Psalm 114
Preaching
A Journey Through the Psalms: Reflections for Worried Hearts and Troubled Times
Preaching the Psalms Cycles A, B, C
Object:
This psalm calls up some wonderful imagery. Occasioned by the "presence of God," the sea looks up and flees. The personification is beautiful, if a bit damp in the execution. One conjures up an image of a whole ocean looking up, noticing God, and then taking the first train out of town. It is only with eyes closed and imagination flowing that one can see whole mountains skipping like rams through a spring-flowered field.
Such pictures are joyful and whimsical. They burst the boundaries of what is thought to be possible and paint magical triptychs of what happens when God's presence is perceived and embraced.
This all begs the question of human response to God's presence. If oceans can flee and mountains can dance, what can human beings do once God's presence is a part of their reality? If earth itself can tremble and rocks can be transformed into water, what then can women and men do if they are mindful of God's presence?
Is it conceivable that, mindful of God's presence, human beings could put an end to war and poverty? That would certainly trump dancing mountains and fleeing oceans. Is it even thinkable that, engaged in the presence of God, humankind could heal diseases and bring equity to our social order?
It seems that the critical element here is an awareness of, or engagement in, the presence of God. Can humans take this step? Can awareness of the divine penetrate our notoriously thick heads? Can the overwhelming power of God's loving presence pierce our well-armored hearts? Perhaps it would be easier to imagine mountains dancing.
Yet, isn't the possibility of such things a stimulant to the mind? Don't the images of this psalm provoke our visionary spirits and knock at the doors of shuttered courage? God can unleash the sense of what is possible and shove us into a new realm of being. God can open the eyes of our heart and ignite the fires of passion.
Sensitive to and mindful of God's presence, human beings could transform the face of the globe. The destruction of the environment could be halted and reversed. Ancient hatreds could be overcome and transformed into loving partnerships.
It's not too late. Let this psalm issue the call for humankind to open their hearts, their eyes, and their spirits to the reality of God's presence. Let this psalm paint the portrait of a God-engaged people. And let the dancing of the mountains begin!
Such pictures are joyful and whimsical. They burst the boundaries of what is thought to be possible and paint magical triptychs of what happens when God's presence is perceived and embraced.
This all begs the question of human response to God's presence. If oceans can flee and mountains can dance, what can human beings do once God's presence is a part of their reality? If earth itself can tremble and rocks can be transformed into water, what then can women and men do if they are mindful of God's presence?
Is it conceivable that, mindful of God's presence, human beings could put an end to war and poverty? That would certainly trump dancing mountains and fleeing oceans. Is it even thinkable that, engaged in the presence of God, humankind could heal diseases and bring equity to our social order?
It seems that the critical element here is an awareness of, or engagement in, the presence of God. Can humans take this step? Can awareness of the divine penetrate our notoriously thick heads? Can the overwhelming power of God's loving presence pierce our well-armored hearts? Perhaps it would be easier to imagine mountains dancing.
Yet, isn't the possibility of such things a stimulant to the mind? Don't the images of this psalm provoke our visionary spirits and knock at the doors of shuttered courage? God can unleash the sense of what is possible and shove us into a new realm of being. God can open the eyes of our heart and ignite the fires of passion.
Sensitive to and mindful of God's presence, human beings could transform the face of the globe. The destruction of the environment could be halted and reversed. Ancient hatreds could be overcome and transformed into loving partnerships.
It's not too late. Let this psalm issue the call for humankind to open their hearts, their eyes, and their spirits to the reality of God's presence. Let this psalm paint the portrait of a God-engaged people. And let the dancing of the mountains begin!
