The Fifth Sunday in Lent - March 22, 2026
Psalm 130
Waiting for the Lord
Yesterday’s sermon was a visual meditation on Psalm 130, specifically drilling down on the theme of waiting for the Lord—based on verses 5 and 6, which the writer of the psalm situates in the middle of the Psalm. I showed an arial image of the San Jose mine, located about 500 miles north of Santiago, Chile in the Atacama desert. I described that the entrance to the mine is at the very bottom of the bit, using a red arrow to label it. I noted that the roads down to the mine are on the right of the image, relatively straight for entry and exit.
Thirty-three miners were trapped in the mine for 69 days, living off rationed portions of the food that was stored in the safety shelter. The miners drank water from the radiators of the equipment that they accessed. Rescuers used several bore holes to gain access to the mine and eventually delivered items to the miners. The miners in turn sent a note to the top which read, “We are good in the refuge, all 33.”
Eventually, after consulting with the United States Navey, a capsule was created to send down one of the shafts. Each miner would be rescued through this capsule—Félix 2.
After telling this true story, I asked the question, “In what ‘collapsed mine’ are you?” How are you suffering from the thirst for life? How do you feel like you have to ration what already seems not enough!
Wait for the Lord! He comes to rescue you in his capsule—his tomb! Only three days in his tomb, he emerges from the depths of creation and the power of hell victoriously! He does this for you and me.
I then read the Psalm in its entirety again, letting the visual contextualization of the Chilean mine influence your hearing it again. Waiting for the Lord becomes a joyful exercise in trust, patience, and faith, knowing that Christ has already emerged victoriously!