WELCOME
Good morning First Baptist. We welcome you to worship this morning. Be sure to remember your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the week as you pray for them, and as the Holy Spirit brings their faces to your mind. Be sure to also connect with them in the ways that are possible. And if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to contact the church through the church telephone and leave a message. (519-733-4144)
Songs
Call to Worship
The Lord has called you here this day.
And you have responded…and you are here
here to worship Him,
Here to sing to Him
here to receive from Him
perhaps some Looking to the Lord for mercy and comfort.
for healing and hope.
Whatever it is that has brought you here today, Come, let us worship God!
Good Morning FBK….and welcome to worship!
Songs
Prayer
Prayer of Confession & Assurance
The act of confessing our sin is not simply a recitation of our faults and wrongs, but also an opportunity to receive God’s mercy and share in that abundant grace. Confident of God’s love for us, let us offer our prayers, first in silence.
SILENT PRAYER
Patient Lord, you know how accustomed we are to the enticements of the world around us.. Our spirits and our senses get fooled easily. This Sunday is traditionally understood as Transfiguration Sunday – where in front of your disciples you showed them the Glory of Lord. We would be just like the disciples, at first not believing what we were seeing and then wanting to make a monument to the event. Thank you for being so patient with us. Forgive us when we get so wrapped up in the moment that we don’t take time enough to understand its significance. Help us pause, reflect, think, and thank you for the blessings of unexpected revelations…even if they come through times of trial and lament. Give us wisdom and strength to be your disciples, proclaiming your transforming love to all people. AMEN.
Assurance of Pardon
To you the light of love and ministry has been revealed. You have been blessed by God to be witnesses; to proclaim God’s love to all. What an amazing statement to make about one’s self – that’s true of each of you. AMEN.
The Psalms
Finding Hope in Disorientation
Today's Message: Pastors Marlee Page and Dave Page
Church family, today we dive into a theme that I suspect will resonate deeply with many of us: disorientation and the struggle of or maybe the feeling of moving away from God….and or God moving away from you.
Have you ever felt lost, abandoned, or distant from the presence of God?
Perhaps you have or maybe are now, experiencing seasons of doubt, despair, or rebellion.
In moments like these, we HAVE TO find a path to HOPE in our journey through the valleys of disorientation.
What do we mean by this term disorientation? Well, simply put disorientation can lead us down a path of spiritual wandering, away from the very source of our strength and hope which is God. That pathway back that for so many has been guided by the wisdom of the Psalms.
This morning, we want to focus particularly on Psalm 13 and Psalm 69.
Join us as we read from Psalm 13.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 13
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
In Psalm 13, David cries out RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING WITH,
“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?” Psalm 13:1-2
I think it’s safe to say that we can almost feel the heartfelt cry of David as he grapples with the overwhelming sense of abandonment and despair.
These words echo the deep anguish, that we can sometimes feel, of feeling abandoned by God, of enduring seasons of silence and apparent separation AND ALONENESS.
So maybe for some of you today, these words resonate, I think they do, with anyone who has experienced the darkness of disorientation.
As we have already seen in our exploration of the Psalms, here is another great example of David’s lament mirroring our own struggles when we feel forgotten by God. In times of trial and tribulation, it’s easy to believe that God has turned His back on us. We may wonder if our prayers are falling on deaf ears or if God even cares about all that we are going through.
As David pours out his heart, we see him wrestling with doubt and fear. He questions the very existence of God’s love and protection.
“Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death” he cries.
His faith is tested, and he struggles to find hope in the midst of despair. Psalm 13:3
Likewise, in Psalm 69, David’s lament is raw and palpable:
”Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.” PSALM 69:1-2
In Psalm 69, we encounter David at his lowest point, drowning in the depths of despair. He describes his anguish in vivid detail, painting a picture of suffering and sorrow that again resonates with anyone who has felt abandoned by God.
David’s suffering is not merely physical but also emotional and spiritual. He is persecuted by his enemies, mocked by those who should support him, and forsaken by his friends and family.
“I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God,”
he declares Psalm 69
In the midst of his pain, he feels utterly alone and abandoned.
YET, despite his despair, David clings to a glimmer of hope, crying out to God for deliverance.
“Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.” he pleads (Psalm 69:1-2).
His faith may waver, but his trust in God’s power and mercy remains steadfast.
EVEN IN THIS SPACE OF DISORIENTATION- HE CALLS OUT TO GOD!
EVEN IN THE DARKEST MOMENTS HE KNOWS WHERE HIS HOPE LIES AND WHO WILL BE THE ONE TO SAVE HIM!
YOU SEE…. As we journey through the Psalms of disorientation, we are reminded that even in our darkest moments, God is present. He hears our cries, He feels our pain, and He offers us hope amidst despair. Like David, we too may stumble and fall, but we are never beyond the reach of God’s redeeming love and He never leaves us – our eyes might be clouded or looking the wrong way- disoriented, confused & distracted. But He waits patiently for us. This often makes me think of when we wake up in the morning and our vision can be somewhat cloudy or blurry- for some of us – we need to grab our glasses. But we blink a few times and all becomes clear! And there He is right there, waiting for us to notice Him.
