July 5, 2026 - Images of God: Rock
I want to welcome all of you here today, especially those from First Presbyterian. I know there is history of doing things together, and I am glad you are here. You are welcome here.
Hear these words from an American Psalm 62.
Truly my soul finds rest in Amazon shopping, my salvation comes from free shipping.
Truly the government is the rock and my salvation. Nationalism is my fortress, and it can never been shaken.
How long will I need to be assaulted by those that don’t agree with me, and be with people who speak ill of me.
I will find rest in tearing down others online, that can give me hope for change
Money, government, fighting for my right to tear others down - these are my rocks and my salvation. They make up a fortress that I won’t allow others to take from me.
I wish we could just laugh this away - and yet, I know that it doesn’t feel that funny right now. So many people, including us, me, can get stuck in this trap of believing our lives are shipwrecked on the rocks that form our current culture.
On my way back from the our annual conference, I listened to the Presbyterian Podcast, A Matter of Faith, and they were interviewing Richard Colligan about his book, Dangerous Songs: The Psalms and a Gloriously Disrupted Life. Colligan speaks about how relevant the psalms are today and how the psalms can disrupt patterns that can emerge in our culture and our lives.
Psalm 62 is no exception to this, it disrupts for sure. When it seems like we should rely on many other things, Psalm 62 solely puts God at the center of life.
We need that reminder, that disruption, as Colligan would say, because
Consumerism promises happiness.
Governments promise security.
Power promises control.
Christian nationalism promises that God's kingdom can be achieved through political dominance.
To name a few
But all these things remind me of a Ripley’s believe it or not award winning gravestone in my home town -
In 1886, the Merchant family built a large granite monument for their family burial plot in Marion Cemetery, topped with a 5,200-pound polished granite sphere. Within two years, they discovered the sphere had begun to rotate, revealed by an unpolished spot that had turned into view. Although the family had the ball reset, it soon began rotating again and has continued to do so ever since.
So, the point is - these rocks of Christian Nationalism, capitalism, and government and many other things aren’t as unmovable as we are often lead to believe.
But, God is different than all these things and the Merchant Ball.
God, as a rock, provides a foundation that is secure and strong. One that is rooted in creation, that doesn’t sway with the wind. Instead, this foundation allows deep rest, stability and a place to land when taking faithful risk.
That faithful risk speaks to this not being a peaches and cream kind of trust where we forget that there are hard things happening in people’s lives. The psalmist clearly had some major detractors while they were writing this. Opponents are hypocritical "reputation wreckers" who seek to bring him down, but despite their appearance of power, they are ultimately fleeting "but a breath," placing their hearts in wealth and material gain rather than in what truly lasts. In sharp contrast, the psalmist anchors his confidence in God, drawing on the enduring truth that God is both strong and good. Because God's power and steadfast love far exceed the empty strength of those who trust in riches or deceit, the psalmist finds security and hope even in the face of opposition.
The God as a Rock image isn’t as gentle and lovey dovy as many other images in the Bible. They are hard, but beautiful often, they are layered, and they are forever years old. Thus, making a rough and tumble, yet very steady image of God.
Think about the rocks that make it into National Geographic, like this one from Colorado’s Garden of the Gods. Strong, secure, and big. Rocks have nothing to prove. They don’t run for office, they don’t wave a flag. They are just there. Boldly Constant. That feels like a great way to see God.
So let’s imagine a church shaped by this Rock image - which is also set up in Matthew and Luke in a parable.
A church that measures success by influence, wealth, or the pursuit of reclaiming the cultural power it once held will always feel threatened. When its foundation is built on cultural strongholds, every shift in society feels like an earthquake, every loss of influence feels like failure, and fear begins to shape its decisions.
But a church rooted in the Rock stands on a different foundation. It is free to ask the questions that truly matter: Who is lonely? Who is hungry? Who needs forgiveness? Who needs hope? Because its security is found in God rather than cultural status, it can respond with courage, compassion, and confidence, trusting that God's steadfast love is a far stronger foundation than any earthly power.
Imagine a church that doesn't live and die by every election cycle. A church that doesn't chase every cultural trend. A church that welcomes immigrants because its security isn't rooted in borders. A church that tells the truth because it isn't dependent on popularity. A church that forgives because its identity isn't built on always being right.
To me that is what building our house on a rock really means -
Because kingdoms rise. Economies fluctuate. Movements come and go. Empires become museum exhibits.
These are hard realities to face, just as rock is hard by its very nature. Yet that is precisely why God is such a trustworthy foundation. As verse 12 declares, "Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love." God's strength is never separated from God's love. Instead, the solid, unshakable qualities of the Rock become the very means through which God offers steadfast, dependable, and enduring love to us.
So let me attempt my Psalm 62 re-write again.
Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my peace does not come from endlessly scrolling,
the breaking news,
or the next delivery left on my doorstep.
Truly God is my rock and my salvation;
my refuge is not found
in economic gains,
strong security systems for my home,
or having influence with bigwigs
My refuge is found in God who holds me,
I will not be shaken.
How long will fear be sold to us
like another product we cannot live without?
How long will voices profit
by convincing us our neighbors are enemies?
How long will they build walls
where God has called us to build tables?
Rest again, my soul, for your hope is not found in the shifting standards of culture or in those who seek to knock you down.
God alone is my foundation.
Not the nation.
Not the economy.
Not the latest technology.
Not the applause of strangers.
Not the promise that one more purchase,
one more promotion,
one more victory provides.
Only God is my rock.
God is my refuge.
I will not be shaken.
If our wealth increases,
Let’s hold it with open hands.
If our influence grows,
Let’s use it to lift others.
If our voice is heard,
Let’s speak mercy.
I hear God speaking:
Power should be rooted in me, your God,
not in presidents,
corporations,
or billionaires.
Steadfast love belongs with me, starts with me, your God,
not markets,
algorithms,
or political parties.
So I will build my life
upon the One
whose kingdom cannot be bought,
whose mercy cannot be exhausted,
and whose love outlasts every empire.
Truly my soul finds rest in God.
Only in God
am I finally home.