry about our savings and pensions. Will we have enough to live on when we retire? Can I afford to live in this house if my spouse dies? What will happen if I become sick and can't work. For decades we have looked to government to provide us with a safety net. But with the government now burdened by high debt our anxiety grows. Politicians feed this anxiety to get elected. Radio and TV commentators feed this anxiety for ratings. And so our fears and worries about the future grow.

The exiles worried about their immediate future until they saw God in the clouds above and felt the gentle rain. They saw God in the grass growing on the hillsides. They saw God in the sheep, which had been left on their own, but now had plenty to eat. They saw God in their land flowing with milk and honey. And they realized that there was no need to worry about the future because God was there and God could be depended on. God's love is faithful. God will never default. God will never decline in value. You will never lose God.

With a God like this who brought the exiles home, healed their spirits, and fed them good food, what was there to fear? Having God with them should have been enough. But the people returning from exile had lots to be afraid of. Their city had no wall. They had no army for protection. They would be defenseless if anyone attacked. And so they were very afraid.

Of course we have our fears too. We fear crime in the streets. We fear mobs in our cities. We fear government regulation out of control. We have thought that our police and army would protect us. But now we are not so sure. We see evil each night on the news and we are afraid for our families.

The returning exiles knew that God was with them. They knew that God would protect them from all evil. So they held their God in great awe and reverence, remembering his unfailing love. They rested in the assurance that their God was a God of peace who would protect them and see that they had shelter, food and water. And they were blessed with God's commandments which guided them in being blessings for others and helped them live together in peace. The next winter they saw God in the snow, frost, hail and wind. And they saw God in the streams of melting snow and the cool breeze of spring. And they were comforted by God's presence knowing that whatever happens God would be with them.

The people who returned to a pile of rubble saw God because they had been immersed in God's word while in exile. By reading the scriptures of old they realized that their God was faithful. They knew of God's promises. They knew that God's love was unfailing. So when they arrived in Jerusalem they could see God all around, and knew how much they had been blessed. One of them wrote a poem and said this.

Psalm 147:1-20 ^NIV Psalm 147:1 Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! ² The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. ³ He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. ⁴ He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. ⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. ⁶ The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. ⁷ Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. ⁸ He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. ⁹ He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. ¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; ¹¹ the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. ¹² Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion, ¹³ for he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. ¹⁴ He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat. ¹⁵ He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. ¹⁶ He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. ¹⁷ He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? ¹⁸ He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow. ¹⁹ He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. ²⁰ He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the LORD.

Five hundred years later the people of God in Jerusalem were again fearful. They lived under an uneasy occupation and knew that the Roman Legions were powerful enough to destroy their city just as the Babylonians had once done to their ancestors. They worried about their futures. They were finding it hard to praise God. So God sent a teacher to help them understand their holy scriptures and learn more about their God. This teacher taught in synagogues, to small groups and to large crowds. He reawakened their faith and helped them to recognize God at work in their world. Though Jesus people began to see God once again in his healing and casting out demons. They began to trust God again. They began looking for God in the world. And they began to praise him.

They realized that in Jesus an epiphany had occurred. An epiphany is a sudden appearance of God. Though Jesus' healing and casting out demons the people realized that God had come. This led to a time of great rejoicing. Hugh crowds formed just to hear him speak. Their worries went away. Their fears abated. They saw God at work in the world, and realized that God was with them no matter what.

One of the great blessings that Jesus left behind for us is his Word. Through the Bible we hear the stories our faithful God. We learn his commands. We learn about Jesus and what he did and said. And through this we realize that God is always with us. We learn that God is faithful and his love will never go away. We learn that he gives us food to eat and healing for our bodies and spirits. So I urge you to hear this Bible proclaimed each Sunday, study it as much as you can, meditate on it every day and you too will see God in the world, and realize that he is always with you. And this will lead us to praising God.

The other great blessing that Jesus left behind was this table. At this table we remember that God is with us today. We see God in the breaking of the bread and the juice. As we eat we feel God's presence in us and working through us. We lift up our hearts to heaven to be in the presence of God as Jesus serves this meal to us. In sacrament and Word we are with God. This is our great blessing. So rejoice and praise God.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for bringing us around this table in the presence of God. Through this bread and juice help us to remember that God is always with us. Therefore we have nothing to fear. Praise be God. Amen.

Sermon – Psalm 111 – Seeing God in the World

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Psalm 111 – Seeing God in the World

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

January 29, 2012

We have been looking at the character of God through the lens of the Book of Psalms for the last few weeks. We have learned of our need to praise God the creator of the world. We have learned to worship pledging our total loyalty and full obedience our all-powerful God. Surprisingly, we learned that this all-powerful, creator God knows our names and we can express our feelings to him in prayer. And last week we learned that this God can be trusted no matter what happens. Today we will learn how to recognize this all-powerful, trustworthy, creator God who knows us in the world we live in. But first let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Psalm 111:1 Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. ² Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. ³ Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. ⁴ He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. ⁵ He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. ⁶ He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. ⁷ The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. ⁸ They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness. ⁹ He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever-- holy and awesome is his name. ¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

In the sixth century before Christ the people of God were in exile. Last Fall we studied the Book of Daniel and saw how the Babylonians tried to turn the Hebrew children into good Babylonians who worshiped the Babylonian gods. We also saw how Daniel and his companions resisted this effort. In Psalm 111 we have literature from this period that was probably used to train Hebrew children in their culture and religion while in exile. In this psalm each half verse, each line of the poem begins with a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and they are arranged alphabetically, literally from A to Z. This would have been used to teach young people how to read. The Psalm also taught them about the God of their ancestors, and gave them wisdom to revere this God and obey his commandments. The reason this Psalm was written, I think, was to ensure that the young Hebrew children living in exile would be able to see their God in the world around them.

