Psalm 130
1Out | of the depths
I cry to | you, O Lord;
2O Lord, | hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my | supplication.
3If you were to keep watch | over sins,
O Lord, | who could stand?
4Yet with you | is forgiveness,
in order that you | may be feared. R
5I wait for you, O Lord; | my soul waits;
in your word | is my hope.
6My soul waits for the Lord more than those who keep watch | for the morning,
more than those who keep watch | for the morning.
7O Israel, wait for the Lord, for with the Lord there is | steadfast love;
with the Lord there is plen- | teous redemption.
8For the Lord shall | redeem Israel
from | all their sins. R
Psalm 130 is the assigned psalm for this coming Sunday. It is a penitential psalm and, for centuries, the church has used Psalm 130 during Lent. The words of this psalm remind the reciter of the great divide between the goodness of God and the iniquity of humanity. In this psalm, the psalmist gives us permission to be unafraid to wail out to God from our deepest places of grief, anger, fear and frustration. But, this psalm also reminds those of us who recite it that with God we find steadfast love and redemption. Martin Luther called Psalm 130 “a proper master and doctor of Scripture.”
The spirit, if not the language of the psalm, articulates both the earthiness of our mortality and the poetic hope of divine presence despite all evidence to the contrary. I find it so fitting that we are given these words at this time in our lives. May they be words of comfort for you as you continue through this week.
I would like to share the following information with you this week.
- On Sunday, during our worship experience, we are going to do something other congregations are actually doing. In fact, Bob Nelson told me their church in North Carolina is doing this. We will share communion during our worship experience. I do believe God is far bigger than the limits of our present experience. Far too often the church tries to box God in to make God fit our rules and assumptions. However, I believe that God is very present to us as we gather together as one, even though this gathering is via technology. It is God who makes us one and it is God who is always present to us every aspect of life. We are not the ones who make God present to us in bread and wine, God is already there. So, as we gather on Sunday, we will share communion. I invite you to have ready and present with you some bread, wine and/or grape juice. We deeply need this nourishment and sustenance during this time. I have heard from several of you, and many are yearning to receive the very life of God we receive in bread and wine. Here is an easy recipe for bread if you choose to make your own.
- If you still do your grocery shopping at Meijer or Toms and, if you are able to purchase a gift card, I invite you to do so and mail it to the church. The guys in our Parish House can use them.
- I invite you to consider giving your offerings through Simply Giving or GivePlus. If you choose to use Simply Giving, all you need to do is download the form attached to this email, fill it out, add a cancelled check to the form and either scan it and email it to Jon Harrison at: jon.harrison@comcast.net
Or, you can mail it to: Jon Harrison, 3570 Chippendale, Okemos, MI 48864
- If you choose a digital way to facilitate payment, please download the GivePlus app to your phone, and sign up to give to Faith Lutheran Church of Meridian. (A GivePlus informational flyer is attached to this email).
- You may also simply mail your offering check to:
Jon Harrison, 3570 Chippendale, Okemos, MI 48864
I will continue to hold a live streamed worship experience every Sunday morning at 10:00 AM. We will continue the Home Church Model as I lead these worship experiences from my home while you gather in your homes. You may access this through our church Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/faithlutheranokemos/
Please remember to send me a picture of your family. Our Prayer Cross is growing, and I find it deeply meaningful as I hold all of you in prayer and as we hold each other in prayer.
Friends, please stay home. It is a holy act of love.
I leave you with these words as we hold all those in the medical profession in our prayers:
Merciful God, your healing power is everywhere about us. Strengthen those who work among the sick; give them courage and confidence in all they do. Encourage them when they are overwhelmed with many pressing needs or when their efforts seem futile. Increase their trust in your power to bring life and wholeness even in the midst of death and pain and crying. May they be thankful for every sign of health you give, and humble before the mystery of your healing grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor Ellen