The Song of Shalom

Sermons - FUMCO

Psalm 126

Life is filled with moments of hardship, struggle, setback, illness, frustration, sin and shame. The songs of enduring faith reflect these realities in expressions of lament, of trust, of assurance and reassurance, of confession, and of pleading for grace. When these moments are complete, however, a new song emerges: the song of shalom.

“Shalom” derives from a Hebrew word which means, “to be safe in mind, body, or estate.” It speaks of completeness, fullness, or a type of wholeness that encourages one to give back. True biblical shalom refers to an inward sense of completeness or wholeness.

We often lose sight of the fact that “shalom” was the condition in which—and for which—all things were created, even our own self. We were made for shalom, and shalom is our default setting. Though it can be hard to fathom in times of testing, the trials and struggles and battles with sin are not “God’s normal” for us. Shalom is that state of being for which we are created, and when it touches our lives we become “like those who dream…our mouths filled with laughter and our tongues with shouts of joy.”

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The “Songs of Enduring Faith” series is based on lectionary readings from The Book of Psalms. This series explores the breadth of experience and depth of resilience found in God’s people, as revealed through their most central worship materials. Before the psalms were written and saved as scripture, they are first of all part of the soundtrack of God’s people. You’re invited to lean in, listen closely, learn the heart of God’s people, and receive the gift of these songs, for they are Songs of Enduring Faith.