Rev. W. Kenneth Lyons, Jr., 33°, Grand Cross

Dr. Lyons delivered the sermon "Remember and Rejoice" on October 5 at the 2003 Biennial Session's Vesper Service held at Saint John's Church, Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C. Photo: George J. Stoklas, Jr., KCCH

As most of us remember, we last met at our glorious bicentennial celebration two years ago in Charleston, South Carolina. That was a memorable event for two reasons. First, we had the unique opportunity of being part of Scottish Rite history. Second, the 2001 Biennial Session took place just a few weeks following 9/11. We were transported from the valley to the mountaintop. We came as pilgrims to celebrate while bearing a personal and national burden that seemed almost too much to bear. Since then, just like you, I have done much soul searching concerning valley and mountaintop experiences.

Sooner or later, every person faces a problem that is too big and difficult to solve. In such situations, sometimes the religious person suffers from spiritual amnesia. The dictionary defines amnesia as "the loss of a large block of interrelated memories." That's what happens too often when we face a problem for which there seems to be no solution. Yet most of the time our problems find solutions in the scriptures.

For example, once a preacher's car broke down on a country road, far away from everything but a small tavern. When he walked inside to use the phone, he saw an old friend, Hank, shabbily dressed and in a pretty sad state. "Hank, what happened?" the preacher asked. "You used to be a prosperous man." Hank told him about all the problems he had and the bad investments he had made. Then he asked the pastor's advice. "Go home," the preacher said. "And when you get there, open your bible, and put your finger down on the page. God will give you the answer."

A year later, the preacher saw Hank wearing an expensive new suit and getting into a brand-new car. "I'm glad to see that things turned around for you," the preacher said. "They sure have, and I owe it all to you, pastor," Hank replied. "I went home like you said, opened my bible, put my finger down on the page, and there was the answer: Chapter 11."

Sometimes our problems are not solved as easily as Hank's. When trouble comes, we are prone to cry out in despair. This was true in biblical times. In Psalm 143:4, we read, "My spirit is overwhelmed and my heart is desolate." Psalm 102:6-7 states, "I am like a pelican in the wilderness: I am like an owl in the desert. I watch, and I feel like a lonely sparrow on a house top." This is a poetic expression of how we feel when we have a problem we can't handle. In Psalm 13:1, David wrote: "How long will you forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long will you hide your face from me?"

I'm not sure when this was written or to what it refers, but very possibly, because of the repetition, this Psalm was recorded during the time when Saul sought to destroy David. Things would get a little better, and then get worse. Saul's hatred of David continued to grow, and this went on for years. David says, "How long?" four times in the Psalm: "How long will you forget me, O Lord?"

I suggest that this indicates spiritual amnesia. How can God forget if God is all knowing? It's not that God had forgotten; it is David who had forgotten. He forgot that God never forgets, and often we, too, forget God's love and all God has done for us. What is it we have forgotten? We have forgotten first of all our origin, where we came from. In Isaiah 43:1 it states, "The Lord has created you, and you are part of a chosen race. Don't be afraid, for I have formed you and redeemed you, and I have called you by your name and you are mine."

We have been created physically and spiritually by God Himself. He said, "I have created you and formed you." There is no one else like you. God said, "I have called you by your name." This is not in general, but in particular. Your name is specifically given to you by God. I think this is where we miss the point. We say God loves the world and God loves all humankind. That's O.K., but it is certainly no comfort on the human level if there is someone who loves everybody, and you are just one of the everybody. It is when that person loves you as an individual and cares about you specifically that it becomes meaningful.

That's how God does it. God says, "I have called you by your name." He knows you by your first name, and it is by that name God calls you saying, "You are mine." You belong to God because God created you, formed you, redeemed you, and named you. Often I ask persons who are experiencing some difficulties, "Who are you?" I will get all sorts of answers. They will tell me their relationships and a lot of other things. Finally, we get around to the right answer, which is, "I am a child of God."

