Since this is Palm Sunday, the message was centered particularly around the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. I can't wait now to read through this chapter again and re-absorb the message.
A few parts of the pastor's message and the entire service that struck me so deeply were these:
- The song today was "Deep Cries Out". It's one I'd never heard of before and I wasn't crazy about the music, but part of the the lyrics, wow: "Deep cries out to deep". That described my own entire existence. How we can get to such bottomless despair, loneliness, and heartache that all we can do is cry out to God. Maybe that's just my take on the verse out of Psalm, but I felt like it was speaking right to my heart.
- When Jesus's first arrival as Messiah had been foretold again and again, so many people didn't want to believe. His next coming has been foretold and, still, same situation.
- The pastor and some other people from church visited some children yesterday in preparation for April 5th (Easter). Some of the non-church people were surprised that the "church" people were so normal and nice. Pastor pointed out that so many folks only view of/idea of Christians comes from what they see/read/hear via mainstream media. How true that is! Just like with any other section of society grouped in a certain way (by race, gender, personal choices), Christians have the problem of being profiled as mean, un-loving, self-righteous, etc. And, just like with those other groups of people, those negative things are true. Of some of us, not all. So, pastor encouraged us to interact more outside of our comfort zones. (I know that we can be in and interact with "the world" without becoming wordly.)
So, yeah, I got a lot of good from being in church today. Of course, I always leave feeling better than when I go in.
I hope that you all feel as lifted as I do.
Peace
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