America and the entire world is worn out from so many problems: continuing pandemic issues, political upheavals, war, economic problems, growth in acts of violence, storms of all kinds have become plagues upon the land. We crave hope and redemption from the negativity of the world. For the Christian, most of us keep putting our oars into the water to keep our boats moving through treacherous shoals and dangerous white water. We keep praying, trying not to lose hope, and placing our faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
What have you been doing to keep moving forward, despite the pain the world is feeling? Most of us are still dealing with the pandemic and its consequences. The struggles and fractures of our society have been made worse by consequences out of our control. Through it all, we must remember, with strong prayerful hearts, that our struggles make us better and stronger. With careful choices and decisions, we can move to a brighter future. We must embrace our identities as children of God, remembering that God is for us, not against us. Your tiny spark of joyful faith may ignite the flaming fires of countless other struggling peoples and cause them to rise up in hope.
We need to ask God to come into our tired lives and help turn our fatigued world upside down. For me, after two years of COVID, I know what I missed the most about my Sunday church service. I missed taking communion because it was in sharing the bread and wine with other Christians that I was filled with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Good can come from all of the pain we have endured, from the craziness of the world, and from those who seek only malice toward others, not love. The answer for us is the giver of life, Jesus Christ. Every time we take communion, we are graced by the sacrifice and the Resurrection of God’s Son.
As I watched the on-line service today, I was reminded of the words from the gospel hymn, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” by Thomas A. Dorsey.
Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.
(Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Augsburg Fortress, 2006, #773)
My prayer is that we all will keep putting our oars into these troubled waters we call 2022 and that hope will still spring eternal in the hearts of every man.
Anna Hartt
