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Creekside Church
Sermon of June
1, 2008
"Making
a Racket"
Psalm
150
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Rev.
David Bibbee
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They
call it, "the grand finale." It is not just the end of a
performance. It's a climactic event. I associate the grand finale
with the Fourth of July -- not in Elkhart, Indiana, but in Boston.
At the conclusion of an outdoor concert attended by thousands, the
Boston Pops orchestra performs Tchaikovsky's stirring "1812 Overture,"
complete with the blasts of Army Infantry canons and brilliant, breath-taking
pyrotechnics. The orchestra, canons, and fireworks make a delightful
racket.
Grand finales
end with a BANG! not a whimper. Number 150 is the grand finale to
the book of Psalms. The closer to the end you get, the louder the
racket. The final word about God and our response to God calls for
full-throated and whole-hearted worship.
The mood of
Psalm 1 is decidedly contemplative. "Blessed are those who
sit not in the seat of scoffers, but who meditate on the law of
the Lord day and night" (Psalm 1: 1-2).The mood of Psalm
150 is decidedly not. Number 1 is reflective. Number 150 is raucous
racket!
The first word
of this psalm is repeated thirteen times in six verses. It is, "Halelu-Yah!"
which translates, "Praise-Yah." The suffix "Yah"
is the oldest form of the name of God. It is short for "Yahweh."
From start to finish this psalm is about total praise. The word
"praise" can also mean radiate and reflect,
as in living in such a manner that we radiate and reflect the love
of God.
"Praise
the Lord!" Psalm 150 begins. There is only one God worthy of
praise -- the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "Praise the
Lord in his sanctuary." Worship happens when God's people gather
in the Temple to praise God's holy name. "Praise him for his
mighty deeds according to his exceeding greatness." Praise
belongs to God alone who created the heavens and earth; who revealed
his promise to father Abraham and his descendants; who called Moses
to deliver the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt; the God who
gave the Law, sustained his people forty years in the wilderness,
and led them to the Promised Land.
Praise isn't
a response limited to worship. We praise whatever inspires us and
enthuses us and stirs our passions.
On Monday night
I served my wife an artfully plated entree of pan-seared sea scallops
wrapped in peppered bacon, seasoned with sea salt and Emeril's Essence.
With the first bite, Sue sang praises to my culinary skills. I accepted
said praise… humbly, of course.
We praise what
inspires and enthuses us. Someone said, "The essence of praise
is advertising." In praising someone or something we
express our approval. Praise is an endorsement. "Let me tell
you about an amazing book I read." "You simply must try
the new Mexican restaurant downtown. It puts the Hacienda to shame!"
"I want to introduce you to a remarkable person I can't say
enough good things about."
Whether God
is praised in moments of personal devotion or corporate worship,
we approve, commend, endorse. We lose ourselves by making a racket
for God who is before all, above all, in all, through all, and for
all. Well, some folks make a racket.
You may recall
an old song titled, "Mama Don't Allow." It goes:
Mama don't
allow no banjo playin' around here.
Mama don't allow no banjo playin' around here.
We don't care what Mama don't allow,
We're gonna' play that banjo anyhow!
Mama don't allow no banjo playin' around here.
Since this is
the 300th anniversary year of our denomination its important to
look from whence we have come. Studying the practice of worship
you learn that we had a "Brethren Don't Allow" rule governing
it. I doubt the Brethren elders preached much from Psalm 150 because
it endorsed practices they prohibited. "Praise him with trumpets!"
No trumpets allowed. "Praise him with lute and harp!"
No lutes or harps allowed… and no guitars, either. "Praise
him with strings and pipes!" No strings or pipes or drums or
crashing cymbals allowed. And God forbid, NO DANCING! The only instrument
allowed was the voice.
The Brethren
are content to give Psalm 150 to the Pentecostals and other exhuberent
churches. Let them get worked up and praise God with all the racket
they want. We'll quietly contemplate Psalm 1. Blessed are those
who walk not in the way of sinners, but delight in the law of the
Lord (Psalm 1: 1-2).
I had lunch
with George DeGeeter on Friday. Since I paid for it I felt entitled
to siphon sermon material from him. I asked George what the word
"praise" brings to mind. He said, "I think of worshipping
with a group of believers with whom it is safe to express what I
feel toward God, without concern over their reaction if I sing off
key or jump for joy."
I found some
interesting statistics for you to consider. Seventy percent of all
Christians alive today live outside of North American and Western
Europe. During the past century in Latin America, Asia, and Africa
the church has grown by 1,100%. Today, 27,000 people will become
Christians -- the vast majority in places other than North America
and Europe. At this moment, Christians in different cultures are
worshipping God in ways different from ours. There will be singing
and dancing in services lasting four hours with two-hour sermons!
(Think about that when I go three minutes over the twenty-minute
mark!)
These Christians
delight in praising God with hands in the air and knees on the floor
to the accompaniment of horn and pipes, and drums and strings and
keyboards, and pots and pans, and garbage can lids. As they make
a racket praising God, the Lord delights in their delight.
Are we willing
to make a racket? Will we delight in praise and will God delight
in our delight? Will we realize there are more ways to praise and
worship God than our way, and be willing to be stretched to praise
in new ways? Will we expend the same energy singing as our musicians
expend practicing and playing their best to glorify God? Will we
subordinate our preferences and tastes to learn new dimensions
of praise, minus the critique-- too new or too old, too fast or
too slow, too loud or too soft, too highbrow or too earthy, too
much like rock or too much like gospel, too much this or too much
that?
I recall the
night when the Los Angeles Dodger's ace pitcher, Orel Herhiser was
a guest on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show." The Dodgers
had just won the 1989 World Series, and Johnny asked Hershiser how
he kept himself calm before games and in between innings. Being
a man of faith, Orel said he sang hymns. Carson then made an unscripted
request -- "Will you sing a hymn for the audience?" Johnny
seemed taken aback when Hershier began singing. "Praise
God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here
below…" It was obvious that he didn't have a singing
voice, but when he finished, there was a moment of silence and then
a round of appreciative applause from the audience. It was obvious
by the expression on Johnny Carson's face that he was moved by this
simple, sincere, heartfelt expression of praise.
The grand finale
of the Psalms declares the best response to God for all his love
and kindness shown to us. "Let everything that breathes praise
the Lord" (Psalm 150: 6).
Let every
instrument be tuned for praise.
Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!
And may God give us faith to sing always -- Alleluia! Amen!
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