Sermon – Psalm 122 Deep Well-being, Shalom

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Psalm 122 Deep Well-being, Shalom
First Presbyterian  Church of Ocean City
November 27, 2016

Today is the first Sunday of Advent.  The word “advent” comes from a Latin word “adventus” which means “coming”.  We usually remember the coming of Christ at Advent.  Christ came as a baby named Jesus two thousand years ago.  Christ will come again in the resurrection.  And Christ comes into the hearts of all who believe.  But today we will look at coming in a different sense.  We will look at a song the people of God used to sing on their way to Jerusalem and the House of God, the Temple.  And will we ask if people can sing this same song today as they come to church.  We will get to this, 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 122  A song of ascents. Of  David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

You can hear the great sense of anticipation in the voice of the psalmist.  She is so excited to be going to Jerusalem to worship in the temple.  It is almost like she is a kid anticipating Christmas morning and all the presents.  She just can't wait for the big event.  And she is almost there.  And then it happens:

2 Our feet are standing
    in your gates, Jerusalem.

And so the big day has arrived.  It's like Christmas morning.  The tree is trimmed.  Santa has left presents.  The family is all together.  You can hear the great joy in her voice.  So why is the psalmist so happy?  What is it about Jerusalem that brings such joy?  Let's get back to the psalmist.

3 Jerusalem is built like a city
    that is closely compacted together.

When the psalmist says that the city is “closely compacted” she is not talking about architecture or urban planning.  Rather, she is talking about the people in Jerusalem.  The people of Jerusalem are living in peace and unity.  They form a harmonious, loving community.  And the psalmist by coming to the House of the Lord experiences this love from everyone.

What would happen if the church was like this?  Suppose a visitor came to church and found a loving, harmonious community.  What if a church was a place of peace and unity?  I think any visitor who found a church like that would feel really blessed.  Coming into a church community where people care for each other and love each other would be a source of great joy.  That visitor would come again and again and would become a faithful member.  Let's get back to the psalmist.

4 That is where the tribes go up—
    the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
    according to the statute given to Israel.

Another source of great joy for a pilgrim coming to Jerusalem is that the people of God are praising God in worship.  The law of Moses required people to come to Jerusalem three times a year for the great festivals.  But the people of God come to the House of God not out of obligation to a law, but out of a strong desire to praise their creator God.

What if a visitor came to a church and found a community of people who love God so much that they joyfully come together for worship, Bible study and prayer?  What if the church is focused on praising God in the highest?  That visitor would quickly experience great joy in joining others praising their creator God, and would return again and again for that experience.

So far we have seen that pilgrims to Jerusalem experience great joy because the people of Jerusalem have formed a harmonious, loving community which is constantly praising God.  But there is even more joy to be found.  Let's go back to the psalmist.

5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
    the thrones of the house of David.

Now judgment doesn't seem like something that would bring great joy to a pilgrim.   We  usually try to avoid judgment.  Recently, President Elect Trump avoided judgment by agreeing to a settlement of 25 Million Dollars.   He clearly did not see any joy in judgment.  Also those who disobey the law here in Ocean City are taken before Judge Mumford who puts them on probation or sends them to prison.  Criminals do not see any joy in judgment.

  But the psalmist sees great joy in coming to a place of judgment, because this judgment applies God's law.  In the Bible judgment is not used solely to reward good and punish evil.  Rather judgment is the vigorous application of God's law for the benefit of those living on the margins.  In God's law the needs of the poor and needy, the widows and orphans, and the aliens in the land are met.  And so those living on margins experience great joy when they receive economic justice.

  What if someone living in poverty came to church and received a hot meal, some food to take home, and maybe some help paying rent and utility bills?  What if church was where the people on the margins receive what they needed and were given an opportunity to move forward? I think that people would experience God's love in that church and would develop a strong desire to worship with that church again and again.

  So the pilgrim coming to Jerusalem has experienced great joy because the people of Jerusalem are living harmoniously in a loving community.  They are engaged in prayer and worship of the creator God.  And they care for the poor and needy and widowed and orphaned and alien.  Finding a community like that is a source of great joy for a pilgrim coming to the House of the Lord.  Let's go back to the psalm.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    “May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
    and security within your citadels.”

The peace the psalmist is talking about is not just the absence of war.  Rather this peace is “shalom”, which means “completeness”, “soundness”, and “well-being”.    Whenever we pray for the well-being of another we are asking for shalom.   Whenever we are in harmony and concord with one another we are experiencing shalom.  When we pray for peace, economic prosperity, or physical safety we are praying for shalom.  When we desire spiritual well-being, righteousness and truth we desire shalom.  Shalom is a gift from God.  Israel's hope was in a Messiah who would bring shalom into a wicked world.  Christian hope is centered in the coming of Christ's shalom.  The church is now the repository of shalom for the world.

What if someone came to church and found here a deep reservoir of shalom?  What if someone came to this church and found people concerned for the well-being of each other and world we live in?  What if people came and found a church where people truly cared for each other's well-being?  I know if I came to a church like that I would want to come again and again.

The psalmist put it this way.

8 For the sake of my family and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.

The psalmist has prayed for shalom to be with us.  We do this each Sunday as we greet one another with the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  What if we really meant it when we say “peace be with you”?  What if we were really concerned with the well-being of each other the people in our community?  I think that if that would happen our pews would be full with people seeking God's shalom.

It was with great joy that the psalmist came to Jerusalem.  There she found people who formed a loving and harmonious community.  The need of the poor and needy, the widows and orphans, and the aliens in the land were all being met.  And the community was concerned with the well-being, the soundness, the completeness, the peace of everyone.  No wonder she experienced great joy.

So what if a visitor came to First Presbyterian church and found the same.  What if a visitor came to our church during this season of Advent and discovered a people who had built a loving harmonious community?  What if they found Christians with a strong desire to help people who are hungry and struggling to pay their bills.  What if they found people of God who truly desired that all people would find shalom, well-being, soundness, completeness, and peace in their lives?  If someone came to this church and found something like that they would rejoice, just as the psalmist did,  at receiving a blessing from God.

Psalm 122 – A Paraphrase
I was so happy when someone asked me to go to First Presbyterian Church.
I sang for joy all the way to 13th street.
The members of that church treat each other so well
And are so friendly with visitors.
They worship God on Sundays
And study God's word and pray
And they are concerned for the well-being of their neighbors
Helping those in need
God's peace can be felt there

Let's pray. Father in heaven, we ask for your Spirit to come upon us to form us into a loving community.  Fill our hearts with your love so that we may love those with physical and spiritual needs.  Help us to meet the needs of the people in the community around the church.  This we pray in your son's glorious name.  Amen.