UNTITLED MELODY

Rev. Dr. Mary Lou Howson

Psalm 84, John 15
Confirmation.

March 28, 2010

What do you want your life to be? What do you long for? What do want the music of your life to be? It is as yet untitled and only partially written. Today as you are confirmed, you are perhaps composing another measure but it will hopefully be a long time before your symphony is written. It will no doubt consist of crashing chords of joy, the depth and agony of the blues, everyday elevator music of boredom, the rebellious anger of heavy metal, the loneliness of country tunes – more than I could name.
But the question before you is what do you want? How will you decide?
Power money
Authority popularity
Fame make the world the way you think it should be
Happiness knowledge

Love respect
Friends family
Respect joy
Beauty wisdom

Are you more interested in serving your ego or God? Whose service sets you free? Whose holds you in bondage?


Psalm 84
One of the most beautiful hymns in all of the Bible
Song of joy of being and the loveliness of living in God's Presence
Taken only literally it is talking just of the Temple but it is also part of the wisdom tradition that emerges from the depths of abiding with God so it is speaking metaphorically of our inner temple – the very center of our soul, where God abides with us and we dwell with God

The psalmist is talking of the pathways love of in our heart where
even the sparrow and the swallow sing their joy and make their nests

Teresa – crystal

Now should you choose this path (and I pray that you will for it is the source and place of joy and blessing) what do you do? How do you find it?

Listen to our text from John's Gospel. These are part of Jesus' words to his disciples at the last supper, the last few hours he would spend with them. He wanted them to know how to stay on this path and not get lost. How to be rooted in the peace of God, how to live in it through all the days ahead, whether they be good or bad.

John 15: 1-12

In this imagery God = root
Christ = vine
We = branches

There are not a lot of techniques and intricate practices that the branches have to practice in order to bear good fruit. They just have to stay connected to the vine, to the peace and presence of God.

On the other hand, there aren't a lot of shortcuts either. It's all about connection – like friendship or love. It's hard to maintain a relationship without connection and contact – trust and intimacy are the heart of the matter.

Junk food may fill our stomachs but it won't nourish our bodies. They will wither and shrivel – just like the branch that gets disconnected from the vine.

Drugs and alcohol may give us a high, may even mimic the peace of Christ, but they don't last and eventually they devour our life. They can't give life.

So . . . how do you stay connected?

What we practiced at the opening of virtually every class:

SILENCE

Shut up
Open up
Listen up

Learn to recognize God's melody within you, immerse yourself in it, float in it, play in it, rejoice in it. Let it sing you into being. Join all of creation in singing.

If you can shut up, open up, listen up and join up all your other questions, confusions, agonies, hurts, losses, will eventually find solace and peace. The purpose of your life will become clear, your dreams will find form and shape that give life and hope. You will know love even in the midst of betrayal. And you will find wholeness in the midst of brokenness.

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