Psalm 130
I cry out to you from the depths, Lord—
2 my Lord, listen to my voice!
    Let your ears pay close attention to my request for mercy!
3 If you kept track of sins, Lord—
    my Lord, who would stand a chance?
4 But forgiveness is with you—
    that’s why you are honored.
5 I hope, Lord.
My whole being hopes,
    and I wait for God’s promise.
6 My whole being waits for my Lord—
    more than the night watch waits for morning;
    yes, more than the night watch waits for morning!
7 Israel, wait for the Lord!
    Because faithful love is with the Lord;
    because great redemption is with our God!
8 He is the one who will redeem Israel
    from all its sin.

Reflection:
Each Friday morning I start my day meeting with a small group of women for the purpose of reading scripture, sharing our hearts, and praying together. We follow a format that requires us to answer a series of questions each time we meet. One of those questions is, “Do you have any sin to confess?” It is not uncommon for that question to be met from me with either a sarcastic laugh or an enormous sigh.  Do I have sin to confess? “YES,” a resounding “YES, YES, YES!!!”  Every day, always, and forever, and though I wish it were not so, it is.

So, the question I usually must answer for myself is “Which are my most prevalent sins of the week?” Am I being particularly self-centered? Have I been holding onto resentments? Am I indulging frustrations? Have I said something unkind? Is the voice in my head judgmental and critical? The list goes on and on. However, the sin I struggle with the most is complacency. I must admit that at times, I become incredibly comfortable in my life, and I fail to acknowledge the discomfort in the lives of those around me.

When I catch myself immersed in this place of sinful complacency, it causes me to shudder.  Most recently, this particular season of life has certainly challenged my sense of comfort and complacency. It has awakened in me more than ever the awareness that, as a believer, I need to be building bridges and uniting with others as part of Christ’s family.

While the psalmist reminds us that we are sinful, regardless of our brokenness and whatever form it takes, we are also redeemed through Jesus Christ. Jesus holds out his hand to each and every one of us, inviting us into a place of forgiveness, wholeness, redemption, and reconciliation. It doesn’t matter what our stories have been before. It doesn’t matter what sins have overtaken us. What matters is that while we wait for Jesus to come again, we must work during the waiting. I don’t want to be complacent. Despite my sin, I want to be God’s hands and feet in the world. My hope rests in knowing that we are all God’s, and we are all redeemable. During this very challenging time, I am confident in the knowledge that we are each offered a redemption story.

Closing Prayer:
Father God, creator of all, as we struggle during this challenging time, I ask that you heal us, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Cleanse our hearts and heal our souls. Unite all of us as children of yours, and help us put you at the forefront of all we do. Roust us from our complacency, and breathe your spirit into us so we might act as your hands and feet. Help us, as your body, to rise up from the depths of sin into your forgiving arms. Redeem us Lord Jesus! Amen.