Know Your Worth
Preached August 28,2016
Shorter Community AME Church
Reverend Tawana Davis, retired Itinerant Elder
Scripture ~ Psalm 139:13-18
You are the one who created my innermost parts;
you knit me together while I was still in my mother’s womb.
14 I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart.
Your works are wonderful—I know that very well.
15 My bones weren’t hidden from you
when I was being put together in a secret place,
when I was being woven together in the deep parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my embryo,
and on your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me,
before any one of them had yet happened.
17 God, your plans are incomprehensible to me!
Their total number is countless!
18 If I tried to count them—they outnumber grains of sand!
If I came to the very end—I’d still be with you.
Introduction ~ You thought I was worth saving ~ You thought I was to die for
You thought I was worth saving
So, You came and changed my life
You thought I was worth keeping
So, You cleaned me up inside
You thought I was to die for
So, You sacrificed your life
So, I could be free
So, I could be whole
So, I could tell everyone I know
Lord, you have examined me.
You know me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up.
Even from far away, you comprehend my plans.
3 You study my traveling and resting.
You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways.
*********
There isn’t a word on my tongue, Lord,
that you don’t already know completely.
5 You surround me—front and back.
You put your hand on me.
6 That kind of knowledge is too much for me;
it’s so high above me that I can’t fathom it.
*******
Where could I go to get away from your spirit?
Where could I go to escape your presence?
8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there.
9 If I could fly on the wings of dawn,
stopping to rest only on the far side of the ocean—
10 even there your hand would guide me;
even there your strong hand would hold me tight!
*********
If I said, “The darkness will definitely hide me;
the light will become night around me,”
12 even then the darkness isn’t too dark for you!
Nighttime would shine bright as day,
because darkness is the same as light to you!
*********
You are the one who created my innermost parts;
you knit me together while I was still in my mother’s womb.
14 I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart.
Your works are wonderful—I know that very well.
15 My bones weren’t hidden from you
when I was being put together in a secret place,
when I was being woven together in the deep parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my embryo,
and on your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me,
before any one of them had yet happened.
17 God, your plans are incomprehensible to me!
Their total number is countless!
18 If I tried to count them—they outnumber grains of sand!
If I came to the very end—I’d still be with you.
Move II ~ Definitions
Worth ~ Equivalent in value to the sum or item specified (adjectives) ***
Worth ~ The value equivalent to that of someone or something under consideration; the level at which someone or something deserves to be valued or rated. (Noun) ***
Worthy ~ Deserving effort, attention or respect
“Knowledge is the hallmark of civilized human life. That special attribute which distinguishes human life from all other forms of life on this planet is the unique ability to acquire knowledge. Knowledge is the capacity to know oneself, and to have the ability to communicate that knowledge to others.” (Know Thyself p. v)
“Identity is the consciousness of our true nature.” (Know Thyself p. 2)
Know your worth ~ Knowing you are worthy ~ knowing your identity is rooted in Christ
Move III ~ Commentary
Commentary (African American Lectionary ~ Anne Streaty-Wimberly ~ former professor of Christian Education at the Interdenominational Theological Center, my alma matter)
We do not know if Psalm 139 stemmed from the psalmist’s personal situation of distress or accusation, or from the community’s need for assurance in the aftermath of exile. Whatever the case, the 139th Psalm reveals an account of what may be called “an encounter of the closest kind” with God. The psalm details an intimate conversation with God in which the psalmist is speaker and God is listener. The psalmist focuses quickly in verses1-2 on the word, “know(n).” This key reference points to the psalmist’s relating to God the experience of not simply being recognized and acknowledged by God, but of belonging inseparably to God. Thurman describes this sort of being known by God as being laid bare, or stripped of the facade. In this knowing, the psalmist references the self as being seen at the deepest center, or at the very core.
But, another glimpse of the psalmist’s understanding of the nature of God is revealed in the words, “fearfully made,” that precede the use of the words, “wonderfully made.” This use, points to a God whose love for God’s own creation extends to concern, since this human creation is finite and therefore not perfect.
