For this morning's sermon, I would like to examine Ps.137 in the larger context of the Lament psalms. Ps.137 in fact belongs to a special category of Lament psalms, called Imprecatory psalms.

The lament psalms are a prayer language which encourages us to be open and honest with ourselves and with God. I'll examine the role of Imprecatory psalms and whether it has a place in our Christian liturgy and worship context.

Walter Brueggemann, observed, "In a society marked by a deep dislocation that touch every aspect of our lives, old certitudes seem less certain, the social fabrics are fraying under the assault of selfishness, fear, anger, greed…

Our numbed and bewildered society lacks ways of thinking and speaking that can… enable us to go deep into the crisis and so to avoid denial; to imagine a better future and so to avoid despair"

- `Conversations Among Exiles', by Walter Brueggemann. It's my belief that the language of the Lament psalms (being metaphorical, dynamic and realistic) speaks relevantly to our times. It helps us to address our real issues and concerns and provide us with that much needed vocabulary that will enable us to connect deeply with our emotional pain. I'll be using the metaphor of the `Exile' and apply it to our context.. (and from there to ask ourselves what parallels can we see, what lessons can we draw, and what directions do they point to..)

There are a total of 57 lament psalms, which makes up 38% of the total psalms. Of these, 43 are individual laments and the remaining 14 are communal laments. Lament psalms have been called "psalms of disorientation" (Walter Brueggemann), typically reflecting the circumstances which they were addressing. They could be a period of chaos and disorder; a state of disequilibrium or displacement as in the period of Exile. The language of these psalms can be intense and emotionally charged; they are also honest and incisive in its complaints, pleas, accusations directed to God. It is poetry that comes out of suffering.

Communal Laments are central to the Jewish liturgy. They allow the public expression of deep, intense emotions. Within the context of prayer… complaints and protests directed at God are meant to convey the community's urgent concerns and needs. Against the backdrop of all the psalms.. is the belief that God's faithfulness and compassion is an ever present reality. The Lament psalms encourage us to ask hard questions.. to be aware of the issues we are struggling with. eg. How do I relate with a God who does not seem to understand my struggles? Why does God not relieve my pain? Does God even care? (these are questions we may ask when God is apparently `distant', `absent', `silent'.) The Lament psalms are subversive in that they provide us with ways of thinking, speaking, feeling.. so as to enable us to enter deeply into the crisis without falling into despair or retreating into denial. Since the persistent soul-searching and questioning takes place within a relationship, the `absence' or the `handedness' of God does not suggest a loss a faith. The Lament psalms challenge us to believe that God is present in the circumstances of defeat, chaos and disorder. (God need not function in an orderly, rational and logical manner to be God). The Exile was no longer seen as a period of God's absence or punishment due to the people's disobedience and failure to observe the Law. Instead, God was in `exile' with His people.

Praying the Lament psalms sensitize us to the pain of those who are suffering such as .. the oppressed, persecuted, displaced, marginalized, alienated… The language of pain opens us to God's Compassion. The Christians in southern Sudan maintain a tradition of writing songs as part of their personal testimony.

These songs (or psalms) express their pain, grief, loss, despair, helplessness that comes from being displaced from their traditional nomadic way of life as a result of conflict and suffering or over 40 years. Having lost villages, homes, families, livelihoods, these Sudan Christians faced an uncertain future. Don Brewin, a former national director of SOMA (`Sharing of Ministries Abroad'), an Anglican mission agency, shared his experiences during his early days in southern Sudan (while the civil war was still going on) He recalled how one day during a worship session, he asked one of the Sudan Christians to read out loud in his native language the passage from Ps.137. Don was struck by the intensity of raw emotions expressed by the rest of the community. It released a groundswell of pain, anger and mourning over their personal losses. They did not wait for permission to grieve or lament publicly. Don recounted how he stumbled over the brutal imagery of infants having their heads bashed against the rocks (vs. 8-9).

