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MEDITATION:

Submitted by the Village Church Mission Commission.

Psalm 137:1,4. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion… How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?

Do you hear in the poignant words of this ancient psalm the lament of the Israelites, the exiles, the refugees? Do you see the despair on the faces of those who have lost their homeland and have nowhere to turn, who look for solace, but cannot bring themselves to sing the Lord’s song?

In San Diego County we do not have far to look to find those whose lives have been uprooted by war, by violence, by turmoil. They come to us seeking a place of safety, of asylum, and a chance to rebuild their lives. Jesus said to take care of the strangers in our midst. At Village Church, we take this command seriously. Our Mission Commission has built relationships with two local organizations who welcome asylum seekers. These are Safe Harbors and the Alliance for African Assistance. In the last two years, we have helped them resettle Afghan and Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers from other countries.  We invite you to pray for and think about how you can help the exiles on our doorstep. Join with us in helping those who flee to us for shelter to “sing the Lord’s song in a strange land.”

PRAYER:

Written by David Platt, a contemporary pastor and author.

In this foreign land, in these difficult days, God, we pray that you would draw us closer to yourself. That you would make our worship life even more rich and more full as a result of being taken out of that which is normal. We ask these things because we know you desire them. We know your desire to show yourself strong on behalf of your people, to provide for your people. And we praise you for that. We praise you for your grace. And we just say together, we don’t want to miss it. We want to draw closer to you today. So, help us to sing your song in a foreign land, in difficult days. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.