GREETINGS TO THE HOLY PEOPLE OF GOD,
Our hymn of the day for this Sunday is the African American Spiritual, “There is a Balm in Gilead” (ELW # 614). This hymn is an answer to God’s question in Jeremiah 8:22a, “Is there no balm in Gilead?” This spiritual proclaims YES, yes there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul.
Refrain
There is a balm in Gilead
to make the wounded whole;
there is a balm in Gilead
to heal the sin-sick soul.
1 Sometimes I feel discouraged
and think my work's in vain,
but then the Holy Spirit
revives my soul again. Refrain
2 If you cannot preach like Peter,
if you cannot pray like Paul,
you can tell the love of Jesus
and say, "He died for all." Refrain
3 Don't ever be discouraged,
for Jesus is your friend;
and if you lack for knowledge
he'll ne'er refuse to lend. Refrain
Text: African American spiritual
It is not an aromatic medicinal ointment like Vicks Vapor Rub but the response tells us that this balm is not located in Gilead or any place in the world but rather it is the Holy Spirit that revives our soul and Jesus is our friend who died for us. Our hope, our balm is found in God who acts, and we respond and answer, yes, there is a balm, a hope and we are the ones who get to answer and respond to God’s gift of grace. Rub this balm of grace into our lives with its sweet aroma radiating from us.
Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,
Pastor Connie Spitzack
