Sermon Preached by

The Rev. Fulton Porter, III

January 3, 2009

The Second Sunday After Christmas (New Year)

St. Thomas Church, Chicago

Psalm 94:17

I Never Would Have Made It

In the name the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

I love our Afro-Anglican tradition, however there is one thing that is missing; one thing that I would like to see incorporated in our liturgical calendar is Watch Night on December 31^st of each year. Within the African American tradition, Watch Night services evolved around the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln in 1862, when black people gathered on December 31, 1862 to wait for the new day and the freedom that was promised for January 1, 1863.

Many cultures begin their new year with great celebrations, feasting and partying. This is also true with many within African American communities. However, Watch Night Service is a special way to move across the line of time that marks the end of one year and the coming of a new year. This night finds many Christians in church on their knees in gratitude for the completion of another leg in the journey and recommitting to a sacred partnership with the Almighty for whatever is to come in the new cycle before us.  For African American Christians, crossing of this line of time is a time to remember the night their ancestors watched and waited for the arrival of January 1, 1863 and the application of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln. This observance is significant as a part of the fabric binding multiple and extended efforts to undermine and destroy the legal system of slavery within the United States of America. We are called to mark this time as a reminder of the importance of not accepting that which is evil in our midst. The 19th century struggles against slavery as morally wrong and indefensible remain an important element in the evolutionary journey of this nation, and the concept and quality of freedom around the world.

One of the realities of the last night of the year is that we face it with the baggage of the previous year. Many New Years are simply a repeat of our old years, because we carry both distant history and recent memory of pain and struggles. In the midst of our trials and tribulations, we have too often hung our harps of faith on weeping willows of self-pity and defeat and allowed daily survival issues to dim our vision as we peer into the future through a glass darkly. As we have waged war against the devil, who in various nefarious and sometimes unexpected ways has come against our families, our aspirations, and us, we often approach the New Year with dimmed hope rather than the conviction that real turn around can happen in our lives.  But before we begin to consider the year ahead, why don’t we take some time and ferment on the fact that we made it! 

Have you ever considered how you made through last year?  Today, we are happy to celebrate another year, but at second glance, last year was an extremely difficult year that touched our lives in many ways.  We saw a near meltdown of the financial markets, including the collapse of some of the nation's largest financial institutions. We saw billion dollar companies coming to the government asking for welfare. Even auto dealers and big newspapers were asking for help.  We saw gas prices rise to astronomical heights and watched the news daily to hear reports of more plants closing; even some close to home.  Seniors saw pensions decline and many seniors had to return to work or keep working to survive. For the first time in a long time, many whites discovered that they were not part of the middle-class after all and may never be. Long standing, well-paying union jobs disappeared in staggering numbers and we know they will never return. This was a wake-up call to many who, with little education, had always done okay. Elementary and high school educational systems continued to decline in America but educational costs continued to soar at colleges and universities pushing the dream of a college education out of the reach of many.  We saw new enemies developing in foreign lands, more terrorist attacks planned and money getting tighter.  And then, there was the fight to achieve national health care reform…

Despite all of that God saw fit to help us get through.   African Americans saw an occurrence that many never believed they would see in their lifetime —the inauguration of one who was African and African American as the president of the United States. Those who did not go to Washington for the celebration, though so many did, watched until the wee hours of the morning, everything from the swearing in to the Presidential first dance. We did not want to miss a thing. We bought t-shirts, posters, key chains, books and more all as testament to this historic moment. We were filled with pride. We stood a little taller. We got our swagger back. Young folk believed again in what they could achieve. Old folk, knowing that the battle was not over, still shouted hallelujah for this unimagined victory and thanked the Lord that President Obama had not been assassinated during the election campaign.

As I stood with my family in Grant Park that night I along with many cried.  We cried remembering black folk brought to the Americas packed like sardines in blood and urine soaked ships and all of those who were murdered and hung as “strange fruit” from trees in the south and north for so many years. We remembered all of those who suffered and still suffer under colonialism and apartheid. We remembered every American election where we had previously made breakthroughs as mayors, governors and senators. We remembered all of the civil rights marching and the dogs and the water hoses and the racists who blocked school doors, restaurants and voting booths. We remembered all other blacks who had run for president in America who we knew could not win.  We made it by God’s grace!

