A Time to Weep, July 5 2020
God’s Gift of Lament
Today’s Preacher: Stephen Baxter
The entire service, approx 35 minutes, is available on YouTube, below.
Sermon Title: Jesus Lives Lament
“The Bible actually responds to real life. We jump so quickly to everything’s going to be fine and awesome. We forget that the Bible actually allows us, and in fact encourages and maybe even commands us, to stay in those places of suffering, to speak the honest truth.”
Soong-Chan Rah
Most of us wrestle at some point with the reality of evil and suffering. Whether we are Christian or not, suffering and evil impact significantly our belief in God and our attitude toward God. For some it is the cause of their rejection of the existence of God. The world today seems to be at a crisis point, it is a profound cultural moment. How does the church serve the community in its response? And how can we be ‘prophetic’ at the same time?
Whether we are Christian or not, whenever there is suffering there is a response. It doesn’t matter whether it personal or someone close to us, or the community/world in general, suffering and evil elicits a reaction.
What is our strategy?
Do we ignore it endeavouring to minimize the pain and stay positive? Do we drown it in a fever of activity ¾ bingeing on Netflix . . .
Today’s Bible readings: Psalm 22: 1-5, 16-24 and Matthew 27: 33-50