Sunday, March 16, 2025

Dear God,

This morning at worship I couldn't help but think about composers who wrote music and lyrics to feed weary people in difficult times.  As we sang great hymns, I thought about people facing persecution, injustice and conflict with ensuing loss, pain and sorrow.  Men and women with unique gifts, tender hearts and compassionate desires sat down at tables and created music to soothe and calm the human spirit.  Artists painted scenes the same way.  How grateful I was as I stood and joined my voice with all the others singing praises for the constancy of faith, hope and love in troubled times.

When we are facing hard times, it is easy to forget those who work to help us.  We forget precious people whose hearts and minds thought of us, reached out, inspired, helped and blessed us.  We forget about miracles large and small that happened in our lives or the lives of those we love.  We forget about insights received, gifts imparted, grace given, hope revealed and peace unveiled.  We forget about our own conversion and faith that came to life.  

In dark times, we are called to remember you, O God, in our midst at work within us and around us.  In our remembrance, we need to fall into gratitude once again giving thanks but it cannot stop there.  We must be those who challenge the darkness, who take the hand of those who suffer and fight against tyranny, injustice and destruction.  We cannot sit idly by while throngs of people are hurt, tossed aside or die because of evil forces at work.  You taught us that faith calls us to action in some way or another.  

Lead us,

O Lord,

to do

your will

in your way.

Give us

marching orders

to fulfill

that will.

Lead us

in faith,

hope and love,

I pray.

Love, Andrea