Psalm 130 – “¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! ² O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! ³ If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴ But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. ⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; ⁶ my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. ⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. ⁸ And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

Longing for the Lord’s redemption in our lives is not something new! God’s people have longed for Him to take action for them since the beginning. We have a sure hope in the Lord. Those who wait on Him will not be disappointed. Waiting is not a passive thing for us though. We continue to give up our fears and frustrations to the Lord. As we wait we hold on to the promise of God’s steadfast love. In this season of Advent as we wait for the second coming of Christ and celebrate His birth so long ago we continue to hold on to what God has done for us and look forward to what He will accomplish when He comes again.

Psalm 100 – “¹ Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! ² Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! ³ Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! ⁵ For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

November is going to be a month focused on Worship for Medford Friends Church. As we head into this time we ask that everyone be in prayer about what the Lord has done in our lives. We are going to have a special worship Sunday November 24^th and we will have multiple times to share what God has accomplished in our lives. Highlighting a few aspects of worship will also be part of this time but we can use the above scripture as a starting point for our worship preparations. Spend time this week reading and re-reading Psalm 100 and consider what it asks of us.

“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. ² And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³ Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” – John 9:1-5

This passage from John is the beginning of a story that takes a whole chapter. Jesus runs into a man who was blind from birth and is asked a question by his disciples. Jesus’ response is one that speaks to purpose for our suffering and the suffering of those around us, so that God’s work can be shown in us. Christ encourages his disciples to do the work to which they are called while they can. This month as we move into John 9 this month please be thinking about the ways that God has called you to work in the world. What people are you passing by? How might you offer light to those in darkness? What areas of your own life need to have Jesus’ healing touch?

As we go into this fall we are experiencing the changes around us. School is starting back up, we have a change of rhythm, and the weather is beginning to shift. Seasonal changes can feel tumultuous. They are often times of stress and frustration, but they are also times of growth and opportunity. They can be a time for us to set some new goals and experience some new things or follow through on some things we have been meaning to!

One of the goals I have this fall is to spend some time in our community. I have started by spending Tuesday afternoons at the Starbucks near the church. Most of the time I just read. The last couple of weeks I have been sitting with a couple of older men in the comfy chairs in the corner of the building and we have had some really good conversation. Talking about the changes they are dealing with and how that has been a difficult thing. I am hoping that in our conversations the Lord is helping me function as an agent of peace in their lives. As you go about your life in this season how might God be inviting you to something new? What places do you need to seek peace for yourself and others?