Upper Path Valley Presbyterian Church

Exodus 17:8-16

“A Banner Day!”

Rev. Meagan Boozer

The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute wanted to know what to play. “Here’s a copy of the service,” he said impatiently. “But you’ll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances.”

During the service, the minister paused and said, “Brothers and Sisters, we are in a great difficultly; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected, and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up.” At that moment, the substitute organist played “The Star Spangled Banner.” And that is how the substitute became the regular organist!

I tell you that joke this morning to get you to think about something as we prepare to read our Scripture lesson for today: Why is our national anthem called the Star Spangled Banner, and not the Star Spangled Flag? What doesn’t the song say, “Oh say does that star spangled fla-a-a-g yet wave…?”

It doesn’t say “flag” because it is, by historical definition, a banner- not a flag. Let’s hold that thought now as we turn to Exodus 17:8-16.

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some men for us and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the sun set. And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a reminder in a book and recite it in the hearing of Joshua: I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called it, The LORD is my banner. He said, The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

The Lord made a promise to wipe out the enemies of the Israelite nation. Moses built up a pile of rocks, worshipped there and thus called it an alter- because an alter is a place of worship, right? Well, then he gave the altar a name- Jehovah Nissi- The LORD is my banner. What did he mean by this?

Have you seen the epic war movies with the armies lined up across from one another? Horses, swords, shields, always a memorable liner or two, and in the middle- the bearer of the banner. Hoisted up there on a pole, would be some symbol on fabric blowing in the wind to hold up in front of the troops as a reminder for whom and for what cause they were fighting.

I remember getting a call one day when I was just about to graduate from Penn State. John, 2-year-old Katy, and I were living in a trailer on Atherton Street in State College while I finished my degree in Music Education and John worked construction. The phone rang. “Hello, I’m calling for Meagan Messner Boozer.” “This is she.” “Meagan, this is the college of Arts and Architecture calling from Penn State. It has come to our attention that you have achieved the highest grade point average among all those graduating in the college of Arts and Architecture for this semester. Therefore, we would like to invite you to be the student marshall for the department for graduation.” Well, I was surprised and thrilled. What this meant was two things: First of all, I would be the only one from the whole college of Arts and Architecture to get to walk up on the stage and get my diploma. The rest of the students would just sit there during the ceremony and go get their diplomas later (Penn State is just to big to have everyone walk up and get their diploma.) When I walked up to get my diploma, they would say some personal things about me ad achievements. Second, I would be the banner bearer. All of the other students would walk behind me in the procession to come in and go out from the graduation exercises. It was an amazing honor. The banner was a marker for the other students. Follow the banner with the Arts and Architecture symbol on it- don’t follow the one over there with Arts and Sciences logo. The banner kept the class together. It was a symbol of honor and unification. We knew, walking under and behind that banner, that we were going to get what had been promised to us- a college degree and hopes for a bright future.

Moses was making a statement by calling the place of the Lord’s promise, “The Lord is my banner.” He was saying, “This place, right here, is a reminder of what the Lord did for us. This place, and the Lord’s promise to us to keep us safe from our enemies, must not be forgotten. Let’s not ever forget, okay fellas?” He didn’t have a flag, or actual banner, the way we think of such things now. He said, “The LORD is my banner.” When I remember this place, I will remember the one around whom I rally. I will remember the promises. I will not be afraid. I will remember that the Lord has already gone before me as long as I am going where he has led me to go.”

As I prepared the week before last for Linda Harter’s memorial service, I needed the promises of the Lord. I was weak emotionally & physically. I was trying to keep things going over here and at the same time, I was organizing a memorial service that would honor Linda’s life, glorify the Lord, and, at the same time as all of that, I was trying to pastor the Harter family through an incredibly difficult time. It was a lot.

As the day for the service drew nearer, I had to trust the Lord more each day. Have you ever had to do that? As a particularly difficult day in your life draws near, you know that you just have to hold on to God even tighter? Well, that’s what it was like- but at a level I don’t remember ever having needed his strength before. I knew people were looking to me to be a vessel for God’s comfort- and yet I was still in great need of God’s comfort myself. How would I do it? Would I be able to do it?

