To Comfort All Who Mourn

Read the text from Isaiah 61 here.

There is a lot of mourning going on in our world today. And the Spirit of the Lord is upon us to provide for those who mourn. To bring a garland instead of ashes, to anoint with oil to soothe mourning, to offer praise that lifts the heaviness." The Spirit of the Lord is upon us.

The Spirit of the Lord was upon the prophet and then Jesus claimed the same Spirit of the Lord to be upon him and we believe we have been given this same Spirit of the Lord, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. She blew through the halls of the waiting disciples at Pentecost. She transformed their communication to strangers. And she continues to sustain us today as the Body of Christ in the world. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us to comfort all who mourn. There is a lot of mourning going on in our world today.

The British journalist killed in Yemen.
The Somali security personnel killed by a car bomb meant for a United Nations convoy
The 36 innocent workers executed in Kenya
The Arab-Jewish school that was set on fire

Hospitals and Funerals and Illness and Divorce and the list goes on. There is a lot of mourning going on in our world. The one thing that remains a constant in comforting those who mourn is listening. Listening to stories. Listening to tears. Listening to silence together. The main ingredient in comfort is presence. Our presence amidst grief, brokenness, hurt, tears, fear, or mistrust is the balm for those who mourn. Our presence is what hosts the Spirit of the Lord. Our presence is what enacts the Body of Christ. Our presence is what God had in mind when sending Jesus into the world. Our presence has become God's presence through the work and power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us.

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