This is how it often feels to work for an institution like the church in 2019. Trends so much larger than myself make my prayers and pastoral work feel meaningless. I’ve been feeling this way about my denomination, the RCA, recently. Each week in our church, we say some version of this refrain: When the person of Jesus Christ is at the center of our lives and our worship, there is space for loving one another in disagreement.
The persecution of Christians throughout the world does not get as much press attention as it should despite the work of significant groups attempting to spread the word.
Just as prayer helps the one who is praying to focus and listen and push distractions aside, crocheting allows for an emptying of what is distracting and cluttering the heart and mind.
I have found that true intimacy with others and with Christ is truly known and experienced when we have opportunities to unconditionally love and accept each other through the depth of apparent transgressions and pain.
Loving God needs to come first. I live for Christ, trying to please Him in what I do and say. But I want to do more than live for Him; I want to live with Him.
Is the psalmist naïve? Is he completely ignorant of suffering in the world? I think not.
