Times of Refreshing - Sermon from 01-18-09

Texts: Psalm 139 & "God is Able" by Dr. King


Times of Refreshing

Have you ever felt wore out? Have you ever felt done in ... wanting to escape somewhere or hide? Have you ever just been tired? I think Jesus got wore out sometimes. I think Dr. King did too. Tomorrow is our nation's official day of remembrance of Dr. King. I remember him mostly because of his words - his sermons and speeches. I remember him through pictures too. I was almost 5 years old when Dr. King was assassinated. Not old enough to have any first hand memories of him.

A couple of years ago I visited The National Civil Rights Museum, which is at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I saw the room where Dr. King stayed and the balcony where he was shot. I saw the past frozen in time. It was frightening and inspiring.

As I remember the bed in the room where Dr. King stayed, I imagine a man who might have been tired and worn down by his work and by the expectations made of him. I imagine a man who would not give up; a man who was determined; a man who believed in the ability of God. I imagine him sleeping at the Lorraine Motel. This was not the first time Dr. King stayed in the Lorraine Motel. This was where he stayed when he came to Memphis. It's kind of like Jesus staying with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus when he was in Bethany. There are some places you go. You go there to rest. You go there for friendly faces. You go there because they are the ones who are willing to take you in.

But there are times, in my experience, that it feels like there is no where to turn. There are times when you can't find someone to take you in. What do we do then? Where do we turn? At the risk of sounding religious ... I turn to God. When I need a time of refreshing, I run to the well of Love.

Psalm 139 refreshes me. Psalm 139 reminds me that I am not some handicraft of a faraway Almighty Being, but I am lovingly designed by my Divine Beloved. I am not an assembly line product, but I am the offspring of the All That Is. I am also reminded that I am always in the presence of the one who is The Presence. There is nowhere that I can go to run from Love. And, there is nowhere that Love would rather be than with us.

When I am in the midst of feeling inside out or burned out, if I can remember that God seeks me, that God wants to know me, if I can remember that, then maybe the weight of the atrocities of the world, the frustrations of my life will be lifted for long enough so that I can breathe in hope and life and peace and joy. If I can remember the gloriousness of my Divine Beloved, maybe I can be lifted outside of myself long enough to bask in wonder and awe. If I can remember how deep the love of God runs and the riches of the Grace of God, then maybe I can allow myself a moment of ecstasy.

If God is truly able, as Dr. King says God is, and if God is truly awesome, as the psalmist says God is, then I know that I can persevere. The psalmist says, "This is too much, too wonderful. I can't take it all in!" Dr. King says, "Why be afraid? God is able. ... Why despair? God is able. ... Why be anxious? Come what may, God is able."

Oh that I could remember that all the time. When the chips are down, God is too wonderful to take in and God is able. When I'm in pain - physical, spiritual, mental, emotional pain - God is too wonderful to take in and God is able. When I'm confused, God is too wonderful to take in and God is able. When I'm angry, God is too wonderful to take in and God is able.

How can we enter into the moment of ecstasy that will bring us out of our chaos and into hope? Dr. King talks about the inner stability of faith being Jesus' chief legacy to us. We have what he calls an inner equilibrium to stand tall amid the trials and burdens of life. We have the peace that Jesus breathes on us and that we can inhale – yes, we are supposed to inhale – so that it fills us.

The ecstasy of the psalmist. The assurance of Dr. King. These are ways of thinking about God ... ways of believing Spirit ... ways of connecting to that which is Unseen and Permanent.
Dr. King didn't live his life just to be murdered and have it all be over. He lived his life in the same legacy that we live our lives ... the legacy of Jesus the Christ. We are partners with Dr. King and the psalmist in Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace. We are partners with Dr. King and the psalmist in God being able. We are partners with Dr. King and the psalmist in God being too much and too wonderful.

Remembering Dr. King is a time of refreshing. You know I'm all about feeling your pain and not denying realities, even hard ones. But I think it's important to remember that the ecstasy of Love and the ability of The All is reality too. We are so much more than what we see - of ourselves and our world. This week I urge you to reach out with your spirit and find Glory. Inhale the breath of Spirit ... inhale deeply. Let your mind go to a place of ecstasy. I urge you to believe that you are precious and loved; that you are sought after by your Divine Beloved. When you do that, bask in the Glory of Love.