"Why are these in the Scripture? Why do we find the dreadful lines: `Happy is he who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock?' No resolution here. The psalm ends with anger, a desire for revenge… I sense this when I met some who had actually seen their wives gang-raped, and their babies beaten to death against a tree. What are we to do with these volcanic emotions?" (RESOURCE Magazine, July 2006, article by Don Brewin, "Owning Lament in Worship")

But Don began to see it in a different light, after this episode of communal lamenting… "the only safe outlet for these (volcanic) emotions is to express them to God. He will not stop loving us, whatever we feel about Him. The Church has too often tried to get us to deny them, and move on… But we cannot move on unless we move through, owning what we feel on the way." (Don Brewin, RESOURCE Magazine, July 2006)

Don observed that Christians in general have "lost the art of grieving". We do not know how to lament, when we fail to reflect in our worship what is going on in our hearts. So long as our emotions remain buried or suppressed, we will never be in touch with the true extent of our pain… let alone the pain of others.

Lament psalms as a prayer language provide a constructive way of channeling volatile feelings and unruly emotions. They give voice to our inner anguish, and bring to consciousness that which we have repressed, denied and ignored. We use the language of emotions to connect with God who understands and speaks the same emotions. In the context of prayer, our intense emotions can be ventilated in a manner not amounting to physical acts of violence.

What was the response of the early Christian community to the Lament psalms? The Gospel accounts of Jesus' passion (Matt 27:46, Mark 15:34) ascribed to Jesus the opening verses of Ps 22. It is Christ who spoke the language of the lament psalm. The early Christians grasped the significance of the lament psalms as the language of human emotions, which connects a suffering community with a God who suffers alongside them.

Let examine the nature of the Imprecatory psalms. How do approach these psalms in today's context?

Of the 10 psalms categorized "imprecatory" (12, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 83, 109, 137, 140), all except Ps 83 (written by Asaph) and Ps 137 (post-exilic in origin) have been written or ascribed to King David. Some have interpreted the Imprecatory psalms as expressing the psalmist (David's) personal feelings towards his enemies. Such outburst for vengeance could have arisen out of the deep anguish and hurt of being betrayed. If so, they merely reflect human failings and weaknesses in the face of pressure and difficulty. (Martin Chalmers) But most scholars are of the opinion that these psalms ascribed to David were not an expression of personal hatred, malice or ill-will but of righteous indignation, "zeal and passion for God's glory, and for the triumph of His cause and righteousness, which far exceeds ours. It is true devotion at its highest pitch" (Packer)

Is there a place in Christian liturgy and worship for Imprecatory Psalms? Well, that depends.. For those who are insistent that these are `Cursing' Psalms (this term was popularized by Gunkel and Mowinckel), then it will be simply disturbing and unbearable to utter such words of hatred, invoking vengeance and destruction on one's enemies.. They seem to go against the grain of Christian ethics which advocates "Loving your enemies, doing good to those who hate you. Blessing those who curse you. Praying for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28)

C.S. Lewis cautioned against the use of Imprecatory psalms in Christian worship. He labeled them `diabolical' and `terrible'. "we must not..yield for one moment to the idea that because it is in the Bible, all this vindictive hatred must be good and pious.. We should not in any way condone or approve it or worse still, used it to justify similar passions in ourselves" - `Reflections on the Psalms', C.S.Lewis.

Yet C.S Lewis conceded that the Divine had left His imprint in these psalms..

"We can still see in the worst maledictions, how these poets were in a sense near to God. Though hideously distorted by the human instrument, something of the Divine voice can be heard in these prayers" (`Reflections on the Psalms', C.S.Lewis)

Perhaps what disturbs us about these psalms are its expression of raw emotions (anger, rage, vengeful feelings) with such openness and honesty. But when we choose to suppress our feelings of pain instead of owning and expressing such emotions in the context of prayer, we end up having an unrealistic or a sanitized faith.

