{"id":1014,"date":"2017-06-25T17:00:38","date_gmt":"2017-06-25T17:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2017\/06\/25\/commissioning-commencement-based-on-psalm-146\/"},"modified":"2020-02-15T19:00:08","modified_gmt":"2020-02-15T19:00:08","slug":"commissioning-commencement-based-on-psalm-146","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2017\/06\/25\/commissioning-commencement-based-on-psalm-146\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cCommissioning Commencement\u201d based on Psalm 146"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rev. Sara E. BaronFirst United Methodist Church of Schenectady603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305Pronouns: she\/her\/hershttp:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/<\/a>
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FUMCSchenectady<\/a><\/p>\n

Psalm
\n146 not only instructs us to praise God, it tells us why we would
\nwant to praise God. \u00a0It tells us who God is, and thus why God is
\nworthy of praise. \u00a0I tend to think this is a very interesting
\nquestion, because there are many possible answers! \u00a0For example, most
\nof the gods and goddesses worshiped around Ancient Israel would have
\nindicated that they praised their gods and goddesses because of what
\nthey had or what they wanted. \u00a0The assumption was that divine beings
\ngave out favors based on preferences and on the offerings made to
\nthem. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThose
\ndivine beings were sort of like human rulers, they used the power
\nthey had to help the ones who made them feel good. \u00a0In that
\nunderstanding, sacrifices to the gods and goddesses were really ways
\nof preparing feasts for them, as a way of influencing their good
\nfavor.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nYHWH
\nwas understood in differently. \u00a0YHWH wasn’t understood to be
\nsusceptible to bribes, sacrifices, or other manipulations. \u00a0YHWH
\ncared (and cares) about a just society where the vulnerable are
\nwell-cared for, and where bribes and other manipulations don’t
\ninfluence human decisions either! \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nYHWH
\nis described in this Psalm as the one who brings justice to the
\noppressed. \u00a0That’s such a common description in the Bible that I fear
\nwe may not pay much attention to it! \u00a0Our God is a God who seeks
\njustice, and who in particular seeks justice for those who are not
\ntreated justly in the world as it is. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nOur
\nGod is also described as seeking to free prisoners. \u00a0That’s also
\ncommon language, language we even hear in our communion liturgy. \u00a0It
\nfits Luke’s description of Jesus, one that quotes Isaiah. \u00a0This
\nphrase is all over the Bible! \u00a0But have you thought about it!? \u00a0God
\nis the one who empties prisons!? \u00a0I, for one, wanted to make sure
\nthat this meant the same thing back then that it means now. \u00a0I
\nwondered who was imprisoned in Biblical times. \u00a0It turns out, it is
\nabout who you’d expect: debtors, prisoners of war, political
\nadversaries, and most commonly those who broke the laws of society.
\nPrison was sometimes a holding cell until a punishment was decided,
\nparticularly in cases seen as validating the death sentence.
\nPrisoners were forced to perform cheap labor, and at times that lead
\nto intentional increases in the prison population in order to access
\nsaid labor.1<\/sup><\/a>
\n While this isn’t entirely a description of prison in the United
\nStates today, it is close enough that the meaning of \u201cThe LORD sets
\nthe prisoners free\u201d is the same now as then!<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nWe
\nhear sometimes of prisons in the Bible. \u00a0We hear that Joseph was
\nimprisoned because of an accusation of sexual assault, and he was
\nimprisoned with people who had displeased a temperamental king. \u00a0Of
\nthose two, one was freed, one was killed. The empowered and strong
\nhad influence over who was jailed and who was set free, then as now.
\nWe hear of the man in Gerasenes, in Luke, who \u201clived in tombs\u201d
\nand was bond with chains whenever possible. \u00a0Thus the mentally ill
\nwere imprisoned then as they are now. \u00a0We hear of Paul and his
\ncompatriots being imprisoned rather regularly, for sharing news and
\ninformation that the authorities didn’t want shared. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nI
\ndon’t know how the words about prisoners being set free would have
\nstruck those who listened in the time of King David, or in the time
\nof Peter and Paul. \u00a0I don’t know if they would have been afraid of
\nfreedom for those who were mentally ill, or those who had a bone to
\npick with society, those who were dangerous to government, or those
\nwho broke the laws that kept society stable. \u00a0Today, I think most
\npeople would feel afraid setting all prisoners free. \u00a0Even though we
\nincarcerate about 10x more people per capita than similar countries,
\nour common narrative is that we are safer for doing so. \u00a0I do think
\nthere is an need for a justice system that includes keeping society
\nsafe from repeat violent offenders. \u00a0Of course, I’ve been convinced
\nover time that the long term safety of everyone is achieved through
\nrestorative justice… and not the punitive system we currently have
\nthat most often takes severely traumatized people and traumatizes
\nthem further. \u00a0Still, I think it is possible that the concerns we
\nhave now about setting all the prisoners free would have had
\nresonance with those long ago. \u00a0Yet, God is regularly referred to as
\nthe one who does so. \u00a0Our God is a radical God.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nTo
\nthink of God as a God who sets prisoners free indicates that the
\nworld, as it is, doesn’t reflect the world as God wants it to be. \u00a0It
\nindicates that more people are unjustly imprisoned than justly
\nimprisoned, that prison doesn’t make the world better, and that
\nthings are so bad that God would rather have no one in the system
\nthan all the people who are. \u00a0Oye!! \u00a0That answer is \u00a0reflected in
\nearlier verses of the Psalm itself. \u00a0Verse three tells us not to put
