SMILE & SAY GOD BLESS YOU
Psalm 1
MARK 9: 30-37
SEPTEMBER 22, 2024
The word is spelled G-E-S-U-N-D-H-E-I-T and most of us say it with some degree of frequency perhaps with no sense whatsoever of what it means. This German word’s common usage got me thinking about other words and phrases that we use without really knowing their meaning.
I have a feeling that if I sneezed here in church this morning, I’d hear quite a few God Bless You’s coming from the congregation and yes, perhaps even one or two GESUNDHEIT’s.
I asked one of my closest friends what they thought GESUNDHEIT meant and they said that it is German for God Bless You. Well, they were not exactly correct. GESUNDHEIT means GOOD HEALTH, which is something that obviously we wish for all of us to have and especially a wish for those creating a nice loud ACHOO within our vicinity.
I wonder when we easily let out a GOD BLESS YOU to a stranger whether we are having a serious faith-filled moment or whether we are even considering wanting God to bless the sneezer. Obviously, we no longer hold to the tradition that led to that particular sneeze response because back in the olden days people believed that one’s soul could escape the body during a particularly strong sneeze and therefore, the sneezer most definitely needed God’s blessing as they held their handkerchief to their noses.
Do you have serious faith-filled moments? I was asked recently what it means to be a serious believer versus a casual believer and whether a casual believer actually is a Christian because they really don’t seem to apply the lessons of faith to their lives.
It is an interesting question that has led me to ask you to consider how you define your faith and if you have a clear definition of what it is to be a Christian because after all, I am pretty sure that most of us who are here in worship today or watching us online are quick to state that we are Christians, if we are asked. I know for sure I would.
And this brings me full circle back to God’s blessings. I believe that we will discover God’s blessings for each of us when we grab onto God’s instructions for living our daily lives. Not a casual ho hum I can quote John 3:16 but a serious acceptance of God.
I chose to use two Psalms in our service today because each holds some very essential truths that we need to understand. Perhaps the ultimate clarity of God’s expectations comes from that very first verse in the first Psalm.
“The truly happy person does not follow wicked advice, does not stand on the road of sinners, and does not sit with the disrespectful.” I think we all fully understand what wicked means. The Wicked Witch of the West being just a prime example. So, if we are to be faithful to God then we most certainly don’t cheer on the wicked and join their team. If we love our neighbors as God teaches, then we won’t hang out with those who disrespect others. If we are faithful then we follow Jesus.
You can almost sense the ongoing priority of God’s commands in that simple verse from Psalm 1. It showed up on a bumper sticker I saw the other day that read, ‘That love thy neighbor stuff? I meant that. GOD.’ Any one of us who opens the Bible to its beginning middle or end knows that the message to love all of our neighbors is clearly from God.
So, if we want to be serious about our faith it begins with making choices. Who we align with. Where our focus is. Do we want to be the kind of people the psalmist calls happy people? Scripture says a truly happy person is also the faithful person “who loves the Lord God’s instruction and who are like a tree replanted by streams of water, which bears fruit at just the right time.” You know … bears fruit … like Jesus called out at the end, “Go make disciples” even unto Swedesboro folks!
And, yes, I didn’t miss the reference to streams of water … we all need that restoration of our souls from time to time in the green meadows or beside the still waters because we can easily forget that God’s people … believers and the faithful are called to “CLAP OUR HANDS! SHOUT TO GOD with LOUD SONGS of JOY!” Together we read that message earlier. That’s why I asked you to draw a happy face and add either JOY to the WORLD or REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS on your cards.
Now, let’s consider our identity as Christians. Jesus teaches that all of us have a chance to qualify if we believe or as Jesus said “those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.” It’s all about God’s love for us and our love for God by living as God expects us to live rather than trying to fit into the world. Any of us can do it!
Paul clarifies Jesus teaching for us if we first didn’t get the message when Paul wrote, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Once we love our God, love our neighbors, and realize that the Kingdom of God is open for everyone then I think we have made major steps to endorsing the message that should be our focus GOD BLESS EVERYONE … oh wait, that was Tiny Tim’s message wasn’t it. But that is God’s intent. By the way, do you smile when you say GOD BLESS YOU … do you smile when you pray GOD BLESS EVERYONE? Do you mean it … do you want it? Are you a CHRISTIAN through your life actions?
