Throughout the season of Advent, we’ll have a weekday reflection based on suggested scriptures from a great resource entitled The Common Rule. You can find a calendar of the daily readings here.

Psalm 130 is a psalm of ascent. It is a psalm that is given to be sung as worshipers walk up to Mt. Zion, to the temple. Yet, it starts off not with a note of joy but of sadness. Out of the depths, we cry to God. We hope in God. I think this psalm tells us that it is not until we realize that life is imperfect, that we are imperfect that we have reason to hope. This world can fool us into falling into the trap of false perfection, yet everyone is hurting and imperfect. When we cry from depths, when realize the imperfection around us and in us, it is then that we can begin to have hope.

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Good morning. It’s a pleasure to be with you on this Tuesday morning as we enter the final week before Christmas. In just one week, we’ll be preparing for the 12 days of Christmas, leading up to Epiphany. As Advent draws to a close, today’s focus remains on hope, expectation, and longing.

The selected reading for today is one of my favorite Psalms, Psalm 130. I recently read it during our Blue Christmas service at St. Matthew’s. Allow me to share it with you: “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, that you may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word, I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is great power to redeem. It is He who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.”

My initial encounter with Psalm 130 was in the late 1990s during my time as a camp counselor at Twin Lakes Camp near Jackson, Florence. This camp, owned by First Pres Jackson, left a lasting impression on me with its meaningful Bible studies and worship sessions. As a relatively new Christian at the time, the experience helped shape my understanding of theology and beliefs.

What stood out to me during those two summers at Twin Lakes was the opportunity to meet many friends and engage in worship through beautiful praise songs, many of which were Psalms set to music. Psalm 130, in particular, became a favorite of mine. Interestingly, it is classified as a “Song of Ascents,” traditionally sung while ascending the temple steps in preparation for worship.

Unlike the typical Songs of Ascents that focus on uplifting themes, Psalm 130 begins with a cry for help: “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.” It acknowledges pain, hurt, fear, and despair. This psalm reminds us that worship isn’t always marked by joy; sometimes, it involves bringing discouragement and hurt into our worship.

In exploring the theme of hope, it’s essential to recognize that those who have everything may lack something to hope for. A comfortable and perfect life may inadvertently discourage the pursuit of a deeper connection with Jesus. Psalm 130 challenges the notion of presenting a facade of perfection in our Christian lives. The Psalms, as worship songs, embrace the full range of human emotions—sin, repentance, confession, brokenness, and the need for forgiveness.

As we approach Christmas, there may be pressure to create the perfect holiday experience. However, the imperfections in our lives provide space for the Spirit of God to work. Embracing our brokenness allows us to genuinely cry out to God, and it is in these moments that we often find Him most present.

This week, amid the expectations of a perfect Christmas, let’s focus on doing our best, being faithful, and expressing love to our family, God, church, and neighbors. In imperfection, God is often most with us, as it is in those moments of vulnerability that we are most willing to seek and find Him.

Thank you for joining us for today’s Advent reading. We have a few more days of Advent before embarking on our next adventure in God’s Word. Have a great day.