With praise and thanksgiving, they sang to the Lord: "He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever." And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy" (Ezra 3:11-12).

"God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good."

Many of us have declared this. But some of us may not use it very well, that is, we only use it when we have experienced something which we consider good.

For example: when someone is in a car accident but unhurt and the insurance payout is good. Or when someone loses a job but quickly gets a better one. Or when cancer treatments are successful so that the doctor declares 'cancer free.' Or when we think we failed a test, but the teacher gives us a B+.

It's vastly more difficult to say, 'God is good,' after the doctor says there is no more treatment, or the accident results in permanent injury, or the job lose results in extended unemployment, or the test result is a D-.

So, this raises an important question: is God only good some of the time? Does God take time off from being good? Of course, he doesn't. "God is good all the time."

This is what the Israelites were declaring as they rejoiced and cried together. They had returned from exile, cleaned up some of the rubble in Jerusalem and begun to rebuild the temple. When the foundation had been laid, they paused to give praise to God. They created a such a loud noise it could be heard for miles around. However, people heard both crying and rejoicing.

The older folks had seen the temple that Solomon had built. This new one wasn't going to be anything as grand as the old one. They recognized that Israel had been reduced to little more than a stump of the tree it had once been. The new temple was symptomatic of that.

Yet, they declared, God is good.

Why? Because God's love endures forever. Those older folks new this better than the young. They were the ones who had seen Israel's sin, and they knew that the exile had been a result of this sin. Israel had done it to herself. God should have given up on them. But he hadn't. He had moved Cyrus to let Israel return to her own land, the land God had given them.

God's goodness was seen in his faithfulness despite Israel's sin. God was and is good. They saw it in this new Jewish community centred in the temple. God's goodness enables us to endure downturns. It is important to praise God, to declare that God is good, even when life is not. When we don't feel like it, praise becomes an act of faith. It's a declaration that God will see us through the darkness. And at times it is also a declaration that God will see us or a loved one through the vale of death. Jesus is our shepherd even then.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns (Deuteronomy 16:13-14).

Last Monday, we reflected on the discipline of celebration to which God invited his newly freed people. We considered the emotional benefits of this worship practice. Today, let's explore the ethical benefits of Israel's feasting.

These dinners focus attention on the food resting on the table, but also on the coworkers, neighbours and others gathered around it. The instructions read, "Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns."

Many of us learn things best when we practice them. God was training his people into a new kind of economy, very different from that of Egypt. That was one of scarcity. There was not enough to go around. The Israelites, being slaves, certainly always got the leftovers, if there were any. But now these folks were to look around the table and understand that the purpose of there work was not their own profits, nor their own personal enrichment and security.

The purpose of their labour is the flourishing of the whole community. The work of their hands would be blessed, and their joy would be complete, if their profits caused the community to flourish, and specifically, the vulnerable and the marginalized of that community. This celebration liturgy was training the landowners to see these others within the economy of God.

These things were learned not by the preaching of the priest, nor the lecturing of the ethics professor. Rather, it was practiced as they saw, tasted, smelled and passed around the fruit of their labours. Since there were foreigners, it is very possible that there were language barriers, but sharing the produce of the farm, built community and countered individualism. Justice was tasted. By sharing their table, God's people reached beyond the borders of race, ethnicity, class and gender.

Obviously, we do not have such meals today. In fact, our practice of donations leans in the opposite direction. It separates giver from receiver. Giver and receiver rarely meet. God would have us change that, to offer gifts face to face. And to rejoice in the giving and receiving. Communities flourish when people know each other. We need to find ways to interact. For example, the Out of the Cold BBQs our church hosts during the summer offer times of interaction. Volunteering at Helping Hands or Neighbour 2 Neighbour are other venues to break social barriers.

Jesus was known for eating with all sorts, accused of being a glutton and drunk. It was one of the things that led to his crucifixion. Still, we are to follow his example. How can you sit at table with other people? How can we share the bounty God has given us so that the community flourishes economically and socially? How can we celebrate together the good gifts of God?

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Wherever God takes you this week, may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Mark 14:1-11; John 18:33-37. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

Dive In!

1. What have you seen this week that is 'Out of this World'? Think of things you saw on social media reels and in real life.
2. What are the three scenes in today's reading from Mark?
3. How does Jesus understand his anointing?
4. Who do you have a difficult time being merciful to?
5. How does Jesus' kingdom grow?
6. What does Paul say the cross brings to this world?
7. What kind of people in your life do you find it difficult to be friends with?
8. What are you not willing to sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom?