Sunday, December 02, 2007

can’t bring back the old days

An excerpt from today’s sermon, which was a creative meditation on the book of Haggai

At that moment my grandpa started crying. “What’s up grandpa?” I asked. “Can’t bring back the old days,” said Grandpa, wiping his tears with the back of his head.

The old days. Boy could my Grandpa talk about the old days. His eyes would mist over as he remembered the good old days. He could remember the large crowds going to church. Used to even fill upstairs, he would nod. And the magnificent choir that used to sing in the temple. All those great old hymns of David.

And then Grandpa paused and looked at me and waggled his boney finger. “Those great old hymns. So different from your new choruses” Grandpa sniffed. “We never sang “By the rivers of Babylon” back in my day.”

My response was to remind Grandpa that surely the God of Yesterday was the God of Tomorrow. Grandpa’s stories were always about this God who had done new things in the past, this God who had created new places of worship for David’s son, this God who had given new songs to Miriam and to David.

“So surely, Grandpa,” I said, “Surely your God of creativity is not dead. Surely this God can continue to create new things into the future.”

“Even new choruses like By the rivers of Babylon,” I teased.

Posted by steve at 08:37 PM

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