I feel lost
As the service began, I faced the challenge of trying to bring all human emotions and feelings together with God’s word. By Sean Fountain
I feel lost.
Not my comment, but something posted on a well-known social media platform on Friday morning.
Whatever your views on monarchy, I am sure we all agree that this is a truly historic moment in our nation's story. For many people, Queen Elizabeth was the only monarch we have ever known. She was highly regarded for her skills as a diplomat. She was respected, as the figurehead of our nation.
Last Thursday evening (8 September) our Queen died at the age of 96.
What came as a surprise to me were my own feelings toward this event. I have never seen the Queen or met her, but somehow I felt a little adrift. It was as if something was missing. What once appeared to be stable, solid, unchangeable was no longer there.
My social media friend summed it up beautifully: “I feel lost.”
All of my immediate plans were out of the window. A new sermon had to be prepared. All-age harvest festival was, definitely, inappropriate and had to be replaced by something that fitted the occasion. People needed to be notified of changes, rotas and plans redrafted. Remember, it is not only the minister that has to prepare!
As the service began, I faced the challenge of trying to bring all human emotions and feelings together with God’s word. As a fellowship, we wanted to hear what God was saying to us at this time. We looked at a beautiful passage from Isaiah 6 which begins;
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
(Isaiah 6: 1)
I found a peace within those words. The solidity and anchor that I needed were still there and they were to be found in God who is both high and exalted, and yet, still touches the earth.
This world is a place of constant change.
Often, the changes are so small we hardly notice. Once in a while, they are so big they can leave us feeling lost. At those times when we feel lost, it’s good to know that God gives us a true anchor.
Image | OpenClipart-Vectors | Pixabay
Sean Fountain is the minister of Pier Avenue Baptist Church in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. This reflection originally appeared on his blog "Fountain's Thoughts", and is republished with permission
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Baptist Times, 12/09/2022