Love that Will Not Let Go
Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37[1]
As we come to the time of year when we think
about our commitment to serving this church, it’s not just a matter of filling
out pledge cards and time and talent sheets. It also provides us an opportunity
to look at one aspect of that the Book of
Order calls being “involved responsibly” in the life of the church. That
is, to evaluate “the integrity of one’s membership” (G-1.0304). I think it does
us good to ask ourselves, “Why are we here?” For some it may seem self-evident
that we’re here because we’re “supposed” to be. But I’m afraid we are living in
a time when that answer doesn’t cut it for many people.
There was a time when the church was the focal
point of a community like this. You came to church because that’s just what you
did. That was the sum total of your social life. Beyond that, it was assumed
that a “good Christian” goes to church every Sunday, and to miss church called
into question your standing in the community. To skip church altogether on a
regular basis raised embarrassing questions about flaws in your character. But
those days are long gone, and those external pressures to participate in church
life no longer effect most people. We need a more important reason to make a
commitment to support the church with our tithes, our time, and our talents.
I think our Psalm for today addresses this
question. It is a Psalm about how God has consistently demonstrated that he is
“good” and “his steadfast love endures forever (Ps. 107:1). I’m not sure that
word “steadfast” is one that has much meaning in our culture these days. It
doesn’t seem to communicate much about the kind of love God has for us. Other
translations like “Covenant love,” or
“Faithful love,” or even “Loyal love” might help us. But I think the
point here is that God loves us with a love that will never let us go. It is a
love that remains faithful, no matter what.
More than that, this Psalm reminds us that
God’s love for us is such that he seeks us out when we’re lost. If you were to
look over the whole Psalm, you would find that there seem to be several “stanzas”
about how God seeks out those who are in distress. Whether they are lost in
desert wastes, confined in prisons of darkness and gloom, or at their wits’ end
due to the dangers they encountered, in each and every circumstance, the
Psalmist says “They cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them
from their distress” (Ps. 107:6, 13, 19, 28). No matter where we may find
ourselves in this life, God seeks us out in all the places of distress, shame,
and even danger into which we may have wandered or gone astray. This is also
what it means when the Psalm affirms that God loves us with a love that never
lets us go.
The promise is that, no matter where our lives
may have taken us, God not only seeks us out, but he restores us to life. The
Psalmist reminds us that God’s love is such that “He satisfies the thirsty, and
the hungry he fills with good things” (Ps. 107:9). God’s love means “he shatters the doors of
bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron” to set the prisoners free (Ps.
107:16). God in his love “turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land
into springs of water” (Ps. 107:35). God’s love is such that he “raises up the
needy out of distress” (Ps. 107:41). Our Psalm for today demonstrates that
there is no situation in which we may find ourselves that God’s love cannot
reach us and restore us!
I think if we’re casting about looking for a
reason to make the commitment to support this church with our tithes, our time,
and our talents, this probably stands at the top of the list. If we’re trying
to find the motivation to continue being “involved responsibly” in the life of
the church, I think we need look no further: God loves us with a love that will
not let us go. And this love is such that God seeks us out in all the dark and
deserted places we may find ourselves. And God’s love doesn’t leave us there,
but restores us to peace, joy, and a life that is full and free.
Some of you I’ve been participating in the
“Black & White Photo Challenge” on Facebook. On the way back from a meeting
in Omaha, I stopped at the Holy Family Shrine near Gretna. It’s a beautiful and
peaceful place. I particularly liked the water feature that is meant to remind
us of the Spirit’s constant presence in our lives. But I saw a sign that I found
interesting. Although they have a service at 10 am on Saturdays, the sign made
it clear that attending that service did not fulfill one’s “weekly obligation.”
It was a surprising reminder that there are still many people whose commitment
to their church is based on their belief that it is an obligation they must
fulfill.
I would not want to throw stones at another
person’s faith or how they practice it. But I would have to say that kind of
external motivation only goes so far. It seems to me that an authentic response
to God’s love has to come from within. We participate in the life of the church
because God’s love has found us, has claimed us, and has restored us to life
And so we are here, humbled by that love, making the attempt day by day and
week after week to express our thanks to God for this amazing gift. It seems to
me, in view of all that God has done for us, we can do no less than offer all
that we have and all that we are to the God who loves us with a love that will
not let us go
[1] ©2017
Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Alan Brehm on 11/5/2017 at Hickman
Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.
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