\nour \u201ctrust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.\u201d
\nThis Psalm has some serious issues with human institutions, and
\nencourages serious distrust of them.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe
\nworld lets people be hungry, God wants the hungry to fed, God doesn’t
\nwant anyone to be hungry! \u00a0The world has prisoners and prison guards,
\nGod wants freedom for them both. \u00a0(I would suggest that moving toward
\nrestorative justice, like the work of the Center for Community
\nJustice, gives freedom to everyone. \u00a0We are pleased to be a part of
\ntheir work, giving people volunteer opportunities as an alternative
\nto jail.) \u00a0The world has people who are bowed down by the weight of
\ntheir burdens, and those who are lifted up other people’s shoulders.
\nGod wants to lift up the burdened, and help them stand tall. \u00a0The
\nworld takes advantage of those who lack power, those without legal
\ncounsel, those who can’t afford to fight, those who don’t have the
\nmeans to support themselves. \u00a0In Biblical times those were summarized
\nas the strangers, the orphans and the widows, which meant those who
\nhad no native male to care for them. \u00a0God is said to watch over them
\ndirectly, upholding those who have no one else to uphold them.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe
\nvery idea of righteousness and evilness in the Hebrew Bible relates
\nto the care of the vulnerable. \u00a0Good living, that is righteousness,
\nmeans living in a sustainable system that has built in systems to
\ncare for those who can’t care for themselves. \u00a0Even the tithe was set
\nup as a way to care for those who didn’t have other access to food!
\nRules existed about not being too careful harvesting so that others
\ncould glean from the fields. \u00a0Extended family was well-defined in
\nhopes of making sure there were a minimal number of people left
\noutside of the support of family. \u00a0Then, because power and influence
\nnaturally condense in human systems, the prophets continually hold
\nthe Kings accountable for overseeing a system where profit is made
\noff of the poverty of widows. \u00a0What is called evil in the Bible is
\ntaking advantage of the widows, orphans, and foreigners. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAnd
\nso, the Psalm says, don’t trust in the institutions of the mortals,
\nwhich will take advantage of the vulnerable. \u00a0Trust in God, and seek
\nto be like God who cares for those who need to be upheld. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThis
\nis what the Psalm finds praise-worthy about God. \u00a0This is why the
\nPsalmist instructs their own soul to praise God as long as they live.
\n It seems possible that the Psalmist wasn’t a part of the elite, and
\nwas grateful to know a God who cared. \u00a0It seems likely that the
\nPsalmist’s greatest hope was in the rules of the Torah that protected
\nthem, and in those faithful to God’s commandments who upheld the
\nrules.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe
\nPsalmist even connects these acts of justice of the Holy One to God’s
\nacts of creation. They are in continuity with each other, and the
\nPsalmist seems to think that God’s working toward justice is as
\neternal as God’s own being. \u00a0There is such HOPE in this Psalm. \u00a0When
\nit ends saying that YHWH will reign for ever, it implies that justice
\nwill be the end point of human life on earth.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nNone
\nof this really answers the question of WHY human institutions are so
\nincredibly untrustworthy. \u00a0The Psalm is sort of kind about it, it
\nseems to imply that we sometimes try to do good, but we die before we
\nfinish. \u00a0(Isn’t it sad that this is optimistic?) \u00a0In contrast, it
\npoints out that the steadfastness of God is more trustworthy. \u00a0Yet,
\nthe Bible just seems to know that human institutions will seek to
\nconsolidate power, and in order to do so will consolidate wealth and
\nmistreat the vulnerable to gain both. \u00a0The Bible isn’t naive about
\nthis part of human nature, and it has many explanations for it, but
\nno single one suffices.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nBut
\nperhaps the one the Psalm is even deeper than it appears. \u00a0Perhaps
\nhuman institutions seek to consolidate power because of existential
\nanxiety? \u00a0That is, we are all afraid we are going to die we are
\nseeking to prevent it in any way we can! \u00a0Power and money seem like
\nthe most successful ways to postpone death, so people seek it when
\nthey can! \u00a0Then, of course, we see the contrast between the human
\nfear of death and mortality and value of faith. \u00a0Faith gives us a way
\nto acknowledge our fears and live with them, without letting them
\ndictate our actions. \u00a0Faith reminds us of what justice looks like,
\nand tells us that God cares about how we treat each other. \u00a0That is,
\nGod cares about who has access to food, and who doesn’t; who has
\naccess to housing, and who doesn’t; who has access to healthcare, and
\nwho doesn’t; who has access to a fair chance in the justice system,
\nand who doesn’t; who has access to protection by the police, and who
\ndoesn’t; who has access to clean water, and who doesn’t; who has
\naccess to toilet paper, and who doesn’t. \u00a0God’s care about how we
\ntreat each other is practical.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nIt
\nis as practical as the ways that humans oppress each other, and as
\npractical as the ways societies have used prisons as means of
\ncontrol. \u00a0God’s vision for us in the execution of justice, upholding
\nof the vulnerable, freeing the prisoners, keeping open eyes, lifting
\nup those who are knocked down, keeping of faith, access to joy, and
\nloving goodness. \u00a0God is seeking full and abundant life for ALL of
\nGod’s people, and that requires acknowledging that human systems that
\nconsolidate power and money do so at the expense of those who lose
\npower and money.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nWhatever
\nforces exist that move human institutions into evilness, God’s
\nnudging is always toward righteousness. \u00a0As stubborn as we all are, I
\nthink it is most likely that God will win out over the long run, but
\nI’m pretty concerned in the short run.<\/p>\n

