“Worship with Joy!”
Sermon Presented January 24, 2010
Nehemiah 8:1-12
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans flooding 80% of the city and claiming 1836 lives. Following weeks of flooding, the people were nearly hopeless as they searched for loved ones and tried to find medical care, sustenance, and a place to live. The French Quarter was gone. Universities, schools, hospitals, homes and businesses were destroyed. The stadium for the New Orleans Saints was used to house those displaced by the flood waters. The city lost its identity and its allure for tourists – its main source of income.
Today – almost 4 ½ years later – the New Orleans Saints are playing in New Orleans for the NFC championship. The success of this team is a reason for celebration and it helps bring the community together. If the Saints make it to the Super Bowl – especially if they win – the people will be able to momentarily forget the heartbreak they experienced in the summer of 2005. People need a reason to celebrate!
Like all communities that undergo crises like the earthquake in Haiti, a military invasion, or a cultural breakdown, the identity of the Israelites came unraveled when the Babylonians took them into captivity in the 6th century BCE. To rebuild their faith and their culture requires recovery of their pre-Babylonian worldview – that they are God’s people. Their recent history has undermined their faith. They have rebuilt Jerusalem, but are not living hopeful and productive lives. Into this situation come Nehemiah and Ezra. (Kathleen O’Connor, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol. 1, p. 267)
Nehemiah led the people from Babylonian captivity back to Israel, and his leadership was crucial to the transformation of the land. However, the Israelites need more! They need to be transformed spiritually, thus enters Ezra the priest. The people cry out to hear God’s word and Ezra reads the first five books of the Hebrew Scripture – called the Torah or Pentateuch to them from early morning until noon. Here is the story from Nehemiah 8:1-12.
The people of Israel are hungry to hear God’s Word. They don’t have personal Bibles for their daily devotions. The priest is the caretaker of the scrolls, and the people ask to hear them read! In fact, our text indicates that all of the people cry out to hear the Word. Wow! Men, women and teenagers beg to hear God’s law. No excuses like: “I’m too tired!” “It’s too hot!” Or “I have something more important to do today!” They all come to the Water Gate – early in the morning and stand there until mid-day listening to the Word of God being read and interpreted. And as they listen, they understand and are moved to tears!
As one who preaches each Sunday, let me tell you it would be thrilling to have a captivated (not captive) audience when I read the text and preach. But it would be even more thrilling to see the results from my preaching that these people exhibited. I’m not just talking about tears; I’m talking about the transformation that took place – the celebration and sharing. The hearing of the Word and the understanding of it brought conviction, joy and generosity. The hearts of the people were touched and changed.
Last week I watched the film Babette’s Feast – the 1987 Academy Award winner of Best Foreign Film. It’s a story set in 19th century Denmark among members of a conservative religious sect. The head of the sect died and his two beautiful and aging daughters lead the dwindling group of followers.
One evening in a driving storm, a woman from France named Babette arrives at the women’s home – having been exiled from France by the war. No one in that small community knows that Babette had been the chief chef of an elite Paris restaurant.
For the next 16 years, Babette works for the daughters without wages. Her only tie to Paris is a lottery ticket that is renewed annually for her. One day she receives a letter and a check for 10,000 francs saying she has won the lottery.
Instead of using the money to return to Paris to live, Babette offers to prepare a feast for the parishioners to celebrate the 100th birthday anniversary of the founder. The daughters agree and Babette goes to Paris to pick out the finest wines, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, live quail, and a huge sea turtle for turtle soup. The son of one of the members – a general – is home visiting and he too is invited – making a party of 12.
The feast is magnificent in its quality and presentation, but only the visiting general understands how magnificent! The religious followers are up-tight and quarrelsome and offer no praise for the meal. But as the evening wears on and the visiting general offers exuberant praise; the wine, food and elegant atmosphere begin to transform the quarreling and unappreciative congregation into people who can forgive and love – offer grace and receive it. They are filled with joy through the unselfish efforts of one woman who spent all of her lottery winnings to bring joy to a joyless people.
The anonymous author of Ecclesiastes wrote: “There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw is from the hand of God” (2:24.) Sometimes we religious folk fail to enjoy life as we should. Whether it’s from pre-conditioning from our upbringing – as those in the Danish cult – or from tragedy as is the case of the exiles, life without joy is desolate. Worship without joy can be sacrilegious.
Some people use the law to beat people up with. Others use it as a strait jacket for living their own lives. Jesus summarizes the law as the command to love God completely and to love people as we love ourselves. Jesus puts the law into right perspective.
Annie Dillard, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek wrote: “Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? … It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake some day and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return.” (Teaching a Stone to Talk, pp.40-41)
My guess is that the people who gathered at the Water Gate that day realized what kind of power was present. They stood for many hours to hear God’s word and its interpretation. They hungered for more. They lifted their hands, bowed their heads, listened attentively, verbally affirmed what they heard, and wept!
But Ezra wouldn’t let them remain in grief and mourning! He encouraged them to eat the meat and drink the wine. Those who had more than enough were to share with those who had none. On this holy day, they were to rejoice! Hearing plus understanding brought joy, and joy evoked celebration! The conflict within the community dissipated!
Will Willimon said: “At the heart of preaching is either a God who speaks and who speaks now… or preaching is silly!” (W. Carter Lester, Feasting on the Word Year C Vol. 1, p. 270) Worship should be a place where transformation takes place as we hear and then respond to God’s word.
Worship is a balancing act. Too much play can make us self-indulgent and self-centered, and a lack of enjoyment can make us dour like the sisters in Babette’s Feast who try to keep their father’s memory alive without joy (Valerie Bridgeman Davis, Feasting on the Word Year C Vol. 1, p. 271.) Sometimes our worship is heavy on praise and other times, it’s lament – as in Haiti today. However, it’s amazing to me that some people on the streets of Haiti are singing hymns – even without their basic needs being met.
In the end, our text is rich with multiple sensory experiences – hearing, bowing, raising hands, affirming, and eating. All of these activities led to a deeper relationship with God – the giver of the law. Let’s keep our minds and hearts open for whatever God may want to impart to us as we worship! Let’s expect God to meet us here and speak to us! We may not need a crash helmet, but we do need receptive minds and hearts!
01/24/2010
