In the World–July 28, 2024

Download “In the World” for July 28, 2024 here.

FULL REFUND

SeaTac, WA, city officials hired Great Lakes Drones Company to put on a Fourth of July light show consisting of small flying drones over Angle Lake. The idea was to reduce the noise pollution—and the trauma to dogs and humans—of a traditional fireworks display. Unfortunately, there was a disruption to the GPS signal that the drones used to find their location in the formation. So, midway through the show, instead of forming an American flag in the sky, fifty of the drones—glowing blue or red or white—lazily dropped out of formation and fell like glowing snowflakes into the lake. The company’s president was devastated by the failure and has promised a full refund to the city and to lead a recovery effort to pull the drones from the bottom of the lake.

FULL REDEMPTION

With the Lord is full, plenteous, and abundant redemption. Today’s text is Psalm 130, a beautiful hymn to the forgiveness and love found in God. Because of this redemption, we are enabled to serve the Lord, and it is this that makes us watch and yearn for God, as the watchman waits for the morning.

1. What are your best (or worst) memories of fireworks or other public shows?
2. When have you watched with great yearning for the arrival of something or someone?
3. How does God’s forgiveness enable us to live out the Christian life?

Additional Resources

Any videos or web materials are for your personal use. If you play any media files in class, be sure to have the necessary rights to do so.

• Contemporary Worship Weekly
• Echoes Worship Weekly
• Traditional Worship Weekly
• Elizabeth Webb’s “Commentary on Psalm 130”
• Nancy deClaissé-Walford’s “Commentary on Psalm 130”
• Video: BibleProject’s “Yakhal/Hope”