We will never forget--9/11 nor Charlie Kirk (RIP)!
Sarah Prayer Update Below
Good Morning. . Yes we will not forget and we will continue to pray for those who lost loved ones and for this nation and for God's Kingdom to come and will be done. Amen!
I never heard of Charlie Kirk, but many have including Pastor Mike who was hurt by this lose. He was martyred for His faith and for being vocal on college campuses about His love of Jesus and the better Jesus' way in life to love neighbors and reason together about faith. And the nation mourns and is reeling again. Come Comforter! Bring Your peace and justice. Amen!
engage with our devotionals below and sit at Jesus' feet a bit as we remember, lament and receive comfort and help in this time of trouble. May God bring His shalom over you and yours . Be still and know that He is God! Amen!
ODB:
Lamenting to God
See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed. Lamentations 1:20
I viewed the opening displays of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City with curiosity but kept my emotions in check. That changed when we entered the inner exhibit, which the curators have wisely closed off from children and those wanting to shield themselves from the more heartrending images. As I encountered story after story of heartbreak and loss, waves of lament rose within me.
When we witness or remember such destruction and pain, we can join the cries of those who have voiced their distress to God. This includes the words of anguish found in Lamentations, which many scholars believe the prophet Jeremiah wrote after the destruction of Jerusalem. In the tightly formed structure of this poem, he releases his sorrow and grief over the pain of God’s people: “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed” (Lamentations 1:20). And yet he looks to God as the ultimate judge, knowing that only He can deal with the sins and destruction: “Let all their wickedness come before you” (v. 22).
This kind of honest crying out to God can help us to grapple with painful atrocities such as what happened on , 2001, or other current-day evil deeds. We look to God for help, hope, comfort, and justice.
By Amy Boucher Pye
REFLECT & PRAY
When you witness wickedness, how do you keep your heart tender before God? How might He lead you to pray for those who are hurting ?
God of truth and love, I know that Your heart breaks over the pain in the world. Please envelop me in Your grace and mercy and heal my wounds.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
When we think of lament in the Bible, Jeremiah—known as the weeping prophet—comes to mind (see Jeremiah 9:1). However, he’s not the sole exemplar of lament in the Scriptures. Other examples are Job, David, and Jesus.
In Lamentations 1:20-22, the prophet Jeremiah expresses the rawness and weightiness of lament even in the choice of his words. It’s the consequence of something so powerful or heartbreaking—where something of value has been lost—that it prompts uncommon expression. Jeremiah exclaims, “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed” (v. 20). The situation was such that it generated “groaning” (v. 21). Lament is the appropriate language of those who have personally come to grips with their pain and the conditions that caused it. As we grapple with pain, God invites us to express our honest, prayerful, and worshipful lament to Him.
Visit GO.ODB.org/091125 to learn how lament can help us praise God in the midst of loss.
Arthur Jackson
UR: The Great Healer
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
In 2011 as the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approached, I accepted my church’s invitation to share my testimony. My husband and I had witnessed the attack from our apartment nearby. We were evacuated and couldn’t go home for weeks following the collapse of the Twin Towers. Worst of all, a dear friend hadn’t made it out of the North Tower. I struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the aftermath. But with God’s help, the experience had redirected my life. I believed my testimony could point people to Christ.
Painful memories, mood swings, and changes in behavior can occur around each anniversary of a traumatic event. The closer we got to the anniversary, the more my anxiety overwhelmed me. I cried constantly, slept much longer than usual, and felt I was living in a dark cloud. I managed to give my testimony, but instead of rejoining the congregation for the rest of the service, I raced out the door and sobbed softly for the half-hour subway ride home.
Paul wrote about his trauma, and Christians know the suffering Christ went through on the cross for our sins. As Christians, we recognize that suffering can lead us to the power of the Resurrection. We know the great Healer cares more about our pain than even we do. In times of adversity, we can lean on the promises of Christ.
's Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for holding us close in times of suffering. Comfort us, and give us the assurance of your strength. Amen.
TWFYT:
Harvest Prayer Starters:
Prayer Points
Praise God as the one who holds out his arms to the world in welcoming love and invitation.
Thank God for having intervened in your life to bring you to a growing knowledge of his love for you.
Confess your sins of this past week, trusting in the power of Jesus’ blood to reconcile you with God.
Commit yourself to becoming more aware of God’s outreaching love toward your neighbors and friends.
Ask him to make you a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-21).
Pray for reconciliation among foreign missionaries and local ministries where leaders are at odds with each other. Ask God to unify them with a single-minded vision for his kingdom.
Sarah Update:
Good evening, family.....
Thank you so much for your powerful prayers over the past couple of days. Here are a couple of updates as Pastor
Don was able to visit with these folks :
Yvonne and Chris Muik - Yvonne had tripped and broke her femur.....they did surgery to repair her leg, and she is
in good spirits, some pain, but is doing good. She will be going to rehab shortly, and will be there a couple months.
Also Chris will possibly be needing some medical attention to his foot in the very near future.
Rosa Cruz who had a couple heart surgeries, is in good spirits and doing good. She is walking and moving around. It
will take a bit for rehab but she is doing well!
Diane Huber-Schwenk is possibly going to be discharged in the next day or so. She continues with her treatments and
following the advice of her medical team. Continue to pray for wisdom for the team and the family.
I spoke with Sandy Ritter who had a recent fall, is healing. Her wrist/arm is mending and doing better. She is hoping to be able
to attend worship, in person on .
I also was able to speak with Harry Waterman and he shared that while he is getting better, he still is lacking 'pep' but doing better,
and able do a few chores.
Millidine still has her cold but is getting over it. Her knee pain is the most bothersome. She has a doctor appointment next week to
see what can be done.
**
Each of these families wish to say a huge thank you for all your prayers for the past several days. They have been felt
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