Streams of Mercy
Growing up in my home church, we sat in the same pew from year to year – Daddy, Grandmother, my brother and me. (Mama was in the choir!) The family in the pew behind us also held parents and a brother and sister, with grandparents filling the pew behind them. It was good to know that they would always be right behind us each Sunday, and they always were!
That brother in the pew behind us became a marvelous teacher, and a dedicated administrator and Superintendent of Schools. For many years now he has served as church organist, and he is a gifted composer as well. He also prepares the weekly church newsletter, and this week, shared a special Psalm, giving voice to concerns arising from the struggles we face in these uncertain days, and with his blessing, it is shared with all of us.
A PSALM IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS
Inspired in part by Psalm 31
“In you, O Lord, I put my trust,
To you I commit my life for safekeeping.
For you will be a safe haven for me in time of trouble;
You will be my rock and strong fortress.
You will not allow fear to trap me in its net,
You will soothe my anxious soul.
Like a mother who cares for her child, you will enfold me with your love;
Like a shepherd for tends his flock, you will guide me on a safe path.
When I shelter in place to be healthy at home, you are there.
When I venture out in a mask social distancing, you walk beside me.
When I panic in a crowded place, you calm me.
When I question why all these precautions are necessary, you reassure me.
Your faithful love never fails.
Flowers bloom and fade,
Even rocks crumble into dust,
But your love is always fresh like the dawn of a new morning.
Your love has no depths, heights, or bounds:
You show me the wonders of your love in the midst of the pandemic
The beauties of your creation surround me,
I lift my eyes to the mountains dressed for spring
And I offer up my prayer of thanksgiving.
Be strong, People of God; let your hearts be unafraid,
Wait for the Lord.”
In scripture, the psalms give voice to our hopes and fears, our anger and grief, our faith and God’s faithfulness – they are words of the heart. Often in life, when we can find no words to cry out to God, in reading from the book of Psalms, we find our voice. This “Psalm in the Time of Coronavirus” gives us words to speak our heart to God about these uncertain days through which we’re passing.
I give thanks for the opportunity to reconnect with a dear friend who has blessed me again and again on life’s journey, and for his honest words of faith and faithfulness; and for those streams of mercy, never ceasing, carrying us through this life into all that is to come.
Elizabeth