First United Methodist Church

Service Times

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What’s Next? Visioning Event Reflection from Pastor Rachel

On Sunday night, 120 of us gathered in the Mathias Family Life Center Gym for an Interactive Visioning Session. We gathered to pray, eat, fellowship, and cast vision for the future. Before I even begin telling you all the ways I saw God at work this evening, I want to thank the team that put it all together. Not only is there a Steering Team that is the engine behind this, but there were many helpers who made the tables, food, atmosphere, and swag possible. I am always blown away by the people in this church who love to serve and help bring people together, and many hands were needed. Thank you to those who came early and stayed late so that this event was possible and a time of unity and dreaming together.

After arriving on Sunday night, we were seated at different tables that were diverse and well mixed. The hope was that you could get to know someone new and hear a different story. At each table, there was a name tag, like at a wedding reception, and a centerpiece filled with Publix subs, fruit, and cookies, as well as a swag bag with items that will help us pray and center ourselves on our next steps as a church. Where I really saw God that evening was at our tables, where honest stories and memories were shared. As we sat at our table, eating and getting to know each other on a deeper level, I heard stories about why this is the church that one person has been coming to since he was a child, or another person is attending because it reminds her of her church back home, or how the defining moment for another individual was the care they received after the passing of a parent. As we listened, shared, celebrated, and laughed, I heard the Spirit saying, “What’s Next?” What is next is indeed the question for this season. As we celebrate 140 years of mission and ministry in the Winter Park community, what might God be calling us toward next?

You might recall that last year, we hosted Home Meetings and heard about the challenges and joys we have faced as the First United Methodist Church of Winter Park. And then, the Strategy Team met on a monthly, if not bi-weekly, basis to dream about our next strategy that will move us forward, naming that we have already moved through a pandemic and denominational division. I hope by now you have heard that the Strategy Team came up with three focus areas:

  • Neighbor Well to Share Christ

  • Deepen Connections to Build Disciples

  • Steward Our Resources for God’s Kingdom

And after months of a sermon series, marketing and devotional materials, and realignment of budget, we are now at the beginning of the Capital Campaign journey. While it won’t launch officially until August, Sunday night was all about prioritizing what our focus should be and what our “WHY” will be as we raise funds over and above our operating budget for the next two years.

While talking about money isn’t always a favorite topic of mine, we need to steward our gifts and resources for God’s Kingdom to continue to grow and be lived out incarnationally through each of us here at First United Methodist Church of Winter Park.

In the coming months, there will be more opportunities to engage in this priority conversation, and we hope you will consider joining us. On Sunday, August 17, at 5:30 p.m., we will gather for a Stakeholders Event, and we would love your help and your attendance. In the meantime, be in prayer for us—your pastors and lay leadership teams—that we will clearly hear what God is calling us to do next. Pray that God’s Spirit gives us the conviction and courage to prioritize people over preferences and to know that God is with us every step of the way. Below you will see a document compiled from the robust conversations from the various groups on Sunday night.

– Pastor Rachel

End of Week Reflection: Student Ministry DC Trip!

Did you miss our mid-week update? Catch up here.

Wednesday dawned early with a nutritious breakfast at Chick-fil-a. (lol) Muchas gracias to the NaviJAYtor for leading us again on the metro trains to Union Station. Students wanted to arrive early to rehearse their scripts for our congressional meetings on Wednesday afternoon. Aimee was surprised that we were there early and impressed that students made the decision to take the time for extra rehearsal. Aimee listened to each student as they practiced and offered encouragement and feedback.

After a quick lunch, we paused for prayer in the hallway of the Russell Senate Office Building before proceeding to Senator Ashley Moody’s office. Students were on point with their professionalism, kindness and clarity of message in their meeting with Gianmarco Herrera, Legislative Correspondent for the Senator. To the students – Jay, Stella, Owen, Curran, Caleb and Jacqueline – to say the adults in the room felt proud of you is a tremendous understatement. You killed it.

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Because of the heat, we requested an escort through the tunnels over to the House of Representatives side of the Capitol. (If you are reading this, please, someone ask Keaton Wood how he liked the train under the Capitol.) We met with Representative Maxwell Frost, and the students, again, nailed it with their demeanor and clarity. After this eventful day, we spent time together in fellowship, celebration and scripture that evening.

