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In this together ... with God

Subhead
Built on a Rock
By
Pastor Laura Phillips, Palisade Lutheran/First Lutheran Church, Valley Springs

“O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!” Psalm 71
       Have you noticed that sometimes the shortest of prayers are the best prayers? The verse above is a great example of that. Psalm 71 is a prayer for help, a lament that asks God for refuge, for protection and for hope.
       There are always many reasons to call upon the Lord, but we cry out for help especially now in this time of COVID-19.
       We see lots of positive messages of encouragement floating around on social media, on billboards and signs. It is always great to be able to look at the bright side. There are many reasons for having an attitude of gratitude.
       Yet we must also acknowledge that life is not always rosy. We are allowed to lament our losses, too.
       As a pastor, I hope that you have had an opportunity to hear worship services, that you have God’s Word in your ear.
       While I am healthy, and grateful to be so, I sure miss being in my community of faith. I long to gather together, to share in the Lord’s Supper, to have fellowship.
       And I would love to go out for dinner with my husband or have a game night with friends laughing around my table. It would have been fun to celebrate graduations in person … and so on.
       Many have endured suffering and loss in this pandemic, and compared to them, I have nothing to complain about. Yet I would guess that every one of us has suffered losses either large or small, and in doing so, God invites us to share that with him. To “cast all our anxiety on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
       May we remember that our cries to God for help are heard and they are as important as our praise. We are indeed in this together and God is with us, just as God says.

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