Sermon - 11-13-22

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Religion

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Today, Tammy Heilman gets what she purchased at our Raise the Roof Silent Auction. Today, she, and all of you, get a five-minute sermon!! So, because I only have five minutes, I am going to get right to the point. Today’s gospel was not written to predict the end of time! It is an apocalyptic reading and it was written to help people stay faithful and live with a sense of courage, hope, and comfort when they were facing times of great anguish. These gospel words were written in the late 80s for early Gentile Christian communities facing persecution and times of great suffering. In this reading, Jesus seems to be communicating a message that says suffering becomes an opportunity for testimony, and God will supply the words that need to be said. He says suffering provides an opportunity for those who have been changed to really tell of their hope in the depth of their struggle. Such hope bears witness to the God who is deeply present in the depth of suffering and pain. So, today I share a story, just one example of such testimony and reliance on hope and God’s presence in the depth of great suffering. This story tells of the witness of African American musician, Thomas Dorsey, who was the composer of the well-loved hymn, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” Through this hymn that has become a gift to the world, Dorsey shares remarkable testimony that was born out of loss, grief, and chaos. Born in Georgia in 1899, Dorsey was the son of a Baptist minister and he became a prolific African American songwriter and gospel and blues musician. As an adult, he moved to Chicago where he found work as a piano player in churches, theaters, and clubs. He struggled to support his family by balancing his work between playing in clubs and churches. But, he ultimately devoted his work exclusively to the church. In August of 1932, Dorsey left his pregnant wife in Chicago and traveled to be the featured sol

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