I’ve been thinking about the phrase in last Sunday’s prayer of the day, “Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world…”

I briefly shared with the Bible Class this morning some aspects of the wilderness in which are currently walking.  The governor of Missouri is indicted for invasion of privacy when in the basement of his house he photographed the woman with whom he was having an affair tied up blindfolded and nearly nude.  He is also being investigated for receiving “dark money” into his campaign fund.  A former presidential advisor is indicted for multiple times when he used money in a less than upright way.  The latest school massacre has led to outrage and demonstrations by young people which may have a lasting effect on guns and connected violence.

One of the members of the class asked if we could talk about the issue of guns and violence.  This led to a lengthy discussion.  The discussion was an application of how we use the Word in the bible which we hear and study.  It was quite useful and appropriate.

Sunday’s prayer mentions God leading us through the wilderness “toward the glory of the world to come.”  At times that future glory seems a long way off from where we are as human beings, even as believing Christians trying live in the wilderness in which we find ourselves.  We know something is terribly wrong, but we seem lost and can’t see a way out.  But even in our confusion the prayer ends with hope, as we place our hope in “Jesus Christ, Your son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.”