A sermon on Psalm 146 by the Revd Chalice Overy
(Our church is departing from the Revised Common Lectionary for one year to hear mostly readings that are not included in it)
A video recording of the whole service, including this sermon, is available here.
The Revd Chalice Overy was first ordained by the African Methodist Episcopal church,
but now serves as associate pastor of the Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
6 Comments
Excellent presentation skills that glued me to her message. Political rhetoric was a bit more than normally acceptable in Australia but maybe that is how they do things in USA. She managed to keep me on her side by her more thrilling message that whatever the Political Side you barrack for, it is all powerless compared with what God can do in our lives. I think her message about all the social evils that God does not cure and her willingness to admit the obvious mystery of Providence was excellent. Too many christians claim that we know it all. She reminded me of St Augustine’s comment: pray as if everything depended on God and Work as if everything depended on Humanity. I think Chalice was saying much the same. I wish my catholic pastors could learn to speak with the same conviction and listening skills she addresses…ah well…another part of the list for the prayer circle!
Vincent, I wonder whether your comment about political rhetoric being acceptable in Australia is perhaps truer of Roman Catholic circles, and of Queensland where you live, than of the whole country. Good question though. I think that down here in Victoria, and among the more progressive protestant churches, it would not be so unusual. But in Australia it is less likely to be explicitly partisan. Then again, it is pretty hard not to get explicitly partisan about Donald Trump!
I drew much hope from this sermon. I especially appreciated Chalice’s honest discussion about the mystery and uncertainty of the reality of evil in the world. This is so often ignored, brushed over or worse. Thank you.
Wow! How good was this?! We don’t get much exposure to good African-American preaching here in Australia, and this sermon perfectly embodied the things that I think are the essential strengths of that preaching traditions – the infectious rhythm in the delivery, and the deep conversation between a long experience of suffering and an exuberant hope in God.
So thank you so much, Chalice, for giving us such a wonderful experience of that tradition. I was really impressed too with how you were able to make such strong connections between the psalm and not only your current context in the US, but our current context here in Australia too. Really helpful – encouraging, energising and inspiring. Thank you.
Thanks Chalice for reminding us that our faith has to be bigger than this democracy, or whichever other system we’re operating in. But also your comment that there is enough praise to go around – we can praise the health workers and the scientists and the bus drivers and we’re not taking anything away from God to do that…and vice versa. I think it is good to cry out with the psalms in these times!
Thank you for been prepare to state the questions we often fear to say because we have no answer and for giving the answer which we fear to acknowledge.
I have just rediscovered the psalms which seems strange as we read on every Sunday but they speak “In such a time as this” Thank you