We have been working through Ecclesiastes at North Church. It has been really hard because the book is very dark and depressing. Solomon is terribly redundant by saying that everything is meaningless. As I am honest with the text and with myself it leaves me in a dark place as I study to prepare to preach it.

Many times when studying or when I lay down to sleep or when I prepare to go to work or when I speak to my wife and children, I find myself asking why? I ask why on deep and on surface levels. When I lay down to sleep, I ask, "Why did I do what I did today?" When I correct or speak to my kids I ask, "Why am I doing what I am doing as a parent? What am I teaching my kids and how is this going to impact them?"

I stress over my kids, my family, the election, my church, the people who go to my church, the things that the people that go to my church stress over, my weekly sermon, stuff at the office that is left undone, what people at the office think of me and the job that I am doing, the future of North Church. Ecclesiastes leads me to think dark thoughts about these things and the stress that they bring to me.

As I prepare to preach the verses that I will preach this week, I note that they are especially dark and they remind me of my situation. Each of the things that I listed above that bring stress to me are pressing in presently. My mind reals and so I try to pray, but my disheveled mind goes back to carrying that stress like a super heavy backpack, even as I pray.

Then I am reminded of Psalm 131. Three short verses. These three verses are nourishment to my soul. Just as I am being nourished by it, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" pops up on my study playlist.

We serve a faithful God. I would like to invite you to come and explore these ideas with us at 10:00 am this week at North Church (660 Charbonier in Florissant).