Lent Reflection: Faith in the Modern World (Romans 4:17-18)

“Abraham was first named “father” and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing.  When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do.  And so he was made the father of a multitude of peoples.”  Romans 4:17b-18  The Message

In an age where we believe science can explain so much, where banks secure and guarantee our money, and we spend hours mapping our futures, it is baffling to imagine a 100-year-old man believing God would make him the father of a “multitude of peoples.”

Can we remember past gardens, or believe in future ones, in the midst of the winter?

What does faith look like in the modern world?  Abraham is credited with having a faith so great he believed God could “make something out of nothing”.  This line from Romans reminds us to look for God’s handiwork.  Faith is accessible, not in its vastness, but in its quiet, repetitive glory.  I am reminded that seeds become new plants every year.  Straps of cloth, repeated in a pattern, can be transformed into a quilt.  Hurt and loss, over time and with the love of God and friends, can become deep new understandings.  God’s love is shown not in the absence of hurt and pain, but in its transformation.

What are some reminders you see of God’s transformative work in everyday life?  Are there times in your life when you have “believed anyway”?

God, breathe life into our hopelessness, renew our dreams, grant us faith in You again.  AMEN

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Practice of Joy: Evening Meditation (Mark 1:13)

“Jesus was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.” Mark 1:13

Let’s face it: our culture highly values busy-ness and the pursuit and accomplishments of tasks.  The frenetic pace can, if we are not aware, become excruciating all while pursuing worthwhile activities.  A far cry from 40 days in the wilderness!

A gift of the past year, for some of us, has been the change of pace in activities.  As our lives gradually become busy again, time for reflection on what we have added or subtracted from our day could help us move forward, taking with us what we have learned recently.

Recent winter sunset, over top my dead blackberry bushes.

Try an evening reflection time, perhaps just after you have gotten into bed.  Take several deep breaths and consciously try to relax the muscles in your body.  If you are still awake ( ), reflect over your day.  What did you say yes to?  Were my no’s life-giving?  Thank God for the day behind and the night of rest ahead.  Invite God’s presence into your rest now and your doing tomorrow.

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Forty Days: Temptation, Identity + Mission (Lent Comfort from Mark 1)

 “Jesus was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.”

Mark 1:13

It’s no surprise that the wilderness is the setting for this story. The 40 years of wilderness wandering of the Israelites is echoed in Jesus’ 40 days of temptation. Forty is a number of significance, and it should read to us as “a very long time.”

Each of the temptations Jesus faces (detailed in Matthew and Luke’s accounts) ask the same question in different ways: what will Jesus do with the opportunity for earthly power and glory?  Each offers Jesus an alternative mission: a way other than the cross; a way other than through death. 

These temptations all touch on Jesus’ identity; is he really the Son of God? And if so, what kind of Messiah will he reveal himself to be?

One of the gifts of saving faith through Christ is that we become heirs to the Kingdom of God. Our identity is rooted in being a child of God. Our calling is to join with God’s reconciling work in the world. 

How often are we tempted to forsake the mission to which we are called? When have we been tempted to preserve our power, reputation or privilege instead of being faithful to God? When have we been tempted to avoid the way of suffering? 

God, may I remember that my identity and calling come from you. In times of testing, may I be found faithful. May I trust in your truth and goodness above all else. Amen.

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Dust to Dust: Ash Wednesday Reflection and Invitation

“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

Again and again I will repeat the phrase tonight; each time dipping my finger into the fine ash; my blackened finger marking the sign of the cross on each person’s forehead– reminder and sign.

Today starts a stretch of 40 days (not including Sundays) leading up to Easter: the season of Lent. It’s a time of confession and redirection.This is not a form of punishment, but rather a time of focused discipline that is meant to make more space for God. 

This is a time where we are making ourselves available to Christ in hopes of growing our faith. The process of growth is never easy because grown never comes through ease. Growth comes as we stretch and expand our capacity. 

And so together we willingly enter this wilderness time, remembering from dust to dust; and holding on to the hope that comes with growth and transformation. 

Thanks for joining in this journey. 

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