oh praise him
As I write this my earbuds are filled with hymns that I know by heart. The music is slow and reflective forcing me to hear the songs in greater depth. There is this quiet voice singing 'oh praise him, oh praise. Alleluia....Alleluia....Alleluia.' This hymn brings me to the scripture that I was to preach this morning. The scripture is Nehemiah 8. I'm not going lie, I love Nehemiah. He is an unsung layperson within our story of faith. He had this uncanny way of pulling his community together. He was a cheerleader when those around him were broken and weary from the stones that lie around them reminding them every day that they had been defeated. The broken wall reminded them that they were vulnerable to their enemy. The broken wall made the community question who they were in their midst of their faith. The crumbled stones left their minds weary and unable to make decisions. The shattered wall left them wondering about their future. The dust of the stones