 "All in Good Time"
You will find Jennifer's reflections on the First Sunday of Lent and the week to follow below.
The First Sunday of Lent
~ March 10, 2019
The forty days of Lent are a mirror of Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness at the start of his public ministry. In a very small way, the sacrifices and deprivations we choose during Lent are meant as a reminder of the of the sacrifices Jesus willingly endured during his life on earth, and his ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Today’s Scripture readings remind us that, in the midst of the suffering that we choose, the suffering that comes our way as a natural consequence of living in a fallen world, and the suffering that comes our way as a consequence specifically of following Jesus, we have the confidence of knowing who and whose we are. Just like the Israelites, we have been brought out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Just like the Psalmist, we can “say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.’” Just like Paul in Romans, we can remember that "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." And just like Christ himself in the wilderness, we can proclaim “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you. . . On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone."
This week: Consider this prayer from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers as a guide through this coming week:
God of deliverance and freedom,
you taught the people of Israel
to acknowledge that all things
come from your bountiful hand.
Deepen our faith
so that we may resist temptation
and, in the midst of trial,
proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord,
now and forever. Amen.
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