June 11, 2017        Creation and Re-Creation
                                                       

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  Thus begins Psalm 8 which we read as our Call to Worship this morning. Psalm 8 is the first psalm of praise in the psalter – list of psalms. And Psalm  8 was chosen as the first piece of human literature to go into space, on the first moon landing. Why Psalm 8? Because psalm 8 describes not just human life, but life that is of a higher purpose, the best that we are, and that life comes to us through faith in God.  

Whenever I do a psalm study on Psalm 8, there are four things that I keep in mind. First, Psalm 8 begins and ends with that opening statement. "O LORD, our lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth." This statement of faith, sets the boundaries of the psalm, and everything within the psalm reflects the life that is found in that faith! Psalm 8 says nothing about other god’s or lords, for there are plenty of them in the world, - but it speaks only of the God of Israel. Which is the God we know of in Jesus Christ.

Second, “out of the mouths of babes and infants, you have founded a bulwark because of your foes to silence the enemy and the avenger.” When I read this line, I often think of the cry of my daughters as infants, or now my granddaughter. That powerful urging to care for the weak and the helpless. I think of the picture of the child in Allepo, or the Chinese student standing before the tank in Tienaman square. The concern for peace and justice in a world filled with violence and war. And finally, I think of the Israelites, crying out in Egypt to be freed from slavery and oppression. This is God’s spirit in the midst of the world, which seeks compassion, justice, and freedom for all.

            Third, “what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them, yet you have made them a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.” This statement is a reminder that we have been made in the image of God, and that it is only in a life of faith that we will realize this glory and honor. It is a reminder that our lives find their purpose in showing God’s compassion, seeking God’s justice, and discovering God’s freedom for all.

          Finally, “You have given them dominion over the works of your hands, and put all things under their feet.” This statement speaks of our place in the order of God’s creation, we have been given dominion. And this dominion is shaped by what he have read in the psalm already. It is not the worldly dominion of presidents, kings, or emperors. It is not the worldly dominion of soldiers and wars or crosses. It is the dominion of stewards, caretakers, and servants. It is the dominion that comes from God’s compassion, justice, and freedom expressed in human life.

          I decided to base my sermon on Psalm 8, because this weekend at the Illinois Conference meeting, we celebrated the ministry of a number people who spent some 60 years living this faith that is described in Psalm 8, and the glory, honor, and dominion that their lives demonstrated.

         The first ministry we celebrated was that of a couple who worked diligently on the plight of workers. One of the most interesting things about their ministry was their work on behalf of farm workers in the state of Illinois, seeking fair treatment and safe working conditions. Seeking equal pay for workers doing the same jobs, seeking water and breaks for laborers in the field, seeking to stop airborne spraying of crops while workers are in the field.

        Second, we celebrated the ministry of a couple who worked as mission interpreters in the Illinois Conference, seeking to connect people to the numerous missions to Guatemala, Angola, and here in the US, that made a difference in human lives. They were also celebrated for their efforts on the Justice and Witness committee of the UCC, advocating for immigrant workers, women, children, and people of race, so that they may know justice and freedom in this great nation.

        Finally, we celebrated the work of a third couple on behalf of people with mental illness. Their work sprung out of a brother taking his life, and their sense of compassion that drove them to ensure that the people of Illinois and the nation had access and training to help those with that type of illness. In addition they created programs to help those who cared for and could refer people with mental illness for treatment, and they created educational opportunities to help lay people overcome the stigma of people with mental illness, so they would not be excluded but included in our congregations and society. 

         These individuals in their work have lived within the boundaries of Psalm 8, recognizing God as their Sovereign, and responded to the cries of those who are unloved, treated unjustly, or oppressed by the world. In their ministries, they have shown us how the power of faith in Jesus Christ, gives us dominion over the powers of darkness in human life. Now some might think that's great for pastors and leaders in the church, but each one of these individuals, gave thanks for all of the people in the local churches, associations, conferences and national church bodies who also have responded to their cries.  The local lay people who have all been a part of these programs, and in doing so, lived out their faith as well. Without these people, there would be none of these great accomplishments, no great changes in our world.  In this, they remind us that even at the local level, we can live out our faith and take part in overcoming the enemies and avengers in our lives, and realize the glory and honor that God has crowned us with!