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A Different Pew, A Deeper Faith
Photograph by Daniel Gomez / Unsplash I am sitting in a back pew of my new Read More
Nadiyka Gerbish (Ukraine) | Read Lamentations 3:19-26
Certain events described in the Bible were so disruptive to the inherent theology of the Jews that they questioned their whole faith foundation. The Messiah crucified was definitely one of those events. But in Jeremiah’s time, what appeared totally beyond God’s will was the destruction of the Temple. These events...
Dear Lord, help us remember that you have great love toward us and your compassions never fail. Help us put our hope in you, in good times and times of trouble. May we wait quietly for your salvation and know we are safe in your hands. Amen.
Lamentations opens with a description of the plight of the people of Judah, the southern kingdom. The people have been taken into exile as part of God’s judgment for their idolatry. The psalmist struggles to sing the songs of the Lord. In fact, those who overthrew Jerusalem have forced them to sing for their amusement, so the joy is gone. The psalmist prays that one day God will repay the invaders. In Second Timothy, Paul praises God for Timothy’s faith and for the legacy of faith that comes through his family. He charges him to preach boldly and without hesitation the gospel of Christ. In the Gospel reading, Jesus challenges the disciples to show greater faith and to understand that we are all servants in God’s kingdom.
• Read Lamentations 1:1-6 and 3:19-26. Where do you find hope in the midst of pain and suffering?
• Read Psalm 137. How do you remember your spiritual traditions and sacred places? How do you look for God’s work in new and challenging circumstances?
• Read 2 Timothy 1:1-14. What spiritual practices help you to “guard the good treasure entrusted to you”?
• Read Luke 17:5-10. How might a posture of cyclical servanthood to and with all creation transform or increase your faith?
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