Repentance is a word that I’m confident we’re all familiar with. We associate it with confession, owning up to sin, asking for forgiveness. The prophet Joel speaks to a nation that has a lot of repenting to do – but it seems to have forgotten how.

Joel uses one word to communicate what repentance to God ought to look like – Lamentation. Lament is the process of coming to understand our sin. It is an understanding that our relationship with God – and others – has been impacted. Lament is not, “I sinned.” Lament looks like, “How did I sin?” or “What did my sin do to other people?”

Joel communicates to us the sort of person God is looking for in relationship. One willing to be honest, thoughtful, considerate, and courageous enough to return to God with empty and open hands. Join us this Sunday as we continue our journey with the prophets!

-Pastor Nate Roschen

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