My God, My God Why Have You Forsaken Me
Faith Notes for October 5, 2021
First Presbyterian Church of Big Spring
New News:
This Sunday, October 10th, we’ll follow part of the semicontinuous readings and part of the complimentary lectionary readings for the twentieth Sunday of Pentecost. They will include Psalm 22:1-11; Job 23:1-9, 16-17; Mark 10: 17-31; Hebrews 4:12-16.
Did you recognize the opening words of Psalm 22? Hundreds of years after the Psalm was written, Jesus repeated these words from the cross with the same sense of desperation as the Psalmist. Encircled by bullies which are described as bulls with mouths wide and ravenous., the Psalmist feels poured out like water; his bones are out of joint. The opening phrase tells us that he has found neither redemption nor salvation in God. Maybe when Jesus cried out in His passion, He was not seeking help for Himself, but for all of us who have felt the way the Psalmist feels.
Job, Job. A great guy who was the victim of a cruel game. A man blameless before the law, guilty of nothing and punished, nevertheless. Did everything right, followed all the prescribed practices and attitudes and yet he is serving a life sentence in despair. Even Job’s friends blame him for his troubles and it’s this theology that’s really being tested: do the right things and good things will happen; do wrong things and you bring destruction on yourself. But Job has had enough and he’s ready to charge God with neglect. He’s tempted to undermine his own good character by turning his bitterness into rebellion and his despair into accusation.
Mark’s gospel message continues with the story of the religious seeker who wants to know how to enter heaven. He had followed the Law of Moses scrupulously, but Jesus says that is not enough. In fact, following the law may be missing the point entirely. “Give away all you have and follow me,” Jesus urges with love. Does following God’s law enable us to set our own salvation expectations? Can we consider ourselves “good” because we follow the ten commandments and later be turned away by Jesus because our hearts are buried under the accumulated materialism?
We’re working through Hebrews and this week we learn the character of Jesus. He knows us and he’s been where we’ve been. He’s felt what it’s like to be tempted to go against God’s goodness. He knows what it’s like to be tempted to succumb to things that have no spiritual benefit. He knows what it’s like to be in such deep despair that it seems as if God is no longer with us and He knows what it’s like in that moment to be tempted to give up on God.
Meetings and Gatherings Calendar:
Communications Committee - October 5 at 2:30 p.m. in the church library.
Worship Committee - October 6 at 3;00 p.m. in the parlor.
Lectionary Bible Study - October 6 at 5:00 p.m. in the church library.
Lunch Bunch - every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
Presbyterian Women will have a “bon voyage” celebration for Patti Horton on October 28th from 2-4p.m. in the parlor. All church women are invited to join together and wish Patti well in her new adventures.
*Please advise the church secretary or the Pastor of any changes you wish to make to the prayer list.
See you in church!
Allen