July 19th, 2026 - Good Medicine for our Confusion

Scripture Passages: Various passages presented throughout message

Slide 1

Slide 2

"No injection sites nearby"
"Criminals stay behind bars"
"Public spaces without encampments"

Slide 3

What's my beef?
Not with a party, with the confusion of life and suffering

Slide 4

What am I going to tell you?
Not that I have the answers.

Slide 5

What am I going to tell you?
A story of God bringing an enslaved people order and safety....

Slide 6

What am I going to tell you?
A story of God rebelling against that order when it becomes unholy

Slide 7

The Prophet Isaiah (1:11-17)
Stop bringing meaningless offerings!" ... "defend the oppressed"

Slide 8

The Prophet Jeremiah (12:1-2):
"You are always on their lips but far from their hearts"

Slide 9

The Prophet Hosea (6:6)
"I desire mercy, not sacrifice"

Slide 10

The Prophet Amos:
Calls the powerful "cows"
mocks their wealth and their worship

Slide 11

The Prophet Micah (2:1-2):
"The covet fields and seize them, houses and take them..."

Slide 12

... The Prophet Habbakuk (1:1-4)
"...Justice never prevails"

Slide 13

Zeph (3:1): "Woe to city of oppressors!:
Zech (7:9-10): "Show mercy and compassion"

Slide 14

The prophet Malachai (2:16):
"He does violence to the one he should protect."

Slide 15

9 Prophets but just 3 points:
1) God rebels against the order he established

Slide 16

9 Prophets but just 3 points:
2) There is a "view from the bottom"

Slide 17

9 Prophets but just 3 points:
3)

Slide 18

Ex 3:7 - "Misery...suffering"
Rom 5:8 - "While we were sinners...Christ died for us"

Slide 19

Mercy

Slide 20

What do we do?

Slide 21

I don't know
(we don't know)

Slide 22

No prophet here,
just me/us praying,
"how can we respond with mercy?”

Slide 23

Good Medicine: We are people of God like Israel.
We are both Hosea and Gomer

Slide 24

Called to forgive and reconcile like Hosea.
Called to come back home like Gomer
By the God who heals us.