Ps 148

30 December 2007

1st Sunday after Christmas / 6th Day of Christmas

“A Cosmic Hymn of Praise”

            I want to begin with some comments that are largely taken from one of my blog posts.[1]

            As I said earlier this month, I've started reading Jürgen Moltmann’s autobiography, A Broad Place.[2]  “In chapter 7, he speaks of his awakening interest in theology for the medical profession.  Moltmann talks about meeting with people who are specialists in various scientific fields—and of the great interest and energy generated by those encounters.  Here’s a sentence which really got my attention:

“‘But there are still very few scientists who expect to profit scientifically from theology, and unfortunately hardly any theologians who read scientific books in order to discover the traces of God in “the book of nature” too’ (p. 90).  I’m not terribly surprised about the first half of that sentence.  It’s the second half that troubles me.

“I realize that there are all kinds of attempts to merge science and faith that do justice to neither.  Pseudo-science and fuzzy faith appear in many corners:  from the new agey ‘What the Bleep Do We Know?’ [a movie sponsored by J. Z. Knight, who says she channels Ramtha, a warrior who lived 35,000 years ago] to the [‘intelligent design’ theory, promoted by those who endorse so-called creation science].

“Maybe it’s just Moltmann's perspective (I would hope so), but why aren’t there more theologians, Christian thinkers, and rank-and-file church members who are interested in science?  Can’t we get beyond the politics involved and admit that a genuine search for truth is a good and noble (and even sacred) thing?

“Tomorrow [and this was two weeks ago during the Sanctuary of Hope service], I’ll discuss with our congregation Matthew 11:2-11, where John the Baptist from his prison cell expresses doubts as to whether or not Jesus is actually the Messiah.  In response, Jesus doesn’t scold John.  He honors him as ‘a prophet’ and ‘more than a prophet.’

“It appears, in my humble opinion, that Jesus acknowledges that John’s doubt comes from a place of integrity.  John genuinely wants to know.  He doubts in good faith!  If we can get hold of that, there’s no reason to fear the good faith searches of people who seem very different from us.”

A better understanding of science, as well as other fields of knowledge, is a good thing!  (I don’t think I should have to say that, but maybe I need to.)  It expands our minds; it broadens our horizons.  And here’s something else:  it helps us to better praise the Lord!  I hope you were paying attention when we read Psalm 148.  That psalm is a cosmic hymn of praise.  Everything—literally everything—in the psalmist’s understanding of the universe is called to praise.

The pen of Charles Wesley, the hymn-writing younger brother of John Wesley, provides an unexpected link with the Christmas season.  It’s been noted that the Christmas carol, “‘Hark the herald angels sing’ was originally written by Charles Wesley to read ‘Hark how all the welkin rings’… [Yes, I did have to look this up!]  The entire ‘welkin,’ the entire sky and heavens, ring with the chorus of praise that embraces all creatures in their joy that the Creator has entered into creaturehood with them, for the salvation of all.”[3]

There are some scientists who are beginning to take notice of this kind of stuff, though they wouldn’t use the poetic phrases of a Christmas carol.  In his book, Cosmic Jackpot, Paul Davies deals with one of the biggest questions of all:  why is our universe able to support life—why is it friendly to life?  It’s a good question.  There’s no guarantee that, after the big bang, the universe would expand in a way that would allow stars to form, with planets circling around them.  (He explains it much better than I do!)

When he discusses the future of the universe, Davies says, “Many scientists have speculated that, as the timeline stretches toward infinity, so an emerging distributed super-intelligence will become more and more godlike, so that in the final stage the supermind will merge with the universe:  mind and cosmos will be one.”[4]

For me, anyway, scientific ideas like that cast Christian ideas, like the second advent of Christ, and Christ as Alpha and Omega, in a whole new light.  They provide deeper insights into psalms like the one we have today.

Psalm 148 is a comprehensive psalm.  It encompasses everything.  It begins with what is the most distant (“the heavens,” “the heights”), and gradually moves closer to home—to what is more familiar.  We eventually get to earth, where the forces of nature are called upon to praise the Lord.  Moving a little closer, the mountains and trees—and both wild and domesticated animals—hear the summons to praise.

Finally, we get to the human race.  The high and the mighty, as well as the low and the humble are addressed.  Last of all, in verse 14, the “faithful,” “the people of Israel” hear the call:  “Praise the Lord!”

Something that got my attention as I was thinking about the psalm this past week is verse 7:  “Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps.”  There’s a real sense of dread at what lies down below the surface of the sea.  In his translation, Gary Chamberlain uses the rather colorful phrase, “Ocean deeps and dragons.”[5]  This taps into the visceral fear of what dwells in the depths.

