I brought with me this morning my pastoral care book. This book travels with me to the hospital, providing scripture, prayer, and liturgy for confession, anointing with oil, for circumstances like removing life support systems, transplant surgery, emergency baptisms, and commendation of the dying. It contains liturgy for house blessings and for presiding at marriages. Most often this book travels with me to the cemetery for burials.
The centre pages of the book are protected by mac-tac, so I can proclaim the Gospel and the hope found therein, without my pages turning to mush in rain, snow, or wind. The service gives options for readings and prayers. Some prayers and readings are specific, like those used if a child is being buried, otherwise , pastors pick and choose based on the family and their own preferences.
After arriving at the grave, words of comfort are proclaimed to the mourners. 95% of the time this is what I say:
I will lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
The Lord will not let your foot be moved nor will the one who watches over you fall asleep.
Behold the keeper of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep; the Lord watches over you;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will preserve you from all evil and will keep your life.
The Lord will watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth forevermore.
The centre pages of the book are protected by mac-tac, so I can proclaim the Gospel and the hope found therein, without my pages turning to mush in rain, snow, or wind. The service gives options for readings and prayers. Some prayers and readings are specific, like those used if a child is being buried, otherwise , pastors pick and choose based on the family and their own preferences.
After arriving at the grave, words of comfort are proclaimed to the mourners. 95% of the time this is what I say:
I will lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
The Lord will not let your foot be moved nor will the one who watches over you fall asleep.
Behold the keeper of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep; the Lord watches over you;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will preserve you from all evil and will keep your life.
The Lord will watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth forevermore.
Of course, this is the psalm we chanted earlier, Psalm 121. At the end of formal responsibilities – the bedside vigil, the service planning, the visiting, the funeral liturgy, the reception- by the time I reach the grave, I need to hear -I need to speak- a word that will heal my grieving heart, warm my troubled spirit, and bolster my expended hope. I receive healing, warmth, and hope in the words of Psalm 121.
The Psalm is simple in its construction. The person speaking asks a simple question: “from where is my help to come?” The question is one of seeking, a question that will lead to a journey for an answer. The question is the person opening their heart and turning to a power outside themselves – turning toward God.
The question is followed by a confession, a statement. I wonder if the person states, “my help comes from the Lord,” because that is what they believe, or is it what they desperately want to believe? Is it what they believe sometimes, but, from time to time doubt? When I recite this Psalm, the statement could be either – it is similar to the creed we say on Sunday morning; a corporate confession of faith that we say to bolster hope, warm the heart – for ourselves, but, perhaps more importantly for the faithful who are finding faith difficult in a particular moment. I believe in God the father almighty creator of heaven and earth. My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. I acknowledge by speaking these words at a graveside that the Mystery of what is going on is far bigger than I can dream or imagine – the Mystery began in creation, even before creation, there is longevity in this creative force - this gives me hope.
This Psalm is considered a Song of ascent, meaning it was sung as one journeyed up to the Temple, to give one’s offering, to offer prayers before God. There is some evidence it was sung too, as a spiritual pilgrimage when going to Jerusalem was impractical or impossible. Asking, seeking, -going on a journey outside of oneself- is stated so simply in the Psalm and surprisingly the grace offered is returned a hundredfold. The word of grace given is called in biblical text, a priestly blessing; much like blessing you hear at the end of service, the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine on you, as recorded in Deuteronomy. Most of the Psalm 121 is a proclaimed blessing – and it grows from a simple question and confession of faith.
The Psalm is simple in its construction. The person speaking asks a simple question: “from where is my help to come?” The question is one of seeking, a question that will lead to a journey for an answer. The question is the person opening their heart and turning to a power outside themselves – turning toward God.
The question is followed by a confession, a statement. I wonder if the person states, “my help comes from the Lord,” because that is what they believe, or is it what they desperately want to believe? Is it what they believe sometimes, but, from time to time doubt? When I recite this Psalm, the statement could be either – it is similar to the creed we say on Sunday morning; a corporate confession of faith that we say to bolster hope, warm the heart – for ourselves, but, perhaps more importantly for the faithful who are finding faith difficult in a particular moment. I believe in God the father almighty creator of heaven and earth. My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. I acknowledge by speaking these words at a graveside that the Mystery of what is going on is far bigger than I can dream or imagine – the Mystery began in creation, even before creation, there is longevity in this creative force - this gives me hope.
This Psalm is considered a Song of ascent, meaning it was sung as one journeyed up to the Temple, to give one’s offering, to offer prayers before God. There is some evidence it was sung too, as a spiritual pilgrimage when going to Jerusalem was impractical or impossible. Asking, seeking, -going on a journey outside of oneself- is stated so simply in the Psalm and surprisingly the grace offered is returned a hundredfold. The word of grace given is called in biblical text, a priestly blessing; much like blessing you hear at the end of service, the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine on you, as recorded in Deuteronomy. Most of the Psalm 121 is a proclaimed blessing – and it grows from a simple question and confession of faith.
Although in a different style of writing, a similar pattern is heard in the text from Genesis. Abram is invited to go on a journey which is followed by a sevenfold blessing. The text from John’s Gospel is again similar, Nicodemus journeys to Jesus, seeks to understand, with this text portion ending in a blessing that the Son came into the world, “in order that the world might be saved” – a blessing.
A priest is visiting his atheist barber for a trim and shave. The barber engages the priest in conversation and asks, “If there is a loving God, how can God allow poverty, war, and suffering?” At that moment, looking out the window of the barber shop, both saw a disheveled man with wily hair lumber past. The priest said to the barber, “You are a barber and claim to be a good one. How can you allow that man to go about unkept and unshaved?” The barber snorted, “That man never gave me a chance.” To which the priest replied, “Exactly, people are what they are because they never give God a chance.”
