God's faithfulness - and ours

"The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein; for he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers." (Psalm 24:1-2, RSV) Psalm 24 (our Psalm Lesson for July 15, 2012) has been a celebration of the creative genius, the redeeming grace, and the persistent, passionate presence of God for thousands of years. In good times, it has summoned generations of the faithful to celebration and renewed covenantal faithfulness; in difficult times, it has comforted other generations with the assurance that God is God, that God’s power and purpose is triumphant for us, in us, through us, and, sometimes, in spite of us. "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully." (Psalm 24:3-4) “Clean hands and a pure heart” might suggest that some of us could qualify for the high privilege of worshiping God in God’s high, holy place. The Psalm is attributed to David, the great king of Israel anointed by God. Yet even the most casual reader of Scripture knows that David’s “hands and heart” were often unclean and impure (Consider again Bathsheba and Uriah – or the bloodthirsty slaughter of the Philistines after Goliath was slain.). Therefore, human qualifications cannot be the first or final measure of worthiness for the worship of God. God’s faithfulness must be the decisive measure of empowerment. "Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors! That the King of glory may come in." (Psalm 24:7) Celebration is at the heart of the faithfulness which God makes possible: God has created. Yes! God is present. Amen! God lifts us up. Let God in!