02/26/2020
This Ash Wednesday I am thinking about the Scripture from Genesis 3: 19..”.for you are dust and to dust you shall return.” This reminds me that without the breath or Spirit of God moving in us, we are just like ashes--lifeless and worthless. Without the Spirit of God, we are not what the Army slogan in the 1980’s suggested for us, “Be all you can be”. Without the Spirit of God, we will not receive the fruits of the spirit...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control. Oh, we may think that we can manufacture those or discipline those into our lives of our own strength, but the Holy Spirit can do so much more than we can of our own accord.
When I think about this, I realize that I do not want to be less than I can be or less than what God desires for me. This Ash Wednesday I reflect upon what about me keeps the Spirit at an arm’s length from my heart and from my soul. And knowing the definition of sin (missing the mark--any action against God and/or injuring others), that is my sin.
As Ash Wednesday leads us to the 40 days of the season of Lent, I always find this season to be a time of unrest and challenge. As I explore the messages of sin and repentance and forgiveness, I find myself so incomplete and lacking. Every year it is a reminder to me that I still have a long way to go in this journey of life seeking God’s will for me. The awesome part of the experience is that God journeys right with me illuminating my sin not with a heart of cruel judgment but with a heart of love for me, encouraging me to pick up the pieces and to start fresh.
I don’t know where you may be in your life journey or your relationship with Jesus Christ, but I hope that you may also be challenged this season of Lent. I know that as we make this journey that the transformations that happen within us are pleasing God and offers Him our glory.
Archived Posts
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Here is a transcript of the prayer I prayed at the end of yesterday’s sermon.
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It’s kind of crazy when you think about it. Wisdom in the Bible is all about listening. Of course it makes sense that wisdom would start with listening to God, to God’s law and commandments, as well as the promptings and leadings of the Holy Spirit.
Here are some quotes that
didn’t make it into Sunday’s sermon.
(But it doesn’t mean that they don’t offer real insight into the power of risk over the fear of failure...)
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I reflected a lot on the passage about Zacchaeus because it has been written off as “been there, read that, little guy in a tree.” But it is so rich in getting to the heart of what it means to be saved by grace through faith—to live our lives out of gratitude rather than obligation.
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This last Sunday I had so much more to share than time to share it. The last Emotional Management Technique was to stay present in the process. Just as Jesus stayed with the woman who was judged and found guilty by the angry crowd, we stay by our children and our friends, especially when they need us the most. Here a couple of examples...