Pastor Chris Seay continues our mini-series centered around navigating setbacks and disappointment; seeking guidance from the story of Joseph. On multiple occasions, Joseph’s circumstances changed dramatically and suddenly, but he nevertheless continued to walk and trust in a path of faithfulness.
The Worship Table: Online Liturgy
Live Teaching Podcast
Scripture & Quotes
Genesis 39: 1-23
“This above all, to refuse to be a victim. Unless I can do that, I can do nothing.”
—Margaret Atwood
“You’ll never fully understand until it’s your father who dies from cancer way too early,
Until you’ve grown up in abject poverty,
Until your teenage daughter tells you she’s pregnant,
Until your gay son ends his life because he’s terrified to tell you,
Until it’s your innocent brother or sister of color who is shot and killed,
Until you’ve lost you best friends in active war-zones,
Until you’ve numbed and medicated yourself long enough to escape your demons,
Until loneliness gets the better of you,
Until it’s your wife who leaves,
Until your child is gunned down in the classroom,
Until everything you’ve given your life for is taken away,
Until the bullies come for you,
Until it’s you that goes bankrupt,
Until you’re heartbroken,
Perhaps we don’t know as much as we think we do,
More humility, not less,
Better listeners, less talkers,
Less reactionary, more contemplative,
Because my journey isn’t your journey, and yours isn’t mine.
So maybe, just maybe, if we open our hearts and minds
We have something to teach one another.
These things have an innate ability to reconfigure our way of thinking.
We have a story to tell.
So get comfortable, that means we all have a world of stories to listen to as well.”
— David Meyers
Reflection
Pastor Chris made the following suggestions on ways to break a cycle of self-pity. Which might God be inviting you to address in the days ahead?
Take ownership and responsibility
Keep looking forward
Practice saying “no”
Stop blaming
See the ways you overreact
Be kind to yourself
Turn your focus to helping others
Practice gratitude