Gospel Reading

Click here for today's chronological reading of the Gospels. 

• Matthew 26:57-27:14
• Mark 14:53-15:5
• Luke 22:54-23:5
• John 18:13-38

---

Lament, Remembrance, Praise

“I’ve never walked alone.”

Is there a more timely message for our city, for our world, and for you and me? In this season of social distancing, we are all literally walking alone (or at least six feet apart).

Unfortunately, while we remain separate externally, we feel the effects internally. We feel the burden of our present moment. You might personally know someone who has contracted the virus. You might be fighting it yourself. I’ve encountered economic stress, and I’m sure many of you have too. All of this is unnerving and frankly, pretty scary. Where is God? Where is God in the midst of our individual and collective suffering? In the face of ascending virus outbreaks and declining stock markets, the world is looking for hope. We will not be satisfied with cheap, bumper sticker answers. We desire a firmer foundation on which to stand.

I wrote the song Never Walk Alone with my friends Carolina and Mark Alan. Upon first listen, the song might be heard as a massive declaration of faith in the middle of hard times. That would make sense. Between the three of us, we have walked through multiple difficulties, including cancer and the death of loved ones. However, the song isn’t as much a declaration of faith as it is a prayer for times of doubt. Deconstructing faith is common among those of us who grew up in the church. When we look at the world around us and ask the hard questions, we pull at a string that may cause everything to unravel. When that unraveling happens, what is left of our faith? We need an anchor. We need an answer to the question, “What do you know that you know that you know?” 

Never Walk Alone offers an answer: God’s faithfulness in the past gives us hope for the present. His goodness that's authored our story so far will continue to do so in the future. We see this throughout the Psalms. The psalmists do not deny their present circumstances. They do the opposite! While we are often shocked by the directness of their complaints to God, they remind us that God can handle all of our grief and fury.

While lament runs through the Psalms, so does the remembrance of God’s faithfulness. In hard times — in the middle of loneliness or illness or fear — we can look back on our lives and see the work of God. The very air we breathe is a sign of His faithfulness.

Remembrance leads us to another theme in the Psalms: praise. When joy seems impossible, remembrance is a powerful doorway to gratitude and praise. Wherever you find yourself today on that circuitous journey — from lament to remembrance to praise (and back again and again) — you are not alone. Like the psalmists, offer your thoughts and emotions fully to Him today. Know that He is with you in everything.

- Written by Chris Douglas, NCC Worship Pastor

---

Daily Practice and Reflection

Before you get started, take a minute to close your eyes, breathe deeply, and remind yourself that God is with you. Then, slowly pray Psalm 22 out loud, making the words your own. When you are done, journal any thoughts or feelings that arise.