From dust to dust

For dust you are and to dust you shall return

-Genesis 3:19 

This week we enter a new season in the church calendar. We turn our hearts to the cross, and we remember the journey that Jesus took to Jerusalem. He chose a path of sacrifice in order to share God's Love with the world. In our church, we mark the beginning of this season with Ash Wednesday. We remember our own mortality, and we remember everything that Christ did for us.

Sometimes I find the season of Lent to be difficult. I remember it being a somber time when I was growing up. The days were dark, and the Lenten services felt kind of dark and cold too. Many people chose to give something up. It felt like a time for remorse and sacrifice. Life was already filled with enough things to be concerned about. It became really hard to want to make room for this season. However, Lent is not supposed to be a drag on your life. The word Lent actually means:  Spring. It is the season of new beginnings. It tells us that there is a time for death, and it confirms that we need to accept this. However, if we can let go of those things, our hearts can also be prepared to find rebirth and new life.

I know people who are afraid to let go of the past. They find themselves locked into cycles failure or loss. Some people are held back by addiction. Some are held back by grief or pain. Some people are held back by a story that tells them that they are worthless. 

Lent is a season of renewal. We are to live each day with open hearts and minds. There is something that we all have to let go of this season. I hope we can take time to name these things and let them go so that they no longer control us. Then our prayers can lead us to new life.

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

Finding peace

How much of your day is spent worrying? 

Are you concerned about tomorrow? 

In what ways do fears control you?

Jesus did not want fear and anxiety to rule over us. However, that is easier said than done. We have real problems in our world. There are wars, political fears, and divisions within our nation. Beyond all of this, I speak with people regularly who have just been diagnosed with cancer or other serious diseases. If we put all of our personal and societal fears together, it can easily become too much to bear. 

This morning as I was getting my one year old ready for day care, and it struck me how easily he trusts the people around him. He latches on and trusts us to take care of his needs. Even though he doesn't understand why we take him to the doctor, clean him up, or put him in clothes, he does trust us to solve his problems. This doesn't mean he is always happy about it. (He hates it when we wipe his breakfast out of his hair!) However, he wants to be around us. He believes we will help him... even when he doesn't understand the bigger picture.

Trusting God can feel very similar. Jesus tells us to trust even when we can't see everything that is going to happen. We are told to keep sharing our gifts even if we fall short. God is always here for us. Let's try to open our hearts to that promise!

Blessings,

Pastor Brian