Sermon for Sept. 28
Sermon
Faith Lutheran – Sept. 28, 2008
20th Sunday after Pentecost – Lectionary 26 – Year A
Primary Text: Philippians 2:1-13
Though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)
Paul writes to the Philippians telling them to be humble and to look out for each others interests. They have been thinking only of themselves and have been ignoring the needs of their neighbors and friends. And so Paul writes to try and correct this. He understands how people thinking only of them selves think. They think only of themselves. If he simply tells them to be nice to each other, they will forget this and go back to thinking of themselves. This section of Philippians, verses 6-11 of chapter 2, is commonly called the Christ Hymn. It is often seen as one of the very first examples of creedal and hymn language, language that attempts to explain beliefs in a condensed easily understandable form. By backing up his request by including the Christ hymn, Paul hopes that they will have the hymn pop into their head and they will remember Paul’s instruction of humility.
Hymns are more than memory aids though. The Psalms are all examples of hymns, used by both Jews and Christians up to this day. The fact that they have been carried and are still sung within worship is a powerful example to the carrying power of hymns. This is because hymns and psalms fit every situation that we may face. There are psalms of praise, there are psalms of anger, psalms of joy, and psalms of sadness. Jesus quotes psalms all the time as prayers. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” The first line of the psalm 22. The psalms range from the direst of feelings of abandonment to praise of God watching over and protecting us. Following Psalm 22s despair we find Psalm 23.
The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures
and leads me beside still waters.
You restore my soul, O Lord,
and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with oil and my cup is running over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
We often think that hymns belong only to worship, or to hymn sings around the piano. But I encourage you to turn to hymns when in need of prayer, inspiration, praise, joy or concern. The bible study that we are using on Thursdays uses a hymn as a prayer to open each session. I think this is something to remember, even if we cannot sing the hymn, it can be used as poetry, or prayer. We began our last session with a hymn that I used as prayer throughout my time in chaplaincy.
“In deepest night, in darkest days, when harps are hung, no songs we raise, when silence must suffice as praise, yet sounding in us quietly there is the song of God.
When friend was lost, when love deceived, dear Jesus wept, God was bereaved; so with us in our grief God grieves, and round about us mournfully there are the tears of God.
When through the waters winds our path, around us pain, around us death; deep calls to deep, a saving breath, and found beside us faithfully, there is the love of God.” (ELW 699)
Hymns are more than simple songs. They contain within them a strong message that expands further than just the words on the page. A hymn touches us and causes us to see, hear and remember things that we may not have otherwise. Paul uses this hymn because he knows that it will connect with people more so than if he simply wrote an explanation telling them to be humble and work with each other because Jesus was humble and died for them. Hymns get into our heads and stay there. I cannot tell you the number of times after daily chapel at Wartburg that I will find myself whistling or singing a hymn in my head for the rest of the day. God is strong and powerful says one thing, but “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” says so much more, if gives imagery, history, and depth to the idea of God’s strength. Hymns allow us to remember the message within them better. We are more likely to remember a hymn than to remember the words to the sermon that was connected to it.
I would like to close by reading another hymn that echoes the Christ hymn given by Paul.
Holy God, Holy and glorious, glory most sublime, you come as one among us into human time, and we behold your glory.
Holy God, Holy and powerful power without peer, you bend to us in weakness; emptied, you draw near, and we behold your power.
Holy God, Holy and beautiful, beauty unsurpassed, you are despised, rejected; scorned you hold us fast, and we behold your beauty.
Holy God, Holy and only wise, wisdom of great price, you choose the way of folly; God the crucified, and we behold your wisdom.
Holy God, Holy and living one, life that never ends, you show your love by dying, dying for your friends, and we behold you living. (ELW 637)
But Most importantly Hymns are important, because they speak to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hymns Speak to God’s coming to this world in love. They speak of God’s grace in our life. One of my favorite things to do when organizing a service is picking the hymns, because it is in our singing that we proclaim Christ Crucified and that is worthy of hymnody.
