Anger, Sadness, Hope and Race

Readings

1. Old Testament: Exodus 34: 18-35

2. Psalm 40

3. Gospel: Matt. 5: 27-37

4. New Testament: 1 Thess. 3:1-13

Devotional
If your Newsfeed is anything like mine, then the seemingly impossible has happened: something has replaced coronavirus as the most-talked about thing on the Internet. I'm referring, of course, to news of the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, whose death at the hands of two white men in Brunswick has reignited our national conversation about race and racism

I don't know about you, but the emotions I have experienced watching the Arbery story unfold have swung from shock, to exhaustion, to despair, to cynicism, to anger, to sadness (with many steps and regressions in between). "This happened again? Another one of these killings in 2020?" And to rescue us from our uncertainty, here come all the old arguments again: systems vs. individuals, race vs. class, reactions vs. "wait for the evidence"... and to top it off, the feeling that this story requires something, some action from me. And so will the one after that, after that, after that... on into infinity. And somehow, there is the sense that most actions I can take are really performative for the sake of the Internet and building my power and following there, and that nothing I can do will really change things, will ever really matter. It feels like the Internet is a billion people banging our collective heads against the wall going "Its 2020, how can this sort of thing happen?" every three or four days... and yet racial strife remains.

The Bible will not let us sit out conversations about race. From the promise of Abraham in Genesis 12 to the redemption of the nations in Revelation 21-22, God is passionately committed to seeing all mankind united in harmony under His rule. The question is this: how is He going to do it? And what does it look like for us to participate? 

Psalm 40 brings us answers, as God's News intersects with our news. It calls us to honesty, participation, humility, and hope.

The Situation: The Psalmist is in a pit, a hole of despair (v. 1). We don't know why for the Psalmist, but the past few days have demonstrated that we know what that feels like, even today. Apparently human nature doesn't change, regardless of the year. 

The Response: The first thing the Psalmist does is cry (v. 1). This might seem pointless, but truly grieving what we have lost frees us from desperate attempts to get back what is gone forever. Some of us avoid grief by arguing and anger; some of us avoid it by despair. The Psalmist does neither. He cries. Have you allowed yourself to feel anything? Have you listened to others who feel deeply?

The Remembering: The Psalmist remembers the ways in which the Lord has saved in the past (2-6). This remembering frees the writer from the despair of the present. The Newsfeed isn't forever; God's mercy is. How has God sustained you and us as a people thus far?

The Reaction: But this remembering also compels faithful action in the present (7-11). It does not minimize the pain of the present, but empowers us to move into the pain of the present with hope. If God has not been faithful to sustain us in the past, then the best we can hope for is to gain safety by our own power in the present. This is the ethic of despair. But if God has been faithful to us, then we move into the present fearing neither man as individual nor men as system. Instead, we will do justice and love mercy and walk humbly with God. We will be righteous, come what may. Do you take your cues for response from God's Word?

The Recognition: When racism comes up in America, different groups emphasize different things. As a generalization (and here we go where angels fear to tread!) conservatives and many white people (including myself) are inclined to emphasize the individual nature of racism: it exists in the hearts of individuals. Liberals and many people of color emphasize the way that our systems themselves are racist. The Bible, sitting as it does in judgement over our discourse just like it does over everyone, refuses to submit to this false dichotomy. In the turning point of the Psalm, the Psalmist writes of sinfulness in the heart of individuals IN THE SAME VERSE as he writes about the evils which are so far beyond the scope of individuals that they threaten to overwhelm the writer. They are systemic, and experienced as such (v. 12). To live faithfully is to be at war with both our own hearts and the evil systems in which we exist. There is no sitting it out. And God's salvation must be accomplished both in our own hearts and in the systems in which we exist, or it is no salvation at all. Which of these biblical emphases are you inclined to dismiss or emphasize?

The Religion: If sinfulness is in the hearts AND systems of man, then the Psalmist knows something that we as Americans have forgotten: that our faithfulness will not be enough to transform the world. We need deliverance. The rest of the Psalm (v. 13-17) express the Psalmist's desire that God would deliver his people again. What if the exhaustion we feel at being unable to build a system that doesn't oppress is a sign that human beings cannot build that system? What if our exhaustion and despair could be, in some way, holy? What if our problem is that we haven't yet despaired of our own perfection, and turned to God and waited upon him? What if despairing of our own perfection would free us to care about what we could, and release what we couldn't to God's redemption? What if despair is the antidote to despair?

