When God Seems Far Away-- Sunday's sermon at Fairview UMC in Rossville, GA

Fairview UMC, Rossville, GA

I had the opportunity to preach this past Sunday for a friend and colleague, Rev. Susie Gilley, in the North Georgia Conference. The church she serves is Fairview UMC in Rossville, GA. Rossville is one of the places that was part of my first appointment in the Holston Gap Parish, in the Holston Conference. Rossville is dear to me, even if they were rivals with Dalton back in the day. :)

I have preached at this church several times and enjoy my time with them. They are a caring and endearing faith community. I enjoy the guitar there and their willingness to go with the flow. 

Here is my sermon (more or less). What is on paper isn't always what is said, but I did record it this time, so I will include the recording too.

“When God Seems Far Away”

Psalm 22:1-15 (CEB))

October 13, 2024

Fairview UMC

 
Good morning! It is good to be here with you again today in worship. I don’t think I’ve been here since I was here last October. You are a welcoming and kind faith community and I enjoy our worship time together.
 
As we continue in our time of worship this morning, will you pray with me?
 
“God of Light, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and your word proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.” (Prayer for Illumination, UMH, in Upperroom WorshipBook, page 35)

Today’s Scripture passage comes from Psalm 22:1-15, from the Common English Bible.
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My God! My God,
    why have you left me all alone?
    Why are you so far from saving me—
        so far from my anguished groans?
² My God, I cry out during the day,
    but you don’t answer;
    even at nighttime I don’t stop.
³ You are the holy one, enthroned.
You are Israel’s praise.
⁴ Our ancestors trusted you—
    they trusted you and you rescued them;
⁵     they cried out to you and they were saved;
    they trusted you and they weren’t ashamed.
⁶ But I’m just a worm, less than human;
    insulted by one person, despised by another.
⁷ All who see me make fun of me—
    they gape, shaking their heads:
⁸     “He committed himself to the Lord,
        so let God rescue him;
        let God deliver him
        because God likes him so much.”
⁹ But you are the one who pulled me from the womb,
    placing me safely at my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰ I was thrown on you from birth;
    you’ve been my God
    since I was in my mother’s womb.
¹¹ Please don’t be far from me,
    because trouble is near
        and there’s no one to help.
¹² Many bulls surround me;
    mighty bulls from Bashan encircle me.
¹³ They open their mouths at me
    like a lion ripping and roaring!
¹⁴ I’m poured out like water.
    All my bones have fallen apart.
        My heart is like wax;
        it melts inside me.
¹⁵ My strength is dried up
    like a piece of broken pottery.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
    you’ve set me down in the dirt of death.
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LEADER: GOD IS STILL SPEAKING.
 
PEOPLE: THANKS BE TO GOD.
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This Psalm might be familiar to you. If not the entire Psalm, maybe the first line. This is one of the Psalms written by David. Jesus quotes the first verse and instead of “why have you left me all alone?”, you may be more familiar with “why have you forsaken me?” We find Jesus quoting Psalm 22:1 in the Gospels: Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 as he is hanging on the cross dying. Jesus is in deep despair, anguish, pain.
 
For both the Psalmist David and Jesus, God seemed far away and therefore they cried out to God.
 
Have you ever felt that God seemed far away?
 
Here are some of the different words used in the English versions of the Bible for the Hebrew word: forsaken, abandoned, deserted, left me all alone,
 
Have you felt forsaken, abandoned, deserted, left all alone?
 
It’s okay to acknowledge our dark times in our faith, those times that we haven’t felt the presence of God.
 
David was a ‘man after God’s own heart’ and Jesus was God’s own son. If they felt God’s absence and cried out, doesn’t it make sense that we might experience that same feeling of being all alone?
 
As we acknowledge that this is a part of our faith experience, how do we respond when God seems far away?
 
Another way to ask that same question might be: what do we do when God seems far away?
 
Notice that both David and Jesus, even though they feel forsaken, abandoned, deserted, left alone by God, they are still talking to God, crying out to God. Did you catch that?
 
Their feelings in the moment did not prevent them from having a conversation with God. In fact, they were open and honest about how they felt in that moment.
 
