March 14, 2010

Psalm 32 and 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

“Not perfect, just forgiven.” That’s more than a bumper sticker.  It’s a four-word sermon on Psalm 32 for anyone with a short attention span. (What was I just saying?)

For those still listening, it’s also a formula for happiness.

* *

The Declaration of Independence extols our “unalienable right” to pursue happiness. And we do … in so many ways!

The homes we inhabit, brands of clothing we wear, and dreams we chase after … the political party we endorse, hobbies we practice, and teams we cheer for … the clubs we join, people we hang out with (or don’t!), foods we eat, and places we travel – those are some of the markers we use to gauge happiness.

Are you organized, optimistic, busy or important? Are you making a difference in the community where you live? Do people know your name? Are you invited to parties? The list goes on.

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered,

[and] to whom the Lord imputes no wrongdoing.

It’s worth noting that happiness does not depend on being perfect or never making a mistake. Goof-ups happen. (There’s a bumper sticker about that too.) But the key is not being stuck with those goof-ups forever. People who are accepted in spite of their faults … those are the “happy” ones.

* *

We can boil it down to four words, but the reality of confessing our weaknesses and letting go of grudges against others is tough. It’s “ego-bruising work.”

It’s hard on the body too, along with the ego. Keeping silence about sin took a physical toll on the psalmist.

My body wasted away through my groaning all day long.

Day and night your hand was heavy upon me.

That’s how it was for the psalmist – loss of appetite, shoulder and neck pain. For us it shows up as knots in the back, high blood pressure, ulcers, insomnia, or addictions.

Yet we’re willing to pay that price. Names like Toyota and Tiger tell us how hard it is to confess our own wrongs … or forgive others for theirs.

·         Toyota’s car sales have slumped on rumors that the automaker wasn’t honest about manufacturing problems, even after repeated mea culpas by Mr. Toyoda himself.

·         Late-night TV has Tiger by the tail, making him the butt of countless jokes, especially prior to his apology.

·         Major league steroid users aren’t sure if they’ll be admitted to the Hall of Fame, or if their records will be erased or have an asterisk attached – even if they ‘fessed up … but especially if they didn’t. Will fickle fans that once cheered ever forgive?

At our Presbytery meeting a couple weeks ago, confession and an invitation to forgive were the order of the day. A middle-aged former Presbyterian pastor was introduced. We were told about the serious sins and transgressions he committed eight or ten years ago, which led him to surrender his ordination and leave ministry. But he still feels called. So he came, asking to start over as a preacher and pastor – humbled and changed – but with a past no one endorses.

That led to some spirited debate on the Presbytery floor.

Some voiced the opinion (with good reason) that a “no tolerance” policy is needed for the things this guy did. A lack of standards and policies has gotten plenty of religious organizations in hot water and ruined the trust of millions of former adherents.

But the man the man was contrite, and repentant as he stood before us. He confessed his sin openly, and (by all accounts) fully. As with the psalmist, there was “no deceit” in his spirit, so far as I could tell. He admitted how his past weighed heavily on him, like the hand of God on his shoulder, when he carried his sin in silence, isolated from his Presbyterian “family.”

That left us as the Presbytery in the position of deciding whether or not we believe and abide by Psalm 32 … having to decide whether we’ll allow that man ever to be “happy” again, in the assurance that he has been (and is) forgiven.

In other words, he wasn’t the only one on the hot seat. As a presbytery, we were left to decide whether our confession is true that “All things are possible for those who love God” … whether it is true that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ” … and whether the Apostle Paul told the truth when he wrote in today’s New Testament passage that “anyone who is in Christ is a new creation; the old has passed away and the new has come.”

His confession of sin tested our confession of faith. It put us in the position of choosing whether or not we will forgive as Christ forgave us … and whether we’d do it “seventy times seven” – offering such extreme forgiveness – as he commands us to do.

The vote wasn’t unanimous. But I feel confident that we made the right choice.

* *

There’s no question in today’s psalm about the reality of sin. It exists, and is pervasive.

Equally important, the psalm leaves no question about the reality of God. God is no mere hypothesis, no “elective” that we can choose or dismiss. God is. And God requires much. God’s standards are sky high. But God also forgives – sky high.  God is:

                                preserving [us] from trouble;

                                            and surrounding [us] with glad cries of deliverance.”

* *

That’s almost the end of the story. But not quite. The psalm refuses to end with individual happiness for the one who is forgiven. It pushes on to share the news with others – so they can experience it too.

Having found the happiness of “transgressions forgiven” and “sins covered,” the psalm invites listeners to “be glad and rejoice” too. They are invited into a life of happiness and joy that starts with “trust in the Lord.”

Just as the psalmist could not keep silent about his sin, he sings God’s mercy:

I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

So we might imagine that instruction and counsel includes the promise we made today at the baptismal font to help raise Cora to know and accept the love of Jesus Christ.

And we might imagine this shared grace extending to other members of the congregation who don’t think like we do about certain issues (in or out of the church) … or don’t show up for the programs you worked hard to create … or don’t pledge financial support to the church in the same amount we do.

It’s easier to be self-righteous than forgiving … easier – as the psalmist described – to treat a person like a horse or a mule instead of a fellow human being.

But the psalmist causes us to ask, “Will that really make us happy?” Or God?

* *

When a person falls, it’s common to hear another say, “Well, he’s only human.” Or “Hmm. I guess she’s human after all.”

But being human isn’t about being fallible or sinful or weak. To be human – according to Psalm 32 – is to be loved. And know it.

And being “righteous” – as Jesus and the psalm insist we should be – isn’t about being blameless or “perfect,” but being forgiven and set free.

HAPPY are those who can say that for themselves.

Happier still are those who invite others to experience it too.

To the glory of God.