Summary: Step 1 is lament our tragedy. Step 2 is remember that God has been good: now is not forever. Step 3 is to react in righteousness. Step 4 is to recognize the individual and systemic contexts of sin. Step 5 is to get religion: turn to God for deliverance.

May God grant us peace, zeal, strength, empathy, courage and love for one another and our Lord Jesus Christ, who has bound us in love for him together with one another.

Hymn
The Lord is King

Prayer
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant
us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way,
the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his
steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ
your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The King

Readings

1. Old Testament: Exodus 32:21-34

2. Psalm 47

3. Gospel: Matt. 5:11-16

4. New Testament: 1 Thess. 1:1-10

Devotional
Do you ever hear something so many times that the word starts to sound funny?  At a certain point, it’s as if the word is lost of its meaning because of the repetitive use.  Often, the phrase “Jesus is King” likely has the same effect.   It’s a phrase that we hear so often we are likely to gloss over it without really considering what it even means.  Pair that with the fact that a king hardly bears any cultural relevance for our particular context, and it becomes almost dismissive.  Psalm 47 is here to make sure that doesn’t happen.

This Psalm is known as a kingship psalm, and, not surprisingly, it’s aim is to proclaim the kingship of God.  As God’s story of redemption unfolds, we find out exactly what that means.  Jesus is the true and better king that all of God’s people have been longing for.  Even the best kings of Israel stumbled and proved to be imperfect leaders.  But the king described in Psalm 47 exceeds whatever expectations we could have formulated for a worthy king.  This king subdues all nations, including his enemies (v. 3).  He sits on a holy throne (v. 9).  And it isn’t just that a particular land belongs to him, but the entire world is his (v. 7).  This is a king, as the psalmist exclaims, who is worthy to be praised! 

If those descriptions sound familiar, it’s because Jesus reveals himself to be the king this psalm had in mind.  He conquers his enemies while protecting his people.  He is enthroned in the heavenly court, surrounded by cherubim praising his name.  And he upholds the entire universe by the word of his power.  With so much uncertainty surrounding us, we long not just for a king who is aware of our needs, but we yearn for a king who has control over all circumstances.  Yes, Kanye got it correct.  Jesus is that king.  And what would people do in response to a good king?  They would submit to his rule.  Not because they were afraid of him.  But because they loved him, and they knew they could trust him to care for their concerns.  Despite our persistent attempts to gain control in our own lives, we have the freedom to rejoice that God doesn’t give us what we want.  He gives us what we need.  A king we can count on.  

Hymn
The Lord is King

Prayer
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son
Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to
strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior
Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Trust

1. Morning

   1. Psalm 97

   2. 1 Cor. 15:30-41

2. Evening

   1. Psalm 15

   2. Exodus 12:40-51

3. Hymn

   1. The Lamb Has Overcome

4. Prayer

   1. O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his
      disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith,
      that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives
      and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
      now and for ever. Amen.

Devotional: Psalm 97
From Rev. Martin Antoon:
I have three memories that stand out as my earliest of my life.  The first was an incredibly unremarkable day one morning in three-year-old preschool.  I don’t know why I remember it.  The second was cutting a chunk out of my hair when I was four.  Maybe slightly more significant, but still not that noteworthy in the grand scheme of things.  But I also have another memory from my four-year-old days.  For whatever reason, I decided to stick a paper clip in an electrical socket.  You could blame me for my lack of knowledge of simple electrical currents, or you could blame the apparent lack of oversight from whatever teacher was supposed to be watching.  But I remember a loud buzzing noise, which was followed by a teacher walking over to me, not saying a single word, picking me up, and promptly setting me down somewhere else.  And the question I remember thinking to myself was this:  “Why did she do that?”

As the virus continues its global course, something is becoming clear.  The reason we are collectively so unsettled is not just because we worry for our safety.  After all, we do things all the time that, in theory, jeopardize our well-being.  The fear of the virus lies in the fact that we truly have no idea what the next months, or maybe even year, could hold.  It’s scary.  We want to know that somebody is in control. 

