SERMON: Rock of Ages (Earth Days 3/6)

 10:30 am, Sun, May 7, 2023 - JGWhite/FBCA

(Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10)

 Welcome, welcome again, to this room walled in by sandstone quarried near here, almost 130 years ago. The stone itself we say is about 300 million years old. Perhaps you took note of its beauty as you arrived today, even though you may have come in many times before, and become used to the walls and turrets of red rock. Like any stone, it is ancient; we could call it ‘rock of ages.’

We will sing that hymn later.

Rock of ages, cleft for me; let me hide myself in Thee.

We know our whole planet is made of stone, so to speak, and we all live merely upon the surface of it. We live upon rock; no wonder it has always been an image and a metaphor for the divine Source of creation: God. God is our Rock, the ancient Hebrews declared, and we say the same to this day. Apostle Paul went so far as to speak of Christ as the spiritual rock that followed the children of Israel in the desert, with Moses.

And why do we see the unseen God as rock? Because of the safety and security of stone. A solid and firm foundation. A hiding place in times of threat.

With a newer English rewording we spoke these words of Psalm 31: Your granite cave a hiding place, your high cliff nest a place of safety. You’re my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Such Bible imagery lives on in hymns old and new, sung by the Church. On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.

We know there are many moments when a hiding place is needed, a safe refuge from the storms of life and the enemies that threaten. In that amazing prayer by a Serbian Bishop, a prayer for enemies, it declares: Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter than an un-hunted animal does, so have I, persecuted by enemies, found the safest sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath your tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul.

Yet, more than this, more than God as our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, The Rock is also our Foundation for building. Ed took our attention to the great imagery of Peter’s first letter, about Jesus the Cornerstone, and we the living stones of a spiritual temple, built together, built beautifully, built with purpose. 

So, a stone building is a fitting temple, when it does not become more important than the living, human stones who meet inside it. Deacon Cindy brought to my attention at a recent meeting this brick, with a label on it, kept in a cabinet in our Parlour. Many of you know what this is. In part, it says:

This brick is from the wall of the house built by Samuel Freeman Sr. in or about 1800 and torn down by Samuel Freeman 3^rd in 1890. In this house the Amherst Baptist Church was organized and met frequently. That was in 1809.

It is always good for a congregation who has a spectacular building to remember that this was not the first edifice wherein our Church met. This is at least the fourth; perhaps it is not the last. From this base of operations, this meeting house, we are sent out every week to serve and have our impact in the wide community. Can it still be said, of us, that we are chosen? A royal priesthood? Holy? God’s own?

Without divulging details, I am excited about the work and conversations of our Search Committee for Assistant Minister. Thank you – 57 of you – for your responses to the survey. They are inspiring some creative thinking about the whole work of First Baptist. How we meet, what we do, who we want to touch. We look to the next chapter of how we shall proclaim the mighty acts of God who called us out of darkness into marvelous light. We, the living stones, may be a more impressive reflection of Christ than 90 East Victoria Street.

I have been speaking, already, of the beauty of stone, be it physical rock, or metaphorical spiritual fellowship, that is built well together to achieve its purpose. In our Biblical imagery we have stone as a source of beautiful perspective. Think of the many ‘mountaintop experiences’ in the stories: Moses on Sinai, Elijah on Horeb, Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. The Jews had this understanding of hilltops as places where earth and the heavens meet. No wonder. As I’ve asked before, why do they put all the beautiful views up on a hill?

It so often is a matter of perspective. You get to see the big picture when you are up there. And what it is about a craggy rock, or the view of a landscape that is gorgeous? Did we all just learn that a view is beautiful, or a pinnacle of rock by the ocean, or an amethyst sparkling in our hand? Or are these all truly beautiful, enjoyable, impressive, in and of themselves?

Someone said, ‘beauty is truth, and truth beauty.’ We know the glorious things of life inspire us. We find creative ideas, answers to questions, hope and emotional energy when we enjoy something. From the beautiful stone on a beach to the giant rock pinnacles upon a mountain, many natural places can become sacred to us. We find ourselves on holy ground.

This rock upon which we do all our living, is our home. Thanks be to God we have this world as it is, and in just the right orbit around the sun, for life: our lives and everything’s life. In fellowship with everything upon earth, we find our purpose and our joy.

The latter part of our worship, now, points to Jesus, the Rock of ages, cleft for you and me. Like us, Jesus of Nazareth was a carbon and water organism. He breathed out carbon dioxide that plants took in and made into wood, which is now buried in the earth today. He breathed out water molecules that we are still enjoying today, and still flows down mountainsides, through rivers, into the oceans. He bled real blood, with iron in those cells, that was a sign of the life God was giving to people, and all creation.

With every digging in the ground you do, remember Jesus, also made of clay. With every stone you pick up on a beach, consider how Jesus is putting you into the building called His body today. With every little mountaintop experience you have, pray for the ways you can be a blessing to people, to all living things, and to the ground itself. You and I are here to be a blessing, not a curse. Our spiritual sacrifices will be practical and physical. X will be your Safe Leader & Mountain Guide.