Holy Interruptions

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” – Psalm 68:19 (NIV)

Of all things, this morning, after reading this verse, I started thinking about commas. Yes, those pauses within a sentence that give what we are writing meaning and inflection. If you were to read my first drafts of anything, you’d quickly know I struggle with placing them, often using too many. They need to be placed in just the right places.

And sometimes, commas make all the difference. Consider the church bulletin line: “We’re grateful for those who helped cook, Pastor Tim.” Without the comma, it becomes “We’re grateful for those who helped cook Pastor Tim.” A single pause changes the meaning entirely—and saves me from being the main course!

In the same way, pausing at each comma in Scripture can open new layers of meaning. By reading today’s verse with long pauses at each comma, we can perhaps glean something different in the meaning. 

“Praise be to the Lord!” We have good reason to give God praise at all times. He blesses with gifts beyond measure. 

“God our Savior” extended His grace by taking on earthly form and sacrificing Himself to atone for our sins. We praise Him for His grace and our salvation. As if He has not done enough, through His generous gifts and atonement, 

He “daily bears our burdens.” Day in, day out, He is there to help us fight the trials and tribulations—yet another reason to give Him praise.

God of grace, thank You for commas, pauses, and holy interruptions that keep us from rushing past Your gifts. May we laugh at the small reminders of punctuation yet take seriously the truth that You daily bear our burdens. Interrupt us with joy, with gratitude, and with praise, so that every pause becomes holy. Amen.

Peace & Grace,

Pastor Tim

(Originally written August 19, 2021: “Commas.”)