A Song of Ascents: Out of the Depths

[Sung Psalms 127, 129, 131]

[We apologize - the audio for this sermon was unusable, so please read the transcript]

Children, what does the Psalmist mean by “the depths”?

“Out of the depths, I cry to you, O LORD!” I think you know what he means. I think you have experienced it. The depths are those times when life isn't fair: when your friend says something that really hurts; when everything is going wrong – and nothing makes it any better.

“Out of the depths, I cry to you, O LORD!” The depths are those times when you just start crying for no reason. The depths are those times when you lie in bed at night and you have horrible thoughts that you don't like!

Children, I want you to hear this: everyone knows about the depths; in fact, you'll find out as you get older, that the depths get even deeper!

The depths are a bad place to be – no doubt about that! The depths are not pleasant – bad things happen in the depths! But the simple fact is that sometimes (perhaps, often) I am in the depths.

Maybe even this morning.

Did you know that it's okay to be in the depths at church? We often talk about worship as being lifted up into the heavenlies – indeed, the songs of Ascents are all about lifting up our eyes and our hearts – but why do we need to lift up our eyes and our hearts?

Because we are in the depths!

So, when someone asks you, “how are you?” It's entirely appropriate to reply, “in the depths, crying out to the LORD!”