Rev. George Miller
June 28, 2026
Psalm 30: 4-6
Note: This message is the result of St.
Lucas UCC members who shared their experiences, insight, and knowledge. I cannot claim all of this as my own
creation.
You may have heard about Christmas in July. Today we have Hannukah in Humidity.
Last week Nehemiah got the sons and fathers
together to rebuild the Jerusalem walls.
Most certainly there were also daughters and mothers who participated.
About 150 years later the Greeks attack the
city, taking over the Temple, telling the people they cannot attend worship, circumcise
their children, observe Sabbath, or read their Holy Texts.
The enemy violates the Temple, putting up
a statue of Zeus, sacrificing pigs on the altar, desecrating the holiest of spaces.
Because the people of Judah are brave and remember
their heart belongs to God, they rise up and fight back, reclaiming the Temple,
restoring it to its proper purpose.
With a limited supply of ritually pure oil,
they burn lamps for days and days to cleanse God’s House, reclaiming it as a
sacred sanctuary, a place of refuge where they can resume holy Sabbath worship
and study of their sacred texts.
This victory over the enemy and cleansing
of the Temple is what Hannukah is all about.
Psalm 30 is said to be the song they sung on that day when worship
resumed.
“I will extol to you, O Lord, for you have
drawn me up and did not let my foes rejoice over me.”
“O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.”
Imagine what it was like to return to this
place of worship after being gone for sooo long, able to freely say “Sing
praises to the Lord…and give thanks to his holy name… weeping may linger for
the night, but joy comes in the morning.”
How this could’ve been sung post-COVID when we reentered our sacred structures.
Imagine the people of Psalm 30 after recovering
the Temple; candles burning for 8 nights.
The whole congregation lifting their voices, singing with unparalleled
joy “I shall never be moved.”
I shall never be moved- no matter what the
enemy tries, no matter the chaos that comes our way.
Chaos runs throughout the Bible;
thankfully so does the restorative acts of God.
In Genesis, God takes chaos and creates
life. In Exodus, chaos is transformed into
freedom.
In Joshua, God takes the chaos of
wibbly-wobbly into the Promised land. In
Nehemiah, God turns chaos into a community-wide construction event.
In Psalm 30, chaos is conquered by a congregation
that comes together singing thanks to our generous God.
Read scripture this way and you see this cycle
taking place again and again- chaos comes along and God acts; chaos tries to silence
and God speaks, chaos attempts to end and God creates a new beginning.
It is like a full circle, again and again,
a circle one can appreciate and look bravely towards when life gets hard and
things seem unsure.
Full circle. A few days ago, someone who is incredibly
wise used that expression; it sounded inspirational.
The idea of things going full circle. Not all circles have to be bad or chaotic. There are circles that feel good, filled with
legacy and meaning, memory and promise.
Today’s blessing of the Mission Trip is a
Full Circle moment. Mission is so deeply
rooted in our UCC roots. For example, in
1812 we were the first Americans to send missionaries oversees.
At St. Lucas, we’ve had mission trips for
decades, to places all over the nation. We’ve
watched those start off as youth who have continued as adult supervisors, some
now closer to middle-aged than teenager.
Oh, the places our mission trips have
gone- Back Bay, North and South Carolina, Colorado, Louisiana.
With them a Spirit of Christ; a spirit of
love and being united.
As our youth and adults prepare to go to
Spirit Lake in North Dakota, we pray for them 3 gifts.
The gift of reverence- be present
to the Native American community, meet them where they are while respecting
their ways.
The gift of disconnecting with cell
phones and social media so as to connect with nature, one another, the
satisfaction of honest work, and restorative quiet.
The gift of awe and wonder; may
they stand beneath the skies of God’s handwork and marvel at all of creation,
finding healing and satisfaction in what their eyes behold and ears can hear.
With these gifts, may our youth and adults
find their own ways to best be ambassadors for St. Lucas and the United Church
of Christ.
May they embody the spirit of Jesus who
sat in celebration with people getting married.
May they embody the compassion of Jesus who met with curious elders and folk
living with sickness and hurt.
While at Spirit Lake, may our youth and
adults be engaged, like Jesus at the well, having rich conversation and dialogue.
May they embody the legacy and traditions
of the UCC, with hearts that welcome, hands that empower, feet that walk besides,
and spirits that uplift.
Into a world that can be filled with too
much chaos, may you bring calm and be the calm.
Like those in Psalm 30 gathered to sing
praises to the Lord, may you minister in such a way that gives thanks to God’s
holy name.
May our Mission members embody the faith
that believes weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
May you go as the hands and feet of Christ,
and return with an expanded reverence, sense of connection, and memories filled
with wonder and awe.
Be the light that you already are.
Amen.
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