From the Pulpit - 06.14.2025

PSALM  8

1 O | Lord our Lord,

  how majestic is your name in | all the earth!—

 2 you whose glory is chanted above the heavens out of the mouths of in- | fants and children;

  you have set up a fortress against your enemies, to silence the foe | and avenger. 

 3 When I consider your heavens, the work | of your fingers,

  the moon and the stars you have set | in their courses,

 4 what are mere mortals that you should be mind- | ful of them,

  human beings that you should | care for them? 

 5 Yet you have made them little less | than divine;

  with glory and hon- | or you crown them.

 6 You have made them rule over the works | of your hands;

  you have put all things un- | der their feet:

 7 all | flocks and cattle,

  even the wild beasts | of the field,

 8 the birds of the air, the fish | of the sea,

  and whatever passes along the paths | of the sea.

 9 O | Lord our Lord,

  how majestic is your name in | all the earth! 

Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the LORD Jesus Christ.

"Billions and Billions Sold"

Most of us remember the early days of McDonalds, right? When the signs on the golden arches boasted how many burgers they had sold up to that point.  I remember when that number was "millions", soon followed by "millions and millions", followed by...no numbers. The point is, that McDonald's has sold so many  burgers in their history, there's no way the numbers on the signs could keep up with how many they'd actually sold. You probably couldn't make a sign big enough to account for all those burgers. But, I bet the bean counters at corporate to this day know exactly (or pretty close) the number of hamburgers the company has sold since its beginning.  

Billions and billions.  That's sort of the point of our Psalm for this Sunday - Holy Trinity Sunday. It's no accident that this Sunday, which contemplates the mystery of not only that thing we call the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), but also just in sheer awe, confesses the mystery of what has just happened in the gospel accounts.  The mystery of Jesus' birth among us to a virgin girl, the mystery of how Jesus was able to confound the temple leadership, even at an early age. The mystery of his teaching in parables. And then, the complete mystery of his sham trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.  The mystery of Jesus' life beyond the covered tomb.

And then, in our first reading, we hear the mystery of a third creation account from Proverbs 8 - one of my favorite stories in all of Scripture.  "Wisdom" was there before creation.  When God created the heavens and the earth, Wisdom was there. When God created the seas and their "limits" (shorelines), Wisdom was there. And more.  Mysterious, unknowable?  Yes, of course.

Had you been living 2,500 years ago, at the time the Psalmist wrote these amazing words, "O, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth", he no doubt would have been looking up to the skies, and (before our modern day light pollution) would have seen the stars in the heavens, and wondered "how majestic is your name in all the earth.  But back then, the concept of millions, let alone billions, was not even a concept.  No one could have imagined that kind of number. The Psalmist knew only that there were a lot of those heavenly lights in the night sky, and attributing their presence to God the creator, all he could think of at the time was the word, "Majesty". Think on this, when's the last time you used that word, majesty?  Probably been a while, since we're not impressed by much these are we?

As I was preparing for my message this week (making notes while sitting in the Synod Assembly in Kissimmee, FL), I was thinking about what things are "majestic" in our time. What things in our world or universe might be "majestic", or beyond our comprehension, just like that Psalmist looking up at the night sky 2,500 years ago.

And I came upon Dr. Edwin Hubble, a professor at the University of Chicago nearly 100 years ago (1929), confirmed his research that our own solar system was just one in a bazillion in the Milky Way galaxy, and that there were an estimated 400 billion plus galaxies out there in space. Just think, a single galaxy for every one of Elon Musk's dollar bills!  Wow.  If you've had a chance to look at some of the photos that the Hubble space telescope.  Launched in 1990 and still moving out from earth today, those images of space beyond our galaxy are just breathtaking.  They look almost like a painting, with the myriad of colors, and light.  As I was making notes for my Sunday message, looking at these photos, I remember thinking that all I could muster was something just like the Psalmist said...Lord, how majestic is the work of your hand.  And, what are we that you should be mindful of us? What are we that you should care for us?  You made us a little lower than the divine, and with glory and honor, you crown us (paraphrasing here...)  You've given us to rule over the works of your hands, and have put all things under our feet (what an awesome and solemn responsibility!) 

So, when we contemplate the mystery not only of the Trinity this week, we also take time to contemplate the wonder of God's creation, as vast and as incomprehensible as it all is.  Even Einstein said once that he couldn't understand it all.  

And part of the mystery of this whole thing is to contemplate and try to understand God's love for us, little ol' us.  What wondrous love could be so great that God would, out of love, decide to come and live in our neighborhood, our town, our condo, our apartment, our luxury home on the beach.  Our piece of concrete under the overpass, that some of us call home. And dwell there with us.   What wondrous love could be so great that out of all of the billions and billions of galaxies, out of all the billions and billions of places God could have dwelled, God chose our home. What more can you say when trying to contemplate it all, is "Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"  Just like that Psalmist tried to, some 2,500 years ago.

So this Sunday, may the wonder of God, three in one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as confounding as it all is, be a reminder of the majesty and wonder that is God. God to be viewed and contemplated from afar just like the universe through the Hubble telescope, but also God dwelling among us. God born of a woman. God, born to walk and live among us. Good, willing  suffer humiliation at the hands of a corrupt Roman Empire. God, willing to die for us, so that we might live eternally with him.  And may that wonderlust never leave your hearts, dear church.  Amen.

See Sundays' bulletin under Ministries

New Members

Next Sunday, we'll be welcoming a handful of new members again, bringing the total up to nearly 24 since the beginning of the calendar year. Won't you come out and welcome them to our community of faith?

Sunday, June 29th - I will be away Sunday, June 29th.  I'll be presiding at the wedding of one of my confirmation kids (not a kid anymore...he's 27 now) in Charlotte, NC.  I'm so honored that he'd think to have me preside at one of the most important days of his life.

Happy Father's Day!