Scripture – Psalm 31:6-19 NRSVUE
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief,
my soul and body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,
and my bones waste away.
11 I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
a horror to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the whispering of many—
terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
16 Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.
From Rev. Heather Leffler
As we begin our journey through Holy Week, we remember Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. We have followed him to the Upper Room, shared in communion, sung together, and walked with him to the garden of Gethsemane. Along the way, we see how Jesus prepares his disciples for what lies ahead. In John’s Gospel, he even kneels to wash their feet—offering both words and actions that call them to love and serve.
In the garden, we see something more. Jesus takes time to pray. Knowing that the authorities are searching for him, and that betrayal is near, he turns to God in his anguish.
The words of the psalm we heard today echo that same deep distress—fear, grief, isolation—and yet also a profound trust: “But I trust in you, O Lord… my times are in your hand.”
Jesus would have known these words. He would have prayed them, sung them, carried them within him. And perhaps, in that moment in the garden, they gave him language for his sorrow—and courage to entrust himself to God.
Scripture reminds us, again and again, that whatever we face—in life, in death, and in life beyond death—God is with us. The Holy One who was present with Jesus in the garden is present with us still: in our fear, in our grief, and in our moments of trust.
Contemplation and Conversation
When have the words of scripture—or the story of Jesus—
given you comfort, strength, or language for what you were feeling?
Prayer
Loving God, as we walk this Holy Week journey,
remind us that you are with us—in our sorrow and in our joy.
Help us to trust you, and to follow the way of Jesus. Amen.
If you missed Sunday’s worship service, visit our Rockwood Stone YouTube page.
