A Song of Lament
I’m always amazed at God’s timing. Recently there has been a lot of heavy heart break and tragedy related to sickness and death. 2021 hasn’t really held up its promise to be better in my opinion. In God’s grace and timing, we at New City Church have been going through a sermon series, “2 Corinthians: Suffering and Glory.” With all the brokenness we see around us, with the brokenness we feel and experience, this series has been timely to say the least.
If you’ve been to New City you may have noticed during the music there’s a lot of talking in between songs. There’s a reason for that! Our Sunday morning liturgies are carefully and prayerfully written to walk through the story of the Gospel: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Naturally there is a huge range of emotions as we walk through this story. Praise and humility as we respond to God being Lord and Creator. Sadness, conviction, and lament when it comes to the Fall. Adoration and Celebration as we celebrate Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Encouragement and hope knowing He hasn’t left us. We rehearse the Gospel each and every Sunday morning because it helps attune our hearts to live gospel-centered lives.
“Rehearsed regularly, the gospel becomes part of our way of thinking, seeing, feeling, loving, and being in the world. It’s a weekly heartbeat, gathering us in and scattering us back out to our homes and workplaces, to children’s soccer games and board meetings, to chemotherapy sessions and evenings around the dinner table. From there, we return to the gathered church, once again rehearsing the story, remembering who God has made us, singing and celebrating that identity. Liturgy that immerses the people of God in the rhythms of grace doesn’t merely train them for gospel-centered worship; it trains them for gospel-centered lives. ”
One of my favorite parts of our service is the Confession portion. Sunday mornings aren’t often thought of when it comes to confessing sin in our own lives, whether it’s our conscious sin, sin of omission, or sin we’ve experienced from others. Life is full of up’s and down’s and if we’re honest the down’s outweigh the up’s. Losing loved ones. Fear of failure. Sickness and medical treatments. Idol addiction. Anxiety over doing right from wrong. Messing up. As we gather on Sunday mornings we have the opportunity to remember, confess, and lament over the broken state of our world. We don’t ignore the problems of the world or just try to forget them. Rather, we confront them and weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15). We confess and lament and turn to Jesus, who experienced all the brokenness we feel. Rather than running away, He invites us to repent and believe and run toward our gracious, kind, healing Savior.
“Triumph in this life is always partial and only temporary, whether in churches or in the lives of individuals. Eventually, disease, age, or tragedy will catch us. We may be ninety or we may be twenty, but it will surely come. How are we preparing for that encounter?
What the church needs isn’t empty promises of success in exchange for faith and tithing, but a gospel message that assures us that suffering is purposeful and that we have a God who is present in our suffering.”
This Sunday we are introducing a song of lament entitled, “The Kingdom is Yours.” It’s a song of lament and hope, reminding us of the beatitudes spoken by Jesus. It’s a reminder that because of the fall we will experience hardship and suffering. Yet, God is still at work even in our pain and suffering. Take a listen and join us as we lament over the state of our world together as a family.
The Kingdom is Yours
Verse 1
Blessed are the ones who do not bury
All the broken pieces of their heart
Blessed are the tears of all the weary
Pouring like a sky of falling stars
Verse 2
Blessed are the wounded ones in mourning
Brave enough to show the Lord their scars
Blessed are the hurts that are not hidden
Open to the healing touch of God
Chorus
The kingdom is yours, the kingdom is yours
Hold on a little more, this is not the end
Hope is in the Lord, keep your eyes on him
Verse 3
Blessed are the ones who walk in kindness
Even in the face of great abuse
Blessed are the deeds that go unnoticed
Serving with unguarded gratitude
Verse 4
Blessed are the ones who fight for justice
Longing for the coming day of peace
Blessed is the soul that thirsts for righteousness
Welcoming the last, the lost, the least
Verse 5
Blessed are the ones who suffer violence
And still have strength to love their enemies
Blessed is the faith of those who persevere
Though they fall, they'll never know defeat
Written by Terrell Wilson (BMI), Brittney Spencer (BMI), Micah Massey (ASCAP), Aaron Keyes (ASCAP)
© 2017 Common Hymnal Digital (BMI), The Wilson Songbook Publishing (BMI), BSpencer Publishing (BMI), Common Hymnal Publishing (ASCAP), 10000 Fathers (ASCAP) (admin by CapitolCMGPublishing.com). CCLI 7109354.