For Such A Time as This July 7, 2020 – Dennis Lohr

-

To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,

New Devotion Schedule

Beginning today our devotion schedule will be on Tuesdays and Thursday.  Additionally, we will continue to send our Weekly Updates on Saturdays and the email on Sunday mornings with our virtual worship link.

Joys and Concerns

If you have a joy or concern you would like us to share and pray about, please call, text or email it to me.  If you would like it included in our Sunday Worship sharing and prayer time, please share it with me that week by Friday morning.

Thank You: 

To all who call others to check in on them and share our emails and devotions.

Today’s Devotion:

I have written today’s devotion. I hope you find it encouraging.      

Shalom, Dennis

Scripture – Luke 21b (NRSV)

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Thoughts

I love this promise! 

It appears in Luke’s collection of Jesus’ sayings, often called the “Sermon on the Plain.”  It is similar to Matthew’s collection of Jesus’ sayings, more commonly known as the “Sermon on the Mount.”  Luke’s version is shorter, and apparently delivered on flat ground.  Matthew has “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”  But Luke has “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”  Luke’s version goes beyond comfort to joy.  His words remind us of Ecclesiastes’ proclamation, “There is a time to weep and a time to laugh,” giving each its own time.  But Luke’s version suggests a transformation from tears to laughter.

Weeping, mourning, sadness, the blues, depression, feeling down – these and other words describe feelings we all have from time to time.  Perhaps more so lately than at other times.  Fear, isolation, restrictions, and worry are all common now.  The news overwhelms us with difficult situations, strong emotions, anger, violence, uncivil discourse, and horrific acts of injustice.  These words are answers to my first question: Where are we at?  I remember someone telling me once, “Of course I’m depressed!  Any sane person would be!”

It’s hard to imagine laughing about most of this stuff.  But that is not the promise.  The promise is not that we will ever laugh about terrible things, but that our weeping will be transformed into laughter.  To get there we have to imagine a different outcome, a different future, a different world.  It’s my second question: Where do we want to be?  What would we like the world to look like?  Then, we set to work on the third question:  How do we get from here to there?  Now, imagine getting there.  That will be a time to celebrate, to enjoy, and to laugh… together!

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh!  It is a promise!

Prayer

Gracious God, join us in our tears.  Lead us into joy and laughter! Amen. 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

For Such A Time as This – October 20, 2020 – Ferne Steckman

-
To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,   Click here for this past Sunday’s worship service video: https://bit.ly/34hEpM5   Joys and Concerns If you have a joy or concern you would like us to share and pray about, please call, text, or email it to me.  If you would like it included in our Sunday Worship sharing and prayer time, please share it with me that week by Friday morning.    Concern Prayers for Jeanine Houff for a health concern. Thank You: To all who call others to check in on them and to share our emails and devotions.   Today’s Devotion: I am thankful to Ferne Steckman for providing today’s devotion.  If you wish to respond to Ferne directly, her email address is missgreenplant@yahoo.com .     Shalom, Dennis   Scripture – Genesis 1:31a God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.   Thoughts I have always loved the song “What A Wonderful World.” When my friend Peter sent me a video ...
Read more

"For Such A Time As This” - PCOB Announcement And Devotion For 3/23/2020

-
To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,   We have been getting positive feedback on yesterday’s worship video.  We know it is not a slick production, but that doesn’t seem to matter.  People are commenting on the importance of being connected, on the willingness of those involved to share their gifts, on the messages of encouragement and faith that were shared, and even on how reassuring it was to see the familiar space of the sanctuary and remember/imagine one another gathered in worship.  We have also received words of gratitude from people who saw it because some you shared it on your Facebook pages.  We are already working on next Sunday’s service.  May God’s spirit inhabit all that we do.   Today we received an urgent appeal from Londonderry Village for both unused and homemade facemasks.  I will be sending a separate email, with instructions, regarding that request.  News sources suggest that we will see a huge increase ...
Read more

For Such A Time as This – October 8, 2020 – Dennis Lohr

-
To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,   Joys and Concerns If you have a joy or concern you would like us to share and pray about, please call, text, or email it to me.  If you would like it included in our Sunday Worship sharing and prayer time, please share it with me that week by Friday morning.    Thank You: To all who call others to check in on them and to share our emails and devotions.   Today’s Devotion: I have written today’s devotion.  I hope it encourages you.   Shalom, Dennis   Scripture – Romans 8:18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.   Thoughts I think Paul is speaking eschatologically here, that is, regarding end times.  But I choose this verse because it contrasts whatever our current struggles are with a sure hope that the future is filled with promise.  Richard Gula, in his book “To Walk Together Again,” writes, “Th...
Read more