By Beth Ferguson, Lay Leader and Member to the Annual Conference. 8 All you nations, bless our God! Let the sound of his praise be heard!9 God preserved us among the living; he didn’t let our feet slip a bit. 10 But you, God, have tested us— you’ve refined us like silver,11 trapped us in a net, laid burdens on our backs,12 let …
By Beth Ferguson, Lay Leader and Member to the Annual Conference. Lord, hear my prayer! Let my cry reach you!2 Don’t hide your face from me in my time of trouble!Listen to me! Answer me quickly as I cry out!3 Because my days disappear like smoke, my bones are burned up as if in an oven;4 my heart is smashed like dried-up …
By Beth Ferguson, Lay Leader and Member to the Annual Conference. I take refuge in you, Lord. Please never let me be put to shame. Rescue me by your righteousness!2 Listen closely to me! Deliver me quickly; be a rock that protects me; be a strong fortress that saves me!3 You are definitely my rock and my fortress. Guide me and lead me for …
By Beth Ferguson, Lay Leader and Member to the Annual Conference. Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth!2 Serve the Lord with celebration! Come before him with shouts of joy!3 Know that the Lord is God— he made us; we belong to him.[a] We are his people, the sheep of his own pasture.4 Enter his gates with thanks; enter his courtyards with praise! Thank him! Bless his name!5 Because …
By Beth Ferguson, Lay Leader and Member to the Annual Conference. Praise the Lord! Those who honor the Lord, who adore God’s commandments, are truly happy!2 Their descendants will be strong throughout the land. The offspring of those who do right will be blessed;3 wealth and riches will be in their houses. Their righteousness stands forever.4 They shine in the dark for others who …
By Beth Ferguson, Lay Leader and Member to the Annual Conference. Psalm 23 is so familiar to all of us, even for those who are not regular church-goers. It is read at funerals so frequently that we sometimes think it is about dying. In fact, it is about God’s care for all of God’s children …
By Beth Ferguson, Lay Leader and Member to the Annual Conference. Psalm 134 is a traveling Psalm, one of 15 beginning with Psalm 120 and ending with Psalm 134. This series of Psalms were sung by pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover. Picture the travelers, whole communities walking together to get to the holy …
By Beth Ferguson, Lay Leader and Member to the Annual Conference. Psalm 15 is probably an entry Psalm, for the beginning or worship. Who can come into God’s temple? Right now, no one can. The Psalm lists the qualities that we need to be God’s people. We are God’s people when we are worshipping at …
By Beth Ferguson, Lay Leader and Member to the Annual Conference. Psalm 116 is a Psalm of gratitude. God loves us and walks beside us throughout our lives in sickness and in health. God loves us and walks with us when our loved ones are ill or struggling. God loves us and walks with us …
By Beth Ferguson, Lay Leader and Member to the Annual Conference. Psalm 114 recalls the Exodus, the time when God rescued God’s people from their difficulties. It is a celebration of God’s grace and mercy when life becomes difficult. When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, God sent Moses to bring them out. When they …