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Thursday, we spent time having fun together and supporting one another through multiple roller coaster rides at Six Flags just outside of DC. Some of us were excited to ride anything and everything and others were not too sure. Throughout the day students encouraged each other to try a new coaster and understood without judgment when someone said no.

Our last day in DC, we started with a walk to the White House and then over to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. We spent a full morning there, contemplating our country’s history of slavery and learning about black Americans’ significant contributions to art, music, sports, military and more. The conversation continued over a late lunch and then some time to relax together that evening.

For our last devotional time, Keaton shared an affirmation practice. One by one, we affirmed one another, ranging from affirmations about great sourdough and creative nicknames to thankfulness for sharing genuine prayers and abilities to ask the hard questions. After this beautiful hour, Pastor Jared prepared communion for the group. We served one another in a circle, ending where we began.

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Our group was 10 strong. Four adults and six students. Some might say we didn’t really need that many adults. That’s probably true. This ratio, though, made deeper connections possible between adults and students. One theme throughout the week was the students’ gratefulness for the investment we made in them. We were able to hold one on one conversation, to notice when someone might be feeling upset or frustrated and to listen without distraction when a student needed to share. It was quite a wonderful trip.

From the adults, Jared, Victoria, Keaton and Seiche…Thank you, church, for your prayers and encouragement. Thank you, Marcy Trust, for granting financial support. Thank you, parents, for trusting us with your precious children. This journey was discipleship in action. And all the youth respond…Bet.

Devotion: People of Hope

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when we look around at the world today. conflicts in culture and even the church can often feel like battlegrounds: loud, divisive, exhausting. Fear seems to be the default tone. Anger spreads faster than understanding. Discouragement feels like the safest emotion to settle into.

But as followers of Jesus, we are not called to mirror the tone of the world. We are called to bear witness to something deeper, something eternal. Not optimism or wishful thinking, but hope. Real, rooted hope in the One who is making all things new.

The early Christians in Rome had every reason to be afraid. They were a small, misunderstood community living in the shadow of a massive empire. Rome demanded loyalty, celebrated power, and tolerated no rival kings. The culture around them glorified status, conquest, power, and control, everything the gospel of Jesus seemed to turn upside down. To proclaim Jesus as Lord in that environment wasn’t just countercultural, it was dangerous. It meant aligning with a kingdom not built by violence, but by mercy. Not rooted in fear, but in love.

And yet, to that community, Paul wrote these words:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 (NRSVUE)

This hope isn’t manufactured, it’s a gift of the Spirit. And it’s not meant to be hidden. It’s meant to shape how we talk, how we listen, how we love, and how we show up in every space, including the complicated and wearying world we live in.

Reflection Question:

Where can we be people of hope in a world of fear, anger, and discouragement?

Mid-Week from DC: Teens, Trains, and Testimonies

Despite a 2-hour flight delay on Saturday, students and chaperones arrived in Washington, DC in high spirits and looking forward to the week. We met a woman named Latrice while grocery shopping and shared a prayer with her. After some conversation, the youth decided to help Latrice pay for her groceries—something she had asked for help with. That evening, the whole group “locked in” for a series of scripture readings, prayer, and reflection questions led by 11th grader Caleb Sims. (And if you don’t know what “lock in” means, ask one of the youth.)

On Sunday, we navigated the Metro train and bus and happened to meet a couple named Ben and Terry at the bus stop. At the Washington National Cathedral, we learned that Ben and Terri had lived in Orlando for 15 years and recently moved to DC to be near their son. Ben wants to move back to Orlando (but we don’t think Terri does. 😉). We also learned that they are members of the National Cathedral congregation and joyfully welcomed us to worship.

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After grabbing lunch at a local grocery store, we shared a picnic on the Cathedral grounds, then spent the afternoon at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. That evening, students shared their reflections on the visit, along with a devotion and prayer led by Caleb.

