September 29 - Faith in God

SCRIPTURE
- 2 Samuel 22:5

"The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me…In my distress I called to the Lord…From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears."

REFLECTION
- Peggy

MUSIC
- "Mother of God, Here I Stand" by VOCES8

- "Crystal Sky" by Ola Gjeilo

NOTES
-

PRAYER OF LETTING GO
To You do I belong, O God,
 into Your hands I surrender my life.
 Pour out Your Spirit upon me
 that I may love You perfectly,
 and serve You faithfully
 until my soul rests in You.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Blessings of peace be with you, and welcome to this sacred time of prayer and slowing down. Today is the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. They are, well, our spiritual companions in this journey of faith. The angel Michael is the great defender and warrior invoked for protection against the evil one. Saint Gabriel is the divine messenger, whose name means literally, God is my strength. And finally, the angel Raphael, the divine healer and guide, leading us safely along our path. Such great advocates to call upon today as we begin our prayer. Thank you for joining us. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Blessed be the name of God, both now and forever.

SPEAKER_03 1:52

Protection based on Psalm 34. We have ancestors who have passed through the journey of time and had become angels who stand by our sides to guide and protect us. As we find our way in our journey, we feel their presence and listen to their warnings.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Now we have the blessings of children to guide and to raise, and the message is even more powerful. When fear confronts us with hopelessness and despair, stand tall and be humbled by the Spirit.

SPEAKER_03 2:41

To know God is to know that we are always protected, that our prayers are heard, and that He stands by our side in our journey.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

Along with our loved ones who have gone before, who even now continue to walk beside us as angels. Let us glorify the Lord. Let us exalt his name together. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

The waves of death swirled around me. The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. In my distress, I called to the Lord. From his temple, he heard my voice. My cry came to his ears. The word of the Lord. I was at a funeral recently of a gentleman who passed away somewhat suddenly. I didn't know him personally. But I gathered from the eulogies he was a loving father, a devoted spouse, and a dedicated employee working in the medical field for more than 40 years. While the celebrant shared some very encouraging words during his homily. It was the eulogy of this man's oldest son that spoke to my heart. He began by saying, While I know that God will get us through, I just want to say to everyone here today that this really sucks. And then the young man apologized to his mom for his word choice. It wasn't polished, it wasn't eloquent, perhaps not even appropriate for church. But it was so brutally honest. I couldn't help but admire the guy. In that moment, I felt all of his pain. I could relate. This was more than just a bad day. This was an experience of the waves of death, the torrents of destruction that are spoken about in today's scripture. I've shared a similar experience. I felt that way before. And I'm sure many of you have also felt that at one time or another in your life. There are moments when life is simply very, very hard. I believe God welcomes our honesty in those types of situations. Even if our word choice isn't perfect. He who certainly knew us before we were born, he also knows our truest feelings before the words are even out of our mouth. To be free to say it like it is, even to God, that's the sign of an open and honest relationship. God can withstand our anger. He accompanies us in our sorrow. God hears our prayers, our cries for help. God comes to our aid. How can I be so sure? Well, I look back and I reflect on times in my life when I have felt that despair. When I have experienced some trials, and I can sense some hint of something good that came as a direct result of having had that experience. Goodness comes from God. God is good. Every moment of my life, the hills and the valleys, they've helped to shape the person that I am today. And I wouldn't be who I am without all of it. And so I'm thankful for all of it. Even the parts that were not particularly enjoyable to experience in the moment. To be able to recognize goodness and growth as an outcome of trials is itself an answer to my prayer. Today's scripture, it's a reminder of the need to trust in God's sovereignty and to seek refuge in Him during times of distress. There's also subtle assurance that God hears us when we call out in our despair. We need to rely on God in the face of life's trials and tribulations and to seek refuge in his unwavering protection. Have faith in the redemptive nature of God's saving grace. He will not abandon us.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Let us pray. Loving Father, in every storm and every trial, keep our hearts steady in your care. When fear rises, remind us of your nearness. When the road feels heavy, carry us in your strength. Dispatch your angels to shelter us and guide us along the way, that we may never lose trust in your unfailing protection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Together to you do I belong, O God. Into your hands I surrender my life. Pour out your spirit upon me, that I may love you perfectly and serve you faithfully until my soul rests in you. Our focus this week is living righteously, as we talked about on Sunday scripture. And one of the greatest righteous acts we can do is put others before ourselves. And that's our homework this week. So I hope you're joining us to figuring out how you can do that somehow. An act of charity and kindness that will put a smile on someone's face. Together with the protection of our angels to guide us along that way. And may God bless you now as you go forth in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thanks for joining us. Have a beautiful day. We'll see you tomorrow.