WORSHIP
By MATTHEW RUFFNER
God is big enough for all of it S h a re yo u r h o n est a n ge r a n d h o n est pa i n
Y
ou have an early mee ting, y ou r a la r m c l ock goe s off a t a n u n g o d l y h o u r, y o u hit snooze three times, and by t h e t i m e y o u fi n a l l y c r aw l o u t o f be d , y ou a r e 1 0 min u te s be h i nd s c he d u le . You ru s h to ge t re a dy, p u t y ou r s h oe s on as you pour your coffee, and reach into the refrigerator to grab the milk f o r y o u r c o f f e e . Yo u s n a t c h i t out of the fridge, expecting it t o b e f u ll, b u t i t ’s empty, an d it almost flies out of your hand. You discover someone has le f t a millimeter of milk in the bottom f o r y o u . C o m e O N ! S E R I O US LY, y o u t h i n k ! B u t y o u ’ v e h a d this argument before. You know w h e r e i t w i l l e n d . T h e y d i d n’ t “technically” drink ALL of the m i l k. Have y ou e ve r be e n th e re?! I h a v e n’ t ; I c o m p l e t e l y m a d e that up. We can joke about those moments now because we can see c l e a rl y a f t er a b i t of d is tan ce . O h , i t ’s o b v i o u s t o u s n o w that it ’s not about the milk. It ’s not about who drank the last o f i t , o r t h e o n e w h o f o r go t t o buy more of it, or about who s p i l l e d i t , or w h o a l ways cle an s it up! It ’s ne ver about the milk. Ins tead, the milk is the vehicle, the release valve, the object that points toward deeper feelings we ’ ve b e en c a r r y i n g — fru s trat i o n , g r i e f, r e s e n t m e n t , s t r e s s , helplessness and yes, even anger. My friend Katie says, “Anger is like a signpost — it tells us something is off — or out of balance.” Our differing faith traditions
28
prestonhollow.advocatemag.com
inv ite u s in our uniq ue ways to bring it all to G od. It all belongs. Give voice to your pain, sorrow, hope and lament! God is big e n ou gh for al l of it. The past 18 months have been difficult in a myriad of ways for us as a people. But, like everyone who has journeyed through the wilderness of exile, we have had to merely sur vive and advance. Now that we have a bit of distance, have you considered how you have fared? This month, take time to consider how you have fared and reconsider all you have been through. Be honest with yourself and with G od. And let your answer to that question be your prayer each day. The good news is this: When we lament honestly and lift it to God, it is one of the most faithful things we can do. Offering our honest anger and our honest pain is a sign of hope. It’s a way of proclaiming that we believe that there is a better vision of the world, that there is a possibility that things can and should be different. In God, lament becomes hope. With great hope, Matthew
WORSHIP BAPTIST PARK CITIES BAPTIST CHURCH / 3933 Northwest Pky / pcbc.org
Bible Study 9:15 / Worship Services 10:45 Traditional, Contemporary, Spanish Speaking / 214.860.1500 ROYAL LANE BAPTIST CHURCH / 6707 Royal Lane / 214.361.2809
Christian Education 9:45 a.m. / Worship Service 10:55 a.m. Interim Pastor - Rev. Dr. Stephen Graham / www.royallane.org WILSHIRE BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100
Pastor George A. Mason / Worship at 9 & 11 a.m. Sunday School at 10 a.m. / wilshirebc.org
PRESBYTERIAN PARK CITIES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH/ 4124 Oak Lawn Ave Sunday Worship 9:00 & 11:00 A.M. To all this church opens wide her doors - pcpc.org SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
REV. MATTHEW RUFFNER is the Senior Pastor at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church. He is a husband to Sarah Ruffner and a father of two. You can follow Matthew on Instagram at @thisismatthewruffner and visit PHPC. org to watch the church’s live stream and listen to sermons. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
NOVEMBER 2021
