Nighttime is an odd time in human life. Have you ever noticed how children don’t want to go to bed?

It is a scary time. We had a saying with our kids when they did not want to go to bed – which was most of the time “Happy Face in the Morning.”

Nighttime is when bad stuff happens. During the day we can cope. We are in control.. most of the time, but at night….

The in between time going to bed and waking up… is that scary time. When our defenses are down. When we are vulnerable when we are not in control. During the day we manage more or less – some days more some days less.

But most of us get up in the morning and look in the mirror, wash our face and hope that all will go well.

But at night, we are subject to creepy, crawly things that hide in the shadows in the closets or under the bed… or in the shadows of our sleeplessness  -  that is why ghosts don’t show themselves  in the daytime.

It seems that some of the more important events in the Bible also happened at night a time when we cannot see them – Think about Israel’s delivery from Slavery in Egypt. It happened at night. It is called the Passover.

Or before that,

 When Jacob wrestled with God, or an angle it happened at night – by the river. His name was changed to Israel after whom the Nation of Israel was named…

Or The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead – it happened at night – no one was there to see it.

We all have had night “moments” when a squirrel on the roof or the wind in the trees becomes mystified and amplified and we are terrified.

Carl Young and Sigmund Freud have written volumes on the subject of dreams  - those nightly visitors who invade our world and bring us both pleasure and pause for reflection if not down right fear…

Dreams play an important part in the Biblical narrative that is all but forgotten by us moderns.

As the OT scholar Walter Brueggman notes; we feel unsafe and we dream up all kinds of security programs that do not in fact make us any safer but if anything more anxious… my father in in-laws home has four different locks on the back door … one night I wanted to open a basement window because it was too hot and I found that they where nailed shut…

Daytime is for obedience – virtue –and morality. Nighttime is for threat – danger and anxiety.

In today’s Psalm We have an account of a believer’s two days and one night. A sort of spiritual diary.  .  a journey that is not too unlike our own.  It is a reflection of sorts or our own journey our own faith walk during a time of fear and worry.

We too live in a time of personal, congregational and social upheaval – if you have not noticed – you haven’t listened to the news or listened to Bill Moyer’s.

The speaker in today’s Psalms Is a person of faith.  He begins by inviting us to join him in vs.4. “Sing praised to the Lord, O you faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. 30.4.

It is an invitation – here’s why:

“For God‘s anger is but for a moment, his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for a night but joy comes in the mooring.”

God does get angry!  Jesus got angry – remember he turned over the tables at bake sale at the temple in Jerusalem.

Thankfully god’s anger is brief – the Heb. Word translated brief is ‘Like a “beat” think of metronome…

Which compared to God’s favor toward us that lasts a life time.. much longer than anger. Sadness and weeping may last a night but then comes the joy... so, the psalmist makes  four contrasts:

Anger – favor

Beat – lifetime

Sorrow – joy

Night – mooring

I am reminded of the theme song from the movie Poseidon Adventure “There’s got to be a mooring after.” Sung by Maureen McGovern.. If we can hold on through the night.. if we can find the morning sunshine…”

The bad stuff is real but the bad stuff is not God’s final word – His final word is that there is a new day..

Who ever wrote this spiritual diary goes back and re tells us about the tree days an one night – adventure with God.

Starting with day one.  I was on top of the world. It was a great day!  Everything was good! “All things where bright and beautiful.

“While I felt secure, I said, I shall never be disturbed. By your favor of Lord you made me as strong as the mountains. 30.6-7.

I was confident. I had a good job with benefits, a good family, nice house, in Sea Isle. I was confident. Not meaning to brag, I will not be rattled. Or shaken.. or upset by the squalls of life..

That is how I felt as I crunched my pillow between my arm and head and turned off the light..

And talked to God.

The in vs. 7 he says let me tell you what happened next. Let me tell you about the night! All of a sudden – just as I was about to doze off.. half way thorough vs. 7, without explanation my world caved in, fell apart “Kaput”.

A pink slip

An eviction notice – a Dx of Cancer, a pregnant teenager

My bank is in receivership

The Psalmist puts it like this:

Then you hid your face and I was filled with fear 7.

The Biblical way of talking is that we live because God’s face shines on us. “The Lord bless and keep you, The lord make his face to shine upon you..”

It is like a toddler who suddenly notices his mom has disappeared down the next isle at the store.. and as far has the child is concerned his world has ended…until she re appears. The world is a scary place!

When God’s face us hidden – we are in deep trouble.

What to do? IF you are a person of faith you pray. You call to God knowing that God is there – the person of faith calls out to god and either in fear or anger or out of habit.

“I pleaded with you Lord.. What do you do if I die?

Who’s going to sing you’re praises?”

Who’s going to play on Sunday or sing the Psalm or preach the sermon?

MLC needs all the help she can get!

What good will it do if I am dead?

A little manipulative maybe but look I am desperate!

And if a little guilt won’t work maybe bargaining will.

“Hear me – have mercy – be my helper O Lord”

The Psalmist repeats himself so that God will be sure that it God who is being addressed and not someone else to whom I am calling.

At night we sometimes get desperate!

But once asleep – we, like Martin Luther leave it with God.. and then comes the dawn.

So imagine my surprise when I wake up and my life is back on track… the God who resolves all nightmares.

And here is what comes next –

You have turned my wailing into dancing.

You have taken off my sackcloth and wrapped me with joy.

Mourning into dancing – Funeral Clothes into party clothes.

A new life

A new day

A new chance..  ”I am so happy” says the psalmist that I belong to a faith community that knows you and loves you.

We are the one who have a way through the night and the nightmare… the way is God who has power even to heal lepers. . who hears and acts and life is transformed.

The Good News is  that if we are bold enough to cry out to God… strange things happen. . that cause joy in the morning.

Like Nhamhan the Leper from Syria and the nameless leper in Marks Gospel… neither kept quite both came to God out in the darkness of their alienation and found the healing of a new day…

Based  in part on “Shrill Faith for the Nighttime” by Walter Brueggeman, 2004.