“Bridging the Distance”
Sermon Topic: Being in relationship with God
Psalm 84
Airport terminals are entertaining venues to hang out if you cannot afford the movies! The most interesting storylines involve watching people arriving or leaving. The couple huddled – more like a locked embrace – as she struggles to let him go through security. My recent trip to British Columbia found me in Kelowna’s terminal waiting for Glenys to arrive. I was watching a family reunion where two young parents were meeting up with the son’s parents to present to them their grandchild that they were seeing for the first time!
The emotions of greetings and farewells speak to the challenge of distance relationships. It takes a lot of work to keep the connections open and the fire burning when people are so far away.
If there is one thing God wants of us very desperately in these days that one thing is RELATIONSHIP. I sincerely believe God wants to renew our relationship with him and is looking to bridge the distance between us. For some, the first step of bridging the distance is having a relationship with God to begin with. We live in a time when thousands of people are religious but are not in relationship with God. (Batman foe, Two Face, is characteristic of their lives where one reality exists on Sunday and quite another Monday to Saturday). They may go to church and sing the songs but they are not in relationship. They may be involved in all kinds of good deeds for people in their community but they are not in relationship. Some of them go to youth group, Bible camp, music camp, sponsor children or go on mission’s trips but are not in relationship. They pay their bills, don’t cheat on their taxes and provide for their families but they are not in relationship. They care about their neighbors and pitch in where they can to help in any way possible but they are not in relationship. They live morally and live life fully, embracing a value system that would make us proud to be called their friend but they are not in relationship. While all these realities are note-worthy and commendable practices, these cannot replace, repair or rectify a life that is not in relationship with God.
Even for some Christians God is a distant deity and knowing him carries its restrictions. He must be feared, not enjoyed. For others God is a sidebar of their schedule in Easter or Christmas, during Mass or other similar religious highlights.
The Christian gospel declares that God is with us (Isaiah 7:14) and desires relationship – one-on-one, personal interaction! In the book of Revelation in the Bible – a book of prophecy – God promises that we will be his children when he opens heaven for those who have believed on Jesus Christ as their Saviour and God. He says to us in Revelation 21:7 “All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
You are in a faith stage in your relationship with God. Did you know that? I have borrowed the words of a commentator who provides wonderful descriptions of all three stages of faith found in Psalm 84. These are the mystic rapture, the pilgrim quest and the lonely vigil.
1. The Mystic Rapture
Last October the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan Buddhist monk, visited Canada. He started his tour in Ottawa to a crowd of 5,000 people and Parliament gave him an honorary Canadian citizenship. Wherever he has travelled, thousands have congregated to hear his words. What people want is a key to purposeful life. They want answers to where they are. They want to grasp something higher and bigger than themselves. They reach for a deeper connection beyond the boring routine of where they live and what they do. They cannot escape that nagging question, “is there something more?” The question points out the void in the human spirit that only finds an answer when God is present.
The Psalm writer shows us how God fills that void. Psalm 84 is a hymn sung by a choir called the Sons of Korah. They begin their hymn of praise with the words of verses 1-2…
These verses describe the first stage of faith-relationship. The person in this stage of faith has a relationship to God that may be formal, even professional in a sense but their faith connects them to God just the same. They experience God through public worship that is positive and fulfilling. The activity of worship engages them and is regular and frequent. It guides and governs much of the planning and activity of a person’s life.
This hymn’s theme centers on one truth – communion (RELATIONSHIP) with God. While the Psalm writer draws attention to the breath-taking architecture and magnificent craftsmen-ship of the Tabernacle of God (v.1) he quickly reminded himself as much as he is informing us in verse 2 that the edifice is not the important thing. RELATIONSHIP with God is the important thing. One writer refers to the Psalm writer’s desire as “longing for the experience of God with the acuteness of famishing hunger.” Another writer suggests, “It is not enough to be in the courts of God but to actually experience God.”
We need times of an experience of Mystic Rapture.
2. The Pilgrim Quest
Vs 5-7…
The second stage of faith is reflected in these verses. Whether relationship with God is intense or dry it is still alive none-the-less and important in their daily work and activity. The problem is that the tough stuff and life-load crowds out the presence and knowledge of God’s work. Distractions lead us to miss the miracles of God. His presence becomes dull and life muddies the mystery of God. Then the spirit of a person is awakened and we know we need to get in touch with God again.
