Feel free to listen to the Lord’s Day Message
In this Season of Lent we begin a new message series called “Merciful Moments”. We all have them in our life - times when God is His Mercy offers to us a second chance or when we are called to do the same. Let’s review together this Lent how to find them, how to seek them, how to express them and how to extend them.
In this Season of Lent we begin a new message series called “Merciful Moments”. We all have them in our life - times when God is His Mercy offers to us a second chance or when we are called to do the same. Let’s review together this Lent how to find them, how to seek them, how to express them and how to extend them.
Yes, we know the Gospel well, but what is it really saying to us as we begin these 40 days of Lent? Are these 40 days just another 40 out of a year or are we being called by the Spirit into our own desert? Deserts are isolated places, barren landscapes, and yet they are so much more. Life can grow there. But roots must run deep to find nourishment. That’s perhaps a scary thought for us. Taking 40 days and focusing on our commitment to follow the example of Christ and let our roots run deep to discover Him. The temptations Jesus faced are some of the same temptations we have in our lives. Jesus was one of us. Surely, He felt the desire to give in, but He didn’t.
While in the desert, Jesus
faced these temptations but here even more so He is faced with something else:
solitude and isolation. We are afraid as a society not of temptation - that
faces us every day - and we develop ways with maturity for dealing with it, but
we are afraid of solitude and isolation - people busy themselves with digital
devices, with music and noise, with conversations (even about other people) all
with the goal of avoiding solitude and isolation. There is a productivity to
busyness but there is a cost to busyness - you can’t hear a still small voice
in busyness.
Our world often resists
solitude, yet Jesus desired it before He went forth to be a source of Mercy to others.
In fact our scriptures tell us throughout Lent it was because of this initial
isolation that He was better able to deal with moments that called Him toward
Mercy. There is truth here, for in our busyness we miss so much and so many
people. We often are critical, snappy, judgemental, incentive - not because we
want to be - but because it is what we have time for.
Jesus knew it would take
effort to resist the idolatry of wanting too much, seeking too much, worship
the wrong things, and putting God to the test, but Jesus also knew it wouldn't take the brokenness of busyness but rather the solitude and isolation of a time
in the desert to transform them in to the blessing of blooms in our life – it
would take merciful moments and the willingness not to stand up holding a wall
of busyness - but to well dance into the solitude of looking for merciful
moments by taking on the things that matter most.
As followers of Jesus, we’re asked to keep our call in mind and resist the temptation to do otherwise. Jesus gave us the best example we could have been given. It’s our choice whether to follow that example or to take the bait the devil offers. The problem is the bait is never satisfying, and then it’s on to something more. Make a conscious decision today to give GOD the burden you are going through. Spend 5 minutes each day this week in silence/quiet reflection. Go into your own ‘personal desert’ and let God speak to you.
May this Lent lead us toward many Merciful Moments of hearing His Call in our life and responding to it with greater dependence on His Grace. It is how we truly move forward – as always – it’s your move – so why not make it toward seeking not busyness but rather seeking merciful moments with, for and by those that you love
.