What does the Psalmist mean when He says “The Lord reigns?”  We use that language a lot.  Simply put, it means two things are true.  Nothing happens outside of God’s control, and God works all things together for good for those who love Him.  It might, at times, leave us asking the question “Why did He do that?”  We might truly suffer in the midst of everything going on, but we can take comfort in one thing:  though we may not have the answers, God does.  He invites us to ask the question knowing that it will ultimately strengthen our dependence on Him.  The answer to my four-year-old-self’s question is painfully obvious now.  I just didn’t have the understanding required to see it at the time.  Thankfully, the person in charge did.  We don’t have the wisdom to understand God’s master plan, but thankfully we can trust that He does.

Finding Joy in the News

Texts:

1. Morning

   1. Psalm 103

   2. 1 Cor. 15:12-28

2. Evening

   1. Psalm 111

   2. Exodus 12:28-39

3. Hymn

   1. The Lamb Has Overcome

4. Prayer

   1. O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus
      Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to
      light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may
      abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory;
      through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the
      Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

Devotional: Psalm 103
There is a lot of bad news on the news. Obviously. Stories are full of sickness, incompetence, governments fighting with one another, and with themselves. There are lies, counter-lies, narratives and counter-narratives, statistics floating everywhere. Reading it all is seriously disheartening. And if you are as addicted to the news as most of us are (news which flows into us through our phones, which we need so desperately to maintain a connection to the outside world in an age of social distancing), the news shapes our emotional experience of our day-to-day lives. What if that fight we had with our spouses or roommates was really about the stress we are carrying from the news?

The Psalmist offers us a better way. He offers us an emotional experience full of joy and praises to God. God has forgiven him, healed him, redeemd him, loves him, gives him good things, and is righteous (v. 1-6). Does the Psalmist just live in a perfect, privileged world? Is that why the writer expresses joy? Some of us feel too guilty to express joy right now, because the news has told us that we have what others don't... 

The Psalmist's life and his joy isn't based on his circumstances. The opposite in fact- he knows he is going to die, and his days are limited (v. 15-16). But the joy remains, because it's based on the news he is reading. It's based on his knowledge of God, which he has gained as a result of reviewing the things that God has done in the world- saving his people, redeeming them, and making Himself known to them.  You are going to die, you will be forgotten by mankind- a hard truth. But nothing in comparison to the joy which comes from knowing that you have not been forgotten by God!

Reflections
1. Which news shapes your emotional experience in the day-to-day: CNN, or the good news of the gospel? 
2. Is it time to unplug for awhile?
3. When reading todays news, it feels like you only have two options: to be a sheep who goes along with authority, or a jerk who thumbs his/her nose at authority. How might taking the gospel as our formative news subvert both of those options? Are you a sheep or a jerk? How does the gospel of God's acts in history free you?

The Possibility of Presence

CTK has been given the opportunity to serve the Savannah Music Festival by being part of a phone tree. We will make phone calls to ticketholders asking them to donate their tickets to the Festival, so that artists who were scheduled can get paid and the festival can survive this difficult financial time. This is a great opportunity to help serve our city by fighting for something that makes it unique. If you would like to participate, click here.

If you have not been involved in a parish group but would like to get involved in a new one, click here. This group will meet biweekly to bear one another's burdens in prayer via zoom.

To see the rest of our daily devotionals, with prayers, songs and reflections, click here. To sign up for daily emails, click here. 

Prayers

1. Morning

   1. Readings

      1. Old Testament: Exodus 7:25-8:19

      2. Psalm: 131

   2. Hymn: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

   3. Prayer: 

Increase, O God, the Spirit of Neighborliness among us;
that in peril we may uphold one another,
In suffering tend to one another,
and in exile befriend on another.

Grant us brave and enduring hearts
that we may strengthen one another,
until the disciplines and testing of these days are ended,
and you again give peace in our time.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

1. Evening

   1. Readings

      1. New Testament: MArk 10:17-31

      2. Psalm: 141

   2. Hymn: Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul

   3. Prayer: See above, or use the Lord's Prayer

Devotional on Psalm 131:
When I was in seminary, I began suffering from some sort of mystery ailment of the gastrointestinal variety. So I did what anyone would do and got on WebMD and put my symptoms in. I ran a little diagnostic to figure out what my problem was. Two options came up, after I input my symptoms. I either A) had a parasite, or B) was lactose intolerant. The cure for the parasite was to eat lots of yogurt- which has lactose. Since I love milk and cookies, I wouldn't- couldn't- give milk up. My problem had to be a parasite. 

My symptoms only worsened. Which is always, always what happens when you misdiagnose your problem.