A couple of the most memorable experiences of Newfoundland ministry for me were Men’s Camp and Congress. What an experience to meet in forums of hundreds of people for Men’s Camp and thousands at Congress! Salvation Army folk make plans all year to attend such events. They take time off work without pay, to be there! You don’t miss Men’s Camp in Newfoundland guys! It’s the place to be when that weekend rolls around. It is such experiences that give the people driving energy all year as they look forward to “the next time”. Their hearts are set on pilgrimage.
This is not unlike what is happening in these verses of Psalm 84. For these a trip to the temple is not a weekly feature. It is an occasional reality, a seasonal opportunity that comes their way from year to year. It is a cherished privilege to stand aside from intense labor and be revived by their pilgrimage to Jerusalem to gather in the temple of God and to be touched by the ministry of his Holy presence. It is a type of pre-heaven warm-up, a reminder of eternal days to come when all of existence is resting, worshipping, feasting, playing and enjoying the fellowship of God’s family!
Life throws unbelievable pressure at us. We can only effectively counter pressures and demands with the experience of God. He is the counterbalance, the stabilizer, and the equalizer! Take a spiritual sabbatical from time to time, “come aside and rest awhile” Jesus charged his followers (not a command to ‘go’ aside – “come” – time spent with him). We need to take time to bridge the distance that is ever-increasing as a result of life’s pressures.
Verse 6 offers us a marvelous message! The valley of Baca has periods of being a very dry and desert place. The people passing through however find the means and resources where they “make it a place of springs.”
The Baca of our lives are those arid and desert experiences that would seem to strip us of hope and purpose and lead us into depression and despair. Yet, if we embrace that experience with the confidence that good can come out of this pain and darkness, the actual experience results in the Baca becoming a deep blessing. The dry becomes succulent; the sour becomes sweet; the grief, joy; the pain, peace. Rather than hope for the mountain we learn to find sustenance in the valley so that we realise we do not need to climb higher. We must dig deeper.
Going from “strength to strength” (v7) is finding renewal in the processes of spending time with God and his people. Coming closer to the temple worship, the people are renewed in the journey.
Dear friends, the fellowship of the church is our oasis from the oven of labor and stressful living. It is the experience of seclusion from secular pressure and pain. It is that moment of closing the door to the world and opening the door of Eden to enter the presence of the Almighty! It is to bathe in the oils of gladness with only the light of his presence to soothe our weary bodies and souls. Much of that experience of relief, revival and renewal is in partnership with other people of God. We should not allow pressure and pain to lead us to avoid the church but embrace it. It is not a time to cut ourselves off but to pour ourselves out, that we may find healing, help and hope in our valleys of hurt and despair.
3. The Lonely Vigil
Verse 10…
A friend of mine, because of choices and circumstances in his life, removed himself from the fellowship of the church. An opportunity to speak with him recently led him to say something that has been playing in my mind like a CD track that’s been set on repeat. It’s a true song but a heart-breaking song. He said, “There’s nothing like the fellowship of the church. We don’t realise how much of a blessing it is until we can’t have it.” He went on to tell us how he misses that fellowship so deeply and that in all his life experience, there is nothing like it. He would tell you that you can’t find that experience anywhere in the world.
Our friend finds himself in this final stage of faith found in verse 10. It gives us a view of those who are somewhat remote in their experience of God or have a changed reality of God. While these are not consumed with thoughts of faith work nor regularly committed to faith activity, they still have some notion of something greater and higher than their current life experience and reality. They see their own existing reality and wish their situation could be closer than where they find themselves. They want to be more in tune or alive to faith and purpose in living.
Some may not fully understand what they are feeling or experiencing but they search for answers to the inner longing that is tugging at their hearts. If you are in that reality, you have come to the place where you can find the answer!
We all find ourselves in this church for different reasons today. As we each ask ourselves why we showed up this morning, it will help us determine which faith stage we are in – verses 1-2, 5-7, or 10. You can be sure that there is one underlying reason you are here – God’s Spirit is drawing you to him. Furthermore, no matter which stage you are in, you can find God there!
The tugging of “something” is really “Someone”!
It is not inconceivable friends that we may actually find ourselves moving from one stage to another, influenced by circumstances and realities. Are there not times when you feel close to God while at others you feel somewhat removed but still connected? The underlying important message is to stay connected; to always move toward getting closer and walking higher.
Wrap
- What relationship-stage are you in?
* ”The mystic rapture”? CELEBRATE!
* “The pilgrim quest”? SEARCH!
* “The lonely vigil”? REACH!