Faith Lutheran – Sept. 28, 2008
20th Sunday after Pentecost – Lectionary 26 – Year A
Primary Text: Philippians 2:1-13
Though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)
Paul writes to the Philippians telling them to be humble and to look out for each others interests. They have been thinking only of themselves and have been ignoring the needs of their neighbors and friends. And so Paul writes to try and correct this. He understands how people thinking only of them selves think. They think only of themselves. If he simply tells them to be nice to each other, they will forget this and go back to thinking of themselves. This section of Philippians, verses 6-11 of chapter 2, is commonly called the Christ Hymn. It is often seen as one of the very first examples of creedal and hymn language, language that attempts to explain beliefs in a condensed easily understandable form. By backing up his request by including the Christ hymn, Paul hopes that they will have the hymn pop into their head and they will remember Paul’s instruction of humility.
Hymns are more than memory aids though. The Psalms are all examples of hymns, used by both Jews and Christians up to this day. The fact that they have been carried and are still sung within worship is a powerful example to the carrying power of hymns. This is because hymns and psalms fit every situation that we may face. There are psalms of praise, there are psalms of anger, psalms of joy, and psalms of sadness. Jesus quotes psalms all the time as prayers. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” The first line of the psalm 22. The psalms range from the direst of feelings of abandonment to praise of God watching over and protecting us. Following Psalm 22s despair we find Psalm 23.
The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures
and leads me beside still waters.
You restore my soul, O Lord,
and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with oil and my cup is running over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
We often think that hymns belong only to worship, or to hymn sings around the piano. But I encourage you to turn to hymns when in need of prayer, inspiration, praise, joy or concern. The bible study that we are using on Thursdays uses a hymn as a prayer to open each session. I think this is something to remember, even if we cannot sing the hymn, it can be used as poetry, or prayer. We began our last session with a hymn that I used as prayer throughout my time in chaplaincy.
“In deepest night, in darkest days, when harps are hung, no songs we raise, when silence must suffice as praise, yet sounding in us quietly there is the song of God.
When friend was lost, when love deceived, dear Jesus wept, God was bereaved; so with us in our grief God grieves, and round about us mournfully there are the tears of God.
When through the waters winds our path, around us pain, around us death; deep calls to deep, a saving breath, and found beside us faithfully, there is the love of God.” (ELW 699)
Hymns are more than simple songs. They contain within them a strong message that expands further than just the words on the page. A hymn touches us and causes us to see, hear and remember things that we may not have otherwise. Paul uses this hymn because he knows that it will connect with people more so than if he simply wrote an explanation telling them to be humble and work with each other because Jesus was humble and died for them. Hymns get into our heads and stay there. I cannot tell you the number of times after daily chapel at Wartburg that I will find myself whistling or singing a hymn in my head for the rest of the day. God is strong and powerful says one thing, but “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” says so much more, if gives imagery, history, and depth to the idea of God’s strength. Hymns allow us to remember the message within them better. We are more likely to remember a hymn than to remember the words to the sermon that was connected to it.
I would like to close by reading another hymn that echoes the Christ hymn given by Paul.
Holy God, Holy and glorious, glory most sublime, you come as one among us into human time, and we behold your glory.
Holy God, Holy and powerful power without peer, you bend to us in weakness; emptied, you draw near, and we behold your power.
Holy God, Holy and beautiful, beauty unsurpassed, you are despised, rejected; scorned you hold us fast, and we behold your beauty.
Holy God, Holy and only wise, wisdom of great price, you choose the way of folly; God the crucified, and we behold your wisdom.
Holy God, Holy and living one, life that never ends, you show your love by dying, dying for your friends, and we behold you living. (ELW 637)
But Most importantly Hymns are important, because they speak to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hymns Speak to God’s coming to this world in love. They speak of God’s grace in our life. One of my favorite things to do when organizing a service is picking the hymns, because it is in our singing that we proclaim Christ Crucified and that is worthy of hymnody.
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