The Message, September 10, 2023: "A New Song," Psalm 149

Author: Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
September 12, 2023

 

“A New Song”
A Message by Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
Psalm 149

            When I say the term “earworm” … do you know what I am talking about?

            It is NOT an invasive parasite that wriggles its way into our bodies. On the other hand … it actually is. An earworm, for those of you who do not know, is a tune that gets stuck on ‘repeat’ in our heads refusing to release us from its grip.

            According to research, ninety percent of the population experience an earworm at least once a week. Certain members of the population experience multiple earworms every day. What is more, scientists do not really know why they happen. Earworms are a special form of auditory mental imagery. It is typically some repetitive melody that repeats over and over in our heads.

            Scientists also point out that it is interesting that we do not experience the same with visual imagery. For example, we do not visualize a beautiful photograph or watercolor as we walk through our day. We do not typically have that experience with our other senses either. It is exclusively related to sound. (There is a TED Talk about earworms if you care to learn more.)

            How many parents went through your days singing: “Baby shark, do, do, do, do, do. Baby Shark, do, do, do, do, do.”?

            How many of you have spent the day asking: “Who let the dogs out? Woof, woof, woof woof!”

            I used to have a couple of members of one of my former youth groups sing, “This is the song that never ends, it goes on and on, my friend …” every time that we were on a trip. I spent hours paddling across lakes singing a never-ending loop of a song that never ends!

            Many years ago, I attended a ministers’ conference in Grean Lake, Wisconsin. One evening, several of us went out to dinner after worship, and it was clear that we all had the same song stuck in our heads. Before long, we were regaling the other diners with “The Canticle of the Sun” … “The heavens are telling the glory of God! And all Creation is shouting with joy!” Of course, as with any earworm, we could only remember the chorus. My belated apologies to all of those who were trying to enjoy a quiet evening out to dinner.

            Our psalm this morning is not about earworms. It is about singing and praising God.

            Psalm 149 is the fourth psalm in a group of five that are sometimes referred to as the “Hallelujah” psalms. The opening phrase, “Praise Yah” is typically translated as “hallelujah!” As you know, the psalms are the hymn books of the ancient Israelites. They were their songbook for worship. They were the songs that they sang as they travelled. The psalms offered their prayers and their plaintive pleas.

            However, the author of this psalm believed that the people needed to sing a new song to God. By the time that this psalm was written, many of the early psalms no longer fit the life and worship of the People of Israel. Their world was very different from the life and times experienced during Psalm One.

            This psalm was likely written about the same time as Second Isaiah. Israel had been conquered by the Babylonians and hauled off into exile. The people had lost their homeland, their possessions, and their inheritance. They had even lost their king. The monarchy of King David had come to an end. As I said, their world was completely different than that of their ancestors.

            What had not changed was God. God had been steadfast and true. God had delivered them from their bondage, and they returned to their homeland. They had many reasons to rejoice, but they needed a new song.

            The song would be a song of praise for God was still the center of their life and worship. God was still the source of joy. God was still the Author of Life and the Keeper of Promises. God was and is the Creator. And we hear in these psalms that God is King. You may not have noticed, but there was no mention of King David in the psalm. With the end of the monarchy, God was their ruler. God is their king!

            And the people had new reasons to sing a new song. God did not abandon them in exile. God is all powerful … so powerful that God could use a foreign king and a foreign army to defeat their captors. God had always been their freedom, but now they had even more evidence.

            That was part one of the new song. God is great! God is the King, the ruler of the People! God is the Source, the Creator!

            Part two of the song is this: now the faithful have a role to play. The faithful … the Hasidim … play an active part working toward God’s victory. The faithful play an active role bringing about God’s purpose.

            Of course, this is the part of this song that makes people nervous. Part two of this psalm speaks of a two-edged sword and vengeance. It is understandable why people would feel uncomfortable. Many people struggle with the verses about violence and vengeance.

            We feel uncomfortable because we know that vengeance is not ours. Violence is not ours. Whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual, violence is not ours to wield.

            The faithful are to be an active part in sharing God’s Word and God’s Way. BUT … the faithful are the humble and the lowly. The faithful are the servants. Those who Jesus will refer to as the “meek” are the ones that will inherit the earth. It is the humble and the meek that will be the “warriors” who will work toward creating God’s Kin-dom here on earth.

            Yes, the nations and their rulers are often the enemies of God. They often act in opposition to the Way of God and God’s love. But they will ultimately be defeated by the “army” of God, the servants of LOVE. God’s faithful possess a divine weapon to defeat the strongholds of the earth, and that “weapon” is Divine Love. Jesus was very clear when he said that this is not a battle that is fought using earthly weapons; it is not fought with the sword or the spear. “Those who live by the sword shall perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52) Jesus’ instruction to the faithful was that we would claim the nations by conversion and baptism.

            The words of this psalm have come down to us through the generations. We are the faithful. We share in the glory of the Lord. We share in the responsibility of bringing about God’s Kin-dom on earth.

            As we gather here this morning, we know that there are those who use that responsibility to inflict pain upon others. They are an abomination. They do not follow God’s Way. Those who use their perceived authority to exact violence and cause suffering are serving their own hearts, they are not serving God.

            God’s Way is the Way of Love. God’s purpose always serves the purpose of justice. God’s way is not vindictive. God does not practice retribution. God is not self-serving. Yes, judgement is a part of our Gospel message, but so is grace and mercy. God is much more patient and forgiving than we are. God’s understanding is beyond human measure. Therefore, the “sword” of the faithful is to be love, service, kindness, and justice. Judgement is God’s, and God’s alone.

            So, we are left to sing a new song. Every day we have the opportunity to write a new song, to live, and sing, and dance a new song. The song is not just a melody for our hearts and minds, it is for our bodies too. Our song should move us. The song should be sung by the faithful over and over again every day. We should sing it in worship and in the workplace. We should sing it in the marketplace and in the town square. We should sing it in our relationships and in our decision making. The song should become part of who we are.

            Let us BE a new song for God. May our lives proclaim our love for all people. And maybe, if we sing it often enough, our friends and neighbors will start singing it too. Amen.

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