"David's Sorrow and Joy"

Here's an instant replay of what happened in worship:

We remembered the highs and lows of David's life, especially the low point after his affair with Bathsheba. The prophet Nathan warned David that there would be consequences for bringing Bathsheba into his household under those conditions. "The sword," he said, "will never be far from your house."
We heard how one of David's sons, Amnon, raped his half-sister Tamar. Her brother Absalom burned with anger because David did nothing about it. Eventually, Absalom killed Amnon. Then Absalom plotted to overthrow his father and take the kingdom for himself. Even as David's men were closing in, David asked them to spare Absalom's life. We read how David responded when he heard the news that Absalom was killed in 2 Sam 18:31-35. But later, David had another son who also tried to take over the throne, until David named Solomon as his heir.
We thought about all the dysfunction and disharmony in David's family. It would be expected that David might cry out to God for all the pain he had experienced. But instead, we read in Psalm 145, one attributed to David in his old age, that David praises God for His compassion and faithfulness.
We read the entire psalm, thinking about David's life. We wrote a verse of our own at the end, thanking God for being compassionate and faithful to us, too.
We prayed for eyes that see "the big picture" - God's hand holding us even when we have known sorrow.
We celebrated communion, the eucharist, the true Thanksgiving meal, at the table of love.