Getting Honest With God

But I cry to you for help, Lord;  in the morning, my prayer comes before you. Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?”    Psalm 88:13-14 

This upcoming Sunday at church, we’re going to be looking at one of the most challenging and unnerving passages in all of scripture, Psalm 88. And as we’ll see this Sunday, what makes Psalm 88 so difficult is that it’s a very dark and depressing prayer offered up to God. In fact, it ends with the psalmist saying that it feels as though darkness is his only remaining friend. I wonder how many of us have ever felt that way?
 
But despite how unhelpful and depressing prayers like Psalm 88 might look at first glance, they actually offer us a powerful reminder of what prayer can look like.
 
You see, in a life of faith, there will be moments when our hearts break, when our dreams fall apart, and when we wonder where God even is in our lives.
 
But instead of suppressing, avoiding, or minimizing these feelings, prayers like Psalm 88 teach us that we can always share our deepest hurts and disappointments with God through prayer.
 
Because prayer is a time when we can drop the masks that we wear by being truly honest with God. And to share with God our hurts, our frustrations, and even how we might feel let down by God.  
 
And it’s in this radical honesty with God that we cultivate true intimacy with our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
 
Friends, may we remember that we can always be honest and real with the God who fully loves us.
 
Peace,
Pastor Chris

 

 

Red Bird Mission Trip
Our church is presently considering sending a team of our members down to Red Bird Missions, a Methodist organization that serves people in need in Appalachia Kentucky. This mission’s trip would be from July 16th to the 22nd and would be done alongside of other Methodist churches from New Jersey. We are still figuring out some of the details of the trip but if you are interested or have questions, please connect with Walter Maze at wemaze@embarqmail.com.
 
You can also learn more about Red Bird Mission by visiting their website at https://rbmission.org/ or watching this video https://vimeo.com/85865427 
 
Sharing Prayer Requests
If you have a prayer request, you can fill out a prayer card in the back of the sanctuary or email our Office Manager, Gretchen, at flemingtonumc@yahoo.com. We will be sure to add it to the list on the back of our bulletin. You can also email Gretchen to take off any prayer requests that are no longer relevant or needed.

Altar Flowers
Please be aware that anyone may supply flowers for the altar. There is a sign-up flower chart on the bulletin board right outside the sanctuary. The cost is $20, and an announcement will be added to the Sunday bulletin to indicate who the flowers are for. Any questions please contact the church office.

Leadership Council Meetings
Our next Leadership Council meeting is this Tuesday, February 8th, at 6:30 pm and will be in the conference room in A-Wing. During this meeting, we will be commencing a book study called “Mission Possible” to better learn about the One Board Model. Also, the minutes from December’s meeting have been formally approved. You may email Gretchen for a copy at flemingtonumc@yahoo.com.