On Monday and Tuesday, we joined Aimee Hong at the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society. Aimee led us in two days of workshops on mercy and justice, advocacy, and legislation affecting economic poverty and food insecurity. She also helped us prepare for meetings on Wednesday with Senator Ashley Moody and Representative Maxwell Frost. On Tuesday night, we had a working dinner where students reviewed and rehearsed their questions for our representation and the advocacy topics they feel are most important to address.

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Another highlight of Monday and Tuesday has been 11th grader Jay Nielson becoming our map reader and navigator on the Metro train. It’s fitting that his new punny name is NaviJAYtor. Green Line to Greenbelt—our stop is Georgia Ave.

We leave this mid-week report with a real-time update: youth are writing thank-you notes to Aimee and continuing to plan their congressional meetings.

Stay tuned for more stories, reflections, and adventures as our students’ journey in DC continues!

Devotion: God of Majesty

They say, a picture is worth a thousand words and sometimes that it true, but over the last 10 days, I must have taken enough pictures to fill a book with my words and my stories. I just returned from the trip of a lifetime as my family and I sailed to parts of Alaska and British Colombia on a cruise. My parents are celebrating 50 years of marriage this March and so they have been planning this Alaskan adventure for all of us for several years and paid for our whole family to experience this with them. My sisters and their families went to and together we spent seven nights, eight days seeing the beauty of God’s world.

In Vancouver, we walked and played through Stanley Park and watched families of crabs scuttling around by the seashore. In Sitka, we took a whale watching tour and got to witness a mama Humpback teaching her calf how to hunt and stun the fish with her giant fluke. In Juneau, we rafted down the cold and murky waters of the Mendel Hall Glacier. Then in Prince Rupert we saw deer and sea otters and the most majestic foliage along the island coast. We were truly in awe of the beauty of God’s Creation once again. And it is on trips like these that I always come back feeling smaller as I stand in more amazement of what we have been given by God to call our home. Our children experienced it too and on the flight into Vancouver, Charlie, our seven-year old was taking pictures on his IPad out the plane window as the sun came down and he said to my husband, “Daddy, now I know why it is so important to you that we travel and see new things!” Buddy, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

I wanted you, my church family to know what a gift it was to get away. To rest and play and slow down, but mostly to see beautiful places with my family. It reminds me once again just how big God is and just how small I am. We worship a God that despite the grandness of God’s character, still cares about you and me. The same God that created the mountains and glaciers and seashore, loves and cares for us. This is amazing to me, because it once again puts things into perspective. I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but you won’t mess us God’s grand plan, you haven’t now, nor ever will be defined by what you haven’t done or have failed to do. You will not be limited by anything your hands can create or your brain can imagine, because in the end, our God is a God of majesty and beauty and that will be enough. Traveling always reminds me how small I am, how in need of God I am and how diverse this beautiful world can be. At Annual Conference this year, our guest speaker said that if you don’t like Diversity, you won’t like heaven and when I was traveling this past week, I saw so much of heaven on earth. For whatever reason, seeing how small I am, in relation to both Creation and Humanity is such a balm for my soul and a healing for my pride. Scripture says that we must decrease so that God can increase but that doesn’t mean that we shrink our belovedness, we only adjust our perspective. When we get outside ourselves, take ourselves less seriously, take the beauty of God’s world and God’s people seriously, we decrease so that God can increase.

The beginning of Psalm 8 sums it up like this:

O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.
    Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
    to silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are humans that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them?

My prayer for us this season is to remember how small we are and how big God really is. If we slow down enough, if we turn off the noise, if we go for a walk near the lake or the beach, we will see that the majestic name of the Lord is in everything and that same God wants to know us, love us, transform us and transform the world too. The question is, are we focused on the right things? Are we the center of our own stories or is God? When we consider the works of God, may we stand in awe of the small part we get to play in God’s grand story of love.

AMEN

Devotion: The Way of the Exile

By Rev. Philip Allred

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” —Jeremiah 29:7 (NRSVUE)

Sometimes it feels like we no longer recognize the land we live in. The culture shifts. Values drift. Faith is misunderstood or even dismissed. In seasons like this, it’s tempting to cling tighter to power, to demand that our beliefs be enforced from the top down. But Scripture offers us a better way.

