2024 - 03 - 03 The Elephant In The Room By The Rev Anders Edstrom.WAV

Today is the 3rd 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 3:1-3,22-33, 55-57 Lamentations 3:1-3 An individual’s complaint 3 I am someone who saw the suffering caused by God’s angry rod. 2 He drove me away, forced me to walk in darkness, not light. 3 He turned his hand even against me, over and over again, all day long. Lamentations 3:22-33 22 Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! 23 They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness. 24 I think: The Lord is my portion! Therefore, I’ll wait for him. 25 The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to the person who seeks him. 26 It’s good to wait in silence for the Lord’s deliverance. 27 It’s good for a man to carry a yoke in his youth. 28 He should sit alone and be silent when God lays it on him. 29 He should put his mouth in the dirt—perhaps there is hope. 30 He should offer his cheek for a blow; he should be filled with shame. 31 My Lord definitely won’t reject forever. 32 Although he has caused grief, he will show compassion in measure with his covenant loyalty. 33 He definitely doesn’t enjoy affliction, making humans suffer. Lamentations 3:55-57 55 I call on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit. 56 Hear my voice. Don’t close your ear to my need for relief, to my cry for help. 57 Come near to me on the day I call to you. Say to me, “Don’t be afraid.”