Sing to the Lord a new song
We began our team meeting this week looking at Psalm 98, a song of great encouragement and praise to God beginning with the words ‘Sing to the Lord a new song’. Stephen had joined our call and he said it had led him to Psalm 137 ‘How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?’
We explored the idea that the world we left behind in March will never return, we now live in a strange land; a new land we need to become used to. Here we will still sing the Lord’s songs but they may be new ones and even how we sing them will be different, at least for the time being.
On Sunday a few of us gathered for prayer at Emmaus. Graham had printed off copies of the Ffald-y-Brenin Morning Prayer and we sat around the large cross in the centre of the church and spent time together in prayer. During this time each person brought a word of scripture and encouragement. We could not sing but we did worship. There was no sermon but we reflected on the Word of God. Graham and I feel that this more informal way will be how we explore what corporate worship may look like as we learn to live in this strange new world.
Stephen had joined us on Sunday too and he brought encouragement from Ezekiel 37; the prophet is taken to the valley of dry bones and the Lord asks him ‘can these bones live?’. The Lord tells the prophet to speak the Word of the Lord to the bones and the bones come together, they became covered in flesh but they still lacked breath. The Lord told the prophet to speak to the breath and as he did breath came to the figures and they came to life. It takes both the Word of God and the Spirit of God to bring life to his church.
Stephen went on to share about the two sticks mentioned later in the same chapter. These represented the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The prophet was told to join them together so that the whole house of Israel was reunited. At the team meeting Stephen shared that he sees this as the unity of the church and he held up two sticks in the shape of the cross. Unity in the church can only come about through the work of the cross.
Has the Lord been speaking to you? We would very much like to hear what he is saying. If you are able to join us on Sunday morning it would be great to see you. If you still need to stay shielded we understand, but please do share with us so we can together hear what the Lord is saying to the fellowship.
We are living in a strange land; we have never gone this way before. But our God is faithful and as he calls us to follow him he will show us the way as he did Abraham and Moses in the past. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Shalom
Graham and Katy Hill, Local Church Leaders