The Psalms were written by David as poems that the Jewish people turned into worship songs. They encourage us to bring our full selves before God and to trust that He will be our strength in good times or in bad. This is not something we can do on our own, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, all things are possible.  

It’s hard enough when one gets ghosted by a friend who doesn’t respond right away to our text messages. But what do we do when we get ghosted by God? It is easy to feel abandoned. Forgotten. Left alone. Psalm 22 speaks to this holy silence and suggests that God has HIs purposes for not responding right away to our cries for help.  

Psalm 23 is more than just ancient poetry. These are living words which serve a personal proclamation of faith about Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd. Jesus is the One who guides, protects, provides, and gently leads us home when we stray. These are words of comfort, green pastures to feed off of and quiet waters to restore our souls.    

Psalm 100 is battle cry reminder for God’s people to worship the Lord always with glad and sincere hearts. This is true in all seasons of life, through all generations, and by all people worldwide. It was a psalm that was used as worshipers arrived in Jerusalem for worship to prepare their hearts for worship. And it is one that can remind us to adopt a worshipful heart set ourselves as we approach each and every day.  

Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan is probably one of the most important teachings for our day, particular in a culture that is so polarized around politics.  For it calls us to consider the humanity of those who are different from us.  Truly if we took time to look beyond the issues of politics that often divide us into us versus them camps, we actually find that we have more in common than we do in difference.  Even still, Jesus calls us t

Many in the Church are skeptical of contemplative prayer, thinking that it is too New Agey or mystical in its approach. But Jesus and faithful people throughout the ages have embraced contemplative prayer as a way to achieve deep communion with God. As we continue our series on prayer, we turn our attentions to this very ancient and biblical form of prayer.  

Probably one of the hardest and most incomprehensible things is when Jesus tells in one place to ask what we will of God and then God goes silent…prayers remain unanswered. It is easy for us to question God’s love and care. The important thing is to not confuse God’s silence for God’s absence. God may just be up to something that we have no idea at the moment. Still, there are many things we can learn.  

Prayer is multifaceted. Jesus invites us to pray for ourselves and for others. The first is what we know as petitionary prayer. The second is the intercessory prayer. No matter what the concern or issue, Jesus invites us to come right before the throne of God believing that God hears our prayers and will answer them in His time and in His way.  

This week we celebrated Memorial Day when we remembered those U.S. service members who have selflessly sacrificed their lives for our American Freedom. It’s a cost that we don’t take lightly when those freedoms today seem threatened on a daily basis in our country. In my absence this week, guest preacher and retired Navy chaplain, Rev. Phil King reminded us of the self-sacrificing love first modeled by Jesus Christ. As Christ followers, we each are called to

The Shorter Westminster Catechism asks, “What is our chief end?” The answer is “To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever!” Adoration is the means by which we praise God. But what does that mean exactly and who, how, when, where, why should we praise God? That is the aspect of prayer that we attend to next.