There is very little we can do in any given year that does not require God’s miraculous intervention for us to survive.   Without God's help, we would not have made it through. Even those of us who were touched by some of the problems, still made it.   God kept his word to us. He said that he will never forsake us or leave us.

The fact is that the grace of God surrounded and strengthened us last year. God’s grace placed someone by our side in times of trouble and helped us. The grace of God caused a full plate to be placed on our table when we hungered and it was the grace of God that placed us in the hands of the right doctor, teacher, coach and mentor. It wasn't luck, it was the grace of God.  As Christians, we approach the New Year with renewed hope and enthusiasm. We are enthusiastic because when we look back we saw how God helped us. We know that since God helped us last year, God will do the same again in the months to come.

This morning, as I deviate uncharacteristically from the lectionary readings, there is a word from God for us found in the 17^th verse of Psalm 94.  The KJV reads “Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.”  But I like the way that the message translation puts it- “If God hadn't been there for me, I never would have made it.”

The 94th Psalm is a unique Psalm which focuses on Israel’s praise to God during their wilderness journey.  Generally, David is noted as the principal writer of the psalms, but not all of the Psalms were written by  David. David wrote 73 of the 150 Psalms. There are 50 psalms that are anonymous. Moses wrote the 90th Psalm. The 72nd and 127th Psalm were written by Solomon. Some were written by Aspah and others by the sons of Korah.  Psalms 90-94 were written during Israel's 40 year wilderness journey. During this time they were attacked by enemies, which the Lord destroyed in the Red Sea.   Because of their unwillingness to follow God's directions given to them through Moses, they wandered around in circles in the desert for 40 years. Often they demonstrated a foolish nature by ignoring God's direction bringing trouble upon themselves.

Yet, God provided for them.  When they were to the point of thirsting to death, God provided water for them from a rock.  When they had no food, God provided bread from heaven that appeared on the ground every day for 40 years. When they had no meat, huge flocks of quail appeared every day. Their clothes did not wear out; they never had to change shoes.

The 94th psalm describes a period in Israel's national life when it had reached a point of giving up completely.  They could not get it together. The land of promise was so close but they simply could not make themselves reach out and grab the promise. They constantly fell into faithlessness, sometimes idolatry and wickedness that caused them considerable trouble.  The psalmist looks back over the distance traveled and realized that God chastised Israel for its wayward ways but never stopped loving them. Psalm 94:12 uses the word "chasteneth" to describe their experience. To be chastised is to be taught a lesson or to be trained. The object of chastisement is that the student will arise, wiser and stronger having learned an important lesson.

In the wilderness, Israel was certainly chastised. They learned through their suffering that they should be obedient to God and trust in him wholly. They also learned that God will not allow those who wronged them to escape without punishment. Psalm 94:13 notes that a pit is being dug for the wicked who troubled God's people during their chastisement.

The psalmist later raises the question "Who stood up for me against the wicked? Who took my side against evil workers?"  The answer came in verse 17 "If God had not been there for me, I never would have made it."  Through their faith in him, Israel made it through the wilderness and marched into the Promised Land, stronger, wiser and better than they had been in wilderness.   When they looked back, they concluded, "We never could have made it, without the Lord."

Like Israel, now we stand on the threshold of a new experience, in this the last year of the first decade of the 21^st century, and we look back and we see what God has brought us through.  When Israel began their journey they were attacked by Pharaoh who tried to re-enslave them. God buried the entire army of Egypt in the Red Sea.  When we look back we can see the many ways that God has protected us from those who would do us harm. Sometimes those who threatened us were outside of our families, but sometimes our worst enemies were family members.  Last year, there were many who wrestled with problems that were caused by their enemies whether it was on the job, in relationships or in academic or professional pursuits. But despite the tricks, plans and plots, of the enemy you survived; not because of your own cunning, but because the Lord covered your back.

