Today's Lectionary TextJeremiah 8:22/UMH #375Sometime I feel discouraged,/ and think my works in vain But then the Holy Spirit/ Revives my soul again.There is a balm in Gilead/ to make the wounded whole There is a balm in Gilead/ to heal the sinsick soul.  Today's Devotional
At night I wear an inflexible hard plastic brace on my right hand to keep my pinkie and ring finger straight. When I get up I gladly rip that brace right off, squirt some lotion on my pinkie, and rub the surgical scar. That feels so good! The lotion is a balm. It brings comfort to my hand, and it soothes my spirit.
African-Americans found life demandingly hard so they created songs as they worked, using “words dealing with [their] daily pain and future hope,” according to Robert J. Morgan in Then Sings My Soul. These songs became a balm for the singers, describing what got them through each day in the words of spirituals like “There is a Balm in Gilead” (quoted above). What got them through was the Holy Spirit, God present with them. They were soothed and comforted by that presence. Each of us likely has at least one balm that brings comfort to hard or discouraging or lonely days. It could be music, physical activity, quiet stillness, a candle burning, the presence of friends, a hug. What brings awareness of God’s compassionate presence surrounding us and soothing our souls will be different for each of us. When such a balm is applied something powerful happens. With renewed strength we can complete our work, with each of us working at different tasks. Although the tasks are different they always include moving out into the world and sharing God’s love. Today, this hurting and desperate world needs a daily dose of balm. We must describe to others just what God’s amazing love is, telling the world by our words and our actions that such love is never-ending, does not cost anything, and will bring wholeness, healing, and hope. In what ways can we each be balm-bearers to the world? With whom will we get to share the balm? Won’t it be fun to discover the answer to these questions today? -Rev. Dianne Tombaugh, retired
dtombaugh@greatplainsumc.org Prayer for ReflectionHoly One, With your presence we are comforted and find hope. Strengthen us to use that hope to bring healing to a hurting world. Amen.
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