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Preaching: Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing

Text: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

What if the most faithful thing you can do in a hard season isn’t to escape, but to build right where you are? We open with Psalm 66’s arc from testing to rescue and move into Jeremiah’s letter to exiles—a bracing word for people who wanted quick deliverance and got practical instructions instead: build houses, plant gardens, multiply, and pray for the city’s welfare. It’s not surrender; it’s a strategy for resilient hope and shared flourishing.

We unpack the Babylonian exile as both a historical trauma and a living metaphor for moments when life feels foreign and control is thin. Rather than promise “help is on the way,” we tell the truth about slow arcs and real agency. That means naming what’s beyond us and then getting specific about what’s within reach: tending relationships, investing in neighborhoods, choosing generosity over grievance, and advocating for policies that widen the commons. Along the way, we explore how oppression impoverishes the whole community—using the shuttered public pools of the Jim Crow South as a stark example of zero-sum thinking that steals from everyone.

With a nod to Gandalf’s reminder that we don’t choose the times, only how we use them, we return to Jeremiah’s charge as a map for modern discipleship. If you feel like a stranger in your own city, this conversation offers grounded steps to re-engage: plant something that lasts, build something that serves, and pray in a way that propels you toward your neighbor. Join us, reflect on what you can control this week, and share one small act you’ll take. If this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and pass it on to a friend who needs courage today.

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