 You survived because God has something better in store for you. There is a Promised Land awaiting you; it has been promised.  Looking back we are happy because we know that we did not have the strength to protect ourselves from the enemy but God is able. In our time of trouble he was our help.   

He provided for us.  In the wilderness Israel ate everyday and people are still trying to figure out where the food came from. They had clothes to wear and no cloth, and people are still trying to figure that out.  In the same way, God has provided for us. Last year things were terrible. Gas prices went up, electric bills went up, people were laid off their jobs, some lost their houses, plants closed and yet God led you through the wilderness and kept food on your table and clothes on your back. People are still trying to figure that out. Even when sickness came in your family and financial troubles hit, God worked that out for you too. God blessed your plans and decisions and made them work for you.  God opened up doors for you and prepared a table for you. That's what Psalm 23 means when it says "Thou preparest a table before me.” It means that God provides for our needs. Philippians 4:19 puts it this way. "But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."   No matter what came up last year God provided just what we needed, when we needed it. No wonder the song writer declared, "We are our heavenly father's children and he knows, yes he knows, just how much we can bear." Last year God provided us what we needed and disallowed any burdens that we could not bear. If it were not for his provision we would not have made it.

Israel made several foolish decisions in their wilderness journey. Once, they decided to abandon God altogether and build them a golden calf to worship. Yet despite their foolishness God saved them from themselves. He's had to do the same for us today; save us from ourselves. What is foolishness? When we do the opposite of what God wants while claiming to be his children, it is foolishness.  We have done some foolish things. It was foolish for us to get involved romantically in relationships that were going nowhere but we did it and caused ourselves great pain. It was foolish to squabble with our wives and husbands and threaten our marriages and families, but we plunged stubbornly ahead.  Some of the business decisions we made were plain foolish, but we did them anyway.  Yet, in all of our foolishness, God never abandoned us. He did not embrace our foolishness but he never gave up hope on us. Last year, he saved many of us even though we acted very foolishly. Without his mercy and grace, we never would have made it through.

Finally beloved, we must consider that we made it last year only by the grace of God and it will be grace that will see us through the year ahead.  The grace of God looks down on us in our mess and continues to bless.  The grace of God showers opportunities upon us even though we do not deserve them.  God is not foolish; God is not naive. There is a reason for why God continues to bless sinful people like us.  God’s grace has a divine purpose.   We made it through the trouble and trials of last year because there is a divine plan at work. 

Those who really know the Lord have arisen from last year's struggles, stronger, wiser and better.  We should have learned to trust God more and "lean not to our own understanding." We should have learned to pray before we act and to seek God's will.  We should have learned that in our weakest hour that God can make us strong.  We made it last year but it was not luck, it was the hand of God gently nudging us in right direction.  Now, facing a new year we are stronger, wiser and better.

Now, having overcome the slippery slopes we came upon last year we are better prepared to serve God to the fullest in the year to come.  Now, facing a new year we should be encouraged to know that the same God who saw us through last year is still on the throne! We made it, because God heard our prayers in the midnight hour!  We made it, because God raised up our bowed down heads!  We made it, because God lifted us up when we fell down!  We made it, because God gave us: STRENGTH when our burdens became heavy; ASSURANCE when everything seemed to go wrong; INSPIRATION when difficulties arose; COMFORT when disaster struck.  We made it because God’s grace gave us the strength to: Keep on going, when our road gets rough; Keep on singing, even though our pain becomes intense; Keep on working, even when our bodies get weary.  We made it because God smiled on us.

I don't know what the future holds, but I know that my God holds the future!   Whatever new challenges or new foes or new problems arise in the coming year, we can still face it with the assurance of victory, because our God does new things in new places to help the people of faith face new challenges, attain new victories and form new testimonies.   The witness of the prophet Jeremiah still holds true, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’”   That’s why I know that Our God is able to meet every crisis with new creativity.   Our God is able to meet every problem with new provision.   Our God is able to meet every mountain with new miracles.   God is able to meet attacks with new anointing.   God is able to meet new trouble with new triumphs.

I never would have made it without God!

Amen.