If we can call upon the heights, that which we glory in, to praise, then we also must turn our attention to the depths, that which we fear and loathe.  That which dwells in the shadows—the darkness that we avoid—is called to come into the light to join in the work and privilege of praising God.

A few moments ago, I said that Psalm 148 is a comprehensive psalm.  Well, if that’s true, then praise would also seem to be comprehensive.  It touches everything in life:  the high, the low, the near, the far, the alien, and the intimate.  So, and here’s a question I’ve asked before, what does that mean for us?

The church year began at the beginning of this month, but now we’re poised at the cusp of the new calendar year.  Also, in case you didn’t already know—and somehow failed to notice the bulletin cover—we’re right in the middle of the Christmas season!  Today is the sixth day of Christmas.

In the current issue of the Christian Century, John Buchanan notes, “Though the liturgical calendar reminds us that it is Christmastide, a lovely 12-day season extending to Epiphany in January, you cannot live in this culture without experiencing how the air is let out of the holiday balloon on December 26.  The Magi may not arrive in Bethlehem until January 6, but the culture abruptly drops the whole matter practically before Christmas Day is over.”[6]

I notice how the machinery of the Christmas industry grinds to a screeching halt.  People have gone about the business of buying all kinds of stuff, and much of the time, it’s done in a quite joyless manner—despite what the lyrics of the songs incessantly piped through speakers proclaim.  And people also await their credit card bills, letting them know that they’re even deeper in debt.  When the 25th arrives, there’s almost a sigh as if, “Well, I’m glad that’s finally over!”

Remember Banu’s comment last Sunday about being in the store and hearing one person say to the other, “At least we only have to do this once a year!”

People get worn down during this season because it’s not about celebrating the birth of the Lord.  I’ve noticed that when I point this out, I sometimes get painted as the Grinch.  But at least the Grinch repents.  He figures out that the god of Christmas isn’t consumerism.  If you think I’m suggesting that idolatry is at work here, you would be correct!  It’s especially evident at this time of year.

One of the great themes of the Reformed tradition, which we find in our Book of Order, is the “recognition of the human tendency to idolatry and tyranny [that’s what I’m talking about, but there’s more], which calls the people of God to work for the transformation of society by seeking justice and living in obedience to the Word of God” (G-2.0500a(4)).

Idols take life; they don’t give it.  A good case study is what I’ve been talking about—how, with so many people, they feel Christmas sucking the life out of them.  It certainly sucks the life out of their bank accounts!  It’s truly a case study in idolatry.

Notice something in verse 14.  The psalmist declares that the Lord “has raised up a horn for his people.”  He’s not talking about a musical instrument!  He’s also not talking about something you’d find on a ram’s head—at least, not literally.  In the Old Testament, a horn is often used to symbolize strength; it’s a picture of power.

So what our poet is saying is that God strengthens the faithful.  Contrary to idols, which can only take but cannot give back, God gives life; God gives vitality.  Still, keeping in mind our quote from the Book of Order, we need to recognize our “human tendency to idolatry.”  It never leaves us.  It’s not for nothing that the First Letter of John ends with these words:  “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (5:21).  We have to guard against giving ourselves to them every day of our lives.

I said earlier, going along with our psalm, that praise is comprehensive.  That means it covers everything!  It also means that praise is empty if it isn’t joined with actions.  Worship is meaningless if it isn’t joined with—to return to our Book of Order quote—“seeking justice and living in obedience to the Word of God.”

That happens in both big and small ways.  In our life together, it begins with little acts of generosity.  Many of us are familiar with Paul’s words at the beginning of Romans 12:  “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect” (vv. 1-2).

What would that look like?  Are we as familiar with what the apostle says later in the chapter?  In verse 10, he says to “love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.”  Can you envision such a thing?  This isn’t outdoing one another in just getting by.  It’s not outdoing one another in taking and not giving back.  It’s outdoing one another in kindness—in putting yourself in the other person’s place.

I don’t want to give you a list of items in how to do that.  I don’t need to.  Use your imagination.  Here’s where that mind-expanding, horizon-broadening stuff I mentioned at the beginning comes into play!

Are we willing to take on the apostle’s challenge?  Are we willing to expand our idea of praise the way the psalmist does?  If so, we’ll recognize the idolatry and tyranny within ourselves, and we will seek to be transformed.  We will seek the transformation of our society.  God has done it before, and God will do it again.  The question is:  do we want to be part of that?

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