We obviously need to understand Jesus to be a Christian. We need to accept Him as Lord and Savior and clearly as our teacher for how we live our lives. You can get all the details in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the first chapter of Acts.
I think we all know the Jesus historical records but real quick … God’s angel came to Mary who then agreed with God’s plan. Mary and Joseph headed to Bethlehem to take care of their tax obligations and in a dirty old barn Mary gave birth to Jesus and then a group of sweaty shepherds came to see the baby; these guys had experienced the heavenly host of angels firsthand proclaiming “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.” They didn’t need Linus to explain Christmas to them because they were living it. Then Jesus, Mary and Joseph became illegal aliens in Egypt to escape Herod. They came home and Jesus challenged the religious leaders when he was a teenager and then John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus was coming. Jesus showed up and was baptized. He hung out with 12 guys and some assorted other folks, sharing God’s messages of love, healing many and bringing God’s truth. Then the power-focused religious leaders plotted and connived and got Judas to betray Jesus. Jesus died on the cross fulfilling prophesy as God’s sacrifice for the sins of humanity. They put Him in a tomb but a couple days later when the ladies arrived the tomb was empty because they discovered HE IS RISEN <<He is Risen Indeed>>. Jesus then hung out for 40 days, cooked a fish barbecue for His disciples and before heading home to God He gave a final message that all who believed needed to share the message … spread the GOOD NEWS or as we say “bear some fruit people!”
Phew … there’s the Jesus history and God only asks us to believe and while living a life faithful to what Jesus taught. So, friends I am sharing this message today … I am reminding you that Scripture, which after all is our guide into God’s expectations, Scripture tells us to avoid the bad folks … the wicked … those who run counter to God’s teaching and if we are to understand with clarity what it means when we say we are a Christian then we need to actually accept God’s teaching not in a Willy Nilly manner but with a seriousness beginning with loving God and then loving all of our neighbors just like that bumper sticker I mentioned said.
DO NOT STAND on the road of sinners. DO NOT SIT with the DISRESPECTFUL. Change … be molded by God and love God’s instruction.
But if you know me by now then you know that I also believe that having faith … actually understanding what faith means … has a personal impact which can be found in the Psalm we shared this morning. It is also found in my favorite verse in the Bible.
People who have faith … have joy in their lives even in the darkest moments. Faith brings joy … faith leads to a desire to praise God … our Christian faith unites our understanding of Jesus teaching with the transformation of our lives that make us people who seek to unify the world through love because that is what Jesus said.
But my goodness … we need to smile without hesitation when we think about God and Christ and the Holy Spirit! The psalmist in that first verse of the Psalms refers to a person of faith as “the truly happy person.” And, so if you want to add another happy reference about your faith to your smiling face drawing please feel free to do so because I am going to share them on the wall so everyone coming into church can get a sense of the joy you have in your faith.
Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS, again I say rejoice!” That’s an always call! We have to be able to let go and celebrate God’s love!
The Psalm we read together declared, “Shout to God with loud songs of joy! Sing praises to God, sing praises!” Joy and happiness and faith together!
Yesterday at the Family Fun Day anyone who came to our booth saw a group of church friends displaying joy in their connection with St. Paul’s and therefore with God. As I told Jim, “I think the world needs to see that Christians are joy-filled people who welcome all others to join us.” I really believe that is an essential step for us.
One of God’s blessings I believe is the joy we can experience when we believe. It takes active participation in our faith on our part so, are you ready to celebrate God’s love for you and for all of humanity? Will you say God bless you with a greater frequency and with a smile that might lead others to ask why you said that?
As we leave today will you sing with enthusiasm that our God is an awesome God?
God is so awesome and so loving and so ready to make your life better if you let go of the world and embrace God’s love and teaching through Jesus Christ.
JOY TO THE WORLD … the LORD HAS COME! We are past due in receiving our King with joy and celebration. Let’s do it together! Be serious in your faith and ready to take on the world with a smile and a willingness to share God’s blessings with others! AMEN
WORK HARD, BE KIND, and AMAZING THINGS WILL HAPPEN!
God does not forget your efforts and the love you have shown for God’s name sake when you served and continue to serve God’s people.
“So be careful to live your life wisely, not foolishly. Take advantage of every opportunity. Understand the Lord’s will. Be filled with the Spirit in the following ways: speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts; always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”