In The Bible Project’s video, “The Way of the Exile,” (Please watch this video below), we’re reminded that God’s people have often lived as strangers in foreign lands; far from the centers of power, far from comfort and control. And yet, time and again, God called them to be faithful, not forceful. To seek the good of their neighbors, not dominate them. To live holy lives that reflect God’s character, not mimic the empires around them.

This way of living might seem passive, but it’s not. It’s deeply rooted in trust; a trust that God is still at work even when we are not in charge. It’s bold in its gentleness, powerful in its humility, and transformative in its witness.

In a time when some call for Christians to “take back” the nation, maybe God is calling us to something deeper: to live faithfully, to love generously, and to embody the presence of Christ wherever we are planted.

What if we lived not as conquerors, but as compassionate exiles? Not as cultural warriors, but as faithful witnesses?

That might just be the better way.

Prayer:
God of every nation and land,
Teach us to live as your people wherever we find ourselves.
Help us resist the pull toward fear and control,
And instead embrace the humble, hopeful path of your kingdom.
Let our witness reflect your love,
So that others might see Jesus in us.
Amen.

Devotion: Honoring the Past, Embracing the Future

Dear Church Family,

I want to share something meaningful with you.

This week, I’m officially joining the United Methodist Church as a pastor. Thank you, Pastor Rachel, for your kind words last week. By the way, I’m not going anywhere. I’m still here, serving alongside you all. What’s changing is my denominational home. After a long season of prayer and discernment, I’m surrendering my credentials as an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene and transferring into the United Methodist Church.

This decision comes from deep reflection, personal wrestling, and shared listening to God’s leading as a family. It hasn’t been quick or easy. But it has been faithful. Over time, I’ve found myself drawn more and more to the heart of the UMC, especially in four key ways:

  1. I’m drawn to the UMC’s deep Wesleyan roots.
    John Wesley’s vision of discipleship, growing in love of God and neighbor through spiritual practices, community, and service, continues to shape the church in powerful ways. In the UMC, I’ve found a denomination that doesn’t just talk about grace but lives it out in personal and communal ways.
  2. I’m moved by the UMC’s commitment to both personal and social holiness.
    This is not a church that separates faith from action. The UMC’s historical and ongoing work for justice, equity, and compassion resonates deeply with me. I believe in a Church that cares not just about individual salvation. It also cares about the transformation of the world, beginning with the most vulnerable.
  3. I believe in a Church that creates space for difference.
    We don’t all have to agree to walk together. The UMC’s efforts to remain rooted in Scripture while welcoming a diversity of voices and experiences speak to my heart. I believe in a Church that chooses unity over uniformity: a community that values relationships more than rigid agreement. That kind of love takes courage, but it’s the kind of love that reflects the heart of Christ.
  4. I’m attracted to the idea that EVERYONE is invited to the table.
    In the United Methodist Church, the communion table is open. No conditions, no prerequisites, no litmus tests. Just an invitation. That speaks volumes to me. It reflects the heart of Jesus, who shared meals with outcasts, sinners, and saints alike. I believe the Church is at its best when it makes room for all: those with questions, those who have been hurt, and those who have felt unseen. That’s the kind of love we want to extend as a family. A love that welcomes, listens, and makes space.

Of course, alongside hope, there is also grief. Leaving the Church of the Nazarene, a denomination that has shaped my family’s life and ministry in beautiful ways, is not an easy decision. We’re thankful for the Nazarene churches that welcomed us, the mentors who guided us, and the relationships that helped us grow. We’ll always be grateful for our first church family. But it is time to say goodbye.

Jon Foreman’s song Eulogy has been in my heart during this season:

“Every day I write the eulogy
For everything I used to be
I’m still aiming for a better me
I am the mosaic of a shattered man
Broken and becoming, broken and becoming who I am.”

These words capture something important for me. We honor the past. We step forward in love. And we move with hope into what’s next.

That’s the kind of Church my family and I want to serve: a Church that forms disciples of Jesus Christ who are empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections. That’s the vision we’re stepping into.

We are moving forward with open hearts and love for ALL, feeling hopeful about the future, and deeply grateful for the grace we’ve received through Christ Jesus that has brought us to this point.

