DATE: OCTOBER 20, 2013 SERMON TEXT: PSALM 121 SERMON TITLE: "Rivers, Deserts and Mountaintops" There is something to be said about geography and spirituality. There is a connection between the lay of the land and the condition of one s soul. And it has been that way since the beginning of time. Sharon and I vacationed in the mountains and lakes of Vermont and New York this summer. We traveled through hundreds of miles of some of the most beautiful country in the United States. The roadways follow the streams and rivers that make their way along the base of the mountains, and around every turn there waits a spectacular view. I don t know if I get homesick for the farm or if it is simply part of my DNA, but the pastoral scenery of our northeastern countryside feeds my spirit. I think that is why we journey to such places. I think that s why we head to the shore or the mountains and not to South Philly. There is something about immersing ourselves in the splendor of God s creative beauty that literally feeds our souls. And it seems that ever since we came into being we have found a connectedness between soul and soil, spirit and water, life and land. The Bible is full of these images. The writers of our Biblical text used time and time again the lay of the land to tell the story of a people and their relationship with God. And it seems that the three geographical images that appear most often are rivers, deserts, and mountaintops.
Rivers have always been an important allegory in Bible stories. Almost always rivers symbolize transitions in one s life, both literally and spiritually. Take for instance one of the most significant Bible stories, the account of the Exodus from Egypt of the Hebrews. One of the most dramatic points in the journey came with the crossing of the Red Sea. It was dramatic in one sense of the word because of the way it happened its theatrical portrayal, the physical-ness of the act. God literally opened the waters for his people and they walked across the bed of the sea on what we are told was dry land. The climax of their forty-year journey in the desert was a crossing of another body of water, the River Jordan, the symbol of the promise of God, the boundary to the promised land of God, another transition in the lives of those who chose to follow. Throughout the Bible there are a multitude of river images with this recurring theme of transition. John the Baptist is introduced in the New Testament as the voice crying out in the wilderness, beckoning people to come to a transition in their lives, leaving a life of sin and choosing a new life committed to God. Jesus, in his preaching and teaching, is constantly crossing the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan as he encourages people to consider a new way of living their lives, a new way of understanding their relationship with God. As an ever-present part of our geographical landscape, rivers serve as a symbol 2
of the transition and transformation in our spiritual lives. Another geographical image that is not quite as positive as a river is the desert. The desert, as we all know, is a place where there is not much life. It is hot and dry and barren. In scripture, deserts usually lie near or between rivers and mountains. Consider again the Exodus account. As soon as the Hebrew people crossed the Red Sea, they entered into the desert. Deserts for the Hebrews and for most people who enter there are places of the unknown, of searching, of struggle, of trying to find oneself. Sometimes the word "wilderness is used interchangeably with desert. The word wilderness certainly adds nuance to the concept of being lost and alone in a world of the unknown. However, the desert should not always be viewed as a hostile place, particularly in terms of a place to live. The Hebrew people survived in the desert for 40 years. The desert is usually a place where one is called to struggle with one s own being, to do extensive soul searching, and in many cases to come face to face with God. Consider the account of Jesus and the forty days he spent in his desert. It was here that he came face to face with his own internal struggle. He was called to follow God, yet he was tempted by Satan to rule the world. It was for him a time to come to grips with the ultimate reality of what he was called to this earth to do. He endured 3
his temptation and was then transformed in the water of the River Jordan. And then there is the mountaintop. Geographically speaking, the mountaintop takes us to a different plane, a higher altitude, a different visual perspective. The same is also true spiritually. Biblically, mountaintops are where we experience God. It was on the mountain that Moses encountered God. It was on the mountain that we received the very essence of our faith, the Ten Commandments. It was on the mountain that Jesus was transfigured before three of his disciples and they saw him in the fullness of his divinity. And it was on the mountain that Jesus died. The question that I would ask you today is this: "Where are you this morning?" Are you in the midst of crossing a river of transition in your life? I am sure there are many of you who are in this place. There is one sure thing that we can say about life it never stays the same. That is why a river is such an appropriate image to symbolize life's transitions. When you stand at a river s edge, you will notice that it is in a constant state of transition. Literally every microsecond the water changes. The water molecules that make up the body of water are in a constant state of motion. So it is with life. Every microsecond our lives are in motion, constant motion, just like the river. And because of this motion, there will be times that we will be in transition, transitions that come to us in the form of relationships. Some of you are 4
entering into new relationships. Some of you are planning for weddings not too far off in the distant future. To join together as husband and wife is a river-crossing experience. It is both scary and exciting. Sad to say, some marriages never quite make it out of the rapids. You may know of relationships in your family or perhaps it is in your own relationship where there is the transition of separation and divorce. Perhaps it will take divorce to ultimately allow you to cross to the other side. Some of you have experienced firsthand the transitions that death brings to a home. The death of a husband or a wife or a child can bring a multitude of life changes to our homes. Following the death of a loved one, life is never the same. Some of you are there this morning. Some of you may be experiencing the river-crossing experience of a new career, a new home, a new community. If you are in transition, I hope you are finding the courage to reach the other side. There may be those of you here today who are wandering aimlessly in the desert. As you know, it can be a very scary and a very lonely place to be. I remember when I made the decision to leave the farm and enter into the ministry. The time that I was in school was a desert experience. There I was, 30 years old, sitting in a classroom while all of my peers were out enjoying the most 5
productive years of their lives. It was a lonely place to be. Many times I wondered to myself what this was all about. I thought that since I had made the decision to cross the river, to be transformed from pastor of the land to pastor of people, that God would pave the way. What I learned was something different. What I learned was that being a faithful follower of God is scary business. What I learned was that there are times we will be asked to do things like leaving the safety of our homes and communities and venturing into parts of the world unknown to us before. What I found out was that when we are willing to be transformed by the banks of the river, the path usually leads directly into the desert. Perhaps you are there. Perhaps you feel as though God has led you into the desert and has forgotten you. It is not a good feeling. If you are at either of these two places this morning, I want to offer to you these words of hope. If the waters of the river threaten to wash you away, if you feel the enemy breathing down the back of your neck, if you are in the desert with a mouth so dry you can hardly speak and a spirit so weak you can hardly stand, I want to tell you about another place. "I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. God will not let your 6
foot slip, he who watches over you will not slumber, and he will not sleep. The Lord watches over you." If you keep your eyes focused on the mountain, on all those things that are holy, your path will lead you across the river and through the desert and to the mountaintop. Do you believe that? If you continue to say to yourself, My help comes from the Lord, the Lord will not forsake you. Do you believe that? It is the promise of this simple psalm today. The reality of our lives is this: life is a constant challenge of rivers and deserts. But thank God, occasionally there will be mountaintops for us to climb to and rest on and be reassured that God loves us and cares for us. My prayer for you this day is that wherever you find yourself at a river, in the wilderness, or on a mountaintop you know that God is there with you, watching over your steps every inch of the way. Praise be to God! 7