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Friday, December 18, 2020

Joy before God and envy

An excerpt from 2 Samuel 6:12-19 (NRSV)
As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

Reflection from Kathryn Duncan:
There are times when hopelessness and despair are so present in our lives that it feels like a physical weight in our bodies. In those times, seeing a happy person is a slap in the face – you want to shout, “don’t you know the world is horrifying, and I’m suffering?! How can you be so happy?!”

Having a husband dying of cancer means that despair is an old friend, but it has also empowered me with a new capacity for profound joy. When I’m overwhelmed by sadness, I have learned that anger and envy toward those who are happy doesn’t help. Instead, I try to remind myself that happiness, joy, beauty, and hope still exist in the world – even when I can’t feel them – and they’ll inevitably return.

For further study and prayer, the readings assigned for today are:
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; 2 Samuel 6:12-19; Hebrews 1:5-14

Music
“Even When He is Silent
”
Text attributed to Holocaust victims;
music by Kim André Arnesen

I believe in the sun,
Even when it’s not shining.
I believe in love,
Even when I feel it not.
I believe in God,
Even when He is silent.

Link to listen to the music


Tags: Advent & Christmas

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St. Gregory's Episcopal Church
815 Wilmot Road
Deerfield, IL 60015

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847.945.1678

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Welcome to St. Gregory's – virtually! We know that the church is not the building in which we worship – but the people who worship and share God’s love with the world. In this time of social distancing, we will practice connectivity in new and powerful ways, for we know we all are connected as one in the Lord. Life is very different than we knew it to be, and yet our anchor in God’s love remains the same. All shall be well!

We are people from all walks of life and all parts of Chicagoland. Most people who worship here didn’t grow up Episcopalian, but seek to radiate God’s grace by gathering community and sharing joy and hope in the world. Join us however works for you: participate in Zoom worship, follow our livestream, help us give to the community, read with our kids, or even be a pen pal to get to know someone new.

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