March 17, 2024
Indianola Presbyterian Church, Columbus
"I will always love/forgive you"
Homily by Rev. Trip Porch
March 17, 2024 Based on Psalm 51:1-12
Today we are exploring a powerful aspect of divine love: forgiveness and mercy. It's a cornerstone of our faith, a truth whispered by the Divine, embodied in the person of Jesus, and echoed in the human heart. But forgiveness can be a struggle in reality, especially when we’ve been impacted personally and need to forgive someone. When the rubber meets the road and our faith compels us to live in a Christ-like loving and merciful way. How do we truly let go of hurt and anger?
For inspiration, let's turn to someone we maybe don't associate with forgiveness too often but to glitz and glam and humor and amazing music: Dolly Parton, and her iconic hit song that topped the charts in three different decades “I will always love you.” And the story behind it that really helps us to understand forgiveness.
To get there, we need to picture Dolly before her fame, before imagination library and Dollywood, back to the sixties when dolly was a young singer with a fire in her soul. She had been trying to make her break in Nashville but was struggling, producers thought her voice was too high for country music and didn’t think it would work out for her, let alone the fact that few female country artists were headliners at the time. But Dolly got lucky, she found a mentor in Porter Wagoner, a country music legend who had one of the number one syndicated shows on television and needed a female vocalist. He gave her a stage. He mentored her, signed a contract for more money than she’d ever made before, but also kept a tight hold on her career. Her first time on his show, she came out and performed, and the crowd was outraged, they didn’t like her or get it at all. They cut to commercial and Porter came back and defended her, basically saying… You trust me, and I think Dolly is the next great thing. She’s going to be here for a while and you’ll learn to love her. They started singing duets and immediately it took off, they recorded five albums in that first year and did a cross-country tour. Eventually, Dolly’s public persona started to shine, and her songwriting became prolific. The show’s songwriters remember that in the time it would take them to write one song, Dolly would have written three.
Dolly’s star was rising and Porter’s was beginning to fade. He grew bitter and jealous as Dolly’s fame grew and was really hard to work with. Dolly knew it was time for her to spread her wings and make a try at a solo career, but she knew Porter would be upset. So she sat down and in one evening she wrote the song “I will always Love you.” It was her goodbye song to Porter Wagoner. A way to show her appreciation for him, her gratitude for his guidance and friendship but also her conviction that it was time to say goodbye.
The story goes, she walked into porters office, grabbed a guitar, and she sang it to him.
“If I should stay
I would only be in your way
So I'll go, but I know
I'll think of you every step of the way
And I will always love you”
And apparently Porter responded… well I guess I have to let you go, but only if you let me produce that song.
It seemed like a beautiful parting and resolution to their relationship. But the situation turned sour. Porter, realized all that he lost and… ego bruised, began to lash out, going on a public defamation campaign to bash her in interviews and even deciding to sue her for 3 million dollars in a breach of contract case. They settled out of court but for a million dollars which the young start-up singer paid off over many years.
Here's where Dolly's story takes a remarkable turn, a turn that reflects the very essence of divine mercy, love and forgiveness as well as the song Dolly wrote to leave. Years later, with Dolly a superstar and Porter facing financial ruin from a few poor business decisions, guess who quietly stepped in? Dolly, by buying his publishing company, helping him get out of debt.
And later, as a gift, she gave it right back.
When asked about her actions, Dolly simply said, "Forgiveness is all there is."
[this story was taken from the WNYC Podcast, Dolly Parton's America, Episode "I will always leave you" https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dolly-partons-america/episodes/i-will-always-leave-you]
Friends, those words echo the very heart of scripture, the boundless love and forgiveness of our God. We see it in Psalm 51:1-12, where the psalmist, after his own terrible mistakes, cries out to God for mercy. He acknowledges his sin, his shame, and begs for a clean heart.
