Mirror, Mirror
Psalm 100 & James 1:17-27
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 1, 2024
Last week we spent a bit of time in our closet considering what to wear ending with choosing Christ as the armor of God.
To recap, if you recall our talented model wore a belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, shoes for peace, and a helmet of salvation while carrying a shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Thankfully, due to the help of Laurelee modeling all those things, I have those images in my mind so that I can readily recall them so that I can be sure to be rightly clothed for when I step out into the world.
There is one other item of action we need to remember while wearing these clothes, and that is to pray. Pray for strength and protection for whatever we face throughout the day.
With all of these things, we are prepared and ready to head out in boldness professing the glory of our God. And when I say professing, I’m not necessarily saying go stand on a street corner or run people down to tell them about God…this might not be a bad thing…however, sometimes it is through the humble actions in our boldness that we reach people.
And let’s think about this, because it might seem like being humble and being bold is an oxymoron, but it is not, actually. Being bold means that we can be firm in our knowledge of what we know of the Word of God. It might mean that we have to take time to study the Word of God, like when we attend Generations of Faith, attend our First Friday Contemplative services, and attend our worship services as we are doing today.
Even more, knowing and understanding God’s Word takes a lot of time…quiet time….when we are at home alone, or in a park, or in the woods. Wherever we can find a moment to sit quietly, read the Word, and make room to allow God to speak to us through the Spirit.
We can also ponder God’s Word while we exercise, whether in a gym or on a quiet walk by ourselves. The key is to open our minds and our hearts to the possibility to receive the message and understanding God is speaking to us through the Spirit.
Today, having walked out of the closet dressed in our full armor of God, having the confidence of what we have learned and studied so that we can be bold in our knowledge, we can walk humbly and wait to meet those people who are waiting to receive God’s Word.
Because we are bold in our knowledge of all that God is, we do not have to boldly scream it at people. I don’t think that is what Paul was saying at all when he said he was to declare it boldly. Rather, I believe Paul was saying that we declare the Word with confidence because we have studied and received the knowledge God has provided to share with others.
So how are we bold and humble at the same time? We are humble when we wait for God to present us with the moment for the action that is required. We are humble when we recognize that someone is in need of prayer, and we ask, “May I pray with you?”
We are humble when we see someone in need of food, and we ask, “May I bring you a meal?”
We are humble when we see someone without a coat or shoes, and we say, “May I give you these things that I have so that you may be clothed.”
We are humble when someone approaches us that doesn’t know they are welcome to our Lord’s Table, and we say, “This is not a Presbyterian table, Christ invites all who love him, AND all who long to know him more, to come and see that he is good.”
While we can be bold in wearing the armor of God, and we can study so that we gain knowledge through study and discernment and waiting for God’s voice to speak to our mind and heart, we can also be humble in our actions.
Having all this knowledge, let us come out of the closet fully clothed in Christ, and let us pause to look in the mirror. What do we see staring back at us? Do we even take time to look, or are we in such a hurry to get out of the door to get the kids to school on time, or get to work on time, or get to our next doctor’s appointment.
I want us to pause this morning, and consider, what do we look like in the mirror? Do we have on all our armor?
You can close your eyes if you want to, but let’s just take a moment and make sure to check to be sure we have on all the armor needed for the day.
Do you have your belt of truth fastened around your waist? What about your breastplate of righteousness? Is it fastened securely across your body? And if you are not sure exactly what righteousness means, it’s living in a right relationship with God, other people, and all creation. And right living doesn’t mean you are perfect, so let’s make sure we understand that point, because as humans, none of us are perfect.
Next put on your shoes of peace so that you are ready to do peaceful actions during your daily walk. And don’t forget the helmet of salvation. We definitely need this helmet because salvation is what keeps us from being separated from God. It is the deliverance of humankind from negative or disabling conditions.
So quick check of where we are thus far: Belt, Breastplate, Shoes, Helmet or Truth, Righteousness, Peace and Salvation. Okay, everyone with me? If you forgot any piece of this armor, then go back and grab it, put it on, and make sure you have the whole armor.
Now, let’s grab that shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, and let’s take a good look in that mirror, and what do you see staring back at you? Is it confidence? Is it assurance that you are not walking out of that door to face the day without being clothed and surrounded by God?
Let’s take a good long look, let’s smile with assurance, and then let’s pray. “Thank you God for giving me all of this protection to face my day. Lord you know my struggles, and yet, you call me to help others who are also in need. Help me walk humbly with confidence so that I am ready to face whatever you place before me when I walk out this door. Help me to know that maybe I’ve gone through or am going through something difficult in my life that you already know will equip me to help someone else. Most of all God, thank you for walking with me every step I take throughout my day, and clothing me with all of Christ.” Amen.
I want all of you to look in that mirror and know that you are indeed clothed in Christ and ready to help all who are put before you.
One of my commentaries reflecting on Psalm 84 and 100 said this:
“And so we go to church to profess that our lives are not our own but are lived under God’s sovereign claim. We go to church to profess that insofar as we are powerful people, our strength derives not from ourselves but from God. We go to church to profess that our worthiness, insofar as we have any, derives not from what we manage to accomplish but from what God bestows. We go to church to profess that happiness is not the ceaseless pursuit of material well-being that our culture promotes but the entrusting of our lives and futures to God. The good news is that our destination, daily and eternally, lies in God. This good news contains the transforming power by which we profess to find strength, value, and life itself.”
In other words, we are not our own, rather we are God’s, and every generous act of giving comes from God. We have gifts to offer because we have been blessed to receive them from God.
We have the ability to speak, because God gives us what we are to say.
Like me, I’m sure you have found yourself in situations where you didn’t know what to say to someone. Sometimes, words are not necessary, sometimes it’s a touch or a hug that is important. Other times, God will give us the words to say when we arrive in front of the person or situation to be able to say them. This is possible when we are wearing God’s armor and we are equipped with all that is provided.
And last, when you look in that mirror before you head out each day, look in that mirror and pray, God help me to be a doer and not just a hearer because I know you need me to act in this world. I know there are people who are hurting, and I want to be a doer, not just a hearer of your Word.
What do you see in the mirror?