Last Sunday we sang a pair of hymns, the first written by Samuel Medley in the 1760s. Medley was a preacher and song leader and dozens of his hymns were published in the Gospel Magazines that accompanied the revivals in England in that era.

This particular hymn is lifted from 1 Peter chapter 2, verses 4 and 5

"As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious…"

This reminds us that often the things that the world around us rejects, God holds up. Some of the things the world despises, God cherishes.
God’s absolute truths are often rejected, namely Christ being our only rescue from the sin that lives in us. In the lyrics of this hymn we find ”no other hope shall intervene; to Him we look, on Him we lean".

Maybe you yourself have recently felt rejection for your faith. In the midst of unmatched division and judgement, many believers who are fully dedicated to loving others well are being accused and branded as hatemongers and bigotsPlease know right now in this moment that Jesus knows what it is to be rejected, and offers his comfort to you.

The verse continues:

"you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

God is building his church. He’s going to keep going. He hasn’t stopped and won't. The beauty of the church being a people and not a building is that you can’t close down a people. You can’t prevent the church from being God’s people, regardless of what buildings we have access to.

When we gather, let’s offer our spiritual sacrifices. Let’s focus on these words and let our hearts be moved. Sing these truths in our homes, (especially you Dads…lead your families by example in what a believer looks like when we gather) and allow the melodies to work these powerful promises into our hearts. Let's sing remembering that all of us started this life with sin in us, and needed his grace desperately

"for us, the lost, condemned, undone, He gave Himself the Living Stone.”

Heading into a Sunday morning these days requires what it always has, a necessary transition from the chaos of life to a present mindfulness in the gathering.

One of my favorite psalms, one that the Lord did significant work in me in my first years as a Christian, is Psalm 3.

It begins:

1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 
 2 many are saying of my soul, "There is no salvation for him in God." 
 3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 
 4 I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. 
Selah
Psalm 3:1-4

Maybe you’re like me and you feel super grateful that parts of life are returning to normal right now. Even in the midst of that, there’s also new chaos around how and when to add commitments back into our busy lives. It can feel like you’re once again being pulled in 1000 directions.

Some of us are experiencing verse two and interacting with others that are confused or even hostile to the Church and the gospel. These are certainly interesting times to follow Christ.

Through it all, he is our shield. He is ultimately our protection. He is the one who carries us through difficult times. He is the one who gets the credit for the good things in our life. When we feel exhausted, beat down, worn out, or anxious, this Psalm reminds us that he hears us. This is a promise worth recalling for all of us.

Jesus comes to our lives in his care and gentleness and lifts our head. He lifts are head so that we can put our eyes back on him and endure anything this world can throw at us. That's worthy of our song.