Rooted in Trust, Resigned to Grace
“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green..”
Pilgrimage to the Cedars of Lebanon – Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka
This week’s readings call us to consider where we place our trust—whether in fleeting human strength or in the deep, sustaining grace of God. Jeremiah’s vivid imagery of a tree flourishing by the water is echoed in Psalm 1, where the righteous are rooted in God’s instruction while the wicked are like chaff blown away by the wind. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus turns the world's expectations upside-down, proclaiming blessings for the poor and woes for the self-satisfied. Paul, in 1 Corinthians, reminds us that without the resurrection, faith itself is in vain—our hope is not in this passing world, but in Christ’s eternal victory.
Csontváry’s Pilgrimage to the Cedars of Lebanon is a striking, dreamlike vision of resilience and transcendence. Painted with an almost mystical intensity, the towering trees symbolize endurance and spiritual strength. The cedar, deeply rooted and long-lived, stands in stark contrast to the desert shrub of Jeremiah 17:6—an image of human reliance on self rather than God. The painting’s winding pilgrimage path also mirrors our own journey of faith, leading toward a horizon bathed in golden light. Just as the cedars have weathered centuries of storms, so too are we called to plant our trust in the Lord, drawing life from his unfailing presence.
"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon."
– Psalm 92:12
Sixth Sunday of Epiphany
Texts for this Week
Prayer
Almighty God, look mercifully upon your people, that by your great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
Scriptures
Jeremiah 17:5–10
Psalm 1
I Corinthians 15:12–20
Luke 6:17–26
Mis**Florence Price – **Resignation
Florence Price’s Resignation is a meditation on quiet surrender and abiding trust. Rooted in the African American spiritual tradition, it carries the weight of suffering yet breathes deep peace. The harmonies, rich and warm, feel like deep roots digging into fertile soil, a sonic embodiment of the flourishing tree of faith. As Paul urges in 1 Corinthians, our faith is not in vain—resignation here is not despair but a surrender into the greater hope of resurrection.
Psalm 1 speaks of those who meditate on the law of the Lord, delighting in it day and night. Price’s composition invites us into such meditation, slowing our breath, guiding our hearts to rest in God’s enduring promise. In a world that often tempts us to grasp for security in things that cannot last, this music calls us instead to release, to trust, and to be deeply planted in grace.
"If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." – 1 Corinthians 15:19
