FROM THE PASTOR
Little Laments
Below are the reflections and questions to guide our meditation on the laments of our lives and our opportunity to be present with others to enable their stories of lament. The reading will be Psalm 42. The psalm begins with a familiar verse: “As the deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.” This longing for God’s presence is picked up in ELW Hymn 331: “As the deer runs to the river, parched and weary from the chase, we have come from hurt and hurry, thirsting for your healing grace.”
Reflection
This week we turn to so-called little laments, those things we grieve that, in the grand scheme of life, may feel small but still hurt. The truth about these supposedly little laments is that when they start to add up, they are no longer quite so little. Grief can be cumulative. One disappointment over the course of the year may well be within our ability to cope. Many disappointments, one right after another, may stretch our limits. It is also good to consider that the little things give us an opportunity to learn how to embrace and work through our grief and disappointment. When we offer our little griefs to the God of the universe, we discover that God has space even for non-earth-shattering hurts. As we sense God’s compassion in those moments, it prepares us to turn over the big laments as well, when those come along.
Questions for Reflection
What kinds of small disappointments have you experienced? How have you moved through the accompanying sadness that goes along with those disappointments?
This coming Sunday, Lent 3, will be my final Sunday with you. It has been an honor to serve you in the Gospel. Janet and I thank God for you and know that your future in mission is bright as you welcome Pastor Kyle among you.
This coming Sunday, Lent 3, will be my final Sunday with you. It has been an honor to serve you in the Gospel. Janet and I thank God for you and know that your future in mission is bright as you welcome Pastor Kyle among you.
Pastor Stephen P. Bopuman