Seeing God in the world is not something that everyone does. It is a skill that has to be taught. We teach children how to recognize God by sharing with them the stories of how we have seen God working in the world and the Bible stories where ancient people saw God in their world. These stories train children to see God in their own lives and this brings them to faith.

Sadly, not everyone learns to see God at work in the world. I've been thinking about the writer and political commentator, Christopher Hitchens, who died last month. Hitchens was an atheist because he was never able to see God in his world. Hitchens' world view was too narrow to see God. It was conditioned by his own habits of body and mind, and he was never able to see beyond his own small world into a much larger world where God is at work.

The ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, described this phenomenon in his book Republic. Plato makes up a story about a group of people chained to a cave wall at birth. They remain chained for their entire lives and the only thing they see are the shadows cast by the torches of the people who bring them food and water. These chained people perceive a world that is extremely narrow; it consists of flickering shadows on a wall. For them this is the world.

The exchange students who live with Grace and me have, as all children do, a narrow view of the world they live in. For them the world consists of home and school and drives from Pocomoke to Salisbury. I wanted them to see a larger world so I turned off the wireless internet and encouraged them to use the free wireless in the library across the street. I wanted them to see Pocomoke as a place where their could walk the sidewalks, talk with people and use the resources we have here. Given their limited English they were reluctant to leave the house and use places like the library.

We all need to be taught to see a larger world than our own minds perceive on their own. And this done by sharing stories. For us we need to share the stories of how God has been a part of our lives. This is a excellent role that grandparents can play. My grandmother was a very faithful woman. She prayed every day in the morning and evening and went to church every Sunday. She prayed for each of her grand children that they would see God in their worlds. And she shared her stories about God. When she a teenager her mother died, but her mother's and grandmother's faith sustained her as her father raised three children and worked in a coal mine in the next town. When her father died she moved to a mining town where her brother managed the company store, and she got involved with the Presbyterian church, the only protestant church in town. Her faith sustained her through this period, and a picture with the Lord's prayer and Ten Commandments hung over her bed. If you would like to see my grandmother's picture it is now hanging in the church office in the Dickinson Memorial Manse. My grandmother's stories about God in her life have stayed with me ever since. I wish everyone could be blessed with a faithful grandmother.

Pitts Creek church is certainly blessed. A grandmother of the church, Linda Holland, teaches Sunday School. She shares stories of God in her life with some of her grandchildren and other children in the church. She also shares stories from the Bible of how ancient people saw God in their worlds. Through her these children experience an expanding world beyond their own limited experiences, a world where God can clearly be seen.

The tragedy of the American church today is that generations worship separately. This has been going on now for three decades. Seniors are in one church singing hymns and saying Psalms responsively. Middle aged people are singing songs that remind then of the 60s. And young people are gathered in the auditorium of Pocomoke High School listing to Christian rock concerts every Sunday. I know that different generations enjoy different music and worship styles, but the tragedy is that it is now difficult for children to hear stories from seniors who have experienced God in their lives. These children will now grow up with a much narrower view of the world.

Last week I had a conversation with a senior member of Beaver Dam. Franklin told me a story of God at work. He was at a Presbytery meeting with Dick Hughes and an elder from the town church. The three of them were talking about how to form a committee that would organize activities at the country church. God gave them an idea. Why not make Beaver Dam a church with a session that would plan activities. The three agreed and proposed that to the Presbytery. God spoke through the Presbytery that day and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Church was formed.

And this brings us to the gospel lesson that you heard read earlier. You remember the story. Jesus was in a synagogue and saw a person with an evil spirit. Jesus cast out the spirit and told it to be quiet when it tried to reveal Jesus' true identity. In our world we have difficulty seeing evil spirits. We have been conditioned by science and our culture not to look for spirits. We have been trained to believe that natural events must have natural causes. So we don't see spirits at work in the world around us.

This limiting of our world by the exclusion of spiritual beings from our perception is a phenomenon in North America and Europe. But in Asia, South America, and Africa, people are not so conditioned to not see spirits in the world around them. For them evil spirits are a reality that must be dealt with. Their world is large enough not only to see spirits, but also to recognize the need to have Jesus deal with them. And their churches are packed with people praying that Jesus will deal with the evil spirits that plague them.

Since we are conditioned not to see spirits in our world we have difficulty understanding what is happening in these churches. I think that the problem is ours. We have a too narrow view of our world. We don't see spirits. We don't see God at work. We are chained to the cave of science and a modern world view. That's why it is so important for us to come to church and hear the stories of the faithful people in the Bible and the stories of the faithful seniors in the church who have spent lifetimes with God in their lives. Though this our world expands, we see the spiritual world around us, and we see God at work.

Lord, God Almighty, we ask that you expand our view of the world around us. Enable us to see the spiritual world. Enable us to see you so that we may approach you in reverence and obey your commands. This we pray in your son's name, Jesus Christ. Amen.