(1 Kings 8:22-24, 52-61)     OT p. 305 or 428

[22] Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven.

[23] He said, "O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart,

[24] the covenant that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand.

[52] Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant, and to the plea of your people Israel, listening to them whenever they call to you.

[53] For you have separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be your heritage, just as you promised through Moses, your servant, when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, O Lord God." [54] Now when Solomon finished offering all this prayer and this plea to the Lord, he arose from facing the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven;

[55] he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice:

[56] "Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised; not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke through his servant Moses.

[57] The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors; may he not leave us or abandon us,

[58] but incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our ancestors.

[59] Let these words of mine, with which I pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires;

[60] so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.

[61] Therefore devote yourselves completely to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day." [NRSV]

LET US PRAY:

INTRODUCTION:

A number of years ago, one particular denomination had a column for kids in their Sunday School material. Instead being Dear Abby or Dear Anne, it was Letters to Chester, The Churchmouse. One such letter came from a group of second and third graders who wanted to know why the benches we sit on in Church are called "Pews"? Chester wrote:

That is a very interesting question. There are two explanations that I remember from Church Mouse University. One: Many years ago in Germany where the Lutheran Church started, the people would have to walk many miles to church. When they finally got where they were going, the first thing they would say to each other at the church, was "'Pew,' we made it." That thing happens sometimes in today's church if the sermon is especially long.

Two: Not so long ago, the people would have to stand during the whole church service out of respect for the Lord. This was very hard to do, especially for the old folks and little children. A movement started all across the country and its purpose was to change the worship pattern so that people could sit during them. The movement wanted a bench that was placed in rows to allow people to sit during different sections of the service. The name of the organization was People Enjoy Worship Sitting or as it was abbreviated P.E.W.S. Now you know the rest of the story. Chester

P. S. There are probably other explanations. A likely one is that the word pew is a French word meaning, "a compartment in the church for a group of people to sit in." (1)

Sometimes, that's all we do in Church. We come in and sit. That's not always bad. It's better than not coming in at all. But just coming in and sitting really isn't enough. If that's all Solomon had wanted for the people of Israel, he could have just built a big pavilion. But in the passages we read this week, we found out that Solomon wanted a place of Worship. A House of Worship to honor and glorify God. And you can see exactly how he felt about the purpose of the Temple in his prayer of dedication.

As I look at his prayer, I think we can identify five things that were and still are important for the Church to experience during worship. REVERENCE, REFLECTION, RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT and REDEMPTION.

I. REVERENCE:

A. Let's look at REVERENCE first. When I talk about REVERENCE, what I'm referring to is awe and reverence for God and the things of God.

Solomon begins his prayer of dedication of the Temple by saying: "O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart."

Solomon stood in awe of God. He stood in awe of God as Creator. And then in thinking about God as Creator of all that is and was and ever will be, Solomon is awed that this God would choose Israel to make and keep covenant with. He stands in awe and wonder and he gives praise to God while reminding the people that they should too, all in the same the breath.

B. Four-year-old Jeremy, was the son of one of the active and faithful members of a particular church. Jeremy was going with his mother to get some birthday pictures taken at a store. As good photographers do, the photographer engaged Jeremy in conversation in order to get that certain photographic look. She asked him, "What do you want for your birthday ... a He-Man?"

"Oh no," Jeremy answered, "He-Man is not the master of the universe - God is!" (2)

When we gather for worship each week, we come to remind ourselves that God IS the master of the Universe. God doesn't need reminding. God would still be Master of the Universe whether we remembered or not. So we gather to remind ourselves. And in reminding ourselves we come with the same sense of Awe and Wonder and REVERENCE which we experience in Solomon.

We come to sing our praises and to stand in awe of God and God's presence in our lives. And that is known as REVERENCE.

II. REFLECTION:

A. Of course in the midst of that REVERENCE we take time for REFLECTION. We reflect upon ourselves and upon God. We do that reflection most often through prayer, just as Solomon does here in recalling the covenant relationship between God and the people of Israel. We do the same when we gather together for worship.

Eugene Barron of Littleton, Colorado wrote: "The beginning of prayer is silence .... God speaking to us in the silence of the heart. And then we start talking to God from the fullness of the heart. And God listens. The beginning of prayer is Scripture... we listen to God speaking through the inspired Word. And then we begin to speak to Him again from the fullness of the heart. And God listens." (3)

Our time of REFLECTION, our time of corporate prayer for ourselves and those in need is Sacramental in nature. It draws us and those we are concerned about into the presence of God. And it reminds us of the personal relationship God wants with each of us.

B. Ashley is a three year old who has one of those tiny cars that a pre-schooler can get in and peddle around with their feet like Fred Flintstone. This one has a top on it like one of a golf cart. It even has a little door that opens and closes, so the kids can slide into the seat.

Well, one day, Ashely's folks were gone and Grandma and Grandpa were babystting at Ashely's house. After peddling around the family room rather vigorously, taking my Grandma's purse for a ride in the small amount of space available next to her, Ashley pulled up in front of Grandma, took the purse out of the crowded little seat, leaned her head out from under that little roof, looked up and said, "Come, sit by me." (4)

The miracle is that God is able to come into even the smallest place in our lives if we are just willing to invite him into our crowded lives. That's the kind of relationship God wants with each of us. And we realize that when we take time to for REFLECTION. REFLECTION on the blessings God has bestowed upon us and REFLECTION upon the relationship God wants with each of us.

