Lectionary Readings for June 27, 2021
Reading One: Lamentations 3:22-33 (NRSV)
Song: Mercies (lyrics here)
Reflection
This passage from Lamentations 3 contains a description of the mercies are God that is well-known to many people: “his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” One reason those words are so beloved is that were set to a popular praise song by Edith McNeil over 50 years ago, which quickly became one of the most popular worship choruses in the world. With today’s song, British worship leader Matt Redman has revisited that well-loved chorus with new verses that provide additional space for praise and reflection on the mercies of God.
Like praise songs, familiar passages of Scripture can sometimes become a little too familiar, and we can lose sight of their power and promise if we’re not careful. But the promise that God’s mercies never end, and that they are available to us each day with new presence and power for our lives is one we dare not treat lightly. These words from Lamentations are worth meditating on and asking the Lord to remind us in new ways of their meaning for us as his children.
As you sit with these words, consider whether you have ever been tempted to think you are beyond the mercy of God, that you have somehow disappointed him too many times and that he has just given up on you. How will you allow the promises of Lamentations 3:22-24 to become even more rooted in your soul, protecting you from those lies and reminding you of the greatest of God’s steadfast love for you? Borrowing words from today’s song, how will you let “his mercies rise in your heart again?”
Reading Two: Psalm 30 (NRSV)
Song: The Silence of God (lyrics here)
Reflection
The subtitle of Psalm 30 is “Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness.” In it, the psalmist sings both of despair that is both physical and spiritual: as he struggles with illness, he finds his soul is struggling as well. When his despair reaches its most intense moment, he feels as though God has hidden his face.
When the circumstance of our life hit their lowest point, that sense that God has hidden his face can seem so very, very real. The silence of God is a mystery that we all encounter at some point in our faith journey, and often we find that even when the dawn comes and our song of praise returns, we never do receive an explanation for that season of silence. What we do find is that is has shaped us, and that God is able to use it as we step into the future with continued trust that even when he is silent, he is with us.
In our Lenten song reflections this past year, we shared a quote from Oswald Chambers that continues to speak in powerful ways. It is worth revisiting, as is the song “The Silence of God” by Michael Card. For your reflection on Psalm 30, sit prayerfully with this quote and ask God to work in your heart in such as way that his silence can become a season of expectation and even praise.
“When you cannot hear God, you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible— with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw that you could withstand an even bigger revelation. If God has given you a silence, then praise Him— He is bringing you into the mainstream of His purposes.”—Oswald Chamber, My Utmost for His Highest (Oct. 11)
Reading Three: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 (NRSV)
Song:Take My Life (lyrics here)
Reflection
As Paul encourages the Corinthians to sacrificial generosity, he reminds them in verse 9 of how Jesus himself gave up everything in order to give us everything. It echoes of Paul’s words in Philippians, which some believe is a quote from an early Christian hymn, where he reminds us of Christ…
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness. (Phil. 2:6-7)
In both of these passages, Paul is encouraging followers of Jesus to model Christ’s example by looking more to the interests of others than to our own. It’s a matter of stewardship, but more than that, it’s a matter of consecration. We become fully present to the ways we can be used for others when we first become fully consecrated to God’s work in us. As we yield to the Spirit’s work to make us more like Christ, he is able to use us more and more in the lives of others.
When was the last time you simply sat and reflected on all that Jesus gave up for you—not only in his incarnation, but also in his life and ministry leading to his crucifixion and resurrection? Christ modeled a life of self-sacrifice for us. How can you allow that truth to shape your life of discipleship? Of praise? Of stewardship? Of relationships with others?
Reading Four: Mark 5:21-43 (NRSV)
Song: One Touch (lyrics here)
Reflection
The faith of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment always astounds me. Her awareness of the power within Jesus and her trust that it was available just by brushing against his clothing is inspiring, especially when you consider the level of despair she herself must have known after suffering for twelve years. And then to be healed, and to know it in every fiber of your being from the second you touch the cloth…what joy must have filled her heart.
When Jesus turned around and spoke, you can tell from her response that she feared a rebuke. But what she received was commendation for her faith, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Those words move me as much as her faith and her healing. I wish I could’ve seen the look on Jesus’ face and in his eyes as he spoke those words. And more than that…I want him to look at me the same way and speak similar words. Because truth be told, I may not be suffering from a years-long physical ailment, but there are hurts and habits that plague me and drive me to the depths of despair at times. Like the psalmist in our first reading, I feel like a pit of darkness can take over and rob me of my identity as a child of God.
But Jesus is near to all of us who know that kind of pain. If we will just reach out, the healing we desperately need is within reach. And when his healing power comes, he looks us in the eye and calls us “Daughter” and “Son,” and encourages us to go in peace and be well.
As you sit with this story from Mark’s gospel, ask the Holy Spirit to search your soul and bring to the surface long-standing hurts and pain that you have carried for too long. Read the passage again and use your imagination to put yourself in the place of the woman, stretching out her hand and finding healing. And spend some time face-to-face with Jesus, who longs to look at you with love in his eyes and a promise for your wounded heart.
Then with one word He touched the hem of my garment,
And you know I've been made whole,
And somehow He pressed His way through my madness,
And His love has healed my soul.