Many people were praying for me. Many of you were praying for me. It was like that picture of Moses on the hill, with Aaron on one side and Hur on the other, holding up his arms when he got tired. So many people were holding me up in prayer. Saturday, I was still weak. I was still crying quite a bit. Sunday morning, I was still weak. Sunday afternoon, one hour before the service would begin, I was still weak. When all the participants in the service arrived and I had to pray for us before walking to the sanctuary, I was still weak. I could see concern in some of their eyes. Would I be able to do it? As we walked into the sanctuary and people were singing the hymns as part of the prelude, I was ever more weak. With each passing song in the prelude, I was still weak. During the final piece in the prelude, I moved up to the seat behind the pulpit. I was surrounded by 45+ choir members, many of whom had been part of my choir in the early 90’s. I couldn’t look at them because I was still weak. But, here’s the part I didn’t tell you yet. The night before, I had been pouring over the Scripture, seeking God’s heart for me. During that time, I was led to Psalm 27. As I came to the last verse of the psalm, I knew what God wanted me to know. “Wait for the Lord. Be strong. Let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord.” From the moment I read it, I took it into myself. I kept saying this verse over and over, I woke up in the middle of the night saying it and claiming it, I spoke it out loud and in my heart. “Wait for the Lord. Be strong. Let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord.” Occasionally I would add, “Okay, Lord, I’m waiting. But you do know don’t you, that this service starts at 2?”

Well, I must tell you- I must hoist this banner today- the LORD came just at the right time. All of a sudden, I was strong. All of a sudden I could look at the choir around me, and their expressions back to me built on that strength. All of a sudden, I knew the Lord had fulfilled his promises to me. He had called me to lead this time of worship & remembrance, and therefore, he equipped me to do so, just as he promised.

Our God is a God who fulfills his promises. We live in a world in which promises are broken right and left. But our God is to be trusted. Our God is trustworthy. Our God can take a little flock of sheep out in the middle of a valley and do mighty, astounding things with them. Our God can take a beautiful sanctuary and make it even more beautiful. Our God can get extra money out of our pockets and make us stand for him without an organist’s trick. Our God can see you through your cancer treatments, your doubts in the night, your financial shortfalls, and your fear of failure. Our God can turn back the enemies who seek to take you down. Our God is able and strong. He is loving and kind. He is forgiving and freeing and attentive to all of our needs.

There is not one broken thing that is going on in your life that following the LORD, as your banner cannot repair. He will not lead you astray. He will not let you go. The LORD can and will take your life and make something beautifully amazing of it… and all you have to do is trust him.

Can you do this? Not just today, but on that day when you feel like you are on the edge of the cliff. Can you trust him enough to jump into his arms? That’s what I felt like I was doing last Sunday when that moment came for me to stand in humble confidence as the pastor of 1,100 people. I jumped, and God caught me.

This past week has been a week of major trusting for Rev. Doug Kelley and his family. Doug remains in critical condition following a car accident last Sunday. His family lived this past week in the ICU waiting room at Geisinger Medical Center. All the while, they have been so strong in their faith. On Friday, the mother of a young man who had been badly hurt in a biking accident and whose family was also living in the waiting room came over to Janie (Doug’s wife) and said, “We have a notebook here so that people who come to visit Michael but can’t get in to see him can write a not to him.” When she said that, I thought, “We should do this for Doug.” That’s what this mom was suggesting too by telling us about what they were doing. But instead, Janie immediately said, “Oh, I want to write a not to Michael!” Here she was, having slept in a hospital waiting room for 5 nights straight, wondering if her husband would make it through one more day, and she is thinking about others. She’s been on the edge of that cliff- and she jumped into the arms of God. He obviously caught her, just like he caught me last Sunday.

He will catch you, too. His arms are strong enough, his heart is big enough, and his love for you is deep enough. Hoist the banner! Our God is able! Gather round to sing the victory songs! “You are my strength when I am weak, you are the treasure that I seek, you are my All in all. Seeking you as a precious jewel, Lord to give up I’d be a fool, you are my ALL in all. Jesus, Lamb of God. Worthy is your name. Jesus, Lamb of God. Worthy is your name! Amen.

2-12-2006