This is an excerpt from my wife’s sermon (Kate), this past Sunday. It was so thoughtful and well written, I’d like to share it. Enjoy.
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You may already know this, but when Rockefeller, one of the first made Billionaires was asked how much money was enough his answer was “Just a little bit more”. Our own unchecked desire can feel like freedom until we notice it rules us. Choose your poison, substances, greed, security, status, self-image, lust, numbness, yelling at our kids before church. Name the desire that needs to be restrained, and you know the wrestling it requires to keep it in check. And to actually give up the habits that rule us? Do any of us really want to be taught the lesson of the wilderness?
When we say we want to be like Jesus, I think it often means being compassionate, washing the feet of others, being patient with those he mentored, listening to God and obeying, but do we really include all the waiting, all the loneliness, the praying in the Garden alone while his disciples were asleep, even sweat-blood red-because of the road he knew he had to walk to the next day? Are we willing to enter the wilderness with the Lord to deal with our sin and only then to emerge able to be of help to those around us?
This Lent, my prayer is that you remember that Christ suffers with you in your wilderness, and I also pray that you ask God in prayer where you can be ministering to someone who is in pain around you. Whether that’s bringing flowers to the colleague at work who lost her son six months ago, or taking your daughter out for Doughnuts when someone at school told her they didn’t want to be her friend anymore. Whatever the “Just a little bit more” that you struggle with, remember that God can be the freedom of restraint, the freedom to tell you what is really true about you and your life in Him.
I’ll end with the beautiful collect for Lent 1 this week, ”Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the spirit to be tempted by Satan, come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save.”
Amen.
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Events:
Here’s a link to a whole list of upcoming Events!
Youth Ministry:
Also, remember that this Sunday evening is our Youth Ministry 2018 Kickoff!
Those going into Grade 7 and High Schoolers, COME!
And parents, COME!
We want every one there!
— We’ll talk about the new direction of Saint Paul’s Youth
— We’ll hang out with our new Youth Minister: Jared Barnard
— We’ll eat!