A Sermon for Sunday, May 5, 2024. Emory Presbyterian Church. Psalm 98.
Yesterday was my favorite secular holiday of the entire year: Star Wars Day! As many of you are probably aware, I am an avid Star Wars fan, and I have trained my two younglings in the ways of The Force.
In the Star Wars universe “The Force” is a mysterious energy field created by life [all living things] that binds the galaxy together,”[1] and the concept is a central part of the Star Wars saga. Characters will routinely offer a blessing of goodwill to another by saying: “May the force be with you.” Over the last couple of decades, fans have turned that mantra into a call and response where one person says, “May the force be with you,” and the other person responds: “And also with you.” The Star Wars farewell exchange—which fans created to acknowledge a common passion for the most impactful sci-fi franchise in modern history—is said with as much love and care as church folks who pass the peace of Christ during a worship service.
Now, part of the reason I share that with you is because Star Wars Day is celebrated annually on the same date, i.e. May the Fourth…thus fans will loudly shout out the pun: “May the Fourth be with you!” and they do all sorts of fun Star Wars activities with their friends and families. Every year, I decorate a tabletop or kitchen counter with Star Wars action figures, books, and novelties, along with a Star Wars gift for each of the kids. And then we typically watch a Star Wars movie or TV show and eat Star Wars themed food like Solo’s Han-Burgers, Tie-Fighter Fries and Yoda Soda.
This time, I took Davis to the theater to see the 25th Anniversary presentation of “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.” Sure, we could’ve easily watched it at home via numerous media options. But this was a must because it would be Davis’ first experience seeing a Star Wars film on the big screen. We had a blast, of course.
Although we’ve seen the film more than a few times previously, we weren’t bored in the least. We were excited and joy filled. The stunning orchestration of John Williams’ film score…drew us immediately into the origin story of the iconic fictional villain, Darth Vader, which featured spectacular action sequences, moments of mystery, intrigue, and clever references to the original trilogy of the late 70s and early 80s. Davis and I relished every bit despite knowing exactly what was going to happen in each scene of the film.
He and I never tire of digesting Star Wars, including books and comics, repeatedly. Whether it’s old content or new, we know that in Star Wars, good eventually triumphs over evil, and the heroes look forward to honoring their fallen friends by re-building a galaxy that is free from the terror of The Galactic Empire.
Davis and I typically have discussions about the themes of love, faith, spirituality, compassion, friendship, empathy, selflessness, learning from mistakes, mercy, and redemption that flow throughout the strange and delightful Star Wars universe we enjoy so much. We talk about the importance of those themes in daily life—of helping people in need, for being kind to our neighbors and stand up to those who are mistreating another. Millions of Star Wars fans, across the globe, continually return to these magnificent other-worldly tales because they tap into the core of what it means to be human, to be community and to get through this crazy world we live in and often feel like we’re merely surviving.
Interestingly enough, a lot of Star Wars fans are people of faith. Several are Catholics and mainline Protestants, and a good portion of those are pop culture geek-loving Presbyterian pastors like me. We see the similarities between the movies, and the figures and themes in the holy scriptures. We know, as you do, how the Bible story goes. We’ve heard it millions of times since we were children. We’ve read and sung, with blessed assurance, about this story of God and humanity, (God and us), so many times that we know much of by heart.
We’ve lived and breathed those stories of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Isaac, Moses, Ruth, Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, and Jesus. We’ve memorized God’s words and messages so we can recite them in moments of distress, and we’ve turned to those dog-eared pages in our Bibles when our minds have been full of worry, and we needed a moment of solace. We’ve studied and contemplated these stories through Christian Education programs and fellowship activities and mission projects. We’ve gathered together in worship to rejoice in what God did for God’s people long ago in ancient Israel and what God is doing among God’s people today.
We know how the story ends and yet we never grow weary of returning to the scriptures and savoring the parts that inspire and challenge each of us to be God’s faithful servants and ambassadors for Christ’s love throughout the world.
In a biblical commentary on Psalm 98, minister and scholar, Barbara Essex, says the scripture passage reminds Christians that in collaboration we stand before and worship a God who loves us and wants to help us enjoy the fullness of life. Essex writes: [2]
We are invited to sing anew the old songs—songs that recall all that God has done and the promise that God is alive and active in our own time. We too are in bondage to many things. We are overwhelmed and saddened by the messiness of the world and our contribution to the chaos that surrounds us. We are mired in greed, addictions, and estrangement from God, each other, and our own selves.
Our communities are no longer neighborhoods of cooperation and camaraderie. … Yet we are claimed by the same God who did and continues to do marvelous things—the horror of the cross with its oppressive and false triumph of imperial power is transformed into the symbol of suffering love. Through the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, God shows again that God reigns with strong arms and mighty hands. What God did for Israel, God continues to do for us—bringing salvation and justice and wholeness. Our God still makes a way out of no way.
The Israelites discovered—in the midst of enslavement and genocide and displacement—ways to stay together as a community and sing songs of praise, like Psalm 98. Praise is an uplifting, humanizing ritual that joins our hearts to our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer. Praise helps us stay connected in trying situations and motivates us to be generous with our hearts to support God’s work and devote ourselves to serving others. Let us hear the words of the psalmist once again:
1 O sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
have gained him victory.
2 The LORD has made known his victory;
he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.
Ismael Garcia, professor of Christian Ethics at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, observes the following about Psalm 98:[3]
Ultimately, it is the ordering rule of the Lord that alone provides the stability and dependability that makes it possible for us to live full lives within both nature and history. God’s new, unexpected, and marvelous acts do not just sustain order but point toward the creation of new possibilities of life beyond all human expectations. A new song thus becomes imperative, so that all creation praises and celebrates these unexpected, unique, and marvelous deeds of the Lord.
We can sing new songs of praise because we have witness of how the Lord is in control and that nothing will stand against or defeat God’s liberating purpose. We can sing new songs of praise because God too is constantly doing new things among us—new things to renew nature and history as well. The salvation of the Lord will prevail—good news indeed and worthy of a new song. …
The Lord’s judgment brings the kind of justice and equity that makes it possible for humans to live in harmony among themselves and with the whole of creation. The salvation of the Lord and the justice of the Lord are one and the same. No dimension of existence that has suffered the distortions and abuses of the prevailing powers and principalities will escape it. The personal, the social, the political, and the ecological spheres will be made anew and whole again (vv. 7–9). Thus, even the sea and the earth are invited to praise and rejoice.
We too are invited to join in a new song that remembers what forever remains constant and true: God is sovereign, and God’s rule of justice, righteousness, equity, and peace will always be greater than any earthly power. Our praise and joy affirm who God is, what God has done and what God will continue to do to shape and transform the world with unconditional love and grace.
We join in a new song and make a joyful noise to the Lord with the same exuberance as a Star Wars fan who gets giddy whenever they hear the movie score or see that opening crawl or watch Luke Skywalker have a light saber battle with Darth Vader for the umpteenth time.
We join in a new song and make a joyful noise so that the hope of God’s kingdom may be known and received and shared by all.
And all God’s people said…amen.
[1] https://www.starwars.com/databank/the-force
[2] Bartlett, David L.; Taylor, Barbara Brown. Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 2: Lent through Eastertide (Feasting on the Word: Year B volume. Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.
[3] Bartlett, David L.; Taylor, Barbara Brown. Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 2: Lent through Eastertide (Feasting on the Word: Year B volume. Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.
georgia preach 