"Much of contemporary Christian liturgy and worship tend to be one- sided in its depiction of faith when they leave out the negative, dark emotions of our life experiences…. Much of Christian piety and spirituality is romantic, unreal in its positiveness when we censor the voice of darkness and disorientation" - `The Message of the Psalms', Walter Brueggemann

Vindictive outbursts and vengeful feelings, even though expressed in the context of prayer, still offend the religious sensibilities of many. Being more civilized, we wonder if we would have expressed such sentiments under similar circumstances?

In the aftermath of the Sept 11th terrorist attack, (7 yrs ago), there were many who looked to their faith traditions to help them formulate their response. Did the situation warrant some form of retribution? There were those of the opinion that an appropriate response was military action. I'm pretty sure that the desire for revenge and retaliation was evoked with the intent of destroying suspected terrorist strongholds (even at the expense of innocent lives, including infants). If we are honest, we will recognize our own capacity for violence and aggression under situations of threat and imminent death. Among the prominent Jews interviewed for their response to this Sept 11th incident was Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, and Nobel Peace Prize winner (1986). He remarked that punishment was permissible, but not revenge.

"Vengeance is passion; it's irrational. It's an instinctive reaction. We have a God who says, `Vengeance is mine'. So it belongs to God.. Jewish tradition focuses around justice, not around
retaliation or retribution" – (Chicago Tribune, Sept 2001).

A charitable response coming from a Holocaust survivor who lost his parents and a sibling.

Elie Wiesel was 15 yrs old when he watched his father die at Auschwitz. Also killed was the child's faith in a benevolent God. In his first book, NIGHT (1958) which recounted his experiences in the concentration camps, he wrote (in a lament form).

"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed.. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust.." - `Night', Elie Wiesel

Is it still possible to believe in a God who apparently forgotten His promises made to Abraham, and neglected His covenant-obligation s towards His covenant people (Jews). Where was God when over 6 million of His covenant-people were wiped out?

In an interview given to the New York Times, Elie Wiesel made the following remarks."After the war, I thought I could change the world by telling the story (of the holocaust). This is the Jewish belief that out of total darkness will come total light. My night won't end and yet other things are possible – day, hope. It's based on that night that I can experience joy. Because we must experience it (joy). If not, how could we go on? - New York Times Magazine, 23rd Oct, 1983

Even if Elie Wiesel could not bring himself to `believe' in God, yet he chose to believe in the qualities and attributes associated with God.. ie. Joy, Hope, Life. For Elie Wiesel, as with most Jews.. the act of remembering the past events, the national calamities, losses which have shaped their destiny as a people, also ensures their survival and continuity as a community of faith.

We now come to Psalm 137.

It is commonly dated after 538 BCE, belonging to the post-exilic period. It was during this time that King Cyrus (Persia) conquered Babylon and permitted the Jews to return to their homeland. (after a period of 70 yrs in exile).

This psalm captures one of the bleakest moments in the history of Israel. The southern kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonian empire (led by King Nebuchadnezzar) . This marked the end of the southern kingdom of Judah. (The northern kingdom of Israel had been dissolved and scattered by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.E)The city of Jerusalem laid in ruins. Those who were not taken into captivity were killed (including the old and feeble, the very young). Ps 137 captures the mood of despondency, mourning, a sense of hopelessness. The people of Judah (aka. Judeans) had lost their homes, livelihood, families and were forcibly evicted from their homeland. Not only were they devastated by the experience, but their faith was badly shaken when the Jerusalem temple was destroyed and the city left in ruins. Now without the Temple, there was no means for the people of Judah to continue with their religious rituals and sacrifices. There was no Temple around which the Judeans could shape and define their social, cultural and religious life. With their core meaning and structure of their life undone, their lives were in complete shambles. No Jerusalem, no vision, no hope, no future.

How would you feel if the core values around which you build your life collapses? And all that you believed in, lived for, your hopes and aspirations amount to nothing.

