COMFORT FOR GOD’S PEOPLE
A sermon by George R. Pasley
Isaiah 49:8-16a; Psalm 131:1-3
Can a woman forget her nursing child?
Can a citizen living in a nation torn and destroyed by civil war and genocide forget how beautiful life had been, before the war?
Can a mother of two small children ever forget her spouse, the soldier killed while serving his country?
The prophet Isaiah says something very wonderful. He says that God does offer comfort.
I want to talk to you about the comfort, how we receive it, and what we do with it. In particular, I want to talk about how the Holy Spirit comforts us and brings consolation through us.
One scholar described it this way: it works like On-Star.
If you have On-Star, you know. When your air-bag deploys, a sensor sends a signal to On-Star headquarters. Immediately, someone calls your car and says, “We see your air-bag has deployed. Do you need help?”
If the answer is yes, or if there is no answer, the On-Star advisor calls 911.
Psychologists and pastors know, in a time of trauma, it is more than wonderful- even necessary- to hear a human voice, to know that you are not alone.
Doctors know, in either injury or illness, prompt attention is crucial to eventual healing.
During an automobile accident, On-Star serves both of these objectives. Likewise, that’s similar to how God comforts us.
Last week I heard many outstanding speakers and preachers, but I also heard some music that was indescribable.
The National Lutheran choir made sounds with their voices that I did not know it was possible for human beings to make. Angels perhaps, humans no.
There were jazz musicians. There were Gospel singers that brought the house down.
Then there was Beth.
Beth was scheduled to appear on stage with Naomi Tutu. He father is a famous preacher, you may have heard his name, Desmond.
But Beth is a musician, a friend of Naomi’s. When I first saw Beth she was doing a sound check, very businesslike and exact. But a few minutes later, as the audience was gathering, I saw her waiting, her face gleaming in a brilliant smile.
I watched and the smile did not fade. It was not a response to external stimuli, but appeared to be a permanent mark of her character. So I wondered who Beth was, and looked in the program guide to find her biography.
When I found it I read that Beth Neilson Chapman had recorded several albums of faith music, and had written many songs that were recorded by other musicians- including Elton John, Willie Nelson, Martina McBride, and Faith Hill.
Needless to say, I was impressed. But then I read something even more profound. Beth is a breast cancer survivor, and her husband had died from cancer.
I struggled to imagine living in such grief and pain, and having such a joyful smile on one’s face, and I wondered what Beth’s testimony might be. That wonder must have been a prayer, because Beth told us.
She said that often she found that a song she had already written spoke to her during her times of grief.
She told us about the experience of being diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, of losing her hair during the late fall, when the leaves were falling from the trees, and having it grow back in the spring, when the leaves were reappearing.
“Okay God,” she said. “I get it. Very funny.”
But then she remembered a song she had written, and it comforted her, and she herself wondered how she cold have written it before her crisis was even on the horizon.
But then she knew: God not only knew before her, God was there before her, even in cancer, even in the death of her husband.
Whatever we are going through, no matter how horrible, God has already been there and God is there now. The Spirit reminds us of that in more ways than we can imagine. You are not alone, God is here.
This is not to simply say, “Things will be alright.”
They may be alright before long, but the Christian knows that things are not alright, not now, and that only the power of God can make them right. So by the Spirit’s strength, we wait for Kingdom to come.
The Bible tells the story of the prophet Elijah, who ran in fear and hid, because he thought that the people of God had all lost their faith. But God found him where he hid in a cave, and God spoke rather sternly to that prophet and said, “I have reserved 5,000 for myself who have not bowed their knees to the false Gods.”
We are never alone, no matter what it seems, and God’s Spirit is the one who preserves our faith and who reminds us of our company.
But something more happens with On-Star, and something more happens with God.
On-Star calls 911. God sends us back into the world.
God sent Elijah back and God sends us back.
God sends us back because there are others who have not heard,
Others who are too troubled or too confused or too afraid to feel the comfort offered by God.
One of the speakers I heard this week was Jim Wallis, publisher of Sojourners Magazine and author of the best selling book, GOD’S POLITICS: Why the right gets it wrong and the left doesn’t get it.
Jim told this story about a trip he made to
He met with Desmond Tutu, and they were to participate in an outdoor rally one evening. But the apartheid government banned their rally, so Desmond Tutu said, “That’s okay, we’ll have church instead.”
So a huge crowd gathered in the church. But no sooner were they there when the South African Security police came inside, armed with automatic weapons. Some stood by with notebooks, taking notes of what was said.
Jim says he was trembling in his shoes. He was scared for his life. He knew they were in big trouble.
But Desmond Tutu smiled as he looked out over the crowd. Then he looked at the security forces. “You are very powerful,” he said.
“You are VERY powerful.”
But then he smiled, and went on.
“But God is more powerful than you. So since we are on the winning side, I invite you know to join us.”
Jim says that when he heard those words, he found his strength.
God’s Spirit sends us out into a sinful, fearful world and invites our testimony of faith in the power of God.
Here’s some news for you, just in case you did not know: I am NOT Desmond Tutu.
I am not even Jim Wallis.
But I don’t have to be.
I just have to be George Pasley,
and the Spirit will help me be faithful,
and the Spirit will help me testify
and that testimony is consolation, until God’s Kingdom comes.
“O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time on and for evermore.”
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
