Preparing for the Lord's Day
How do you move from lament to praise? To lament is to give voice to your hardships and struggles. It is to call out in distress and frustration to the Lord. When we enter into periods of suffering it is only natural for us to lament all that we are enduring. Nevertheless, as God’s people we are called to move from lament to praise, from distress to joy. In Psalm 77 we see a model of one who is suffering, moved from lament over his hardship to praise of God through the practice of Biblical meditation. To meditate as a Christian we are called not to empty our minds, nor to look inside for answers, but rather to focus our attention upon the word of God. And through a time of focused attention on God’s word we are changed. This week we will see how every Christian is called to meditate upon the character and work of God to move from lament to praise. To be prepared for the sermon take time this week to read and to meditate upon Psalm 77, Exodus 14:21-31; 34:6-7, Psalm 1, Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 4:12-13, and listen to this sermon on Christian Meditation from our fall sermon series on the spiritual disciplines.
We are asking each family and individual in the church to set aside Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. to begin watching the service which will run for approximately one hour. As we gather in our homes to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit this Lord’s day, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “Our God Our Help”, the Acclamation of Praise “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and the Hymn of Response “And Can It Be That I Should Gain.” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!
SERMON INFORMATION
Text: Psalm 77
Title: Heat and Fruit: Moving from Lament to Praise through Christian Meditation
Outline:
- Every Christian Must Meditate in Their Suffering (vv. 1-3)
- Every Christian Must Meditate on God’s Character (vv. 4-9)
- Every Christian Must Meditate on God’s Work (vv. 10-15)
- Every Christian Must Meditate through Singing God’s Praise (vv. 16-20)
PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES
(for your ongoing prayers and expressions of love)
- IN THE HOSPITAL: Paul Cowras (LGH) and Sophia Boyers (UVA Medical Center)
- RECUPERATING: Greg Alty, Bill Johnson, Beth Martin, Andrew Shaddock, and Ryan Webb (with ongoing treatments).
- PRAYING FOR OUR COMMUNITY, NATION, AND MISSIONARIES: Let us remain in steadfast prayer for Christ's Church and our witness during this remarkable time of challenge and opportunity. May we support in fervent prayer and faithful love our community, medical laborers, and government leaders worldwide. May we pray for God's direction and strength for our global and local missionaries, including the staff of Campus Outreach, as they persevere in ministry (follow the links in this sentence to pray for our missionaries by name).