Devotional Messages

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

Psalm 36:7 – How precious is your steadfast love, O God!  All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. (NRSV)

Have you ever had a moment when you named for yourself that you needed to take refuge?  These days, we’re more likely to call that “self-care” or a “mental health day,” and we’re more likely to talk about needing it than to actually make it happen.  As a congregation, we’ve been going through a rough patch, with the deaths of multiple loved ones and illness spoiling a lot of our holiday plans.  A new year has come, and the future just looks uncertain.

What would it look like to take refuge under the shadow of God’s wings in a moment like this?  Our scriptures make clear that we are invited to do so, whenever we need to.  What would it feel like to be held safe and warm under the wings of God?  How long would you need to cry to release the grief you’ve been carrying and express the relief of just being held by love?

It's difficult to evoke this aspect of our relationship with God in corporate worship on a Sunday morning, because most of us aren’t prepared to be that vulnerable in front of other people.  One of our gathering hymns asks, “Is there here a weeping Mary, pouring forth a flood of tears?”  And we’re gracious if she shows up, but we don’t really want to be that Mary ourselves.

But what if part of our calling as church is to continually work at strengthening and deepening our relationships to the point that we are okay with weeping in front of one another?  What if that is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that makes true community such a blessing?  Can we be church for one another so lovingly that we do feel held in the loving arms of God when we’re here?