"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord"
(psalm 150:6).
Lord God, take my words and speak through them, take our minds and think through them, take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
When we decided as a Ministry Team, that this years Lent sermon series, was to be based on our favourite psalms, my immediate thought, for my turn, was the psalm we sung a few minutes ago, psalm 150. But I ummed and arrhd about it for some time before finally making the decision to go with it. I kept thinking about how very un-Lenten psalm 150 is. For sure, it isn't a psalm we would normally expect to be singing at Evensong during Lent. And hunting through the lectionary only shows it once in Lent this year; it's one of the less favoured alternatives for Evening Prayer on Saturday the 24th March.
Eventually, though, after talking it over with David, the decision was made that I would preach on my favourite psalm, psalm 150. But, I have to say, over the last couple of weeks I've come to regret that decision a bit, a lot. Because while it is my favourite psalm - I just love the sheer, unadulterated joy of it - I've come to the conclusion that it isn't an easy psalm to preach on. Several sermons have been started, and discarded, because they didn't say what I felt God wanted me to say about this psalm.
One of the reasons it's so hard to preach about is because, to reflect on the meaning of this psalm is almost a contradiction in terms. These lines are much less about meaning and reflection, and far more about ecstasy and celebration - the very things that make it appeal to me so much.
This psalm calls a congregation to leap out of the pews and sing and dance in the aisles - might be a step too far for us here in Godmanchester.
A bit of an exaggeration? Yes, of course it is, at least it is with respect to what passes for celebration, in most mainline Christian congregations, on a Sunday evening. But, from what I've been reading, it is quite possible to witness this scenario, in various other parts of the world, especially in many African churches; where the congregations are likely to leap out of the pews - if they have them - and sing and dance in the aisles. I'm reminded of something Bishop Stephen Sykes talked about at a confirmation service here some years ago. He talked about how amazing it was to witness the joy expressed by the congregation, as they sung and danced amidst all the ceremonial actions of a formal Eucharist. The juxtaposition of the formal and informal in that setting, was one of his fondest memories from his visit to Africa.
I believe this psalm is immensely important for the churches of our twenty-first-century Western world. It demands that we consider allowing, a measure of Pentecostal fervour into our worship. But even to speak of a "measure" of "fervour" is a contradiction, a nod to our cultural limitations. We cannot measure the effect of the Spirit on an individual or on a congregation. In trying to do so, we'd be deafened by the Spirit's laughter.
How very far beyond the domain of religion this psalm takes us. Yes, indeed, praise is to be given in God's "holy temple", but we're pushed far beyond these walls. God is to be praised also in the vast domain of creation, "in the firmament of [God's] power". And more, God is to be praised in the great process of time and history, the whole context of God's "noble acts" and "excellent greatness".
Last of all, after it seems that every order of life has been included, the psalmist gathers together the assembled throng - like a musical Noah inviting every creature, into a vast ark of sound - and calls all creation to raise an almost unimaginable shout of praise, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord".
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord". Can we, here in Godmanchester, let our natural reserve down, just a little sometimes: to experience, to express, more of that joy in our worship? I don't know! I caught myself tapping my foot at an All-Age-Eucharist recently, and that was a bit of a shock to the system. And I do find the "Praise Flags" difficult.
I went to a talk given by Adrian Plass at a Church in Peterborough some years ago. He's a Christian writer and broadcaster, writing mainly Christian humour, with a profound underlying message.
Near the beginning of his talk, he asked everyone, to stand up, then to put their hand up, if they'd been to Church within the last month - along with just about everyone there, I dutifully stood and raised my hand. Next he asked us to raise our other hand if we'd been to Church twice within the last month, and again, just about all of us did.
Then he asked all the non-Anglicans in the audience to put their hands down and sit down; so that only Anglicans were left standing with their hands in the air. There were probably about fifty of us, scattered amongst the audience, standing with our hands in the air, and beginning to blush.
"I imagine" Adrian Plass said, "I imagine that's the first time most of you have had your hands in the air in Church". Oh how right he was; and oh how much my non-Anglican friends laughed. Even now, when I bump into a certain friend, he asks, "Have you put your hands up in Church recently?" Well, next time I see him, I'll be able to say, "Yes!"
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord".
Amen.