06/09/2026
Fr Mark's sermon from this past Sunday :)
--Real Faith Means No More Pretending--
What does it look like to call on God in our deepest moments of trouble?
In Psalm 50:15, we are told, "Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you." In the original Hebrew, "call on me" doesn't mean a polite, casual chat. It literally means to **yell aloud**—to scream at the top of your voice.
Too often, we think we have to be polite with God. We hide our grief, mask our anger, and pretend we are okay. But the number one regret of people at the end of their lives is: *"I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."*
Being true to yourself means being raw and real with God. He can handle your pain, your questions, and your screams.
If you are walking through a valley of trauma or grief, remember this simple acronym to guide your faith:
YEL
(Y) – Yell out to God: Stop pretending. Bring your raw, unfiltered emotions, your anger, and your tears directly to Him.
(E) – Expect God to show up: Experience the emotion, but don't camp in it forever. Expect God to turn up, to act, and to move in miraculous ways.
(L) – Lean on God: We lean on friends, and we lean on our own strength, but ultimately, we need to lean wholly on Him. We cannot walk this journey alone.
The pain we experience in this life is real, but thank God, the end is not the end. The end of this earthly life is just the beginning of eternity.
As your church family, we are here to walk with you through every trial, celebrate joyful moments like holy baptisms, and carry one another through the darkest nights. You don't have to pretend here. Bring your real self, cry out to a real God, and expect Him to meet you exactly where you are.
