This sermon was offered the second Sunday of Lent at St. David's Episcopal Church in Minnetonka, MN. The Scripture included: Genesis 15:1-12,17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35
How many of you have one of these?
I think I got this sometime in the 1980’s. Someone, somewhere, spent time picking out Bible verses that could “fit” with a name. On the back of the plaque it says: “Names are very important to God! ‘A good name is more to be desired than great riches…’ On this product is found your name, its meaning or the character quality that its meaning implies, and a scripture verse illustrating that meaning or quality. Character name plaques are designed to motivate you to live up to your name!”
I find it fascinating, but have no idea how anyone came up with this verse for the name Debra. And yet, it has, in many ways, become a large part of my identity.
The verse comes from today’s Psalm. This is the King James version: “When Thou saidst, ‘Seek ye my face;’ my heart said unto Thee, ‘Thy face, Lord, will I seek.’”
Whether I realized it or not, these words have become my personal words to live by. It really has motivated me to live into this verse.
I sometimes wonder if I had never seen this plaque if I would be able to make that statement. I wonder if this verse from this Psalm on this plaque helped me become who I am. Could something like this really have that much influence on my life?
I think it has.
Consider the influence words have on individuals and society. People have found phrases that become words to live by and truly live by them. My husband is a Rotarian and he does his best to live by the 4-Way Test:
Other people have found other words to live by in the quotes of others.
Consider these:
“Just do it;” (Nike) or
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” (Jesus in Luke 10:27) or
You get the picture.
Jesus Followers have a lot of words to live by, both from scripture and from people throughout time.
For me, this verse (that seems to have been picked out for anyone named Debra) has changed my life. I guess that’s what words to live by can do. I guess that’s what I want to tell you. I want to tell you why these words matter to me.
Every day I get the opportunity to look at this plaque and read its message. And this message is really, really profound. It is a brief dialog between God and, for the sake of this story, me. God invites me to be in relationship in a very personal way, particularly when I look at a variety of translations, like this one from The Message: “When my heart whispered, “Seek God,” my whole being replied, “I’m seeking him!”
My whole being replied to the whisper in my heart…wow…there are days when that is such a strong feeling I ache inside and tears flow. Other days it is simply routine.
I don’t own this verse. I am just blessed to have it where I can see it whenever I want. This verse belongs to all of us. It belongs to all of us because it is God’s invitation to be with God, to always seek God, to always trust God.
All that is asked in return is to say “Yes. I will be with you, God. I will continually seek you. I will trust you.”
That’s it.
So for as long as that plaque has been on my wall, and maybe longer, I have sought God. I have lived a life looking for the good in the world, in people, in innovation, in politics, in communities. Even when none of those things looked or felt good, I have sought the good, because if it is of God, it is good.
That sounds a bit like Pollyanna, I know. There are definitely times where the process is a little more like playing ‘Hide and Seek’ because the world isn’t easy, living in the world can be hard, seeing good in the severe, revealing, harsh light can seem impossible. But I have found that if I can find the glimmer of good, the goodness in another, and I focus on that, and share what I see, (even if my voice shakes!) then sometimes others begin to see the goodness and will focus on what is possible with God.
I have a question for you to think about. Have you ever considered the impact a single verse from scripture has had on you?
This Lent, I invite you to spend time listening for those words.
Maybe you will find them on a plaque with your name on it. Maybe you will find them in the moments of silence you take in a day. Maybe you will intentionally seek them out to create a contemplative moment. In whatever way you encounter your personal words, remember they are a gift that can help to mold you into who God created you to be.
Lent is a time when we are invited to dig a little deeper into ourselves. When we are invited to explore our role in the world and our responsibility toward living in the world.
It is a time to consider the circle of life, as winter turns to spring and as what seemed dead is beginning to emerge from its temporary grave.
Lent is a time when we listen more fully to the silence, especially when the silence helps us to grow more deeply into relationship with God.
Lent is a time to hear words from Psalms that heighten awareness to the holiness mixed with the messiness of living.
Lent is a time to consider new ways of understanding familiar words. New ways to follow Jesus. New ways to be in relationship with God. New ways to hear your bidding in Psalm 27…
From the Common English Bible: “Come, my heart says, seek God’s face. Lord, I do seek your face!”
From the Contemporary English Version: “My heart tells me to pray. I am eager to see your face.”
From the Good News Bible: ‘When you said, “Come worship me,” I answered, “I will come, Lord.”’
Let us pray. Lord, your words are an invitation to come into relationship with you. They are like a magnet pulling your people to you, to come to you, to seek you, to know you. Let hearts be opened to say, Yes, Lord, your face I will seek. In your holy and life-giving name, Amen.