2024 - 02 - 25 Anger Management By The Rev Anders Edstrom.WAV

Today is the 2nd Sunday in the season of Lent. Here at Greenfield Presbyterian Church in Berkley, MI the scripture readings for this season are from the book of Lamentations. Today’s scripture lesson is Lamentations 2:13-22 13 What can I testify about you, Daughter Jerusalem? To what could I compare you? With what could I equate you? How can I comfort you, young woman Daughter Zion? Your hurt is as vast as the sea. Who can heal you? 14 Your prophets gave you worthless and empty visions. They didn’t reveal your sin so as to prevent your captivity. Instead, they showed you worthless and incorrect prophecies. 15 All who pass by on the road clap their hands about you; they whistle, shaking their heads at Daughter Jerusalem: “Could this be the city called Perfect Beauty, the Joy of All the Earth?” 16 All your enemies open wide their mouths against you; they whistle, grinding their teeth. They say, “We have devoured! This is definitely the day we’ve been waiting for. We’ve seen it come to pass.” 17 The Lord did what he had planned. He accomplished the word that he had commanded long ago. He ripped down, showing no compassion. He made the enemy rejoice over you; he raised up your adversaries’ horn. 18 Cry out to my Lord from the heart, you wall of Daughter Zion; make your tears run down like a flood all day and night. Don’t relax at all; don’t rest your eyes a moment. 19 Get up and cry out at nighttime, at the start of the night shift; pour out your heart before my Lord like water. Lift your hands up to him for the life of your children— the ones who are fainting from hunger on every street corner. 20 Lord, look and see to whom you have done this! Should women eat their own offspring, their own beautiful babies? Should priest and prophet be killed in my Lord’s own sanctuary? 21 Young and old alike lie on the ground in the streets; my young women and young men fall dead by the sword. On the day of your anger, you killed; you slaughtered, showing no compassion. 22 You invited—as if to a festival!—terrors from every side. On the day of the Lord’s anger, no one escaped, not one survived. The children that I nurtured, that I raised myself, my enemy finished them off.