This can not be said of Abram or Nicodemus.
God comes to Abram – as unknown, unannounced, and as yet, unintroduced. Abram had not previously heard of this God, who has asked him to go on a journey that will take him and his household away from his kinsfolk, his inheritance, the land and the traditional gods of Mesopotamia, the bustling trade of Haran, the riches of this place, the availability of water and food, and the culture he has lived and known for 75 years. Abram is asked to go on a journey and sacrifice everything he has ever known. God invited Abram and Abram says, “yes.”
God came through Jesus, speaking in the streets, performing signs, and confronting the religious leaders – God came unannounced and in an unexpected way. Nicodemus, watching for the signs that would usher in a Messiah, was unclear as to whether Jesus was the fulfilment of the prophets words that he had been taught all his life. Nicodemus, in his conversation with Jesus, is invited into a spiritual journey wherein what he has believed is being interpreted in a broader way. To entertain such thoughts Nicodemus takes a risk – potentially sacrificing everything he has ever known and believed, along with the possible loss of his job, status, friends, and family. God invited Nicodemus on a journey, Nicodemus says, “yes.” The confirmation of the ‘yes’ comes later in the Gospel story when Nicodemus stands up for Jesus in the Sanhedrin reminding colleagues that the law required that persons to be blamed with heresy are to be heard before a judge; and at the time of Jesus death Nicodemus provides the customary embalming spices and assists Joseph of Arimathea in preparing Jesus’ body for burial.
God comes to Abram – as unknown, unannounced, and as yet, unintroduced. Abram had not previously heard of this God, who has asked him to go on a journey that will take him and his household away from his kinsfolk, his inheritance, the land and the traditional gods of Mesopotamia, the bustling trade of Haran, the riches of this place, the availability of water and food, and the culture he has lived and known for 75 years. Abram is asked to go on a journey and sacrifice everything he has ever known. God invited Abram and Abram says, “yes.”
God came through Jesus, speaking in the streets, performing signs, and confronting the religious leaders – God came unannounced and in an unexpected way. Nicodemus, watching for the signs that would usher in a Messiah, was unclear as to whether Jesus was the fulfilment of the prophets words that he had been taught all his life. Nicodemus, in his conversation with Jesus, is invited into a spiritual journey wherein what he has believed is being interpreted in a broader way. To entertain such thoughts Nicodemus takes a risk – potentially sacrificing everything he has ever known and believed, along with the possible loss of his job, status, friends, and family. God invited Nicodemus on a journey, Nicodemus says, “yes.” The confirmation of the ‘yes’ comes later in the Gospel story when Nicodemus stands up for Jesus in the Sanhedrin reminding colleagues that the law required that persons to be blamed with heresy are to be heard before a judge; and at the time of Jesus death Nicodemus provides the customary embalming spices and assists Joseph of Arimathea in preparing Jesus’ body for burial.
God comes – unknown, unannounced, unintroduced, unexpected – looking around our troubled world this coming goes unobserved and perhaps unwanted; at the same time, according to biblical stories we hear through the season of Lent, God comes and people respond, ‘yes.’
The crux of the text that confronts me this morning is the seemingly simple way to bring blessing into the world. It is a phrase we hear over and over again, during Lent, “Return to the Lord your God.” In the texts of today turning to God, Nicodemus and the Psalmist do this by asking questions; Abram does it by going on a journey. The journey moves forward with a statement or action of faith --- and then because the participants dare to go on the journey, sacrificing everything they have ever known – blessing is imparted.
The crux of the text that confronts me this morning is the seemingly simple way to bring blessing into the world. It is a phrase we hear over and over again, during Lent, “Return to the Lord your God.” In the texts of today turning to God, Nicodemus and the Psalmist do this by asking questions; Abram does it by going on a journey. The journey moves forward with a statement or action of faith --- and then because the participants dare to go on the journey, sacrificing everything they have ever known – blessing is imparted.
Psalm 121, a Psalm that Nicodemus would have known, would have sung, speaks to me in the simplest form. When asking the question, “from where will my help come?” I think not of journey or sacrifice, it is a cry from the depths of my being --- that bursts into hope and visions of a brighter future by the poetically articulated blessing. At a graveside, when I hear the Word proclaimed, I am so exhausted that the Words sink deep within and they settle. I believe them by osmosis, by intuiting their truth. And in speaking them aloud, the blessings live into the lives of others who hear them.
Professor of Old Testament, Rolf Jacobson, at Luther Seminary in St. Paul Minnesota writes that the “genre of blessing is under utilized in our world today.” He states, “I believe that every child of God should give and receive a blessing every day.” We could do that, we could impart spoken blessings to people around us as we walk through our days. We could also practice the spiritual discipline shown through scripture texts – turn or seek the Lord and proclaim a statement of faith (even if you might doubt the statement at the time of speaking it). In a troubled world, is our turning to God, the healing balm that becomes a blessing on the whole world? I would like to believe that it is.
By coming here this morning, you turn and seek the Lord, you make a confession of faith; a blessing will be received in the world, a hundredfold, as you go into the world with healing, warmth of spirit, and bolstered hope.
The God of Peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good so that you may do God’s will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in God’s sight; through Jesus Christ , to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
-pg 251, Evangelical Lutheran Worship Pastoral Care, Augsburg Fortress
-pg 251, Evangelical Lutheran Worship Pastoral Care, Augsburg Fortress
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