As Yeats puts it, "….Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold". This was the quandary which the musicians (psalmist) faced in Ps 137. The Babylonians taunted their prisoners by demanding them to sing `songs of Zion'. It was cruel mockery to remind the Judeans of their former homeland now reduced to rubble. The musicians in a show of defiance, or out of genuine grief hung their musical instruments on poplar(or willow) trees, lamenting.. "How can we sing the songs of the LORD in a strange land?" (vs. 4). These instruments were once used to sing songs of joy and celebration. But now with Jerusalem and its temple destroyed, these same instruments were now a poignant reminder of their painful losses. The musicians had no compelling reason or desire to sing triumphant, joyful, happy songs which commemorate God's victories. It was apparent in their situation of Exile, God was not victorious. So the musicians went on strike and that would have been the end of the story.. if not for the dreaded curses hurled at their enemies (Babylon and Edom). That was enough to relegate Psalm 137 to a special category of `Cursing' or `Imprecatory' Psalms (which we dealt with earlier.)

The cry for vengeance rose out of the background of the bitter memory of the fall of Jerusalem. "Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. They cried, "tear it down to its foundations" (vs. 7) Edom showed a lack of concern towards the plight of the people of Judah. (despite being related to Israel, as descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother). For that, Edom deserved to incur Divine retribution.

Hosea made an allusion to this event.. of infants getting smashed up against the rocks… "The Babylonians did terrible things to the people. Those who were not deported were killed – including children, the unborn in the wombs of their mothers" (Hosea 13:16)

The practice of killing infants represented the total destruction of a people.. (by wiping out a generation, or ending one's lineage). And because Babylon and indirectly Edom have destroyed the Judeans' blessings (ie. their children), they have incurred the curses provided under the Abrahamic covenant framework. (see Gen 12:2-3, "… I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse..") By declaring a similar fate on the Babylonians (vs. 8-9) "Blessed is the one who repays you (Babylon) for what you have done to us" The psalmist was invoking the special provisions under God's covenant treaty with His people which incorporated a format of `blessings and curses' which made obligations mutually binding. These verses were not an expression of animosity and rage but reflected the psalmist's confidence in divine retribution, that the Babylonians will experience a similar fate.

The psalmist expressed his serious intent to never forget Jerusalem by making an oath of remembrance, which carried a self-imposed curse (made conditional on the non-fulfillment of his vow. (vs. 5-6). He would rather lose his ability to play music and to sing (reference
to the right hand withering and the tongue becoming useless) than to forget Jerusalem.

So imprecatory statements or declarations of God's wrath and vengeance are done in good faith. These statements expressed the belief of the covenant-people in God's power to make what was spoken or declared, a reality. Whatever concerns entrusted to God were as good as taken care of. In this way, the people had a means of ventilating their pain, grief, anger, rage without having to resort to any physical acts of violence.

Let's come back to the verse, "How can we sing the songs of LORD in a strange land?" (vs. 4) It could mean how do we sing such songs on foreign territory (not in Jerusalem), on unsanctified ground (not in the Temple). Conversely it could mean that the musicians have lost their inspiration and could not bring themselves to sing any more triumphant, joyful songs of Zion. What this implies is that the old songs of Zion no longer reflected the real situation that the Judeans were facing.. (adjusting to life in Exile). It was not evident that God was going to rescue His covenant-people. The reality was that Jerusalem was completely in ruins. God's earthly habitation (Jerusalem Temple) was also destroyed… The psalmist faced the dilemma of how to continue with their former songs of Zion (which celebrated the victories of God over the enemies). It would not be honest expression of their true feelings and emotions. The Babylonian captivity led to 70 years of exile for the Judeans. During this time, there were many who still clung on to their faith rituals and practices.

But there was a need to reflect the new challenges posed by the absence of a centralized sacrificial system, the loss of a functional priesthood, the loss of a central point of reference
(with the Temple of Jerusalem destroyed).

