July 8, 2017 - Church at Worship

I have heard people share countless times over the years how when they were going through a difficult time, they went to the Psalms to find comfort. I doubt that any of them were talking about today’s text, Psalms 88. This Old Testament chapter is one of those Bible texts that you can feel justified in wondering why it is there at all. In fact, if you were conversing with friends who shared the same hopelessness as that found in today’s psalm, you would have extreme concern about their well-being. With that in mind, it seems only fair to ask, how could someone, who put in writing something so void of hope, really have anything helpful to share? The message this communion Sabbath will be a brief examination of this text and how it might reflect similar feelings that our Savior felt just before His crucifixion. Now, I do not suspect we are going to discover some twist to this that will cause us to start “dancing in the streets” like King David, but I do think there is something profoundly meaningful to discover. Anyone who has or is going through a time where it seems as if God is not listening Psalm 88 can be very relevant. In fact, we all might be surprised that this text, apparently void of hope, becomes a catalyst for a richer life experience as we daily explore what it means to be disciples of Christ. Stew Harty Pastor for media ministry