I think it could be easy to see this psalm as an answer to whatever problems I’m experiencing. Just pray harder or be a better Christian. God will rescue the perishing.
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After 400 years in Egypt the Hebrew people had lost their identity and they had forgotten WHO their God was.
When Suzy and I were at Bentonville FUMC, we celebrated communion every Sunday in all services. I always admired this church for their dedication to following John Wesley’s guidance: to partake in communion as often as possible.
We are in vulnerable, but faithful, territory here – with the deep willingness of this psalmist to recognize with the ancient Hebrew community – whether in exile or safely in one’s own land – life remains patterned after Love’s creatively unpredictable, yet delightful, design.
The story of Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers is a heart-wrenching tale of jealousy, greed, and deception. Judah persuades his brothers to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites rather than kill him.
In this passage, we witness the deep-seated envy and malice that Joseph’s brothers harbor towards him.
Families can be messy and complex, filled with love, jealousy, misunderstanding, and forgiveness.
I love the Exodus story! The sacrifice always involves blood, and in this case, the blood on the doorposts symbolized God’s divine protection over God’s people.
A fresh start does not have to begin on January 1st. We do not need to wait for a new year to make resolutions or to embrace the new while letting go of the old.