Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Scripture for the Day: Psalm 100
At the beginning of this pandemic, I readily imagined the day of our return to the sanctuary. Hundreds would pack the house of the Lord. The once empty pews would be full to overflowing with people belting out hymns and boldly praying in unison. We would easily enter the gates with a renewed sense of thanksgiving. We would come to the courts with pent-up praise just bursting from our mouths. I have never pastored during a public emergency before, so forgive me my short sightedness. In reality, our return will look much different.
In worship, I suppose we will see face coverings and social distancing. We won’t pass the peace with handshakes. I know I won’t be ready for a hug! Grand processionals like the one depicted in Psalm 100 will take a back seat for some time. In the congregation, there will be folks scarred by the sickness – maybe they battled the virus themselves or lost a loved one to the disease. Others will be financially burdened – members who can’t meet their pledges, newcomers who know about FPC because of a food pantry visit. Still others will carry wounds from a different war – hips hurting from wrestling with God in the night. When we enter the courts, we will feel thankful, but also anxious, angry, sad and lonely. Our praise will be textured by the pain of this pandemic for quite some time, so what do we do with this Psalm?
In his commentary on Working Preacher, FPC’s own Joel LeMon considers the NRSV’s choice of the word “good” in the last line of the Psalm. Dr. LeMon notes that there “is a wide semantic range” for the Hebrew word tov, and an analysis of the immediate context is in order. The Lord is good not because we always and immediately experience material blessings. God is not good when we have food on our tables and health in our bones. God is not good when stocks are up and the GDP is strong. God is not good when the sanctuary is packed and the parking lot is full. And God is not bad when there is a virus running amok. The psalmist says, “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” God is good because God is steadfast and faithful when things are NOT good for us. Yahweh is good because of the longstanding relationship with the people. “What makes Yahweh good is that Yahweh has been reliable for a long time.”
We are living through an incredible moment in history. It is a terrible time for humanity – deaths, sickness, overburdened healthcare system, political contention, financial collapse. This is a season that will make it in the textbooks (or text online learning lessons). The impact of the coronavirus is global and generational. I wouldn’t be surprised if it changes the way we enter the courts forever. However, it doesn’t change God. God who is love; God who is steadfast and faithful.
Alleluia. Amen.