When God seems far away from us, we can be open and honest about how we feel in the moment. We can cry out to God, sharing whatever is on our hearts and minds. If there are no words to express what that might be, that’s okay too. God understands. Thomas Keating is known for his quote: God’s first language is silence. Mother Teresa spoke about prayer as listening to God and the silence.
 
If words or silence aren’t able to draw us nearer when God seems far away, what other spiritual practices might we engage?
 
I often default to finding God, Creator in nature, creation. Seeing God in creation allows me to slow down, to reflect, and to realize that though it may seem that God is far away, God is very much near and everywhere.
 
This past week I was able to spend quite a bit of time in nature, from a camp reunion to another camp for a 4 Day Academy on “Welcoming the Wilderness”. At the camp reunion, at the end of the morning watch devotion, the leader led us in prayer. As I looked down at the ground in prayer, I saw this rock, a heart-shaped rock. For me, that was a remind of God’s presence and love in creation. Fast forward to the end of the Academy retreat week and the speaker mentioned black walnuts. He showed us photos of them in different stages and how at the center of them is often a heart. I never knew that. He had a bowl of black walnuts in different stages to pick out one that caught our attention. I picked out this one. I see the heart in the center. I saw hearts all week… from leaf shaped hearts to rock shaped hearts. It was a constant reminder to me that God is near. God’s presence, God’s love is with me and within me.
 
Not only do I find God’s presence in creation, but also in community. We are meant to be God’s loving presence for one another.
 
When I am not experiencing God’s presence, I remind myself to STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. That helps me to notice, to pay attention.
 
As I am reminded that I am not alone even though I may feel it, my thoughts, much like David’s turn to gratitude and praise. Note verse 10. Note how much David trusts God. David says he was “thrown on” God since birth. Other versions say “cast upon”, “placed in your care”, “given over to you”, “thrown into your arms”, “lean into you”, “relied on you”, “dependent on you”. Notice that David trusts God even though he feels alone, abandoned.
 
God knows our pain, our sorrows, and our suffering, yet hasn’t nor will forsake us.
 
Let us give thanks for what we know to be true, even when God seems far away.
 
Will you pray with me?
 
God of creation, God of love, God of life,
we cry out to you in the midst of our pain, our sorrows, our suffering.
Where are you? You seem so far away at times.
Reveal your presence.
Open our ears that we might hear.
Open our eyes that we might see.
Open our hearts that we might love.
Remind us that you are as close to us as the breath we breathe.
Fill us with love for all you have created.
Fill us with peace in the midst of life’s chaos.
We give thanks for all the saints who have gone before us.
We give thanks for your created world around us.
We give thanks for your son, Jesus Christ.
We give thanks that you are here with us now, in the fellowship of those gathered.
To you be all honor, glory, and praise. Amen.
DD, 10/12/24

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I wrote the closing prayer (thus the "DD"). It seemed to flow as I was finishing the sermon. 

The week that I had just spent on retreat in the 4 Day Academy made it into the sermon. Go figure... it seemed to fit well.

I enjoy preaching. It is one of the things that gives me life. From the studying of the Scriptures to the sharing of the good news, it brings joy.

Here are some additional photos from the morning:

Audio link to sermon: "When God Seems Far Away"

If anything from the sermon, the Scripture, the prayer, the photos.... if anything resonates, super. 

Where or how has God, Creator seemed far away for you?

May you know God's presence and God's love along the way, 

Rev. Deb

P.S. I had written this on the church bulletin and forgot about it, as I had other things going on last Sunday. But I finally remembered. :) On the way to the church last Sunday morning, the song "Give Me Jesus" kept running through my mind. I sang it on the way to preach. The verses that ran through my head were these: "When I am afraid" and "When I am alone". One can substitute "am" for "feel". I don't know where the song came from, but it was there.

When I am/feel afraid, give me Jesus.

When I am/feel alone, give me Jesus.

And then I added (for the title of the sermon), "When God feels/seems far away, give me Jesus"

Since I didn't really remember exact verses and sang what came to mind, I looked up the song and found Fernando Ortega singing it. I saw Fernando Ortega in concert several times "back in the day" and I enjoy his talent.

Fernando Ortega, "Give Me Jesus"