Unity, Grace, and Love,
Pastor Philip

Devotion: It’s Time to Celebrate

Today I wanted our devotion to focus on celebration! Mostly today, I wanted to celebrate Pastor Philip, my colleague in ministry and friend. It has been on my heart recently to do a better job at celebrating the work of this church and the ministry that we participate in and so today I want to tell you a little more about the work of Pastor Philip and the new chapter he is entering.

Back in early 2021, as we were still navigating COVID, we had some amazing pastors leaving all for good reasons. One pastor was heading to Lakeland, to pastor his own church, another pastor was heading to Melbourne to work with a church that was near and dear to his family’s heart, another pastor was leaving to follow his wife to medical school in North Carolina. And this was all happening at the same time. That left Pastor David, Pastor Craig and myself. In the summer of 2021, Pastor David had an already scheduled and approved three month renewal leave and I was left in charge. But before he left, Craig and I got to meet, Philip, a pastor from another denomination that had relocated here with his wife Stacey and son, Elijah. Through God’s provision and the connections in the United Methodist church, Philip came to First United Methodist Church at a time that was in the middle of transition and a bit of grief, and he brought joy, positivity and a desire to love the people. I didn’t realize it then, but Philip was the gift we were waiting for as a church and as a Pastoral Team.

If you didn’t know, Pastor Philip, came to us from another denomination, and he has been an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene for 18 years. I tell you this because this has been a momentous time in the lives of the Allred family. This past month, Philip officially closed the chapter with this denomination of his childhood and early adulthood and come this Saturday, June 7th, he will be licensed as a local pastor at the Florida Annual Conference in Lakeland. If you want to join us in watching this holy service take place and to cheer Pastor Philip on from the TV or computer screen, as he is blessed to continue his work in ministry as a Licensed Local Pastor, we have included that link below.

I have been a United Methodist all my life, but my ordination process still took seven years. I say that because I want to express what a big part of Pastor Philip’s life will now be his licensing and commissioning work over the next few years. Not only did I have three years of a Master’s of Divinity degree, three years of a Probationary Period to train and learn, and two years of the response, “No, not yet,” from the Board of Ordained ministry, but I grew up as a cradle United Methodist. This has always been my family; you have always been my people. And Philip has the same qualifications, education and far more years of experience as an ordained pastor in our sister denomination. And in a way, he is starting over again. I imagine this took a lot of faith for him and Stacey to decide on, but I know that our God is faithful and I know that our God is good.

I want you to celebrate with me this big step that the Allreds are embracing this weekend and to celebrate with us and this church as we welcome another licensed local pastor of the United Methodist tradition into our embrace. Our church has had a long history of raising up pastors, teaching them and stretching them. We have had a rich history of young folks called in the ministry under our care and love. And on Saturday, we have done it again, with God’s help and I wanted you to know just how important this is.

I will close with this Scripture from Colossians, because I think it embodies the kind of person and the kind of pastor that Philip is to us. We often joke on staff about his energy and his love of singing, (trust me, Pastor Leah and I each share a work wall with him). But Philip is a force of joy, positivity, no fluff or fragile ego and one of empathy and life-long learning. I am thankful to be his colleague in ministry and I am celebrating all that God has done and will continue to do in his and his family’s life moving forward.

Colossians 3 tells us about being alive in Christ and then gives us this model with which to live with one another.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do,whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Please join me in watching and celebrating Pastor Philip’s licensing service this Saturday, June 7th at 10:30am. The link to live stream is below.

Devotion: Lost & Found

Last Sunday afternoon I was frantic to find Charlie’s backpack. If you didn’t know, Charlie has been playing Flag Football with a local League and they practice and play every Sunday afternoon at Lake Howell High School. The week before, Ryan had brough him home from the game and left his backpack and water bottle at the school track and field,  and after several calls and emails, I didn’t get any answer. Our son Charlie has LOVED Flag Football and he is on Team Thunder, which is perfect, because if you don’t know, Charlie is the kind of kid that you hear before you see. And so Team Thunder is so very appropriate for his loud voice. He wears cleats to play in and in the backpack was his pair of school shoes that are his favorite. All week long we limped by with different shoes, which to a seven-year-old is a travesty, but we made it work. And so, on this Sunday afternoon, I was determined to find this backpack, so help me God. And God helped me, that is for sure.