\n
So,
\na word to our graduates, whether they are here or not. \u00a0(Family
\nmembers can send links to the sermon if they wish.) \u00a0As you’ve
\nreached a new apex in your life, you have also increased your
\nlikelihood of accessing powering and money in the world. \u00a0It is
\nlikely that multiple human institutions will seek your skills to help
\nthem consolidate power and money. \u00a0It is likely that your own fears
\nwill be a strong voice within, if you are human like the rest of us.
\nBut today I commission you, to be part of God’s work in the world.
\nSeek righteousness, attend to the disempowered, be concerned about
\nthe vulnerable, fight back against systems of injustice, and be
\ncareful who you think deserves imprisonment. \u00a0You, too, can be a part
\nof making the world that is into the world as God would have it be.
\nBut it requires distrust in human institutions and a willingness to
\nlet faith take control of some of our fear. \u00a0May we all find the
\nways. \u00a0Amen\n<\/p>\n

1<\/a>David
\n\tNoel Freedman, Anchor Bible Dictionary: Volume 5 O-Sh,
\n\t\u201cPrison\u201d (New York: Doubleday, 1992) p. 468-449.<\/p>\n

Rev. Sara E. Baron<\/p>\n

First United Methodist Church of Schenectady<\/p>\n

603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305<\/p>\n

Pronouns: she\/her\/hers<\/p>\n

http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/<\/a>
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FUMCSchenectady<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rev. Sara E. BaronFirst United Methodist Church of Schenectady603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305Pronouns: she\/her\/hershttp:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FUMCSchenectady Psalm 146 not only instructs … Continue reading \u201cCommissioning Commencement\u201d based on Psalm 146<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[34,38,28,39,33,604,598,599,603,597,602,56,601,600],"class_list":["post-1014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons","tag-fumc-schenectady","tag-progressive-christianity","tag-rev-sara-e-baron","tag-thinking-church","tag-umc","tag-church","tag-favorite-psalm","tag-graduation-sunday","tag-our-god-is-radical","tag-psalm-146","tag-restorative-justice","tag-schenectady","tag-various-meanings-of-sacrifice","tag-yhwh-is-like-that"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1014"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1223,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014\/revisions\/1223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}