Post June 26 Sermon Reflections

This past Tuesday, I joined several church members in helping to serve a meal at Foundation Dinners, a local outreach providing meals for those in need.  As I was standing in the kitchen, a church member said, "Did you see the scripture painted on the dining room wall?  That's one of the scriptures you talked about on Sunday"

This scripture was from Psalm 121 - "I lift up my eyes to the hills - from where will my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."  This is considered a Psalm of Ascent which was the focus of the sermon last Sunday (June 26.)  These words would have been sung by Israelites as they looked up and saw the city of Jerusalem and the Temple off in the distance.

Imagine, the joy and renewed faith the people must have felt after traveling many miles and finally seeing their destination just ahead.  Even after all of these years, I get that similar sense of joy as I near the exit which will take me to my home town.  Traveling in a car for six hours is very different from riding on donkey for a couple of days three times a year to make it to your destination!

For the Jewish people, the Temple in Jerusalem was literally where heaven and earth met.  It was where the Lord resided.  No wonder they sang out, "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."  Even though the Temple was destroyed during the 1st century, Jesus showed us that he was the living Temple, the place where heaven and earth meet.  And because Jesus continues to be present with us through the power of the Holy Spirit, we continue to encounter those moments and places where heaven and earth converge, like in a place that serves meals for the homeless.

I'm thankful that this church member remembered the sermon and the scripture reading from last Sunday to be able to notice it on the wall of that dining area.  It's a very appropriate verse for a place that provides warm and abundant meals for those in need on a daily basis.  The psalms of ascent (Psalms 120 - 134) continue to provide hope and joy as we travel to places where heaven and earth meet.

What are those places and moments that lead you to say, "My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth?"  When do you experience God's presence and see signs of God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (The Lord's Prayer)?
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