If you were at Faith Church this Sunday November 26, 2023, you would see our sanctuary floor lights shining the color now purple, as this Sunday is the First Sunday of the Christian Season of Advent. Why do we use the color purple for Advent?
When I see the color purple in the sanctuary, I think of a purple bruise. A bruise means that, yes, damage has been done, but healing is taking place. Advent is like that. During Advent we enter the pain of penitence, facing our sins, confessing them, and repenting, so that we might experience the healing God wants to bring to our relationship with him, with others, and the world, leading to abundant life and flourishing. During Advent, therefore, we are readying ourselves spiritually for the great celebration of the birth of King Jesus at Christmas.
This week on the blog, I welcome guest blogger Dr. Jeff Byerly. Jeff and I traveled to India together this past March. Jeff will begin our Advent blog series, which is a variety of genres of psalms. Jeff’s psalm(s) will focus on lament, very much in keeping with the “bruise” of Advent.
Lament is holy complaint, crying out to God to wake up and intervene in our lives. See Psalm 13 for an archetypal lament. There are numerous laments in the Psalms. Some lament is quite raw, and we wonder if we are allowed to talk to God like that. Yet there it is in Scripture. Angry, bitter, despairing, frustrated, anxious, depressed lament. Can you imagine the nation of Israel singing these laments as their worship songs? Clearly lament is needed and good. We need to sing them as our worship songs from time to time.
This week on the blog we start Advent 2023, learning about lament.
Photo by Robert Thiemann on Unsplash
Engaging Scripture 