Although we have been traveling through the Acts of the Apostles, this morning we’ll take a short detour with one of the appointed Psalms. The Psalmist knows human emotions and is not afraid to tell God exactly what he is thinking, even when he is depressed. In Psalm 89, the Psalmist prays:
O Lord, God of my salvation,
when, at night, I cry out in your presence,
let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles,
and my life draws near to Sheol.
I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;
I am like those who have no help,
like those forsaken among the dead,
like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
for they are cut off from your hand.
You have put me in the depths of the Pit,
in the regions dark and deep.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
and you overwhelm me with all your waves.
You have caused my companions to shun me;
you have made me a thing of horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call on you, O Lord;
I spread out my hands to you.
Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the shades rise up to praise you?
Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Are your wonders known in the darkness,
or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness?
But I, O Lord, cry out to you;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
O Lord, why do you cast me off?
Why do you hide your face from me?
Wretched and close to death from my youth up,
I suffer your terrors; I am desperate.
Your wrath has swept over me;
your dread assaults destroy me.
They surround me like a flood all day long;
from all sides they close in on me.
You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me;
my companions are in darkness.
Here in the depths of despair, the Psalmist cries out to God, but he feels that God does not hear his prayer. That feeling is not a foreign one. There have been times when each of us has felt what the Psalmist did. Our souls are filled with troubles and help seems so far away; we feel we are alone. Such feelings are a normal part of life and our spiritual journey. Moreover, it is “ok” to tell God exactly how we feel, even if we are angry, afraid, depressed, tired, alone or just feeling sorry for ourselves. That is part of our prayer life. We put ourselves in God’s presence, as the old hymn says, “just as we are.”
Let us pray: Lord God, like the Psalmist, sometimes we are feel angry, alone, tired and afraid, and we cry out to You but feel that You do not hear the cries of our hearts. Deep down, we know that You are there and especially through Your Son, Jesus Christ, who was fully human like us, but also fully God. As God, You understand our humanity because You share it with us in Jesus. Thank you for the gift of the Incarnation, and thank you for taking us just as we are. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS:
25 September, Celebration at St. Vincent’s House at 10 a.m. with Houston’s Heroes and then at 11:00 a.m. health walk with refreshments after.
25 September, the Opening of the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”. The opening reception will be at 6 p.m.
26 September at 9 a.m. at St. Augustine’s Eucharist Rite II celebrating St. Vincent’s House. Given these hard economic times, people are more and more in need of help at St. Vincent’s. For Sunday’s service, please bring food items to help stock the food pantry at St. Vincent’s House.
2 October 2010, the St. Augustine Fish Fry! It’s back, and it will be done in conjunction with the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. Tickets are $7 per plate. Please contact Melva Pope for tickets.
9 October 2010 at 10:00 a.m.: The Blessing of the Animals on the Church lawn. Bring your dogs, cats, pets of all kind to be blessed.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially those serving in the Armed Forces at home or abroad, the chronically ill, people undergoing special medical concerns, those who care for the elderly, those who are traveling, and those who have no one to pray for them.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
O Lord, God of my salvation,
when, at night, I cry out in your presence,
let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles,
and my life draws near to Sheol.
I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;
I am like those who have no help,
like those forsaken among the dead,
like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
for they are cut off from your hand.
You have put me in the depths of the Pit,
in the regions dark and deep.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
and you overwhelm me with all your waves.
You have caused my companions to shun me;
you have made me a thing of horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call on you, O Lord;
I spread out my hands to you.
Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the shades rise up to praise you?
Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Are your wonders known in the darkness,
or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness?
But I, O Lord, cry out to you;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
O Lord, why do you cast me off?
Why do you hide your face from me?
Wretched and close to death from my youth up,
I suffer your terrors; I am desperate.
Your wrath has swept over me;
your dread assaults destroy me.
They surround me like a flood all day long;
from all sides they close in on me.
You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me;
my companions are in darkness.
Here in the depths of despair, the Psalmist cries out to God, but he feels that God does not hear his prayer. That feeling is not a foreign one. There have been times when each of us has felt what the Psalmist did. Our souls are filled with troubles and help seems so far away; we feel we are alone. Such feelings are a normal part of life and our spiritual journey. Moreover, it is “ok” to tell God exactly how we feel, even if we are angry, afraid, depressed, tired, alone or just feeling sorry for ourselves. That is part of our prayer life. We put ourselves in God’s presence, as the old hymn says, “just as we are.”
Let us pray: Lord God, like the Psalmist, sometimes we are feel angry, alone, tired and afraid, and we cry out to You but feel that You do not hear the cries of our hearts. Deep down, we know that You are there and especially through Your Son, Jesus Christ, who was fully human like us, but also fully God. As God, You understand our humanity because You share it with us in Jesus. Thank you for the gift of the Incarnation, and thank you for taking us just as we are. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS:
25 September, Celebration at St. Vincent’s House at 10 a.m. with Houston’s Heroes and then at 11:00 a.m. health walk with refreshments after.
25 September, the Opening of the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. This year’s theme is “Spirit”. The opening reception will be at 6 p.m.
26 September at 9 a.m. at St. Augustine’s Eucharist Rite II celebrating St. Vincent’s House. Given these hard economic times, people are more and more in need of help at St. Vincent’s. For Sunday’s service, please bring food items to help stock the food pantry at St. Vincent’s House.
2 October 2010, the St. Augustine Fish Fry! It’s back, and it will be done in conjunction with the Second Annual St. Augustine Art Show. Tickets are $7 per plate. Please contact Melva Pope for tickets.
9 October 2010 at 10:00 a.m.: The Blessing of the Animals on the Church lawn. Bring your dogs, cats, pets of all kind to be blessed.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially those serving in the Armed Forces at home or abroad, the chronically ill, people undergoing special medical concerns, those who care for the elderly, those who are traveling, and those who have no one to pray for them.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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