“Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” - Psalm 56:8

A favorite writer of mine once wrote that there’s something especially humbling about crying in the shower, the tears all get lost in the drain. Roy Batty, a character in the film Blade Runner, famously described his own existence as “lost in time, like tears in rain…”

The promise of Psalm 56 verse 8 is that there is one who gathers up the sadness of our lives and is attentive to both the highs and lows of our lives. So often, the sad things in life make us feel isolated and alone. The promise we hold to is that God is still near and attentive in these moments. 

The Psalms as whole provide examples and scripts of how we might express our sadnesses to God. These psalms of lament invite and empower us to name our “sadness before the face of God” in community, as Father David has put it in his book, Open and Unafraid (David has a new book coming out this spring). 

This Sunday, we have the opportunity to follow the example the Psalms give us. Our worship will highlight and center upon the theme of lament and there will be an opportunity to reflect upon and bring to God our specific sadnesses and grief. This is done as an act of faith and worship, trusting in the promise that God is near to the broken-hearted. Prior to worship on Sunday, take a few minutes to pray and consider any thing you might want to bring to the Lord as we lift our (heavy) hearts. 

Part of the time of reflection of lament on Sunday will involve art produced by some of COTC's artists. This weekend also marks the start of the East Austin Studio Tour. In previous years, artists from COTC have shown work at the Parish House, but this year several are displaying work at Christ Church. If you have a moment this weekend or next, go by and show Meena, Phaedra, and Rachelsome support! 

Lastly, we are hosting a toy and clothing drive for the COTC community and the wider neighborhood tomorrow morning—see below for more details. Around the same time (10:30 to noon) our diocese is holding its annual convention online. I’ll be participating from the church offices, if you want to also come by and check things out. 

In Christ, 

Peter+