It is significant that this day fell on a Sunday, on the Lord’s Day.  It means that Christians all around the world are gathering today to worship our Sovereign God and to reflect on His ways.  For many, the event a decade ago will be most prominent on their hearts.

At Lake Avenue Church this morning we sang about the God who is our protection, our firm foundation, our rock, our fortress, our deliverer, and our refuge.  Then we watched and saw images of that day in 2001 while our choir sang a moving and beautiful song that says, “We are not alone, God is with us.”  We prayed together and heard a testimony from Kris Davis, who works for a company that lost over 300 colleagues in the attacks. Kris ended by telling the story of a visit he took to the trade center site a short time after the attack.  Along the fences that surrounded the disaster zone were thousands of notes and letters.  Kris walked staight to one that was written by a five-year-old boy to his father.  He said he had thrown his football over the fence and that he would miss most of all the times they would spend together playing catch.  My heart broke as I realized that just yesterday I was out on my front lawn with my two-year-old tossing a football back and forth.

For whatever reason, I couldn’t get the emotion out of my head and I was supposed to be leading us in another song.  I have never had the experience where I’ve broken down crying, completely unable to make it through a song.  I’ve always been able to hold myself together and detach enough to sing anything… but I just couldn’t this time.  I couldn’t get through the words.  On a heavy, emotional, somber day it was important for us come face to face with and remember the horrors of what humanity is capable of (a humanity that we are a part of).  It was important for us to see how precious life is, and important for us hear the Lord tell us that He is always NEAR… He is always with us.

Here are the words of the song I couldn’t get through in our 9am service this morning:

Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain

Leave to thy God to order and provide

In every change He faithful will remain

Be still my soul, thy best thy, heavenly Friend

Thro' thorny ways leads to a joyful end

Be still my soul, thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as He has the past

Thy hope thy confidence let nothing shake

All now mysterious shall be bright at last

Be still my soul, the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below

Be still my soul, the hour is hast'ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord

When disappointment, grief and fear are gone

Sorrow forgot, Love's purest joys restored

Be still my soul, when change and tears are past

All safe and blessed, we shall meet at last

CCLI Song No. 96910 © Public Domain CCLI License No. 108530

Jane Laurie Borthwick | Jean Sibelius | Katharina Amalia von Schlegel