When we face difficulty or trouble in life, the question we always ask is "Why?" Why am I facing this? Why is this happening? We think that our problem is difficulty, and if we can answer the "Why" question then we can avoid that problem in the future. 

Our symptoms get worse. No amount of answering "Why?" helps us to avoid suffering. Instead, we get angry and bitter as we are forced to confront the reality that our previous explanations (and all of the previous "Why's" in the history of humanity) have not helped us avoid suffering. 

The Psalmist knows that our problems aren't our problem. Our problem is a lack of presence. The psalmist refuses to write down arrogant, cheap, easy answers to the "Why" question (v. 1). Instead, he contents himself with being like a child with his mother, and a weaned child no less (v.2) . A weaned child isn't getting anything out of his mother; he is just delighting in the safety of her presence. And that is what we, God's people, have the opportunity to do. To solve THE problem, not of our problems, but in the midst of our problems. To find the comfort, security, and hope, of God's presence. As NT Wright wrote recently:

"It is no part of the Christian vocation, then, to be able to explain what’s happening and why. In fact, it is part of the Christian vocation not to be able to explain—and to lament instead. As the Spirit laments within us, so we become, even in our self-isolation, small shrines where the presence and healing love of God can dwell. And out of that there can emerge new possibilities, new acts of kindness, new scientific understanding, new hope."

For discussion:
1. How does it feel when someone you know is always giving you advice about how to solve your problem?
2. Why do we look for this from our religion?
3. How can we begin to seek God's presence in the midst of our problems?

FaceTime with God

If you have not been involved in a parish group but would like to get involved in a new one, click here. This group will meet biweekly to bear one another's burdens in prayer via zoom.

CTK has been given the opportunity to serve the Savannah Music Festival by being part of a phone tree. We will make phone calls to ticketholders asking them to donate their tickets to the Festival, so that artists who were scheduled can get paid and the festival can survive this difficult financial time. This is a great opportunity to help serve our city by fighting for something that makes it unique. If you would like to participate, click here.

To see the rest of our daily devotionals, with prayers, songs and reflections, click here. To sign up for daily emails, click here. 

Prayers

1. Morning

   1. Readings

      1. Old Testament: Exodus 4:10-31

      2. Psalm: 31

   2. Hymn: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

   3. Prayer: 

Increase, O God, the Spirit of Neighborliness among us;
that in peril we may uphold one another,
In suffering tend to one another,
and in exile befriend on another.

Grant us brave and enduring hearts
that we may strengthen one another,
until the disciplines and testing of these days are ended,
and you again give peace in our time.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

1. Evening

   1. Readings

      1. New Testament: Mark 9:30-41

      2. Psalm: 35

   2. Hymn: Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul

   3. Prayer: A prayer for fellowship with God, from Psalm 31:22-24:

Devotional on Psalm 31:
Do it yourself. Do it by yourself. Look out for yourself. Believe in yourself. Take care of yourself. Push yourself. And yes, treat yo'self. It's the human way, yes. But it's also a uniquely American way. We lionize those who stand out from the crowd, and ridicule those who conform. Our ancestors were the ones who would cross an ocean to do it themselves. The only problem is: you can't.

Research has shown that from the earliest ages of human development, we rely deeply on the faces of other human beings for the ability to make sense of our surroundings, and to comfort and soothe ourselves in times of distress. A baby whose emotions are not received and interpreted by her mother will lose the ability to soothe at all. From the beginning (and even more obvious, before they begin) of our lives we are indebted to the faces of others for our comfort. 

For our life to survive, we need the face of Another.

The Psalmist knows the truth. We need the face of humans and we need the face of God. For us to live a fully human life, it must be lived "before the face" of God (v. 16); we need to see ourselves in the reflection of his eyes. We need the security that his strength provides us. We need the salvation that his arms alone are powerful enough to bring. We need the love of God, that we may provide that same love to others. We need the church, because in her are the faces of the people who see the face of God, and can reflect that love to us. 

For discussion:
1. When you think of God looking at you, what do you think is the look on his face? When is hardest to believe that he loves you and hears you?
2. What are some of the ways we can reflect the face of God to one another?
3. When is the hardest to reflect this face?

A Bigger Story

We will worship together via zoom at 5 pm on Sunday. Click here to participate.
Our midtown parish group (hosted by the Thompsons and Soren) will meet for prayer at 8 pm on Thursdays.
Our downtown parish group will meet for prayer next week (details to be announced).
To see the rest of our daily devotionals, with prayers, songs and reflections, click here. To sign up for daily emails, click here. 

