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AUGUST 2022 |VOLUME 48| ISSUE NO.8
EVANGEL
OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF FIRST FREE CHURCH
When Life Gets Dark Written by Kirk albrecht
When the bottom falls out in life, what do you do? You have lost your job . . . the diagnosis of your biopsy is positive for stage 4 cancer . . . your marriage is crumbling . . . your children no longer talk to you . . . life seems bleak. What do you do? Each of us has dark moments in life. No one escapes the pains of being human, interacting with other humans, in a broken and fallen world. Over the past year, I have come to gain a deeper appreciation for the Lament Psalms. These are Psalms where the writer (often King David) bears his soul to God about the travails of life, how people have mistreated him, and many times complaints even about God.
Vroegop reveals there are four key points in the structure of Lament Psalms that can guide us through our own struggles: turn complain ask trust in our pain and doubts, we turn to God. This is really the only place we can find the help and perspective we need to weather life's dark days. Often, we don't want to raise any issues. Somehow we feel we should not trouble God with our minor problems. But the Psalms show that is not the case! We must turn to God! Psalm 55 is a classic Lament Psalm. David begins, "Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!" (v.1)
The Lament Psalms are heart-wrenching cries of discontent, questions about justice and fairness, and pleas for God to do something.
When we turn to God, we are telling him we need him that we can't handle things ourselves! That is a good place to be!
I have been helped in understanding the power and place of Lament Psalms by a writer named Mark Vroegop. He helps us see how vital lament is in the life of Christians as we navigate the real world of trials, suffering, pain, questions, and disappointment in life
Then we complain. Yes, that's right - it's OK to complain to God. This marks out what the trouble is. In Psalm 55 there are lots of complaints, but the core is in v.4 - "My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me."
(Dark Days, con't) David in the specifics of his complaint talks about those who have turned against him - and it centers on those who used to be his friends. It is hard when people who were part of your closest circle are now seeming to work against you. Broken trust, and even evil scheming, pummel our souls as few other things in life. The third element of lament is to ask. God delights in hearing specific prayer from us. He delights when we seek him, his provision, his power, his doing "exceeding abundantly, above all we can ask think" (Ephesians 3:20). "Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues" he asks in v.9. David wanted God to transform what was happening, to bring to nothing the harmful words and ways of his enemies. As we lament, we can ask God to make things different!
Upcoming Senior Achiever Schedule September 13 Covered Dish meal
And last, we trust. We trust in God and his purpose, his ways, his timing. This is the place of faith, because we may not see what we want for some time. We may need to wait on the Lord. In the midst of our pain, this can be hard. When we are grieving, we want quick relief. When people hurt us, we want it to end now. When circumstances have turned sour, we desire a sudden reversal, a quick solution. We trust because Scripture reveals God's character - faithful, just, true, kind, merciful. Lament is not depression (though we might be depressed). Lament is the way God has provided for releasing our souls to him when life is more than we can bear. In that place, we experience the life of Jesus more fully!
Changed Lives To see more people know God's lifechanging power and love, grow in community, and live out his truth daily, we need YOU!
Devotions: Pastor Alex Specifically, we're asking every member and friend of First Free Church to: Pray Listen Respond Watch For more information, please visit myfefc.org/changedlives. Thank you for your continued support of this ministry!
Mission 2 McKeesport
Mark Your Calendars Growth Group leaders meeting | August 7 at 12:30 p.m. General Assembly |
International WRITTEN BY KIRK ALBRECHT Partner Spotlight
August 14 at 12:30 p.m.
Youth Leader Retreat | August 12-13 AWANA Training | August 28 at 12:30 p.m. Next Gen Prayer Meeting | September 4 at 12:30 p.m.
Family News Memorial Gifts THANK YOU TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED MEMORIAL GIFTS FOR THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE.
For Frank Gironda
For Harold West
Bill & Linda Fawcett
Bill & Linda Fawcett
For Frank Halas Anonymous For Margaret Miller Anonymous Vilma Pavuk
Labor Day - office closed |
September 7 at 6:30 pm Women's Conference | September 10 at 9 a.m. Church Picnic | September 18 at 12:30 p.m.
Irene Zack For Diane Pavuk Ruhe Dorothy Dubyak For Ethel Rodibaugh Anonymous
September 5 Connect re-start |
Marilyn Fawcett
Anniversaries CONGRATULATIONS TO... Jack & Cheryl Kelly for 56 years of marriage on August 6. Duane & Rene Schademan for 40 years of marriage on August 7. David & Barbara Badstibner for 52 years of marriage on
White Cross |
August 15.
September 20 at 9 a.m.
William & Tammy Deemer for 40 years of marriage on
Serve Saturday |
August 21.
September 24 at 9 a.m.
Sympathies Our Christian love and sympathy is extended to… The family & friends of Tom Kearney at his passing Rick & Kim Smail & family at the passing of Kim’s son, Matthew Bell Amy Miller and family at the passing of Margaret Miller Please visit www.myfefc.org for our full and updated calendar. Copyright © 2022 | First Evangelical Free Church. All rights reserved.