When I think of being disoriented it brings me back to Tuesday, March 8, 2016. I woke that morning so excited! We had a family member who was in need of an organ donation and Dave & I were headed up to London to begin the testing to see if one of us was a match. I know that might seem scary but I was excited- I wanted to help in a situation and this might be the way we could help! So we got there and met the Care team and began the tests… 12 vials of blood, a chest X-ray, some lunch and then it was am Ultrasound to make sure we each had two kidneys and last but not least an EKG. Dave and I were enjoying our time together even in the space of London’s University Hospital… Then everything changed! Our Care nurse came into see me in the midst of my ultrasound and right away I could tell something wasn’t right. She said Marlee, we’ve found a shadow in your chest and we want to send you for a CT Scan in 15 minutes cause they have an opening.
Talk about disorienting – I’m laying on a table in the midst of an abdominal ultrasound- and immediately everything changes!
She then asked if I wanted to explain this all to Dave or should she… And I thought you better go share it with him cause I’m sure I stopped listening after she said “Shadow in your chest!!!”
The next 3 days are a blur- until 2:30pm on Thursday afternoon and the specialist said “100% its cancer!”
I remember the two hour drive home…. Starting off still in disbelief, lots of tears- on my part of course!… then the disorienting questions of How & why??? Changed to the Orienting statements of how lucky we were that we found it in London! How did we get into the Head of Thoracic Surgery for all of London Health Sciences. The tumour was large but so far I was symptom-free!
Make no mistake, in our humanity, Dave and I started in the disorienting space of fear, anxiety, uncertainty & despair ….but through that journey because of His presence, we found ourselves to eventually be emerging into the orienting space of God’s hand of provision & presence & care that was all over the whole situation!!!!!
Despite the depths of despair, both Psalms adopt this posture of longing for restoration and renewal.
In Psalm 13, David declares, ” But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.” (Psalm 13:5-6).
His trust in God’s steadfast love becomes the anchor in the storm of doubt and disorientation.
Similarly, in Psalm 69, David’s plea shifts toward a hope-filled petition:
“But as for me, afflicted and in pain –
may your salvation, God, protect me.
I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving. ” (Psalm 69:29-30).
Even in the midst of suffering, David clings to the promise of God’s deliverance and responds with praise and gratitude.
Application Points:
Cultivate a Relationship of Trust:
Just as David found comfort and even relief in trusting God’s unfailing love, we too can anchor our souls in the assurance of God’s faithfulness. Use the wisdom here, presented by David’s own life to cultivate a deep and intimate relationship with our Creator, built on trust and reliance on His promises…….
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.(Proverbs 3:5-6)
Choose Gratitude in Adversity:
And, this one is hard!!! Despite our circumstances, how can we follow David’s example of choosing gratitude and praise. Even in the darkest moments, there is always something to be thankful for. As we offer thanksgiving to God, our perspective shifts, and we find strength to persevere….
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray constantly,
18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Church family, in times of disorientation, we must cling to God’s promises with unwavering faith. IN MY EXPERIENCES, THAT IS SOMETIMES ALL WE HAVE TO CLING TOO!
Did we truly rejoice over my cancer diagnoses? Of course not!!!! We knew it was serious, we knew it would be life-changing and we knew we had a long road ahead of us….. but we also knew that we weren’t alone in it all and that God would provide the right paths, the right people and the right medicine to take care of me.
As the Apostle Paul writes,
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV).
Even when we cannot see the way forward, we can trust that God is working all things for our ultimate good and we can be reminded where and when He’s showed up in our past to help us remember this too.
Ultimately, our journey through disorientation requires surrendering to God’s will and submitting our lives to His guidance. Jesus Himself exemplified this surrender in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying,
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).
When we relinquish control and trust in God’s perfect plan, we find peace amidst the storm.
So, take comfort in the knowledge that God is with us in every valley and every shadow. Take comfort knowing that though we may walk through the darkest night, His light shines brightly, leading us back into the warmth of His love.
And hold ever so tightly to the promises of His word, trusting in God’s faithfulness and surrendering to His will.
And when you emerge from the depths of despair with a heart renewed, a soul restored, and faith strengthened, you will be ready to walk in the light of His presence again and ALWAYS.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the example of David who despite the many problems, pressures, disappointments and pain that he was called upon to suffer, trusted in Your never-failing promises and kept in his remembrance Your never-ending faithfulness. Help us to follow his example when life’s pressures bear down and keep us under the shadow of Your goodness and grace.
Father, we trust in You and thank You that there are no circumstances of life that You do not know about and that in all things we are more than a conquerors, through Christ, Who loved us and gave Himself for each of us. We pray for those that are struggling right now and are not feeling your love and comfort and abiding presence. Holy Spirit, would you open their eyes that they might see your presence in their circumstance. Like David, we each long to trust in Your loving-kindness and our hearts rejoice in Your, our Saviour
Lord Jesus, all that we have is yours, and all that we are is yours. In offering these tokens of our lives, may all that we do serve you to the glory of God. Amen.
Song
Benediction
Psalm 46 | The Lord is Near
May the God of heaven and earth
be a very present help in your times of trouble.Yet, may His presence be more than a safety net
on which you rely when your footing gives way.May the God who is our fortress
embolden you as He provides you with peace
to lift up those who are hurting,
to comfort the weak,
to be like a stream that flows from the river of Christ
or a lamp that illuminates those lost in the night.May you take comfort in the immanence of God from beginning to end,
knowing that the God who breathed life into Adam’s lungs
will one day wipe every tear from our eyes.May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance to you and give you peace.