Fr Robert Hendrickson

Dear Friends in Christ,

Writing this on Saturday, the morning prayer lectionary gives us this from the Psalm:

“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, 
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea.”

For those troubled by the election it is a reminder that God’s faithfulness endures from age to age. For those elated by the election it is a reminder that God’s faithfulness endures from age to age. 

It is a reminder that though we might get caught up in the struggles and anxieties of the day we live and move and have our being in the God who inhabits eternity. His call is not one of the minute or of the hour. His call is to fix our hope where true joy is to be found. 

This does not mean that the struggles of the day are meaningless. Quite the contrary. Each generation must find its own way to serve and follow that call. Each generation renews its side of the covenant by faithfully seeking and serving Christ. But our anxieties for one outcome or another are one line in one chapter of that ageless covenant between God and creation. 

We will find ourselves faced with troubles that seem as insurmountable as the mountains and differences as vast as the depths of the sea. But we are called not to fear but to be still. We are called to be centered in Christ so that his strength becomes our own. In that stillness we can hear the voice which calls across eternity. 

The chaos and noise of the day are dizzying. A blizzard of distraction and division will surely come our way. But it is in the midst of that when we are to remember our refuge and strength. We are to remember that present help in our troubles. 

Whether we are plunged into the depths of despair, elated with the heady feel of winning, or just numb from it all, it is time for us to be still. It is time for us to breath and then breath again. 

We will pray. We will serve. We will worship. We will act. And we will not fear. 

We must do it all not because our fear is so great or our anger so blinding. We must do it because our love is so deep and our faith so clear-sighted. We must be still now. For a moment. We must be still so we can remember where our strength comes from and then be ready to act without fear. 

Yours in Christ,

—Fr Robert