text stringlengths 6 507 |
|---|
[2467.10 --> 2473.04] and the heavens. As we've been experiencing an extended season of warmth and sunny weather, |
[2473.34 --> 2479.74] we can't help but see the beauty of the creation all around us. From the mighty oceans to the |
[2479.74 --> 2485.80] majestic mountains and everything in between, all of the earth worships you. With the psalmist and as |
[2485.80 --> 2490.98] we sung this morning, we lift our eyes up to the mountains and say, where does our help come from? |
[2491.60 --> 2496.90] Our help comes from you, Lord, maker of heaven and earth, you who will not let our foot slip. |
[2497.60 --> 2502.92] You watch over us without slumber, and so we lift up our praise and our requests to you this morning |
[2502.92 --> 2509.44] as your people. Lord, we pray for our upcoming general election that's going to take place on |
[2509.44 --> 2514.76] Saturday locally. And we thank you, Lord, for all the candidates who are running. We pray for your |
[2514.76 --> 2519.40] blessing and for success for the candidates who seek your will in positions of leadership. |
[2520.66 --> 2525.90] Lord, encourage us as voters to put in our preparation time and to seek your will as we vote. |
[2526.94 --> 2532.96] We pray for all political leaders at all levels of government. Lord, we know that all authority |
[2532.96 --> 2541.00] comes from you. We pray, Lord, as we enter the season of Thanksgiving, a prayer of thanks. We have so much |
[2541.00 --> 2548.02] to be thankful for. Here in this place, we have peace, prosperity, freedoms. Lord, help us to use |
[2548.02 --> 2553.82] these things for your kingdom. Bless us as we gather again tomorrow as a congregation in our Thanksgiving |
[2553.82 --> 2562.54] service, and let it be a time of uplifting time for us to give thanks to you. Lord, there are so many |
[2562.54 --> 2569.42] concerns we have for our world and for each other in this time as well. We pray, Lord, for the hurricanes |
[2569.42 --> 2575.84] that have been taking place and for the people who were impacted by Hurricane Ian and here in Canada by |
[2575.84 --> 2582.84] Hurricane Fiona. Lord, livelihoods and possessions have been damaged. We pray for all those who are working |
[2582.84 --> 2589.70] on the cleanup efforts and those who are patiently waiting for the next outcome of this situation. |
[2591.22 --> 2597.00] Lord, we pray for the situations throughout the world of strife and unrest and war. We continue to |
[2597.00 --> 2602.64] uphold Ukraine. Lord, this ongoing struggle has gone on for so long, and there's no end in sight. |
[2602.92 --> 2611.22] We pray, Lord, for peace. We also pray for our relationships and for ourselves here at home in our |
[2611.22 --> 2615.80] families and amongst each other. Lord, many relationships are strained and some broken, |
[2616.08 --> 2623.76] and God, we pray for healing and reconciliation. Lord, we also pray with those who mourn the loss of |
[2623.76 --> 2631.70] loved ones. Some have lost many who are just, who have gone too soon, and Lord, we pray for comfort and |
[2631.70 --> 2639.20] peace. We're not always ready to see our loved ones go on before us, Lord, and we pray for your help to be |
[2639.20 --> 2644.98] our support, Lord, that you would give us comfort and bring us to you in this time of mourning. |
[2646.18 --> 2652.32] We also pray for everyone in our midst, Lord, who's dealing with pain and illness. Lord, you are the God |
[2652.32 --> 2659.48] of healing. We ask for healing for those who have illness and injury and bodies that are growing older |
[2659.48 --> 2665.28] and dealing with challenges and struggles that come with that. And Lord, we also pray for those |
[2665.28 --> 2670.72] who are dealing with different challenges with mental health. Lord, we sometimes experience deep |
[2670.72 --> 2678.60] sorrow in our hearts. Some feel forgotten and alone. Some feel anxiety and depression and to some extent |
[2678.60 --> 2685.04] defeated. And sometimes, Lord, we find ourselves wrestling every day with our thoughts. Bring us your |
[2685.04 --> 2690.68] peace, your comfort, and your healing that we can say with the psalmist, though all these things are |
[2690.68 --> 2697.40] happening. But I will trust in your unfailing love. My heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the |
[2697.40 --> 2706.76] Lord's praise, for you have been good to us. And Lord, as we go into our message now from our pastor, |
[2706.90 --> 2712.14] and Lord, as you lead us into your word, we pray that you would speak to us. And then as we have |
[2712.14 --> 2716.90] communion together, Lord, we pray that we would experience nourishment, strength, and comfort together |
[2716.90 --> 2721.34] through the sacrament. And Lord, we ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. |
[2721.34 --> 2721.46] Amen. |
[2721.46 --> 2722.46] Amen. |
[2741.96 --> 2750.24] We are indeed going to open God's word together, continue in that time of worship. |
[2750.24 --> 2758.34] we're going to read from Psalm 77, the first nine verses. It will be on the screen overhead, |
[2758.66 --> 2763.20] but I encourage you to have a Bible in your hands, either one that you flip open or one |
[2763.20 --> 2771.56] that you flick open, and we can have that together. Before I begin with the text, |
[2772.56 --> 2778.98] I was thinking about this week and the kinds of things that we're doing here together, and |
[2780.24 --> 2787.50] the work of preaching through the Psalms and exploring our emotions, and I was reminded of a |
[2787.50 --> 2794.80] story. This happened to Rachel and I and my wife a number of years ago. I think actually I was trying |
[2794.80 --> 2800.74] to place it when we were living in Grand Rapids, so that's like 20 years ago. I'm getting old. |