III. RESPONSIBILITY:

Through REVERENCE and REFLECTION we learn what it means to belong to God. We learn what it means to serve God. In other words, we learn RESPONSIBILITY.

Dicky Love, one of the Associate Editors of Parables, Etc, writes:

"We as members of the body of Christ can be compared to the pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece has protrusions and indentations. The protrusions represent our strengths (gifts, talents, abilities) and the indentations represent our weaknesses (faults, lack, shortcomings, undevelopment). The beautiful thing is that the pieces complement one another. My weakness is filled by your strength, etc. Each member is very important and can minister to the other members of the body! When one piece is missing from the puzzle, its absence is very obvious and damages the picture. When each piece is in place, however, any one is not conspicuous but blends in to form the whole picture. Let us recognize and encourage the functioning of each member of the body. (5)

We're each called to do our part. To fill our unique niche in the life and ministry of the Church. And when we do, when we learn, through REVERENCE and REFLECTION what our particular strengths are, then we be RESPONSIBLE examples of the Christian life for God.

IV. RESPECT:

A. That brings to the idea of RESPECT. Did you notice that one of the areas that Solomon prayed about is our relationship with our neighbors and with foreigners. (See vss 31-32; 41-43) Solomon is concerned about Others. And we should be too.

One of the things worship should and does teach us RESPECT. RESPECT for others and RESPECT for ourselves.

One of the things Jesus taught we call the golden rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Or "Treat others the way you want to be treated."

The Ten Commandments are about God and how to get along with others. They are the basis of RESPECT for God, RESPECT for others and even RESPECT for our selves.

When we come to church with a sense of REVERENCE and take time for REFLECTION. We discover that even those folks not like us have something to offer us because God loves them as much as God loves us. And because God love them, we can too. Because God loves them, we can show them RESPECT.

B. And another area that we learn in church is self respect. We learn to respect ourselves. In an old comedy, "The Delicate Delinquent," Jerry Lewis plays the typical inept young man that he always plays. In this movie, he tried but failed to be a juvenile delinquent. It's followed by a very moving scene where he's talking to his best friend, someone to whom he looks up. Jerry Lewis says, "When I try to be bad, I'm good. When I try to be good, I'm bad. When I was a kid, I was a jerk. When I was a teenager, I was stupid. Now I'm a man and I'm empty. I know two things about me. One: I'm nothing. And two: I want to be something." (6)

It's horrible to feel like you're nothing. Nobody should feel or be made to feel like nothing. We all want to be something. And the Good News is that we are! Not because of anything we have done. But simply because of God's grace. We are created in the image of God. We ARE something. And if that's not enough, the God of creation sent his Son to give his life for us. We are something, something very special to God.

V. REDEMPTION:

Through that RESPECT for others and for ourselves then are more likely to hear the Good News of REDEMPTION.

Did you notice how in his prayer, Solomon mentions sin twice. First there is sins against our neighbors and then sins against God. Solomon prayed: "there is no one who does not sin" Solomon knew that even with the Temple, even with worship, we would still need the REDEMPTION that only God can offer. So Solomon prays for REDEMPTION for the people of Israel.

REDEMPTION is something we all need.

There was a young man who served his country during the Vietnam War. He was the lead man on a jungle patrol: the one responsible for looking for land mines, booby traps, and ambushes. With every step he risked death, and if he made a mistake, his entire unit would be in danger.

When the war was finally over, he couldn't believe that he was still alive while all his friends were dead. He often felt he would have been better off if he HAD died. He was haunted constantly by nightmares of his friends dying. Slowly his spirit was robbed of life. He saw many doctors and had many tests, but no one could come up with a cure for his myriad ills. He continued to decline as time passed.

One day he went and visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D. C. Tears flowed freely as he touched the names of his friends etched in the hard black stone. He looked for and found every name he remembered except one. Back and forth he walked, touching the wall, looking for the one last name. He looked in the book that listed all the names and told where to find them on the wall. He asked the attendant, but the attendant couldn't find the name either.

"Are you sure that's the right name?" the attendant asked him.

"Yes," the man replied, "It's my name."

The attendant looked at him and said softly, "Your name isn't here. You must be alive. Go home and get on with your life."

And that was the word the man needed. He was alive! And he instantly became a better man, a better husband, a better father. (7)

The man found the REDEMPTION he needed through the kind word of another. Jesus offers that REDEMPTION to each and everyone of us. He gave His life so that we could live. And the truth is that He is still on point. He's still the lead man on patrol.

CONCLUSION:

Solomon closes with his address to the assembly with these words: "Therefore devote yourselves completely to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day." And I would reiterate those words: "devote yourselves completely to the Lord."

Devote yourselves. The door to God's house is always open. Devote yourselves to the lord our God through REVERENCE, REFLECTION, RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT and REDEMPTION.

1. Parables, Etc. (Platteville, Colorado: Saratoga Press), November 1984

2. The Pastor's Story File (Platteville, Colorado: Saratoga Press), January 1997

3. Eugene Barron, Littleton Christian Church, Littleton, Colorado

4. Parables, Etc. (Platteville, Colorado: Saratoga Press), April 1986

5. Parables, Etc. (Platteville, Colorado: Saratoga Press), October 1996

6. The Pastor's Story File (Platteville, Colorado: Saratoga Press), August 1997

7. From Making Miracles, by Arnold Fox, M. D. and Barry Fox, Ph.D., published by The Good Spirit Press, Emmaus, Pennsylvania, 1989, pgs. 70 - 72.