Aldersgate United Methodist Church

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Companion for the Journey

“Let’s Make Some Noise!”

Pastor Sue McNicol

Scripture: Psalm 95

O come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
² Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
³ For the Lord is a great God
    and a great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
    and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

⁶ O come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
⁷ For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture
    and the sheep of his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice!
⁸     Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
    as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
⁹ when your ancestors tested me
    and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
¹⁰ For forty years I loathed that generation
    and said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray,
    and they do not regard my ways.”
¹¹ Therefore in my anger I swore,
    “They shall not enter my rest.”

This lent we’ve been on a journey – one that began on “Ash Wednesday” when we acknowledged the flaws and imperfection of our humanness and prepared ourselves to begin again and be reconciled to God. We then explored mercy in the wilderness as Jesus faced temptation and declared he would not give into worldly promises of power, security and belonging. He would “worship God alone and serve only him.” (Matthew 4:10) Then we heard Nicodemus wrestle with the command from Jesus that he “must be born again.” (John 3:3), struggling with this so deeply, that he came to Jesus in the dark of night and sought deeper understanding of this metaphor, to realize why God seeks to work in his life and be at the forefront of his faith, so much so, that Nicodemus will declare his faith in God in the light of day. Last Sunday we explored what it means to go the distance with God through Psalms

Today we will continue our journey in the wilderness, as companions with God and one another. This journey brought all of you HERE to this worship service – why? By that I mean, you woke up this morning with many other options – you could be at home in a cozy chair with your beloved pets (and peeps around you) sipping coffee and reading or perhaps taking a drive to explore new places and visit friends old and new. Why did you come to worship with us? Is it because your name is listed as part of our Order of Worship and it would be a bit awkward if you weren’t here? Did you need contact with other people, or maybe some time for you and your higher power to reconnect? Are you frustrated, or weary, or hurting and longing for some clarity?

Our scripture reading this morning, Psalm 95 speaks about the elements of worship and declarations of faith and might provide some insight into why we are here together this morning. Let’s listen to Psalm 95 again this time from The Message Bible:

^1-2 Come, let’s shout praises to God,
    raise the roof for the Rock who saved us!
Let’s march into his presence singing praises,
    lifting the rafters with our hymns!

There are times we need connection with others, to gather together and sing and lift the rafters – to express our belonging to God, and to remember God is greater than all of us, all of this (what is happening here and now in our world). Let’s go on and listen to more of the Psalmists’ message:

^3-5 And why? (why shout and sing and lift the rafters) Because God is the best,
    High King over all the gods.
In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns,
    in the other hand grasps the high mountains.
He made Ocean—he owns it!
    His hands sculpted Earth!

^6-7 So come, let us worship: bow before him,
    on your knees before God, who made us!

Oh yes, he’s our God,
    and we’re the people he pastures, the flock he feeds.

Psalm 95 is one of a handful of psalms categorized as “enthronement psalms” because of their focus on God’s eternal kingship. The spiritual meaning of enthronement is that it’s a way of life – a desire to keep God in our hearts as a constant companion and friend – guiding us in all matters.

This psalm and the larger group of enthronement psalms appear in a section of the book of Psalms (Book IV, Psalms 90-106) that seems to be organized to deal with the theological crisis of the Babylonian exile in 587 B.C.E. The theological crisis is expressed in many of the psalms that precede this section (Book III, Psalms 73-89). Such psalms painfully related doubts about Israel’s core beliefs (their discernment regarding the central role of Jerusalem at that time, and the Davidic king in God’s plan, for example). But Psalm 95 along with the other enthronement psalms reminded those who doubted that God was still in control, that God was still “a great King above all gods” (verse 3).