Some call this imperfection secular or worldly ~ yet, in our African teachings there is no separation of secular and sacred. All things are sacred. You, me, we ~ sacred. Inextricably bound with G-d; created with a purpose. Just our mere existence means we are sacred. Regardless of your situation or circumstance, crazy decisions, regrets, successes, educational acumen, monetary value, status, family dynamics, living situation, geographical location… you are worthy
Move IV ~ Know your worth
When I don’t know my worth I create a space for others to define my worth or deem me worthless
When I don’t know my worth, when something goes awry or in a way I do not understand I tend to diminish your worth by trying to prove my worth is better than yours
When I don’t know my worth I stand for nothing and fall for anything
When I don’t know my worth, I see an issue and I become a part of the issue instead of the solution
When I don’t know my worth the problems remain as such because of limiting beliefs and the adage misery loves company
When I don’t know my worth I become complicit in daily ills because I don’t have the knowledge, strength, or fortitude to take a stand for what’s just
For when we don’t know our worth we don’t realize the power we have to shift the atmosphere in our favor and on our behalf ~ Instead we attract that which we don’t know, we attract what we are doubting, we attract what we don’t want or like
When I don’t know my worth and someone is has just lost their ever-loving mind I may respond in the same way ~ so instead of honoring each other's worth we are now both believing each of us has lost it and we find ourselves in a perpetual cycle of hate, confusion, and loss
Therefore, I begin to think, my Lord, You purposely allow us into contact with the bad and evil things that you want changed. Perhaps that is the very reason why we are here in this world, where sin and sorrow and suffering and evil abound, so that we may let You teach us how to react to them, that out of them we can create lovely qualities to live forever. That is the only really satisfactory way of dealing with evil, not simply binding it so that it cannot work harm, but whenever possible overcoming it with good (Hinds’ Feet in High Places p. 318).
Move V ~ Closing
Knowing your worth is being able to respond to evil with good
Knowing your worth is being able to unapologetically state “Black Lives Matter” without having to defend your stance or respond to the critical “all lives matter” rebuttal.
*** Yes it is a rebuttal because if all lives truly mattered
The aftermath of Katrina would not have happened
Flint’s water crisis would not be happening
Slavery would not have happened
Rev. Dr. King would not have been murdered
Tamir Rice would still be alive
If all lives mattered “Black Lives Matter” would not exist
Knowing your worth is being able to see the worth in you and in others.
We come from the spirit of Ubuntu ~ I am because we are ~ not you gotta get mine so you gotta get yours
We come from a teaching that says when one hurts we all hurt ~ when one struggles we all struggle
When I know my worth I can bear another's burden like in Galatians 6
When I know my worth I can show others how I should be treated because I am treating them as they are worthy even if they don’t act like it because we are all made in the image and likeness of G-d
When I know my worth I can love beyond measure because your existence doesn’t threaten me, take away from me, diminish me ~ as a matter of fact it enhances my existence for we are inextricably bound
When I know my worth I can love you even when you don’t love yourself
When I know my worth I can help you when you can’t help yourself
When I know my worth I can see the gap and know my gift can fill it
When I know my worth churches won’t be empty
When I know my worth preachers would preach a liberating gospel for all
Well how do I know my worth?
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)
For I am created in the image and likeness of G-d (Genesis 1:26)
For I am the head and not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13)
For I am of a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9)
For I am the one that the Lord promise to never leave nor forsake (Deuteronomy 31:6)
For I am the one the the Lord told Lo I will be with you always (Matthew 28:20)
For I am the one the Lord was referring to when the Lord said I will never forget you (Isaiah 49:15)
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am worthy for the G-d in me is greater than you in the world
I am worth it for I am a child of the most high G-d with plans for my life that were established before I was in my mother’s womb
For even the devil knows my worth for the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus came so that I might have life and have it abundantly.
Just for me
Just for me
Jesus came and did it just for me
Jesus
You thought I was worth saving
So, You came and changed my life
You thought I was worth keeping
So, You cleaned me up inside
You thought I was to die for
So, You sacrificed your life
So, I could be free
So, I could be whole
So, I could tell everyone I know…
I know my Worth!
(***moments that could not be captured in writing)
