First Presbyterian Church
Rev. Michael J. Imperiale
Rev. Michael J. ImperialeSalt Lake City, UtahMarch 5, 2006
March 5, 2006“In Distress? Call on the Lord”
Psalm 120
Introduction
More than 25 years ago I read an important book by fellow Presbyterian pastor Eugene Peterson entitled A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. In it he describes the Christian experience of being in this world, a world that is “no friend to grace.” A person who makes a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior does not find a crowd immediately forming to applaud the decision. Old friends do not spontaneously gather around to offer congratulations. Usually there is nothing overtly or directly hostile, but there can be looks of puzzled disappointment or agnostic indifference. “Hey, if that works for you, fine. But don’t come knocking on my door.”Even in the church, how often do we celebrate, I mean really celebrate, when someone accepts Christ and starts off on this new life of faith? Or do we even know when someone’s life is touched by the gospel?Clearly, we live in a world and in a human experience where things aren’t right. The environment is not whole. Societies, cultures, relationships are at odds in every political, religious, ethnic, and personal realm. But just what is wrong, out of balance, or just plain messed up, eludes us. The pressures of living in this world tend to erode faith rather than build it up, they dissipate hope rather than encourage it, and they corrupt love instead of nurturing it. But it’s hard to put our finger on what went wrong.During this season of Lent 2006, the lengthening of days as Spring arrives, we will look at Old Testament Psalms as they express the joys and frustrations of trying to live a life of faith in this fallen and broken world. The six Sundays leading up to Holy Week and Easter will bring messages of repentance and help, hope and patience, faith and joy. We begin with Psalm 120. This is the first of 15 psalms that were traditionally sung by those who journeyed up to the temple in Jerusalem for the annual feasts. Each psalm was a “step” up as the holy city was the highest city geographically in Palestine. These “psalms of ascent” were not only literal as people spent much of their time walking uphill to Jerusalem, but they were also metaphorical as a life of faith ascends toward God and as the Lord develops spiritual maturity in us. The apostle Paul described this as “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (se Philippians 3:14).Here’s our first step to the meaning of the cross and resurrection. Let the Lenten journey begin. Psalm 120:“I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.
Save me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.
What will he do to you, and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?
He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree.
Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!
Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.
I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war.”
I. A Distressing World (vs. 5 - 7)
Yes, we live in a world that can be distressing. “I am doomed to live in Meshech,” laments the psalmist. “I am cursed with a home in Kedar.” Meshech was a nation to the north of Israel and Kedar to the southeast. Both were known for being warlike and barbarian. Israel was surrounded by pagan peoples who were always pressuring God’s people to abandon their faith and hope.I am sure that there are aspects of your own world that you find at most distressing or at least unsatisfying. (Of course, our friends here from Solano Beach live in the perfect place and don’t have to deal with the struggles we have here in Salt Lake City).Our high pressure, instant gratification, frantic pace of life can be a huge impediment to living by faith. Our attention spans have been conditioned by 30-second commercials. Cold Case, Crossing Jordan, West Wing, and CSI all solve complex mysteries and problems in just one hour (including those life shaping commercials). A two-hour movie covers years in the lives of individuals, families, and communities. So it’s no wonder we think that the life of faith should be easy, fast, automatic, instantly acquired.Everyone is in a hurry. Eugene Peterson writes from his pastoral experience, “The persons whom I lead in worship, among whom I counsel, visit, pray, preach and teach, want shortcuts. They want me to help them fill out the form that will get them instant credit in eternity. They are impatient fro results… The Christian life cannot mature under such conditions.” The Lenten journey, this journey of faith starts in a distant land, far from the presence of God. And it requires A Long Obedience in the Same Direction if we will realize the blessings and benefits of our faith in Christ. You just can’t hurry God up.We also live at a particular time in American culture when Christianity is an easy and acceptable target for criticism, attack, and outright prejudice. With decisions and policies in government and public education, in the media and public forum, it seems to be open season on stamping out Christian influence. Last week, the Salt Lake Trib published one of my sermons at the request of the new religion editor. It will be interesting to read what various religious leaders have to say about their faith in this new column. Within two days, I received two vindictive, vitriolic yet rambling, confused letters signed, “Most Cordially, Julie _____ and RJ _____.” Here are just a few of the phrases they used reacting to what I thought was a helpful message of faith and hope.“We list three of your assertions which are pure B.S… how your strong beliefs about Jesus are totally in error… how Jesus successfully carried out his mission of dividing mankind… beliefs always are overcome by thinking people interested in the discovery of reality… believing is the most infantile use of the mind… there never was a reason to believe that religion has eternal life… Most Cordially!?! Julie and RJ” (Please keep these two very lost people in your prayers).We live in a distressed, distressing world. With pressures from within and without, add to these troubles dishonesty, violence, oppression along with loneliness, sickness, grief, disappointment, personal attack. No wonder we will join with other Palm Sunday people a few weeks from now crying out “Hosanna” – (God, help! Help now!).II. Call on the Lord (vs. 1-4)
“I call on the Lord in my distress,” sings the psalmist. “And he answers me.” “I am in trouble” is the first step of faith, the first step of the journey to God. “I cry to God, desperate for an answer.” It can be good to have doubts and uncertainties. Problems, struggles, distress can be ultimately helpful if they lead you to dependence on God. Whenever we face adversity of some kind, we also face options. We can worry. We can complain. We can try to manipulate the situation. Or we can pray. The psalmist’s distress worked well for him. It drove him to his knees. It caused him to depend on God. It caused him to call on the Lord.Four guys went mountain climbing one weekend. In the middle of the climb, one of them slipped, fell about 60 feet and landed with a thud on a ledge below. The other three frantically yelled, “Joe, are you OK?” “I’m alive… but I think I broke both my arms!” “We’ll toss a rope down to you and pull you up. Just lie still,” they said to him.A couple of minutes later, working feverishly to pull their wounded companion to safety, they suddenly remembered he said he had broken both of his arms. “Joe, if you broke both your arms, how in the world are you hanging on?” Joe responded, “With my TEEEEEEETH…”Sometimes we just have to hang on with our teeth or by our fingernails or any way possible until our friends or our Lord comes to the rescue. The Bible is filled with examples of people who called on the name of the Lord for help. Early in the book of Genesis is says, “At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26). A recent sermon centered on Elijah calling on the name of the Lord (I Kings 18). The Psalms are filled with this phrase: “The Lord is near to all who call on him” (Psalm 145:18). Another recent sermon showed Paul quoting and affirming the prophet, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).Conclusion
God’s word often bids us to call out for help. In distress? Call on the Lord. As we begin this year’s Lenten journey, as we ascend uphill to the cross and resurrection of Jesus, we also begin by coming to the Table of the Lord, to Holy Communion, to the Lord’s Supper. One aspect of this sacrament, this mystery, this spiritual experience is to call on the name of the Lord; the Lord Jesus Christ. For in his death and resurrection, God answers our call for help. God saves us from the deceit and distress of this world. And God nourishes our faith and hope for the journey ahead.Come to the Table. Call on the Lord.
