Praying in the Dark

Praying in the Dark – Today we begin our summer series of scriptures from the Psalms, this one from part of Psalm 143. Delivering the sermon today is Dr. Tammy Lewis Wilborn, our pastoral intern in Congregational Care. She points out that the psalmist is crying out in deep despair with a tired, troubled soul and a plea to God not to turn away or the psalmist will die. In some ways this is indicative of a need for suicide assessment of the one crying out. But this psalm is also penitent, confessing that the psalmist has hurt a lot of people but knowing that God still loves the psalmist. Dr. Wilborn points out three possible factors that can send us to this deep despair: (1) choices we make and conditions we are enduring (like illness, loss), (2) interpersonal relationships that are crashing, and (3) institutions, much as the world we may find ourselves in currently. Dark times call for desperate measures, and prayer is an SOS in such times. This psalm teaches us that we can always go to God in prayer, that prayer can be open and honest, and that through prayer we can commit to follow the light of Christ as our GPS, bearing no hate for anyone.