November 6, 2011 PSALM 78:1-7 NRSV

November   6, 2011

PSALM 78:1-7  NRSV

1   Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
          incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2   I will open my mouth in a parable;
          I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3   things that we have heard and known,
          that our ancestors have told us.
4   We will not hide them from their children;
          we will tell to the coming generation
     the glorious deeds of the Lord, and the Lord’s might,
          and the wonders that the Lord has done.

5   The Lord established a decree in Jacob,
          and appointed a law in Israel,
     which he commanded our ancestors
          to teach to their children;
6   that the next generation might know them,
          the children yet unborn,
     and rise up and tell them to their children,
7        so that they should set their hope in God,
     and not forget the works of God,
          but keep God’s commandments.

***

I have come here to tell you a story, and if I am invited to come here, I will want you to tell me your stories. I will want us together, to tell the stories we already both know. I have known you only briefly, but even now I believe there are still stories we share.

Our shared stories begin with the Words, “In the Beginning…” Those three words are the Bible’s version of, “Once upon a time.” Our shared stories end with the Words from Revelation, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” This phrase that that offers hope for the future, is the Bible’s version of, “and they lived happily ever after.” Between the pages of the beginning and end of our Bible story are epics and epistles, proverbs and parables, psalms and songs.

And I wonder, which one is your favorite, and why? And I wonder which has gotten you through a hard time? I wonder which you chose for your wedding? And what you would want at your funeral? What scripture will be preached at the baptism of your children yet unborn? What scripture are you today?

Are you Eve, feeling tricked? Are you Cain and Abel with the serious side of sibling rivalry? Are you Joseph, and dreaming? Are you Joseph, a father at a manger? Are you John the Baptist watching a dove and hearing a voice from heaven? Are you Lazarus experiencing a miracle? Are you Mary washing Christ’s feet? Are you Mary waiting at the tomb? Are you doubting Thomas, or Timothy, a student of Paul? Who are you today? Which scripture story do you claim this day?

Have you told anyone else which Bible story is yours today? Or, do you tell your stories a little differently? What is the last story you told? Was your story the one about getting to church on time? Was your story the update on a sick family member? Did you give a compliment a friend about their clothing? Did you share a joy of a celebration? What is the last story you told? How did you tell your story? Did you ever think they all could be a scripture story?

In the story of trying to get to church on time, was there a Martha keeping everyone on task and a Mary hopelessly distracted? In the update on the sick family member, have you been praying for Jesus to perform a miracle as he did on Lazarus? In the clothing compliment to a friend, did you tell them their garment was like the Biblical Lydia’s, the seller of fine purple fabric? When you relayed your story of celebration, was it as if Christ had come to the wedding banquet? Have you heard the Bible’s stories enough times to see the way they play out even in the smallest plots of our daily lives? Have you heard the Bible stories enough times to see how they can also speak to the most significant tales in our lifetime?

In the Psalm today, a priest is reading the story of Exodus as a yearly ritual.  The Jews have heard the story of Exodus enough times that generations after the Exodus the Jews are remembering the epic tale as their own. They are remembering the Exodus. Exodus, the story of the Commandments, the miracles, the manna, Moses, the parting of the sea, rocks split for water, the battles, the sins, the tests, the demands, the plagues, the betrayals through worshiping false gods, praise returned to the one God, and David the Shepard – leading the people onward. Generations later, the Jews are remembering the story as their own, even though they personally did not walk in the desert. Do you know this story is our story too? Have we told it every year as we were commanded?

Is there a story you tell every year? As kid I know I heard, “Twas the night before Christmas,” every holiday season. There are also family stories, which seem to be constantly repeated. Yet, I cannot tell you my great grandparents’ names. Do you know your great grandparents’ names? How good are we at passing stories down? What is the secret to telling stories that get passed down?

My guess is that knowing the story is only half the telling. It takes making the story Our story for it to be passed down. It takes seeing ourselves in the story. It’s the reason we remember the stories about ourselves in our family, and not the ones about our great grandparents – unless their story is made into a story that is also our own. For instance, was our great grandparent an immigrant, and do we still hold onto their traditions? Were they abusive and do our families still hold their traditions? Was someone a musician and is our family still musical? Has an occupation been passed down through the generations? Do we look just like them? It takes making the story our own for it to be passed down.

What are the Bible stories we have made our own and passed down? Do your children know the names of their ancestors in the Exodus story? Do they know Moses, and David? Do they know the times where you felt like Moses or David? Can they see themselves in their characters? Do your children know the commandments? ? Do your children know what commandment might be the hardest for you? Is there a commandment your children struggle with, as the Jews did in Exodus? Do they know all the miracles of God in the Exodus story? Do they know when you have experienced a miracle that came like manna in the desert? Have they rejoiced and praised God like the people of Exodus?

I wonder how this congregation has grieved, and waited, and rejoiced, and healed, like the story of Exodus? I wonder, what are the stories this congregation has passed down? What stories have you together made your own? What stories of scripture has this congregation taken to heart over the years?  What ritual has been the same since your founding in1884? I have a guess. I can guess because even though I have known you but briefly, there are stories we both share. There are stories our ancestors have told for generations.

Do you know the one where they gathered at table, and bread was broken, and Jesus said, “This is my body broken for you?” and then He took the cup and said, “The blood of the covenant poured out for you.” Communion is a ritual of a story we have heard over and over, and over, and over, and over. Communion is a ritual of a story. We gather, time and time again, to tell this story. When’s the last time you told it? Has it become your own yet? What does it mean for you to hear those words of institution? Do the children of this church know this story and how it relates to you? When they take the bread and the cup do they experience the story as their own? I have a feeling they do because like the Jews in the Psalm, the story of the last supper is one we tell and experience often. We as a Christian people have made it our own and passed it down.

So if I am given the grace to stand here with you each week, I pray I will keep telling you the stories, if you keep telling me what makes them your own? Then together, we can pass our own stories of Scripture down. In so doing may we praise the glorious deeds of the Lord, so that our unborn children may set their hope in God. 

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen,”