Prayers

1. Morning

   1. Readings

      1. Old Testament: Exodus 2:1-22

      2. Psalm: 95

   2. Prayer: The Lord's Prayer

   3. Hymn: Come Thou Fount

2. Evening

   1. Readings

      1. New Testament: Mark 9:2-13

      2. Psalm: 102

   2. Hymn: Abide With Me

   3. Prayer: Psalm 138:7-8 (below)

Devotional on Psalm 95:
In the recent hit Netflix TV show "Stranger Things," the epic battle between good and evil is played out right under the noses of people living in Hawkins, a small town slice of Americana. This war is waged on two fronts: first, there is the actual conflict between good and evil, the back and forth between "The Upside-Down" and the theoretically "Right-side Up." But second, and no less difficult, is the battle the protagonists face to wake up the citizens of small-town America to the fact that the Upside-Down is right under their noses. Its almost like their quaintness, their civility, their normalcy, their goodness is a weapon of evil, to blind them to the larger story unfolding around them.

Are we living in Hawkins? The weather in Savannah this past week has sometimes made me think so. One of the most jarring experiences of this whole pandemic has been the disconnect between the story unfolding on the Internet and our direct sense experience. The Internet is on fire with stories of suffering, or warnings of doom, but my daily experience is just sunny and 82 degrees. And thats the danger; if all we did was act on the basis of the story we encounter in our daily lives, by the time we woke up to the true reality of our situation it would be too late. The challenge is clear- to act effectively, we have to consciously live as if we are a part of a bigger story.

That is exactly what Psalm 95 invites us to do. By inviting us into worship, the writer invites us to live in the bigger unfolding story of God's redemption and love for his people. It is a story that is not always self-evident; often the story is obscured by the trials and little daily bureaucratic annoyances of modern life. The Israelites of Exodus looked at a desert and saw nothing but rock. But God made water come from that rock. That is the story we live in. That is the God we serve. 

For discussion:
1. What in daily life makes it difficult to believe that you live in a story of God's love and redemption?
2. What in **your** life makes it difficult to believe that you live in a story of God's love and redemption?
3. What can you do to worship and bow down (to consciously live in God's story) for a little while each day?

A prayer for presence, from Psalm 138:

    [7] Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
        you preserve my life;
    you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
        and your right hand delivers me.
    [8] The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
        your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
        Do not forsake the work of your hands. (ESV)

The City of Ghosts

Join us for our weekly time of guided prayer and worship via Zoom ( a link will be provided later this week).To see the rest of our daily devotionals, with prayers, songs and reflections, click here. To sign up for daily emails, click here. 

Prayers

1. Morning

   1. Readings

      1. Old Testament: Isaiah 52:7-12

      2. Psalm: 82

   2. Prayer: The Lord's Prayer

   3. Hymn: Come Thou Fount

2. Evening

   1. Readings

      1. New Testament: John 1:9-14

      2. Psalm: 87

   2. Hymn: Abide With Me

   3. Prayer: Psalm 138:7-8 (below)

Devotional on Psalm 87
Shelter in place. The order has been coming for awhile now. But in many ways the declaration merely makes official what has happened to our city over the last two weeks. It hit me on St. Patrick's day Eve, more than any other day: we have become a city of ghosts. Sitting in an ancient square outside an empty cathedral on deathly quiet streets made it obvious. Though the buildings were made of brick, for an instant it felt as if the more solid thing was in the past. The energy was gone. The moment was more than real; it was metaphorical.

Scripture teaches us that the longing we feel for our city to return to its previous life, its previous energy, is itself evidence of a deeper longing.This is really a longing for the city of God. Psalm 87 describes a city full of life, full of energy, full of creativity (v.7-8). The city is famous for the life and joy that stream out of it. This is not just a description of Jerusalem ("Zion")... its a description of New Jerusalem, the city of our fathers and the city of our hope. 

How do we get that city back. In the near-term, of course it means waiting for the presence of people to return; what a joyous, energetic day that will be. But the city isn't just brought to a recognition of its former glory by the presence of men, but by the presence of Man. The kingdom returns in the presence of the King. As we look forward with longing to the return of life to our city of ghosts, lets prepare ourselves for the descent of the city that, if we have Jesus as our king, is our hometown, our city of origin. Maybe then people would ask, "Wow. You are from there?"

