There’s something about Worship.

There are times when it is easy to be witty and share about a lost coffee scoop, then there are moment when life is so real and so clear and God’s plan for how things are supposed to work is so very apparent. Even when things don’t seem to go the way I think they should God has an amazing way in showing me that even in sadness and heartbreak there is great hope.

I think Sunday mornings are my favorite day of the week. The expectation of coming together in the house of the Lord, the anticipation of a shared experience, the deep soul thirsty feeling that gets satiated with the lifting up of hands and the bending of a knee.

Having the word of God opened up and delivered in a unique way.

A song that touches a tender place with in my heart.

In worship this morning, as it happens quite often these days I am moved to tears as the music washes over me. Part of my emotional response is simply a filling up of how amazing my God truly is and the other part is a deep desire to see my prayers fulfilled, only to know that certain things I pray for each and every day remain the same. I have to wonder exactly what it is about the power of the human voice, a melody and lyrics have that can touch my heart in a tender and meaningful way.

The turn of a phrase set to music can evoke feelings and then those feelings will well up and the outpouring burst’s forth.

“Somebody’s Praying Me Through” these words filled the sanctuary sung by an amazing voice, a true gift of God to our congregation. I have heard this person sing this song before however today on this morning it hit me in a new way that struck a fresh cord with in me. I could try to hold back but the safety, the comfort, the protection all of these things provide for me a safe zone for which all the reserve, the stiff upper lip approach I have is melted away. When I am in worship I can truly allow myself to weep before the Lord.

The lyrics of this song hit me in a couple of very profound ways, as the reality of my daily prayers for my son seem to pile up in a giant heap, I wonder why they seem to go unanswered. Yet I know that even though my prayers may seem to be unanswered, I know that they are not unheard. I know that God hears all prayers and that I have to continue to remember that my thoughts are not His thought nor are His ways my ways (ISA 55:8). I have to remember that there is always a reason why and when God chooses to act or to remain silent in any given situation.

My sweet friend and associate pastor so wisely reminded us all in today’s sermon that even Christ in his anguish over his approaching death wept bitterly and pleaded with His heavenly father in prayer for the cup to be removed from his hands (MK 14:36). Yet in that same sentence yielding his life over to his fathers will.

As a mother I confess that what I want is for “my will” to be done, yet I have to recognize that what is more important is a yielding over to His perfect and pleasing will.

The knowledge that I am a praying mother, this means that I am praying for my son, praying him through on a daily basis. At times it feels like an overwhelming task. The mountain of prayers seems to high or impossible, but when I am overwhelmed and feeling as if my prayers simply are not working the “Somebody’s Praying Me Through” transforms and the sisters I love let me know that while my heart is breaking for my son, they are praying me though.

It is one of those wonderfully circular moments. I’m praying him through as someone is praying me through.

The scripture for today was Psalm 103, it reminds me to continue to praise the Lord even in my inner most being, it speaks of not forgetting how great, merciful and compassionate my God truly is.

Psalm 103

¹ Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

² Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--

³ who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

⁴ who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

⁶ The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

⁷ He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

⁹ He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;

¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³ As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;

¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children's children--

¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding,

who obey his word.

²¹ Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.

²² Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

It feels like a double edges sword at times. One edge is painful and bitter as it cuts through a mother’s heart. The other edge is a soft and soothing healing balm as the prayers of those who love me come in after the deep and painful cut has been rendered. They wrap there loving arms around me and tell me that it will be all right. I still have to experience the pain and the sadness but I know that as I pray for my son whom I love with out reservation, that when my burden gets to heavy or I fail to see over the huge pile of seemingly unanswered prayers that there is someone one holding the lamp for me, someone praying me through and eventually it will be all right.

Blessings

Robin

Somebody’s Praying Me Through

ALLEN ASBURY

Pressing over me like a big blue sky
I know someone has me on their heart tonight
That's why I know it's gonna be alright
'Cause somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through

It may be my Mother, it might be my Dad
Or an old friend I've forgot I had
But whoever it is I'm so glad that
Somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through

Through the tears, through the rain
Through the sorrow, through the pain
It keeps bringing me through
Over and over again
So when you're drowning in a sea of hurt
And it feels like life couldn't get any worse
There's a blessing waiting to push back the curse
'Cause somebody's praying you through
Somebody's praying you through
Someone got down on their knees and prayed for me
Somebody's, somebody's praying you through