All game long I looked for it. I asked the coaches and the volunteers if they had seen it. No luck. I tried to find the groundskeeper, but again, no luck. And then this incredibly energetic woman on a golfcart wheels up as we are packing the car and is smiling at me. Her name is K. Johnson, and she said, “I heard you were looking for a backpack…” I shouted, “Yes, thank you so much!” I then did the happy dance. And then she said these words. “I have been driving around this field all afternoon long asking each person I saw, if this was their backpack, but I had no luck. I knew I would find the owner, but I just had to keep looking.”

And in that moment, I felt a profound sense that Jesus was there with us, not because of a stupid backpack or a pair of shoes, but because lost things, always have a way of being found.

I want to be like K. Johnson who tenaciously works to reconnect a lost thing back to where it belongs. I don’t know how long she went person by person in the heat that day, but isn’t that a picture of Christ? Taking each one of us who is lost and tenaciously asking around until they are home again? The Bible says it like this:

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.[11] 

12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.”

In the Parable of the Wandering Sheep from Matthew 18, Jesus never gives up looking for us and in fact prioritizes the lost one over the 99 already found sheep. This sometimes makes those in the “IN” crowd of Church a bit frustrated because we want attention and care too. But what stood out to me that day as K. Johnson shared how much she cared was her determination to find us, the owners. And I thought about how the church could be a little bit more like K. Johnson that became bold enough and tenacious enough to go person by person, space by space and help those who were lost to find their way back to God. If you have ever been lost, you know how important it is to be found again. And so this is a small example of my first world problem, but it reminded me of the joy that is shared when something lost has been found. And the joy it brings God’s heart when a wandering sheep finds her home.

Do you have a child, or a spouse, or a sibling, or a friend or a parent that feels lost to you? We all know someone, maybe God has laid them on your heart as you read this. If you do, this is your encouragement to never stop trying to show them Jesus. Don’t give up, don’t lose hope. The journey of faith is a marathon, not a sprint and we are in this together. May we be people, who with Joy get to know and share the love of Jesus with all people and are open to being used by the Holy Spirit to reconnect that which is lost, back to God.

AMEN

Devotion: The Gift of Lament

The Gift of Lament: Embracing Vulnerability and Honesty with God 
By Rev. Philip Allred

We all love the moments in life when things are going well—when faith feels easy and everything makes sense. But let’s be honest, there are also those seasons when nothing makes sense, when the floor falls out from under you, and you’re left wondering where God is in the mess. That’s where lament comes in. 

Lament is this honest, vulnerable space where we can come before God and say, “This hurts. I don’t understand. I’m scared.” It’s all over Scripture—from the cries of the Psalms to the groans of the prophets to Jesus Himself crying out on the cross. It reminds us that God can handle our rawest prayers. 

When the pandemic hit, our family found ourselves in one of those seasons. The consulting business we’d built from the ground up collapsed overnight when churches shut their doors. We had no clue how we were going to pay the bills. It felt like the world we had built was slipping through our fingers, and there was nothing we could do to stop it. 

In that season, all we could do was cry out to God. I remember walking for hours, pouring out every fear, every doubt, every frustration. I told God, “I don’t know where this is going. I’m scared. I’m angry. I don’t even know what to pray right now.” But in those moments, something holy happened. I wasn’t given all the answers, but I did sense God’s presence walking alongside us in the unknown. 

That’s the thing about lament—it’s not a quick fix or a tidy prayer that wraps everything up with a bow. It’s the long, honest work of trusting God with your pain, even when you don’t have a clue where the path leads. And in that vulnerability, we often find a strength we didn’t know we had. 

Lament isn’t weakness. It’s courage. It’s faith that’s been through the fire. It’s a way of saying, “God, I’m showing up with everything I’ve got, even if what I’ve got today is just tears.” 

Psalm 13 captures this so well. The psalmist cries out: 

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me? 

It’s as if the psalmist is giving us permission to ask the hard questions. But even in the same breath, they choose to lean into trust: 

But I trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 

That’s the gift of lament—it lets us hold both. The pain and the trust. The questions and the hope. The tears and the stubborn belief that somehow, even here, God is with us.