A quote:
"Happiness is not just a hope, but also in some strange way a memory, and we are all kings in exile." - GK Chesterton

For discussion:
1. What do you miss most about the city of Savannah as it was five days ago?
2. Does that longing point to a deeper longing, for another city?
3. When the order is lifted, what would it look like to start making Savannah look more like Zion? Do your longings provide any evidence as to where you might could start?

A prayer for presence, from Psalm 138:

    [7] Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
        you preserve my life;
    you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
        and your right hand delivers me.
    [8] The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
        your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
        Do not forsake the work of your hands. (ESV)

The Day the World Stopped... or Did It?

Join us for our weekly time of guided prayer and worship via Zoom ( a link will be provided later this week).To see the rest of our daily devotionals, with prayers, songs and reflections, click here. To sign up for daily emails, click here. 

Prayers

1. Morning

   1. Readings

      1. Old Testament: Genesis 3:1-15

      2. Psalm: 8

   2. Prayer: The Lord's Prayer

   3. Hymn: Come Thou Fount

2. Evening

   1. Readings

      1. New Testament: Romans 5:12-21

      2. Psalm 138

   2. Hymn: Abide With Me

   3. Prayer: Psalm 138:7-8 (below)

Devotional on Psalm 138

The cover story of my copy of Time Magazine this month reads, “The Day the World Stopped.” The last couple of days have felt like it, haven’t they? Jobs, social engagements, entertainment, worship… all the old routines and rituals and structures that seemed to power our lives and give us meaning have ground to a halt. We can’t even do the things we used to do on days when our own personal lives stopped, because the rest of the world has. We find ourselves asking, “When will the world start up again? When it starts up again, what kind of world will it be?” Because it has shut down.

Or so it seems. 

In Psalm 138, one of our Scripture readings for today, life with God is roaring along. The author David feels as if his life with/before God gives him meaning and power and purpose, though every authority is arrayed against him. The world is moving (v. 1-6). And then it slams to a halt. Trouble comes, the wrath of enemies is arrayed against him. Where is the progress? Where is the movement? Where is the growth? The world has stopped. Life with God has stopped (v. 7-8).

Or so it seems. 

We have been planting Christ the King- Savannah for almost two years, and I have spent much of that time waiting for the trouble to end, for challenges to cease… And then we had a plague that made the whole world stop. Now what? Wait around for ministry can start again? For the world to start again? For life with God to start again? Surely you know the feeling? “If I just get over this challenge, then the life I wanted to live will start up.”

Or so it seems.

But the psalmist sees with the eyes of faith. He sees trouble and challenge, not as a barrier to knowing God, but as the pathway to knowing God. In the places of difficulty, we find that our walk with God has begun. His steadfast love is with us, and he reveals that love to us as he is present with us in the challenge (v. 7-8). Trouble is the name of the street that we walk on when we meet God; its the stage for his drama of redemption. So we can’t, as Christians, pretend like there is no trouble. We can’t simply try to live on as normal, or as close to normal as we can. Because then we might miss the grace in the midst of trouble. But we also can’t sit around waiting for the world start again. Because it has started already. It never really stopped. God was present to us, in sickness and in health.

So what do we do? We live the life of faith as a prayer. Boldly entering into the times of trouble, confident in the presence of God with us, wanting to know him more. Pleading that he would be with us. “O Lord, do not forsake the work of my hands” (v. 8).

For discussion:
1. What hurt the most when the world seemed to stop?
2. How is God revealing himself to you in the midst of that stopping?

A prayer for presence, from Psalm 138:

    [7] Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
        you preserve my life;
    you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
        and your right hand delivers me.
    [8] The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
        your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
        Do not forsake the work of your hands. (ESV)

An Ordinary God in the Squares of Savannah

When we come into God’s presence, we expect something huge. Spectacular. Extraordinary. But what if this expectation says more about us than it does about God? What if God is primarily concerned with our ordinary lives?

People come from all over the world to visit Savannah. But they don’t come for the spectacular- the Civic Center, the hotels, or anything else. No, they come to see the squares- rows of “tithing blocks” full of houses, and “trust blocks,” full of churches, businesses, and public meeting places where people have lived out ordinary lives for centuries now. This is why the squares of Savannah and the cross of Christ are linked together in the logo of Christ the King… because its God working in ordinary places that is extraordinary. Sermon below!