How Good It Is to Be Together!
Psalm 133
Most of us gathered here this morning from Ashland 1st Presbyterian haven't spent much time in Central Point, even though it isn't far from us. I rarely drive to Central Point unless I crave some blue cheese from Rogue Creamery, want to play a round of golf at the Stone Ridge golf course, or satisfy a desire to have a massive breakfast at “Crackin' N Stackin’.” Most of my shopping or congregant visits occur in Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, and Medford. I tend to stay in my immediate community most of the time. I would imagine that is also the case for those of you who live here in Central Point. Unless you have tickets to OSF, you may not come to Ashland much. We tend to stay close to our local communities.
That was also true for the Hebrew people when this psalm was written. They also stayed in their communities for most of the year, except when they traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem for worship. They gathered from all over just three times a year Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Weeks or Pentecost), and Sukkot (Tabernacles, Tents, or Booths). Pilgrims would travel from surrounding villages and towns, caravanning in small groups on foot to come and worship together in Jerusalem. The only time they saw people from outside of their cities and villages was in worship.
The psalm for today is one of the Psalms of Ascent, one of fifteen songs in the psalter that these pilgrims would have sung on the way to worship at the Temple. It is believed that pilgrims would sing a specific psalm for each step of the Temple. Psalm 133 was the second to last song and would have been sung on the second to last step of the Temple. You can imagine the pilgrims gathered together, looking around at all the other worshipers arriving at the Temple and making their way up the stairs. This psalm speaks to the blessing of fellow worshipers or kindred, coming together in unity from all over Israel to worship and fellowship together. There is such strength in community.
Perhaps it sounded a little like this as they gathered on that second to last step and got ready to sing. (Sing Psalm 133, #397)
The Jewish people sang Psalm 133 to express their joy in coming together with others to worship at the Temple, where God promised to meet them. The Psalm imparts blessing and life to God's people and proclaims oneness in faith.
We hear this blessing of oneness in the first verse. "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity" (verse 1). What did they mean by the word "Unity?" The Hebrew word Yachad meant "as a unit or unitedly." Does that mean those gathered at the Temple thought, looked, and spoke alike? No. Unity is not uniformity. Just as the ancient Hebrews came from varied backgrounds to worship at the Temple were not all the same, we gathered here this morning are not "cookie cutter Christians" cut from the same mold- people who all think, believe, and act exactly alike.
We have diverse thoughts, varying theologies, and different worship styles. Your doxology is not our doxology. You sing praise hymns after passing the peace, and we don't. You pass the plate for your offering, and we don't. Your hymnal is different from our hymnal, etc! Yet, Yachad, unity is still possible despite our many differences. What brings us together as a unit is the Spirit of God. That Spirit unites us here as we worship together. I saw that same thing happen during my sabbatical. My wife Paula and I were privileged to attend worship on the small Scottish Island of Iona. The Abbey has been a place of pilgrimage for Christians since the 6th century, and it continues to be one today. Christians from all over the world show up every day to worship in the sanctuary. They speak different languages and have differing customs from each other. Yet, at each service we attended, there was a sense of coming together as a unit to worship God. It is the Spirit that unites us as kindred.
According to the New Interpreter's Bible, "kindred" does not mean blood relatives but a people joined by God's grace. So, the kindred gathered together by the thousands gathered in grace to the Temple to worship God in unity. To do this is a rich blessing. The psalmist uses the blessing of oil as an example of how rich and wonderful this gathering of God's kindred can be. This custom may seem strange, but it was considered essential to consecrating a priest for duty in the Temple. Sacred fragrant oil was poured upon the priest, and it would run down their robes, as on Aaron's beard, the first temple priest. As it says in Leviticus, "Moses ordained Aaron to the priesthood by anointing his head with oil" (Leviticus 8:12). "All priests have the oil of Aaron on their head," writes biblical scholar James Limburg. And though the oil is precious, God is not stingy with it. Indeed, the oil is poured out so lavishly on the head of the priest that it runs down their beards and onto the collar of their robes.
However, this anointing of oil was not limited to the priesthood. A generous host would provide oil for anointing as guests entered their homes. Oil from the olive was an essential commodity in the dry environment of the ancient Near East. Olive oil was mixed with sweet-smelling spices and used for hair and skin care. The oil was poured over the head and, for men, ran down into the beard. When visitors entered the homes of others, a fundamental act of hospitality was to wash the visitors' feet and pour soothing and refreshing oil upon their heads.
