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Remember that sign “In Case of Emergency: Break Glass?”  It was the sign on a lot of fire alarms.  The idea was if you noticed a fire you should break the glass and sound the alarm.  So that’s what I am doing now.  Breaking the Glass of the need to  examine your thoughts.

This Sunday we need to come together to truly praise the LORD.  We have a lot of help in doing that because the Psalm appointed is number 148.  Here are some excepts from this Psalm:

 
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights  Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!
Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.
Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women alike, old and young together!
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.

 

This psalm is a psalm of praise.  And along with this psalm we will sing hymns and songs of praise.  We will also have an opportunity to praise God with prose and prayers and quiet times.  And when you think of it, sustaining resentment has no place in our lives as Christians.  We have the most precious gift in all the universe, God’s love.  God’s Love is the most pure thing in all the world and you have the love of God at work in you if you are a Christian.  There is no evil, no power, no person in all the world that can destroy or conquer God’s love, God’s peace, God’s mercy.  

Life with COVID can cause fatigue, and when you are tired and worn down it can create a sense of emptiness, a sense that everything is wrong, or a sense of fear.  But at St Georges and at St Michaels, and churches all over the world our lives are rich and rewarding because we have the love of God within us.  We have inherited a tradition of working within the community, and of generosity. 

The most common command in the Bible is, “do not be afraid.”  I urge you to remember that command because, I believe that our best days are yet to come.  God has brought us all through 2 years of COVID.  It is a time of testing that provided challenges and really stretched people of the church to discover new and creative ways of meeting those challenges.  But don’t forget, the words of our Lord, which we will also hear in our service, as recorded in John 13: 

 
 “Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.'
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

 

When Jesus died on the cross for you, he didn’t say, “Father crush them and make them feel the pain I feel.”  No, he said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”  

Let's live into compassion, forgiveness, and praise. I invite you to reflect on these words and pray with me:

Dear God,

We come to you today with a prayer for love. We ask that you help us to see the good in others and to treat them with kindness and respect. We pray that we will learn to practice tolerance and understanding toward one another, even when it is difficult.

Please help us to love one another. Help us to forgive each other for our failings and move forward in a spirit of peace, knowing that we are all in this together.

Help us to respect each other’s differences, and to accept each other with humility and grace. Let us learn from one another’s triumphs as well as from one another’s hardships.

Let us be kind, not only in word but also in deed. Let us show each other compassion and kindness so that everyone feels safe, secure and at home within our community.