Let's Go Home

Yesterday, I got to go home to see my dad and my stepmom. As I drove through my hometown, I was telling my kids of the memories I had at certain places and relenting on how much things have changed. Then came the questions like, “What kind of music did you listen to as a kid, mom?” “What was your favorite movie?” As I tried to tell about things like basic cable and antennas, radios, cassette tapes, and the amazing invention of the VCR, I began to realize just how old I really am. But I also am amazed by the advancement of technology to have a satellite based radio in my car so that I could tune to a station that plays some of those old songs that I grew up listening to.

I was reading an article recently that said that for many people it is healthy to lesson to music from your childhood, or watch a favorite movie from when you were younger. Some may not have had the best childhoods or some may have bad memories from an earlier part of their life. However, most people can recall a musical group or band that meant a lot to them even in the worst of times.

Maybe there is a special song that calls to mind a special moment in your life or a fun memory. Have you ever been listening to the radio and suddenly they play a song that you haven’t heard in a very long time and it seems to unlock a feeling or mood? Maybe it is a place, like your hometown or a certain restaurant or hangout spot?

Pray and Read Psalm 122-123

Psalm 122 (NRSV)

A Song of Ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.” For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

Psalm 123

A Song of Ascents. To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he has mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.

What a wonderful sight to see your homeland after being gone for so long. The thing about Jerusalem was that it was absolutely devastated after the defeat of many battles. Yet, the land still held importance to them. Regardless of what it looked like, it was their heritage and their faith that made them glad. With their joy in faith, they were able to erase the negative memories and emotions and rejoice once again. After so much pain and destruction, they were able to go home.

So now, they prayed for peace. Maybe it wasn’t just peace for their land, but peace for their people. It is easier to look back and see the good times as opposed to the bad times. Have you noticed, or at least I have, that the past really wasn’t as bad as present times. Or, at least we like to think so. So many hold on to the old way of doing things that they forget to look ahead into the future. Things worked a certain way in the past, people had certain expectations, and in all things just seemed better and safer. So there is a fear with doing things different. What if we recognized that somethings did not work well? What if we remembered how the Kings of old worshipped idols instead of God? What about those totem poles and broken columns?

During the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, they had to face some hard realities. There was nothing left to continue in the same old way. They had to rebuild and this time, they had nothing but God and then each other. God gave them blessings of wisdom, endurance, faith, peace, and hope. If we have hope and peace then it is easier to think that things just can’t get any worse, and that they can only get better.

In the next psalm, we actually read the words to a prayer to God for the first time in a psalm of ascent. But first before the prayer, the psalmist bows down in humility. They recognize themselves as a servant to God. However, even as a servant they ask for peace and mercy with hope that God will forgive them and restore them. They know that they cannot rebuild their way of life or their land without the blessing of God.

I am grateful for God’s providence for His people. God forgives and give mercy and grace without holding back. Even those the Israeli’s would never be completely free from oppression and war, you can see that God never left them. Now we know that whatever we face, God will be with us. When we come together like the Jews did after the exile, then we too experience providence to do God’s will. I am not talking about wealth or worldly success. I am speaking about passion, gifting, and resources to do ministry as we are called to do ministry.

I am so grateful that I don’t have to do this alone. I have all of you! You have God, me and each other as well to join together and help others or show love in whatever ways we need to. Even though it was destroyed, the Jewish people should gratitude for the temple of God where there is safety and security. There, in Jerusalem, are like minded people. People who care for you and plead the same for you. This is exactly what the church should feel like for each one of us.

Here with one another we can share ideas, listen to one another, teach one another, and learn together. We share of concerns, our bad news and our good news. We celebrate with each other, and we mourn the loss of one another. We encourage each other to be the best disciple of Christ we can be and work alongside one another in showing God’s love to those who are in need.

Do you rejoice when the time comes to be with your church family. I am not asking if you jump up and down and that it is the only thing you do that is good. I just hope that being here brings you joy and that you share that joy with others here. This is how we will build this church. We will always pray first. We pray with and for one another. Then we come together to give and receive encouragement. We come together to grow in our wisdom of God and who He created us to be. We plan and envision what we need to do to share God’s love with one another and our community. And we pray, again and always to God for His will, His peace, and His provisions for ourselves and others.

In the Name of God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen