February 5, 2011

Opening Hymns:
When I Look into Your Holiness 240 (B/B)

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 34

Message: Promises
‘You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Pave paradise and put up a parking lot’ this song is going through my head as I reflect on the scripture reading for today. It is a harsh reading at this time. At the beginning it seems as though Judah finally gets it. The Hebrew slaves are set free from the other Hebrews. God told the people what to do and they listened! But how long did it last? While this passage is not overly uplifting, there is something to be said for learning from other people’s mistakes. In fact, my favorite poster from Despair.com reads “Sometimes the purpose in your life is to serve as a warning to others.” This warning seems to be ‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep.’ They depended on the slaves much more than they thought. When they didn't have them any more they felt as though they needed the slaves. But a promise is a promise… and God’s command is as He says it. They chose to not follow Him through to the end.

We are approaching Lent, and we are diving in deeper into this new year. New years resolutions seem to loose meaning the further into the year we get. Next year starts to look like a better time to start some of the things we were “planning to do.” Sometimes promises are only easy to keep when we make them… harder when we need to follow through. Let us not forget this passage, the Hebrew’s mistake, and the consequence. For with every broken promise there are always consequences. Whether it be people trusting us less or, us not believing in ourselves. This year let it be different. Let us finish what we’ve started. Let us not call the enslaved back again. Instead let us build up the trust both for our sake and for the sake of those around us.

Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, forgive us when we don’t follow your commands… and forgive us when we break our promises. Let our promises be renewed, and our faith restored. Help us to know your will and follow through with fulfilling it. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn
White as Snow 241 (B/B)
Someone Else Living in You 199 (B/B)

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, and serve the Lord
Thanks be to God