Happenings

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09 June 2013

Sermon: Proper 5C (Psalm)

9 June AD 2013
Pentecost 3

Title: Mourning at Night and Joy in the Morning (MP3 Audio)

Elijah Raises the Widow's Son Summary: Today’s Psalm, Old Testament, and Gospel are filled with crushing sorrow and certain death. Yet each also overflows with joy and new life from God. We know these people — we are these people — and we know the depths of woe and the heights of wonder.

Psalm 30, like so much of the Psalter, is a “slice of life,” a microcosm of human existence — at least the believer’s existence. Sin besets us, calamity overtakes us, death finally ends our lives on earth. Yet we know that our God turns even the terrors of sin-wrought death upside down and grants new life now, and everlasting life in the resurrection, for all who trust in Christ.

God knows death intimately because in the person of the Son, He was and remains part and parcel of our human existence. He grieved over the loss of loved ones, He had compassion on others when their beloved family members died, and He finally allowed death to swallow Him that at His rising, He might swallow death and grave.

And so even in the midst of mourning, we rejoice. Even as our hearts ache at the loss of dear family and friends, they sing glad songs to the Lord of life. We are baptized into Jesus’ death and raised to new life and our confidence is complete.

Our hymn of the day began, “Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won! Death no longer can appall me; Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done! From the grave will Christ recall me. Brighter scenes will then commence; This shall be my confidence.” This is most certainly true!

Jesus Raises the Widow's Son Text: I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.

To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!”

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! Psalm 30

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Mourning at Night and Joy in the Morning. Preached to the saints of God at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Farley, Missouri.

NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Other Readings: 1 Kings 17:17-24; Galatians 1:11-24; Luke 7:11-17

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