(Psalm 132; Revelation 1:4b-8) J G White

10:30 am, Sunday, Nov 3, 2024, FBC Amherst

I grew up in Wilmot, Annapolis County - officially it was Wilmot Station. But that is not why, when in Fredericton this past Mother’s Day, I attended Wilmot United Church. I went to Wilmot United because it had a reputation. I knew that for years they would have world-class lecturers come and speak there. Decades ago it would be Marcus Borg or John Shelby Spong, or other sensational Biblical scholars on the fringe.

The ‘Mothers Day’ Sunday I was there, in a few pews, downstairs and up, there were knitters knitting, during the service. They were celebrating a prayer shawl ministry, among other things, as they worshipped together.

There are many spiritual practices that a Baptist Christian might exercise: personal prayer, Christian meditation, tithing income, Bible reading and study, Bible memorization, spiritual direction, spiritual retreats, singing or making other music.

One of the few I am any good at doing, and sticking with as a discipline, is worship, and by this I mean worshipping God with others: this. And it has fascinated me for decades. How does this work? What is really going on? Why are other people invested in it - or not?

The Hebrews of old, at least in the Bible, seem always to be worshipping, in their strange and ancient ways. Let us go to His dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool says today’s Psalm. We catch glimpses of Jewish priests in their perfect clothing, shouts of joy from the faithful, and the Ark of the Covenant, that famed furniture of their ancient religion.

Let me take you on my busman’s holiday, the places I praised with others this year that were not here. Ever been to Plaster Rock, NB? I hadn’t either. But a friend and former colleague lives there, so I visited her. Sunday morning (Aug 4) came ‘round, and I looked for a Church that was having service early. One white building with steeple had the name of the Church on it, St. Andrews United, but not a hint of services or times or anything. I happened to be driving around at 10 am, and saw about seven cars parked there. I went in. Worship had already started.

A lay preacher was leading the service. She gave an OK sermon that seemed a bit traditional and also lengthy, I thought, for a United Church. Turns out, the preacher, visiting from Perth Andover, was a Baptist. A week later I saw her at Oasis, our Baptist meetings in Moncton, and she had just passed the examining council for ordination. She ‘became Reverend’ this past fall.

At the end of my vacation I heard a true lay preacher, at St. George and St. Andrew United Church, Annapolis Royal. It was their interim organist who spoke, in plain, down-to-earth ways. Their minister, a friend of mine, was away on vacation that day.

The role of priest, preacher, pastor, minister, carries on for thousands of years… In Psalm 132, God declares, about Jewish Jerusalem, ‘its priests I will clothe with salvation.’

Some Anglican once said, ‘A priest should be a kind of living Sunday.’ Even as an ordained minister, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with clergy in the Church. We can be too influential. I value the role, as a profession, a calling, a home for my own career. We are to equip the saints for the work of ministry; ‘the saints’ being all of you. Worship is the work of the people, not a performance or holy lecture by me or Marlene. I believe I am never to say “I pray” when I am praying here - because I am simply guiding all of us. “We pray.” When I am focused in these ways, I am clothed in righteousness. So I do not want people attracted to Sunday morning by me. I need them to be attracted by Christ, and how Jesus shines out from all of us together.

The next week of August I skipped out early from the Baptist AGM called Oasis, to get to St. Martin’s, NB, for the Funday Sea Shanty Festival. I love that seaside village, and the music was delightful. Even when the weather was not. Sunday morning (Aug 11), I went to the St. Martin’s Baptist Church. One brief mention was made of the Sea Shanty Festival, but we did not sing any shanties in church. The guitarists who led the singing started off with this song, a new one to me:

I'm using my Bible for a road map

The Ten Commandments they tell me what to do

The twelve disciples are my road signs

And Jesus will take me safely through

Psalm 132 says, ‘Let the faithful shout for joy.’ There are many ways people of faith ‘shout for joy.’ Or lament. Or pray in our music. Is it working? I have never been a member of a strong-singing congregation. In the pews, a proportion of people sing, but not most. And certainly not with any volume. My volume could beat all of you put together, I sometimes think. And spread sixty people out in a space for five hundred - it’s a recipe for mediocrity and mumbles.

I want us to offer the world (our community) the spiritual practice of singing together. This still inspires me. But not everyone. Meanwhile, I daydream about having a ‘sea shanty service’ one day, and sing some rewritten versions of I’se the b’y, Wellerman, Leave Her, Johnny or Guysborough Train.

On August 18th I was camping near Guysborough, NS. I found a handful of church buildings in that village; most seemed closed up. So I attended mass at St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church. The priest’s sermon did not endear me; it was a plug for attending the mass regularly. But the building was nice. Big, tall, clear windows. No stained glass. I could see out to the sky and the trees and the neighbourhood. One could say, Look! Jesus is coming with the clouds; every eye will see Him, if you were so inclined.

I grew to love that kind of clear view, at worship, in the Manning Memorial Chapel at Acadia University. I try to be aware, in a room like this, of all that is unseen just outside these windows and the stone.

The ancient Hebrew Temple was on a hill called Zion, in their city, Jerusalem. Celebrated in Psalm 132. Did you hear the part that says, I will abundantly bless its provisions; I will satisfy its poor with bread? In the midst of all the promises about their King, their anointed one, is how the surrounding people are cared for. When their final Anointed One arrived, Jesus, He was all about this.

A congregation that worships with the community in view is a congregation that has a place for others who care. Who believe God is in the business of blessing those who need a blessing. Who understand we are brought together to be sent out on our deployment, our mission. Our gathering must join us to be on this team together, out there on our own.

I’m not going to talk about my Sunday morning stop on August 25th; it was Trinity-St. Stephen’s United Church, Amherst, NS. And I have already mentioned Annapolis Royal on September 1st. Let me end with God’s call to gather and worship. The dramatic, dreamy words of the book of Revelation keep rejoicing with God in view. Chapter one is but the start of it. Every eye will see Christ, the Alpha and Omega - the A to Zed. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

One of Marva Dawn’s books about Christian worship is titled: A Royal Waste of Time. And here is what Frederick Buechener said about the worship service:

To worship God means to serve him. Basically there are two ways to do it. One way is to do things for him that he needs to be done—run errands for him, carry messages for him, fight on his side, feed his lambs, and so on. The other way is to do things for him that you need to do—sing songs for him, create beautiful things for him, give things up for him, tell him what’s on your mind and in your heart, in general rejoice in him and make a fool of yourself for him in the way lovers have always made fools of themselves for the one they love.

A Quaker Meeting, a Pontifical High Mass, the Family Service at First Presbyterian, a Holy Roller Happening—unless there is an element of joy and foolishness in the proceedings, the time would be better spent doing something useful. (Wishful Thinking, 1973, pp. 97-98)

Thank you for joining me for this royal waste of time.