Now the job of the psalmist and musicians were pretty much the same. Through the songs/psalms, they were to sustain the faith of their people; to keep the memory of Zion and God alive. Their work was very much that of vernacular theologians, working out a new response to a new situation (of Exile). The challenge of composing `new' songs of Zion involved providing the people with new symbols, new ways of relating to God. This is not to say, that the symbol of Zion/Jerusalem was no longer effective. Rather, the `new' songs would expand the symbol of Jerusalem to include the Jerusalem of the past with all its glory; the Jerusalem of the present defiled and ruined; Jerusalem of the future, a vision of the ideal state (Mt.Zion) where there will be Peace based on God's Justice and Truth. The psalmist felt strongly that the destruction of Jerusalem was not the final word. Nor would God allow His covenant-people to be totally destroyed. The new songs of Zion would continue to affirm the Judeans' distinct identity as God's covenant people and set them apart from their Gentile captors. These new songs came to grips with struggles and challenges of life in Exile; They were songs of faith and hope, with Zion as their focal point of orientation.

If we apply the metaphor of `Exile' to our context, what sort of parallels do we see? What lessons can we draw? How do we see ourselves in a state of `exile'? Those who are our `Edom' and `Babylon' may be those who treat us with prejudice, discrimination, relating with us out of conditional love. This has contributed to our state of `exile' when we feel alienated, marginalized, displaced within Christ's universal Body. Our `Edom' and `Babylon' may be in the form of various temptations, hindrances which clouds our perception, making us forget our
Kingdom priorities and responsibilities (or to forget our `Jerusalem'). The threat of cultural assimilation was a great problem to the Judeans in Babylon. Among the members of the community were some who would decide that.. "Jewishness is too demanding, or too dangerous, or too costly, and to simply accept Babylonian definitions and modes of reality" (`Cadences of Home', Brueggemann)

We find ourselves in a dominant culture that seeks "to dismiss, to discredit, to deny, to disregard" our Christian witness by making us forget our identity, calling, purpose and destiny. The temptation to assimilate, to give up one's alternative vision (of an inclusive faith community) is ever present and real. The other temptation is fall into `despair', unable to live in the tension of unresolved moral conflicts. As a people in `exile', are there any central points of reference (`Jerusalem' ) we can turn to? What symbols are capable of sustaining our ideals and vision, and help us achieve our goals as an inclusive faith community? Or have the symbols of our faith (eg. the Cross, the Eucharistic elements signifying the `Body' and `Blood' of Christ) become so mundane and familiar that they no longer convey a power, significance and value? What does Christ symbolize in your life? Can Christ impart meaning and coherence and provide you with a sense of orientation?

As people in `exile', we live on the edge. We are continuously evolving in our role and identity as the people whom God has called us to be. We live in the tension of `being in the world but not of the world'. This calls for a certain resilience to live out our identity in Christ. To do that we need as a community, to develop and maintain our own faith discourse, apart from the narratives of the dominant culture. We need to discover our own faith stories from which we can compose our own songs of Zion. These are songs of faith and hope which reflect our journeys of discovery and exploration, which express our painful struggles to sustain our
beliefs, to forge our true identities. They are songs of joy and celebration which present us with a vision of wholeness and inspire us in our journey of homecoming.

I like to share excerpts from the story of Rabbi Steven Greenberg. He is a gay orthodox Jewish rabbi who works at the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL). Rabbi Greenberg is also the author of the book, "Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition". In his book, Greenberg recounted how he spent 20 years denying and rejecting his `gayness' which led to `self-hatred, guilt and fear'. I like however to focus on an article titled `Gayness and God' which Greenberg wrote while remaining closeted, and first published under the pseudonym of a Rabbi Yaakov Levado. It's an autobiographical essay delineating Greenberg's struggles as a gay orthodox rabbi.

Rabbi Greenberg observed, - "The Torah is employed to support the idea that there is only heterosexuality. With the impossibility of another sexuality comes
the implicit assumption that gay people can `become' straight and
marry"
There was the struggle of typecasting in the way the Torah was
interpreted to regard sexuality as `heterosexuality', consequently
marginalizing the other gender constitutions.
This strict interpretation of the Jewish Law (`Halachah') excludes
other valid expressions of gender identity (such as a gay identity),
consigning those along the margins to a loveless, lonely existence.
Greenberg remarked,
"…this celibate scenario is life-denying and, for me, has always led
to a shrinking of spirit. What sort of Torah, what voice of God
would demand celibacy from all gay people? Such a reading of divine
intent is nothing short of cruel".
This posed a dilemma for Greenberg of having to disown either his `gayness' or his `Jewishness' .