[2801.64 --> 2803.00] That just hit me. |
[2806.20 --> 2808.96] Whatever, it says someone older than me. Grave, thank you. |
[2810.24 --> 2818.86] So we were walking through a mall, just casually out for a walk. We haven't been casually out for |
[2818.86 --> 2825.00] a walk to a mall since we had kids, but here we were walking through this mall, and we were just |
[2825.00 --> 2831.78] chatting away, and then off in front of us, coming around a corner, you know how malls are sort of |
[2831.78 --> 2839.06] arranged like labyrinthianly, so you get lost in them. Anyway, this older woman came around the |
[2839.06 --> 2846.38] corner. She must have been 70, 75 years old, and she started walking, and as she walked by, everybody |
[2846.38 --> 2853.36] kind of kept looking at her, and we were like, what's going on? And then she got in front of us, and |
[2853.36 --> 2863.98] somehow she was wearing this like long, flowy skirt, and somehow, I'm assuming when she had gone to the |
[2863.98 --> 2872.60] bathroom previously, the back of her skirt got stuck in the top of her underwear. So here's a 75-year-old |
[2872.60 --> 2878.52] woman walking through the mall with her, I mean, I don't know what you call it anymore, but when we |
[2878.52 --> 2884.08] were kids, we called them granny panties, like just hanging out for everyone to see, and it was |
[2884.08 --> 2889.64] kind of embarrassing, and it was a little awkward, right? And people were looking and talking and |
[2889.64 --> 2895.66] whispering and not sure, should we go and talk, and no one's saying anything. So finally, Rachel, because |
[2895.66 --> 2900.24] she's super gracious and can enter into moments like that, walks up beside this woman and puts her |
[2900.24 --> 2905.90] hand on her shoulder and just whispers, your dress is stuck in your underwear, and then she tries to |
[2905.90 --> 2910.54] get it out and can't get it, so Rachel has to help her get it out. Anyway, it got clear, but it was awkward, |
[2910.54 --> 2920.66] right? And it was weird. Now, what made it even more awkward is that before Rachel went over to help |
[2920.66 --> 2928.94] her get it out, she stopped to tie her shoe, and that's what did it. That's when we went over and we, |
[2930.54 --> 2940.06] why do I share this story? Good question, right? Sometimes we need people |
[2940.06 --> 2948.84] to help us see things that we're blind to, and sometimes it's really awkward and hard to have |
[2948.84 --> 2953.26] those kinds of conversations. Now, that may be a funny anecdote about that, but the reality is |
[2953.26 --> 2959.52] sometimes someone comes along and tells us something about ourself or about what's going on in our life, |
[2959.52 --> 2967.62] and we don't really want to hear it, and it's awkward, and it's embarrassing, or it's hard. |
[2967.62 --> 2975.82] This series through the Psalms and talking about our emotions may be that for some of you. |
[2978.40 --> 2984.52] Right? The things that we're talking about here are real, and they are raw, and for some, |
[2984.82 --> 2993.48] you may want to talk after, and I just pray that you find someone, whether it's me or Pastor Kevin, |
[2993.48 --> 3004.14] or it's a care group or an elder. What I know and believe is that God is going to speak this morning, |
[3004.14 --> 3012.36] and that when his word goes out, it accomplishes the purpose for which he sends it, and so if we |
[3012.36 --> 3016.80] need to talk together, or if you need to process that, or if you need to have someone come alongside |
[3016.80 --> 3026.06] you, I just pray that you would hear that and set something up. Now, as we enter into this Psalm, |
[3027.20 --> 3030.82] let's read together from Psalm 77. |
[3030.82 --> 3060.80] Psalm 77. |
[3060.82 --> 3090.80] Psalm 77. |
[3090.80 --> 3098.72] Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten |
[3098.72 --> 3106.06] to be merciful? Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion? |
[3108.80 --> 3110.10] This is the word of the Lord. |
[3110.10 --> 3122.14] Now, this is one of those psalms that if you have the ears to hear it as you read it, or at least as I read it, |
[3122.82 --> 3126.40] my heart breaks for the psalmist. |
[3126.40 --> 3156.38] There is a crying out that takes place here, and in fact, it's a crying out that I know that some of you are living in the midst of right now. Some of you are sharing right now. And the reality here is that if I know that some of you are struggling with it, you can believe and you can bet that th... |
[3156.40 --> 3186.40] He writes this. |
[3186.40 --> 3194.18] That's what we're saying. That's what we feel. And then finally, what are we supposed to do instead, or what are we supposed to avoid? |
[3194.18 --> 3203.94] And so we are experiencing and looking at sorrow and heartbreak. And you can hear the words of the psalmist again, right? |
[3204.18 --> 3207.30] I cried out to God for help. |
[3209.06 --> 3216.44] Now, we don't know the exact situation of Asaph in this time, but we can extrapolate a few things. |
[3216.44 --> 3226.10] And so we can make a pretty informed guess as to what's going on based on where this psalm is located in the Psalter. |
[3227.44 --> 3231.50] The first 11 psalms of book 3, which is this. |
[3231.56 --> 3236.48] If you flip back a few pages, you can see the Psalter is broken up into book 1, 2, 3, 4. |
[3236.48 --> 3249.06] And then this psalm, and particularly in that section, Psalm 74, helps us see that maybe what's going on here is Asaph, as an Israelite, |
[3249.86 --> 3254.10] is reflecting on his experience of the exile, right? |
[3254.14 --> 3259.58] His experience of the Babylonians marching down from the north and just destroying Jerusalem. |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.