This blessing for visitors is like coming together in worship with fellow kindred- It is a deep and rich blessing of hospitality. Hospitality is part of that kindred fellowship when we greet one another in worship with Christ's peace, share communion, and then enjoy goodies after church at a common table. I am sure those of us from Ashland 1st Presbyterian will cherish these gifts of hospitality from you folks at Central Point Presbyterian more once we can gather in just a bit for some fellowship and food. I also hope we'll get to know one another a bit and have a set of questions for each table you can ask one another😊
The psalmist writes that this fellowship of kindred spirits is also like another blessing, the dew of Mt. Hermon. (verse 3). Mt. Hermon, located some 125 miles north of Jerusalem, was known for its abundant water droplets condensed from the air, usually at night. Dew was an important commodity in Palestine, and little rainfall was seen between April and October. Without the nightly accumulation of dew, the land would be parched for many months out of the year. Mt. Hermon is 6,690 feet tall at its peak. It is a bit shorter than our Mt. Ashland at 7,500 feet Or Mt. Mc Loughlin at 9,424 feet. Like these two mountains, Mt Hermon rises above its valley and gets its share of morning dew, landing on flowers and shrubs during the early part of the summer. That happens every year just below Mt. Ashland in Grouse Gap Valley. That dew and melting snow is such a blessing as that valley blooms forth every spring! There is such an abundant variety of flowers, thanks partly to this gift of dew at night.
This dew symbolizes the refreshment that can come to our parched spirit when we unite. A word from another, a handshake or hug, the words to a hymn, the beautiful music in the service, the message in the sermon(hopefully), a profound moment in silence or prayer- all of those things are opportunities for our souls to find refreshment. Dew also provides growth, and we grow in faith as we worship and focus together on God's Word. God brings us together through the blessings of fellowship, uniting us and making us a unit in faith.
The psalm ends with the words, "For there God ordains the blessing- LIFE forever more." What is a blessing? Professor Nancy de Claisse-Walford, who teaches at the McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta, writes, "Blessing - is- Barak in Hebrew. The word reverberates throughout the pages of the Hebrew Bible -- God says to Abram, "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3); after Jacob's long night of wrestling, we read, "And there God blessed him" (Genesis 32:29); and Moses says to the Israelites in Deuteronomy, "Surely the Lord your God has blessed you in all your undertakings" (Deuteronomy 2:7)." Being blessed by God means knowing that God is for us, loves us, and desires good things for us in this life. We partially experience that kind of blessing through the fellowship of kindred here.
Blessings from God also give us life—a new life in Christ, life beyond the daily struggles in this world. We all struggle with the difficulties that come our way at one time or another. Health struggles, the death of a loved one, the break up of a relationship, concerns over a looming presidential election, trying to make ends meet and put food on the table, and worrying about our children and grandchildren can weigh us down.
I remember watching the diving competition at the Summer Olympics many years ago. An American diver was diving so well off the 10-meter platform. Yet she had heavy taping around one of her ankles, which she had sprained badly during the competition. Despite the sprain, which caused her to limp when walking, she kept going (Much like Simone Biles did in gymnastics at the Paris games). I believe she ended up with a silver medal. When interviewed, she was asked, “How did you keep going with all that pain in your ankle?” Her answer was from the New Testament. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Life in Christ can bring strength to help us through difficulties in life.
Unity in the Spirit of God, which creates a kindred community, can do the same.
When my family and I arrived in January of 2017 so I could preach at a neutral pulpit at Bethany Grants Pass Presbyterian church, it was a unique winter! Snow was everywhere, and it stuck to the ground. I wondered what we were getting into regarding the weather, but folks on our pastor nominating committee assured me snow rarely looked like this in Ashland. As we drove from Ashland to Grants Pass, I noticed something about the trees along the highway. In the large groves of tall pine trees, due to the excessive snow that year, branches of the trees were bowed down with heavy snow- so low that branches from one tree were often leaning against the trunk or branches of another. However, the heavy snow's effect was different where trees stood alone. The branches had become heavier, but some had snapped without other trees to lean against. They lay on the ground, dark and alone in the cold snow. We people of faith need to find times to be together to find support from others, especially amid those times when life gets so heavy. How good it is when we come together in kindred community!
And so, fellow kindred in Christ, we give thanks for the blessing of the community as we finally worship together in person, united by God's Spirit! Next Sunday, even though we may be separated by 17.8 miles, may we remember this day and thank the Spirit of God, who can bridge the distance and unite us in worship. Alleluia! Amen.