- To compose `new songs of Zion', you need to ask questions pertaining to the real issues and concerns you are facing. The questions should reflect your personal struggles encountered during your faith journey. Greenberg was faced with the challenge of
interpreting the claims of the Torah, in the light of the
experiences of those who were committed to the Jewish faith and who
were also gay. A narrow interpretation of the Jewish Law
(`Halachah') seemed grossly inadequate to account for the varied
expressions of human sexuality. Greenberg's approach was to regard
the Jewish Law (`Halachah') as dynamic and evolving. For Greenberg,
"God has not hidden a single divine intent in any verse.. instead,
there are many meanings, and it is our job to figure out what they
mean to our community"
Similarly when we blend the Scriptures with our real life stories,
our approach and understanding of the Scriptures expands as our
awareness of self and of God evolves.

- How am I to hear and discern what the voice of God is saying,
apart from tradition, the Law and the community of faith?
1.) Listen and develop your own emerging faith story. You can't
listen if you are either living in denial or in despair. In either
situation, it's not possible to know who you truly are and what you
truly desire. Determine to what extent your responses are shaped by
the past? How does that affect your future orientation? Is what you
are experiencing in the present, life-affirming or life-denying?
2.) Your faith story must have a central point of reference. eg,
Jerusalem/Zion, or Christ who constitutes your center, the basis of
your spiritual rootedness, and who holds your life together
3.) Your faith story must have a future orientation (providing a
focus). Does it engender hope? Does it sustain your ideals and
vision?
Thus Greenberg's own faith story (narrative) led him to deny making
sacrifices which would have led to "a shrinking of the spirit" if he
were forced to embrace "a celibate fate".

- What are the available alternatives for those who want to
embrace both their `gayness' and their `Jewishness' ?
None! Greenberg observed that a typical response would be,
"Many gay people now and in the past have been forced to purchase
social acceptance and God's love through a denial of affection and
comfort, and worse, a denial of self. Today many simply leave
Judaism behind in order to salvage a sense of dignity and build a
life".
Greenberg had the alternative of living a life of deception by
putting on a superficial front as a `married' rabbi. He related an
episode in his first posting when he sought the advice of one of his
seniors…
"… I decided to come out to an older rabbi and seek advice. He
counseled me to find a woman and marry. I asked him if I was duty-
bound to tell her about my attractions to men and my general sexual
disinterest in women. He said no. I was shocked to hear that it was
alright to deceive a woman who could very easily be damaged by such
a marriage. It made no sense to me"

- Greenberg had struggled for years with his `gayness' and
his `Jewishness' which left him deeply conflicted and full of
shame, guilt and self-hatred. To sing new songs of Zion, one has to
be open and honest with oneself. This involves breaking away from
the lies and deceptions, which caused one to live in self-denial.
Greenberg came to a point of awareness when he knew he had to take
ownership and responsibility over his life. It came with the
recognition that the old, familiar and much cherished values of his
Jewish tradition were inadequate in supporting his faith struggles.
Eventually Greenberg took the decisive step of `coming out' after 20
years of struggle. He did it in a public way in one of the Israeli
daily papers in 1999. It caused a great stir in his community, with
many of his fellow rabbis questioning his Orthodox credentials.
"I have come to understand my gayness as akin to my Jewishness: it
is integral to my sense of self. I did not choose it, but it is
mine. To try to escape it would be self-defeating. There is nothing
left to do but to celebrate it. I affirm my desire for a full life,
for love, for sexual expression… I have chosen to seek a committed
love".
With acceptance and the total embrace of both his religious faith
and his gender orientation as "integral to his sense of self",
Greenberg had discovered his true voice so that he can begin to
speak with authenticity. Greenberg has begun to compose his own
songs of Zion.

