Earlier in the pandemic, I was tired but unable to fall asleep, so I turned on a recording of the Bible. The Holy Scriptures are a living book, intended to be heard (Romans 10:17). The text that came up was the Book of Lamentation. Hiding behind the prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah wrote this lengthy poem of grief at the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the deportation of the Jews from Israel in 587/586 BC. The poems spans five chapters and is unrelenting in horrendous grief. But just when you reach the bottom of the pit, in chapter three, the prophet declares the only thing he knows to be true:
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness”
+ Lamentations 3:22
While the situations of this life feel overwhelming, the news is doom and gloom, and the pandemic stretches on among us. Never forget what it means to be Lutheran Christians. First and foremost, You have Jesus, the Messiah and Son of the Living God, as your crucified and risen Savior. Second, Luther helped us to understand that God is most present to his children in the midst of their suffering. Lastly, even in the worst of scenarios and the darkest of nights, we can sing a hymn of praise: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.”
The Lord be with you this week!Pastor Culynn
P.S. Please see the link below with important information about the schedule updates for the coming weeks. LINK HERE
To prepare for worship on Sunday
(November 22), you are invited to read:
Isaiah 61:1-11