Just like Dolly, the psalmist knows that forgiveness isn't a given. That it isn’t guaranteed or easy to offer. The psalmist knows he isn’t deserving of forgiveness and yet he remembers who God is, and the extraordinary forgiveness God has offered in the past. The psalmist pleads for mercy and at the same time recalls that God is all mercy, all love. A love that whispers, "Let go. Be free. Be Loved. Heal. Move forward.” A love that again and again reminds us of dolly’s words… “Forgiveness is all that there is"
Dolly's story with Porter is a testament to that. Their friendship eventually mended, culminating in a tearful reunion on stage. And even when Porter was dying, in the last hours of his life, who was there? Dolly came to visit him. We’re not sure of how that visit went, but knowing Dolly… I wonder if when speaking to Porter, I wonder if sang to him the final verse of the song…
“I hope life treats you kind
And I hope you have all you've dreamed of
And I wish you joy and happiness
But above all this, I wish you love”
It's a powerful reminder that forgiveness and mercy, whether it comes from us or from God has the power to heal even the deepest wounds.
So now, back to my initial question… How do we truly let go of hurt and anger and forgive like Dolly?
How can we cultivate this divine love, with its capacity for forgiveness and mercy, in our own lives?
It's a daily practice I think, a journey that begins with small steps. We forgive every day in small things, so that we practice it in order to be ready for the big things we need to forgive.
Here’s a simple thing to try. Its an ancient Hawaiian practice. A daily ritual called Ho’oponopono, The word ho’oponopono roughly translates to “cause things to move back in balance” or to “make things right.” And the practice is a mantra of a sort… four phrases to repeat over and over and over. The phrases are:
I'm sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.
—————-
I'm sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.
These words can be directed at someone who's hurt you, or at yourself, or even the world.
I'm sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.
Think about who you might need to forgive, or who might need to hear forgiveness from you. Maybe it's a family member, a friend, or even a stranger in the car while your driving.
As you repeat these phrases, see if anything bubbles up.
Forgiveness, like Dolly's song, isn't about forgetting. It's about acknowledging the hurt, choosing to let go, and opening yourself to the healing power of divine love.
Because when we forgive, we become who we were truly meant to be: Children of God, reflecting a love that is boundless, merciful, and free. Let's go forth this week with open hearts, practicing forgiveness, and remembering Dolly's wisdom, a wisdom that echoes the very essence of our faith: "Forgiveness is all there is."
Amen.
WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE
PRELUDE
WELCOME Rev. Trip Porch
One: This is the day that the Lord has made
All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it
*CALL TO WORSHIP
One: Let us join our voices with the saints whose lives inspire.
All: We are here today, aspiring to claim the life of faith with courage.
One: We are ready to worship and give thanks for whose we are.
All: In our worship, we share God’s message with the world.
*HYMN 442 “Just as I am without One Plea” WOODWORTH
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Merciful God, Have mercy on us according to your unwavering love;
according to your abundant mercy, wipe away our sins and the guilt we have carried for so long. Instead write on our hearts your love. Your boundaries for our lives. Your salvation that sets us free from our sins. To live the abundant life you have for each of us.
Lord, Create in us clean hearts, Renew your spirit within us. Do not turn us away from your presence, do not take your holy spirit from us. Restore to us the joy of your salvation, and sustain in us a willing spirit.
Write on our hearts, your love O God,
Amen.
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE “Lord, Have Mercy” LAND OF REST
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
One: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,
All: And also with you.
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
ANTHEM “Create In Me” J.A. Freylinghausen (1670-1739)
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE Psalm 51:1-12
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.
You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
Holy Wisdom, Holy Word
Thanks be to God
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Mary Rebekah Fortman
SERMON Rev. Trip Porch
WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD
*HYMN 435 “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” IN BABILONE
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE followed by The Lord’s Prayer
TIME OF OFFERING online giving is available at www. indianolapres.org/give
OFFERTORY
*OFFERTORY RESPONSE
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Lord of all mercy and compassion, bless these gifts lovingly offered and all the people here. Help us to use these gifts for ministries of hope through our church and into our community, nation and world. AMEN
*HYMN 445 “God, How Can We Forgive” LEONE
TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING
MOMENT FOR MISSION One Great Hour of Sharing Mike Ayers CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452