- With acceptance of his integral identity, Greenberg goes on to
the issue of responsibility.
"I have accepted my gayness; I am still a rabbi… and am still deeply
committed to God, Torah and Israel. What is it that the God of
Israel wants of me?"
How was he to find his place in the covenant?
In the same way, we can ask ourselves,
`Given that I am gay/lesbian/ bi/trans/ straight and Christian, what
is it that God wants of me?'
- What is your role within the Body of Christ?
- How would you choose to bless others through your unique gifts,
talents and sensibilities?
Greenberg then set out to explore the ways in which a gay Jew can go
about observing, fulfilling and sustaining the covenant.
".. what is demanded of us is a deep understanding of the Torah (or
the Scriptures), and an attentive ear to the people (including
oneself) who struggle with the living questions"
There should be "a close reading of text (Scriptures) " side by side
with "a close reading of human experience.. "
Greenberg realized that an appropriate response to one's questions
can only be found in the context of one's ongoing faith
relationship.

- Be part of a larger community of faith. Through mutual sharing
and support, your own faith story can be enriched. It also helps you
as you struggle with the living questions. Attend to each other's
faith story without judgment or comparison, without prejudice or
arrogance. Appreciate the diversity of voices, opinions, insights..
when intermingled makes for the richness and depth in any communal
narrative. This forms the content of our songs of Zion (songs that
celebrate God as the source of all that is life-giving) .

2 weeks ago, I caught up with Miak after his sermon on Ps 51. We
were talking about his coming trip to the States, his possible goals
and vision. What struck me was his burden for the people at FCC and
his vision of God's inclusive love. To quote him, "The people.. they
are God's gift to me". It's this sincere and passionate belief that
turns a burden and a cross into a vision and a blessing. Miak has
begun to sing his own `songs of Zion'.
But it doesn't stop with Miak. This is just the beginning.. when we
see the emerging narratives (or faith stories) of the rest of the
community. From the pioneers of this church FCC, to those who are
providing leadership and moral vision and the many who give of
themselves generously and selflessly, serving God in their little,
quiet and unassuming ways.
All of us have our own faith stories, our own `songs of Zion'. Some
would be praises, others would be laments; no two psalms are
similar being uniquely crafted out of our individual experiences.
Our songs should reflect the blending of the Scriptures with the
real life stories of those committed to live their faith on the
edge. These songs should reflect our struggles and experiences as we
grow to a deeper awareness and acceptance of ourselves; They are
songs of joy and thanksgiving which celebrates life, testifying to
God's unconditional love and acceptance, goodness and faithfulness;
We need these songs to inspire us on our faith journey; to give us
the courage and boldness to work towards our vision as God's
inclusive church and to venture into new territory (where God's spirit may choose to lead..)

If we recall, the Judeans in Exile were not only geographically- displaced, their socio-cultural and religious props were removed (or
totally destroyed).

"This triggered a faith crisis which compelled the Jews to rethink, to reformulate their `theology' pertaining to their special status as God's covenant people. The Exile had such an impact that it
shattered their existing paradigms of meaning.." - `Cadences of Home', Brueggemann

Miak who will be in voluntary exile for 3 yrs at Berkeley, will have to acclimatize to different culture, acquire new socio-cultural and religious props. There will certainly be a significant shift in his `paradigm of meaning' (resulting in a fundamental change in values, beliefs, perceptions). But this is what we should all be prepared for if we are to be willing and courageous to sing our `new' songs of Zion.

To sum up: How do we sing the Lord's Song in a strange land?

Through the process of listening to each other's faith stories, we form our theological responses. You need to come up with our own new songs of Zion when the former songs no longer help you to relate meaningfully to your experiences, to account for the ambiguities and
complexities surrounding your life. Composing new songs of Zion involves breaking away from rigid, dogmatic formulations, from conventional truths which compels you to make a choice between your faith and your sexual identity. It is every member's task and responsibility to craft out new songs of Zion (or new psalms of praise or lament). Together our songs, our stories, our lives are interwoven to form God's ongoing narrative.