A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.1 When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,
it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
Observation: The supreme kairos moment (both moments of joy and sorrow that interrupt life) in the life of the people of God was Exile. The return from exile brought about joy for those who were once filled with sorrow. The psalmist uses language of farming to articulate the nuances of God's action in the world. The transformation process is often different than what we expect.
Application: We have experienced a lot of transformation where I serve, the people of St. Mark's. Whether it is the through intentional prayer groups like HHH (hurts, hang ups, and habits), or in discipleship huddle, or in the prayers during communion (both individual and corporate), or in the service of healing, or in the Wednesday night worship, or through serving opportunities.....God is bringing a harvest out of the seeds of tears. Kairos (both moments of joy and sorrow that interrupt life) is certainly a being processed and offered over to God. Through these kairos moments of our individuals and the life of the community of faith we are beginning to witness the transformation God offers and the psalmist testifies about.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for moving in ways that we see transformation; offering streams to those who walk in desert lands.