Today is the sixth and last Sunday of Lent, our 40 day journey of preparation for Easter. It is also Palm Sunday, when we remember Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem. Jesus rides into our lives not with force, but with invitation – calling us to follow, to risk, and to trust. We don't always understand where the road leads. Our tendency, like the Jerusalem crowds, is to profess our faith in moments of enthusiasm and deny our faith in moments of stress. We sing and praise God, happy of heart and strong of spirit, when we are among others who praise Him too. But in times of stress, we seek scapegoats to be targets for our anger. We betray those we love and who have loved us, and we turn against God as well. But His compassion is without bounds, and He forgives us again and again.
Today is the fifth Sunday of Lent, our 40 day journey of preparation for Easter. Lent is a time for reflection, repentance, and self-examination, observed by fasting, prayer, and acts of service. It is a time of spiritual renewal to deepen one's relationship with God.
Without the breath of God, we are dry bones, and without the Word of God, we are dust. Out of the depths of despair, we cry to God. We are lost in a world of pain and suffering. We ask God to forgive our doubts and fears and to heal our brokenness, so that we may rejoice in His steadfast love.
Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent, our 40 day journey of preparation for Easter. Lent is a time for reflection, repentance, and self-examination, observed by fasting, prayer, and acts of service. It is a time of spiritual renewal to deepen one's relationship with God.
The journey of grace takes us to still waters, the valley of the shadow of death, even to tables surrounded by our enemies. When we face darkness and death, the Loving Shepherd journeys alongside us. When we hunger for love, He fills us with His presence. When we are fearful, He feeds us at His table.
Today is the third Sunday of Lent, our 40 day journey of preparation for Easter. Lent is a time for reflection, repentance, and self-examination, observed by fasting, prayer, and acts of service. It is a time of spiritual renewal to deepen one's relationship with God.
In Lent, we are not journying alone. God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that He has given us. As we gather for worship, we ask God to fill this space with His presence, and shape us into a people who reflect His hope.
Today is the second Sunday of Lent, our 40 day journey of preparation for Easter. It is a time for reflection, repentance, and self-examination, observed by fasting, prayer, and acts of service. It is a time of spiritual renewal to deepen one's relationship with God.
In Lent, we remember that our salvation is an unearned gift, that new life is a matter of faith, not of works, given as a free gift of grace. We gather as people guided by the promise of new life, a promise fulfilled by Christ, whose path we follow.
Today is the first Sunday of Lent, our 40 day journey of preparation for Easter. It is a time for reflection, repentance, and self-examination, observed by fasting, prayer, and acts of service. It is a time of spiritual renewal to deepen one's relationship with God.
We begin with a discussion of Jesus' temptations in the wilderness. We ask God to journey with us through our own wilderness, whatever that is. Even when we feel alone, God's grace is never far,