On the second Sunday in Lent, we remember the gracious presence of God in our lives as we spend time in self-reflection and journey to a better understanding of our mission as Christians.
Our invitation into worship God is gracious to all and calls all back who have strayed from their relationship with God and community. Our Hebrew scripture from Genesis recounted the covenant between God and Abram after God helped Abram prevail in battle. The Psalmist’s refrain explains that God is our light, strength, and source of salvation. We also hear the reminder that we must see the goodness of God in the real world. In the letter to the Church at Philippi Paul speaks of those who discount the message of Christ because they experience something different than was promised. Our Gospel from Luke was the story of the Pharisees warn Jesus that Herod was trying to kill him, and Jesus reminds the Pharisees that the things of this world are temporary and that each part of our life has meaning and a place in God’s kingdom.
Things to consider and ponder as we consider our life of faith in the times of chaos, we experience we should remember that God is present and working with us if we respect the dignity of others and love God. How do we cope with and live with the chaos we experience in the real world? How might we reconcile what we experience with what others experience while honoring the other as a child of God? In the words of Ronald Heifetz, how do we capitalize on our differences to shrink the gap between what God promises is the real world and the experience of the real world? If we let God lead us and faithfully follow God, our differences will carry us to do God’s work, now and forever.
I invite your comments,
Les+
Readings: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35.
https://audiomack.com/fatherles-2/song/lent-2-sermon-1
