Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
Psalm 19
Did you notice? In this morning’s reading from Exodus, the Israelites are not complaining! At least not for the moment. They are fully aware of God’s presence with them and are in fearful awe. And they are not blaming Moses for their problems. In fact, they are grateful for Moses’ intercession with God.
And Moses has come full circle. He is back at Mount Sinai where this portion of his life journey began when the voice of Yahweh spoke to him from the burning bush. That bush was at the base of Mount Sinai. And now God speaks to him again. With the giving of the law. The renewal of the Abrahamic Covenant, God’s commitment to God’s people. God’s commitment is given structure and substance in the Ten Commandments.
Commandments or laws given, of course, for the peoples’ good. It’s often noted that some of the commandments govern the peoples’ relationship with God and others govern their relationships with each other. Their relationships with each other! God’s people are fundamentally a community. There is no possibility of individuality in the Ten Commandments. To be God’s people is to interact with one another.
The Ten Commandments not only govern behavior; they are also about defining and shaping identity. Who are we? We are the people saved by God. But even more than that: We are people whose identity and character mirror the character and identity of God. Callie Plunket-Brewton: the purpose of these laws is “shaping the people’s identity and character so that they correspond with the identity and character of God.”
For example, Even the keeping of the Sabbath reflects the peoples’ calling to mirror the character and actions of God. They do not just keep the Sabbath because God told them to. They do not just keep the Sabbath because that’s what the people of God do. They keep the Sabbath because God keeps the Sabbath. In Exodus 20 the observance of the Sabbath was to keep holy the day that God had consecrated as holy at creation. (Verse 11 is omitted from our lectionary reading, but it basically says, you shall not do any work on the Sabbath because God did not do any work on the Sabbath). Their actions were to correspond to God’s actions. Their character was to reflect God’s character. They were to re-present God in the world.
Thinking about this this weekend I saw a connection between the Exodus reading and St. Francis.
Yesterday was St. Francis’ Day. An internet meme was doing the rounds. It showed a bird saying: Happy St. Francis Day. Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures.
The quotation is actually from a piece attributed to St. Francis, The Canticle of the Sun. But if you think about it, really, how does a bird, or a dog, the sun or the stars praise God? We may see God’s touch in these creatures or in nature’s beauty. They may be the motivation for us to offer praise. But can they actually praise God? It may seem like a trivial difference, but it’s important to my point today. Can a bird, in and of itself, praise God?
St. Francis uses that sort of language a lot. Here’s a longer excerpt from the Canticle of the Sun. Note that it says, Be praised through all your creatures. (Not as it is sometimes translated, We praise you because of your creatures.) Be praised.
Be praised, my Lord, through all Your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and You give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of You, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
in the heavens You have made them bright, precious and beautiful.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
and clouds and storms, and all the weather,
Be praised by sun and moon, by wind and air, by all your creatures.
We hear the same sort of language in today’s psalm. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork…. Although they have no words or language, and their voices are not heard, Their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the world. How do these things without will or voice praise God?
We use the word “praise” to mean “commend” or to express approval. We praise a child for doing well. We praise an employee for a job well done. In this same sense when we speak praise for God we are acknowledging our awareness of the good God does. It is definitely good to be mindful and appreciative of God’s good works. Although that sort of praise can come off as a bit distant and patronizing… Keep up the good work, God! We like what you’re doing here!
I think there’s another way to praise. In addition to speaking words of commendation or appreciation. Because, after all, the sun or a bird cannot speak words of commendation or appreciation.
At its most fundamental level, to praise God is to re-present God.
And the sun, the stars, and animals do that. Just by being. Just by being.
So what does that mean for us? Can we praise God “not only with our lips,” as the Prayer Book says, “but in our lives?”
Yes. First, remember the Israelites: “Their actions were to correspond to God’s actions. Their character was to reflect God’s character”. That’s praising God. That’s re-presenting God in the world. And we do that when we choose to serve God and to keep God’s commandments. The actions of our lives praise God when we intentionally work to align our actions with God’s actions, our character with God’s character. Today’s Exodus reading is an important reminder of our call to re-present God through what we do.
But I’m still thinking of St. Francis. The sun and the birds and the pets whom we will bless later today don’t really “serve” God or intentionally conform their actions to corresponds to God’s actions. They don’t have the will to do that.
But they praise God. They praise God boldly. By being. Just by being as God made them. They are praise. As re-presentations of God’s creative goodness. They are praise. And so are we. And that is a really, really wonderful thing to remember. Each of us is a creature of God, created by God, in God’s image. And just by being that creature of God we are praise. It doesn’t matter if you have a beautiful voice to sing God’s praise, or eloquent words to speak praise of God. It doesn’t matter if your physical appearance is majestic or elegant. It doesn’t even matter if your actions are pious of faithful. All that matters is that each of us is a child, a creature of God. Each of us re-presents God with praise.
There’s a line from Psalm 139: "I will praise you because I am marvelously made." I’d like to turn that around a little bit. Because God made me marvelously, I am a thing of praise. Because I am God’s I am praise. I am a re-presentation of God just by being. Like the cardinal or the great Orion or the majestic lion or fall leaves on a maple tree. They praise God just by being. Just by being how God made them they are praise. And so am I.
Unlike other creatures we have the opportunity to choose to act and live in ways that re-present God. And we should, like the early Israelites, do our best to do that. But, especially on St. Francis’ Day, hang on to the wonder and joy that comes from simply BEING praise. Each of us, as a wonderful creature of God’s, is praise!