Now things start to shift as we continue hearing the entire Psalm. Oftentimes, the reading of this psalm in worship ends midway – and the emphasis is entirely on praise and singing! That’s understandable – Afterall – who wants to venture into the weeds on their day of rest? But let’s keep going – suddenly the psalmist tells us to listen - God’s voice becomes first person, and here’s what he has to say:

^7-11 Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks:
    “Don’t turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising,
As on the day of the Wilderness Test,
    when your ancestors turned and put me to the test.
For forty years they watched me at work among them,
    as over and over they tried my patience.
And I was provoked—oh, was I provoked!
    ‘Can’t they keep their minds on God for five minutes?
    Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?’

Well, so much for the gentle wooing and joyful singing. We’ve shifted from hearing about the pleasure of trusting God, to the consequences when we do not. The Psalm ends with this:

Exasperated, I exploded,
    ‘They’ll never get where they’re headed,
    never be able to sit down and rest.’”

This gut punch leaves us wondering, “Is the Lord really with us, or not?” This questioning also comes up in the Old Testament reading (Exodus 17) where the Israelites complain to Moses in the wilderness because they’ve come to a place where they don’t have enough water. They argue with Moses, and Moses tells them by doing so they are testing God. Moses then complains to God, and God tells him to strike a rock, and water will come out, which he does, and it does. But still – they continue to question, “Is God among us, or not?” Much like them, my faith at times can be fleeting and my memory weak. Especially when our world is in turmoil and I’m wondering where is God in all of this? The Israelites of old are not the only ones with such shortcomings. It’s something we likely all face from time to time – when does trust in God become solid, at our core, despite what is happening in and around us? When have we felt God beside us as our companion in the wilderness?

God didn’t abandon the Israelites in the wilderness – the relationship continued. So too, we are reminded to continue seeking God in our questioning and our frustration. And this is where I believe Psalm 95 calls us to live as Christians for our time. Let’s make some noise – let’s continue to share God’s message and the mission and purpose we as United Methodists adhere to. Our Social Principles state, “we deplore war and all other forms of violent conflict and urge the peaceful settlement of all disputes. We yearn for the day when there will be no more war and people will live together in peace and justice.” Our UMC Social Principles go on to say, “Similarly, we oppose the increasing reliance on preemptive strikes unless they can be clearly demonstrated to be proportionate in response, delimited in human casualties, and undertaken in response to clear and immediate threats to human lives. We grieve that in a world where so many live in poverty, governments continue to dedicate enormous resources to preparing for and conducting wars.” I give voice to these statements of our faith today because the recent attack on Iran was described by the leaders of both nations as “preemptive.” That being said, we as United Methodists also stand by the following statement in our Book of Discipline, “As a church, we commit ourselves to support all people as they discern how best to model the nonviolent example of Jesus. The church supports and guides those who serve in the military; those who are conscientious objectors; we support veterans living with physical, psychological, spiritual and moral injury; and family of people affected by military service. We urge the church to care and work for systemic justice for all people affected by war, and to advocate for peacemaking and nonviolent conflict transformation.” Let us remember we worship the Prince of Peace, Christ who came to reconcile humanity with God and to bring life to all.

We are living in a time like none other and we have an opportunity to make a difference now more than ever. Don’t harden your hearts, the psalmist pleads. God is ever present in the world around us – in the beauty and the messiness. We are here for such a brief time, with so many opportunities to build up and provide comfort to those in need, to speak about hope and healing to those in deep despair, and to give voice to those silenced by violence and oppression. In his address this past week, Pope Leo XIV shared “stability and peace can only be achieved through reasonable, authentic, and responsible dialogue.”

I ask for us to keep this ever at the forefront of our actions – as we go from here into our places of work, family and among folks from all walks of life – may we continue to dialogue with one another is ways that invite Christ to walk alongside us, and companion with us through the messiness of life.  God’s love and grace take up residence in our hearts, so when we ask, “where is God in all of this?” we must look inward and be reminded we are that extension of God’s love here on earth. We can “make some noise” by sharing the message of our faith and living out the gospel imperative to love our neighbors, to do justice, and to care for the vulnerable. Will others see Christ today in our eyes and in our actions? I pray they will, for the healing of the world. Amen.