11 Sep SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2022
Today’s worship service will be a little different as we are in a completely different setting and have the opportunity to be creative beings along with God. I hope you’ll hear prayers, experience worship, feel fed and exchange God’s Peace without the usual prompts.
Soon Brad will sing a song recorded by Elvis, other gospel artists and groups entitled Where Could I Go but to the Lord by J.B. Coats. That question was first posed by Peter after Jesus asked his disciples if they were going to leave as many had already in John 6. Many turned back and no longer followed him. Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Let’s read the lyrics together aloud.
Living below in this old sinful word,
Hardly a comfort can afford;
Striving alone to face temptations sore,
Where could I go but to the Lord?
Chorus
Where could I go, O where could I go,
Seeking a refuge for my soul?
Needing a friend to save me in the end,
Where could I go but to the Lord?
Neighbors are kind, I love them eve’ry one,
We get along in sweet accord;
But when my soul needs manna from above,
Where could I go but to the Lord? Chorus
Life here is grand with friends I love so dear;
Comfort I get from God’s own word;
Yet when I face the chilling hand of death,
Where could I go but to the Lord? Chorus
Before we arrive at death’s door, there are many places we go besides God’s word or to God directly. Most of the time when seeking enjoyment or information, we consult other people or electronic devices. Raise your hand if you consulted an app already once today.
Perhaps you wanted to check the weather or listen to music. Maybe you checked email, Facebook or text messages, tuned into TV or the radio. As long as we have choices, rarely is the Lord our first choice. Not until things are out of control or out of our hands, will we ask ourselves, “Where else can I go but to the Lord?”
As a good deacon in the Baptist church, Mr. Coates asked a dying neighbor if he knew where he would spend eternity. The neighbor replied, “Where else can I go but to the Lord.” Family, friends, doctors, and finances afford comfort. But the Lord provides all we need to find our way and arrive at our ultimate destination. Listen to the lyrics again as Brad sings.
Next, let’s turn to a song written by Doris Akers in 1945. During a live concert, Elvis asked his audience to please listen as a gospel quartet known as The Stamps harmonized lyrics to the tune of Sweet Sweet Spirit.
Elvis didn’t sing though he could be seen silently mouthing the words, shaking his head, tearing up, sweating, smiling and closing his eyes. Let’s listen with our eyes closed, if you will, together as Brad sings Sweet Sweet Spirit.
There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place,
And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord;
There are sweet expressions on each face,
And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.
Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet heavenly Dove,
Stay right here with us, filling us with Your love.
And for these blessings we lift our hearts in praise;
Without a doubt we’ll know that we have been revived,
When we shall leave this place.
There are blessings you cannot receive
Till you know Him in His fullness and believe;
You’re the one to profit when you say,
“I am going to walk with Jesus all the way.”
If you say He saved you from your sin,
Now you’re weak, you’re bound and cannot enter in,
You can make it right if you will yield,
You’ll enjoy the Holy Spirit that we feel.
Next we visit the song By and By written by Charles Tindley, born the son of a slave and a freewoman. His mother passed away when he was only four, and a year later he was separated from his father when he was hired out to work with slaves, though technically freeborn.
He was educated and became the pastor of several churches in Philadelphia, even of a church where he had served as janitor 25 years earlier. After bearing eight children, his wife Daisy passed away in 1924, the very day his congregation entered a new sanctuary for the first time. Initially struggling with her death, he later explained, “One day I will understand it better by and by.” That’s how the song was born.
Well children by and by when the morning comes
All the saints of God together they come
We will tell the story how the Lord will come
And we’ll understand him better by and by
Trials dark on every hand and we cannot understand
All the ways God will lead us
To the blessed promised land
He will guide us with his eye
And we’ll follow till we die
And we’ll understand him better by and by
Well children by and by when the morning comes
All the saints of God together they come
We will tell the story how the Lord will come
And we’ll understand him better by and by
Temptation’s hidden snares often take the sun away
And our hearts are made to bleed
For some thoughtless word or deed
And we wonder why the test when we try to do our best
But we’ll understand it better by and by
Well children by and by when the morning comes
All the saints of God together they come
We will tell the story how the Lord will come
And we’ll understand him better by and by (repeat)
Though trials are dark and seem at hand, morning will come. All the saints of God, including us, will come… together. Together we will tell how the Lord has led and blessed us, fulfilled his promises and guided us with his very own eyes.
Better understanding comes through following. By and by means: in time, sooner or later, in a while, someday, in the fullness of time, eventually, finally, as a result of God’s guidance, we’ll come to understand each day, better and better as we follow.
Recently, I watched pre recorded episodes of Judge Judy which noted on what day they aired. After her show, the 5 o’clock news comes on and the DVR catches the first five minutes showcasing the day’s headlines and previewing the meteorologist’s forecast. When the weatherman began describing how hot and humid the day was, the contrast of a day gone by and the present became clear. Information received was interpreted differently because my perspective had changed.
…a good example of understanding better by and by, down the road, in the fullness of time. Two weeks later, all that happened recently made more sense. The weather had changed from that typical of late summer. The length of daylight hours had grown increasingly shorter; the rhythm of life had shifted as children and adults returned to school.
Things that happened then were no longer cause for immediate concern. Traffic jams had cleared up. Devastating news that took people by surprise that day was now being dealt with. Understanding how and why a thing happened increased when information came available, details got released to the public, people traveled on site and interviewed others.
As long as the sun rises, we’ll understand better even though mysteries won’t get solved. 1Cor 13:12 of the Living Bible notes that we can see and understand only a little now, as if peering at a reflection in a poor mirror. Someday we’re going to see God in completeness, face-to-face. What we know now is hazy and blurred, but [by and by] everything will be as clear as God is able to see into our hearts right now (paraphrased). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2013%3A12&version=TLB
What did you think of the lines, “Our hearts are made to bleed for some thoughtless word or deed. And we wonder why the test when we try to do our best”? The value of a testimony during a time of trial or tragedy cannot be understated. Many families I encountered in hospitals who were suffering taught me this: though injury causes heartache, many people do not lose faith. It actually grows stronger.
On Thursday, I sat on the floor with preschoolers as they built dimensional shapes and free formed structures using balls of steel and straight pieces of magnetized plastic. In a short span of twenty minutes, each gained a symbolic understanding of how everything in life either comes together or doesn’t.
Some forces repel; others attract. Big pieces can support little ones, but the opposite isn’t true unless you have many available. They learned that even with help, a diagram or excellent planning, things don’t always materialize.
Even when they do, sometimes they collapse without warning. What was once in your possession can get taken away. And sometimes you’re asked to share so others can build what they envision and have an opportunity to implement their own ideas. If only we could apply what they learned to every aspect of our lives. We have the chance to understand better if we make use of what we’re given. God supplies the big box of varied parts and the desire to build. Our job is to use what’s available, to keep trying to assemble pieces in multiple ways so our satisfaction will grow.
Finally, the preschoolers modeled how to play nicely, ask politely and say, “Thank you,” even though occasionally they grabbed and took what was desired.
Let us pray. Dear Lord, Holy God and Sweet Sweet Spirit we turn to you and come with humble prayer, asking for help to understand you better, to live more respectfully and intimately in relationship toward you and others, to apply lessons we’ve learned and turn them into stories of faith we share with others. May satisfaction grow for all. In your holy name we pray. Amen.