A PSALM OF HOPE
by Bob Wickizer
Scripture: EXODUS 32:1-14, MATTHEW 22:1-14, PHILIPPIANS 4:1-9, PSALMS 106:1-6, PSALMS 106:19-23
A Psalm of Hope
Bob Wickizer
Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106:1-6,19-23; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14
Sermon 10-13-2002
21 Pentecost Proper 23
"Do not worry about anything, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Let us pray...
O God, you created us - with free will to choose for the good or for ill
You created us with hearts to love and hearts to break,
You created us with both yearning and fear to be together,
You created us to praise and glorify you as well as to wonder why.
Why God do you allow evil to walk unhindered carrying a 223 caliber rifle to murder innocent lives for sport? Why God do you allow rulers of countries to act in such irresponsible ways like children fighting at a sandbox only when rulers fight those who suffer most are your people O Lord. This time the stakes are too high. Too many innocent people will suffer.
Out of nothing you created the entire universe, an inconceivably violent event gave birth to this planet and your people. You placed the first man and the first woman in paradise;
A garden filled with everything they needed. Yet in a moment your own creation rebelled against you eating the fruit of knowledge of self - and they were ashamed.
Why does the knowledge of self lead so quickly to violence against others? Why does your own good creation God continue to rebel against you? Did you create us with built-in rebellion and violence? Why does there seem to be no limit to the violence with each generation using the fruit of knowledge to make killing more efficient? Why do unrighteous people prosper at the expense of the righteous?
The sniper touched our deepest fears; irrational but unavoidable. Although we are far more likely to die in a car accident, most of what we hear on the news is not about driving safety. Our most cherished freedom has been taken from us undeservedly. We cannot go to the store, put gas in our car, take our children to school withou ...
Bob Wickizer
Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106:1-6,19-23; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14
Sermon 10-13-2002
21 Pentecost Proper 23
"Do not worry about anything, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Let us pray...
O God, you created us - with free will to choose for the good or for ill
You created us with hearts to love and hearts to break,
You created us with both yearning and fear to be together,
You created us to praise and glorify you as well as to wonder why.
Why God do you allow evil to walk unhindered carrying a 223 caliber rifle to murder innocent lives for sport? Why God do you allow rulers of countries to act in such irresponsible ways like children fighting at a sandbox only when rulers fight those who suffer most are your people O Lord. This time the stakes are too high. Too many innocent people will suffer.
Out of nothing you created the entire universe, an inconceivably violent event gave birth to this planet and your people. You placed the first man and the first woman in paradise;
A garden filled with everything they needed. Yet in a moment your own creation rebelled against you eating the fruit of knowledge of self - and they were ashamed.
Why does the knowledge of self lead so quickly to violence against others? Why does your own good creation God continue to rebel against you? Did you create us with built-in rebellion and violence? Why does there seem to be no limit to the violence with each generation using the fruit of knowledge to make killing more efficient? Why do unrighteous people prosper at the expense of the righteous?
The sniper touched our deepest fears; irrational but unavoidable. Although we are far more likely to die in a car accident, most of what we hear on the news is not about driving safety. Our most cherished freedom has been taken from us undeservedly. We cannot go to the store, put gas in our car, take our children to school withou ...
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