Ill. David Kruger, 33°, Emeritus Member of the Supreme Council, visits with a clinician and her patients at the Summer Language Clinic sponsored by the Scottish Rite Brethren of Virginia at Radford University. Photo: Lora Gordon

If you want to increase the quality of your life, start every day by saying, "I am a child of God, and I am going to live this day as God's child." And we must add, "I will treat all those I meet also as a child of God."

We need to remember from whence we have come, and we need to remember where we are going. That is very important. In John 14:1-3, there is a very essential passage for those who are Christian. It reads, "Let not your hearts be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, that where I am, you will be also." And all of us cherish the words of our twenty-third Psalm where it says, "Even though I pass through the valley of the shadow of death, I have nothing to fear for God is with me."

So we now know where we came from, who we are, and where we're going. We must remember God's promises. Isaiah 43:2 states, "When you pass through the waters, I'll be with you; and through the rivers, they will not flow over you; when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned." Through the water and the fire-life's many disturbances, frustrations, and fears-you are going to be victorious. Why? Because God is with you! You don't go it alone. That sparrow on the housetop is not alone, and when you are in that position, you are not alone. God is with you.

What do we do with all of these things that worry and bother us? Psalm 37:5 tells us very clearly: "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." You don't have to worry about things once you have given them to God. God has them. As long as you have them, you are going to worry about them, but when you give them to the Lord, it is His job to keep them and work them out.

Commit all of your way to the Lord. This scripture has a point. Imagine yourself with all the little problems and big problems and everything in between in your life. Then imagine that in front of you is this box. Put all the things that bother you-what you're afraid of, your problems, your hopes, your fears, your future, your family, your job, everything-into the box. When you have everything in there, then seal it up and address it to Almighty God. It's not overnight delivery; it's instant delivery. When God receives the box, He has all the contents of that box, and you don't have them any more. Claim the promise in Psalm 37:5, "Commit your way to the Lord, trust Him; and He will bring it to pass."

In the lives of some children, there is a problem that can gradually rob them of their future. It can haunt these children who would other-wise have the chance of a normal, fulfilling life. Grand Commander Kleinknecht, in the April 2003 issue of the Scottish Rite Journal, spoke of this enigma as "a thief who steals from the young their heritage." Of course, Brother Fred is speaking of children with language disorders. He goes on to say, "You can't see the problem by looking, unless you see the loss and pain in their eyes. But little by little, these children are left behind. Little by little, their teachers expect less from them. Little by little, the world offers more pain and frustration. Little by little, others pass them by, leaving them isolated and alone."

These children are like that lonely sparrow on the housetop expressed in Psalm 102. But these "little sparrows" are no longer alone. The supposedly insurmountable task of helping these children did not languish in the dark land of frustration. In l953, Scottish Rite Masons in the Orient of Colorado committed 14 of these children to God and stated that "every child in Colorado who needs speech or language therapy will receive it." Now, in 2003, more than 28,000 children will be treated for this disorder throughout the Southern Jurisdiction, with nearly 1,000 children receiving therapy in Colorado. Men of faith, with God's help, perform miracles in the lives of thousands of children. This confirms that God is indeed with us and is blessing our efforts as Scottish Rite Freemasons.

In Romans 8:38 we have the richest vein of spiritual gold that you will find anywhere in the Scriptures: "I am certain that nothing can separate us from God's love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present or the future, neither the world above or the world below-there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God." "If God is for us, who is against us?"

Avoid spiritual amnesia. Re-member and rejoice, and give thanks to the Creator for "our little sparrows." Amen.

Dr. W. Kenneth Lyons, Jr.
Valley of Washington, D.C., is the Senior Pastor of the 2,300-member Severna Park United Methodist Church in Severna, Md. Active in Boy Scouts, Police Chaplaincy and Civitan International, he has received awards from Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Military Order of World Wars, and the state of Maryland. Contacts: W. Ken Lyons, 1329 Bluegrass Way, Gambrills, MD 21054; kedolyons@earthlink.net.