One of my earliest memories of childhood is getting ‘lost’ in a large grocery store with my mother. I’m not sure how it happened - I think I probably just wandered away – but I remember looking up expecting to see ‘mom’ next to the grocery cart, but neither were there! I also remember at first trying to ‘be cool,’ calmly turning first one corner and then another expecting to see her. But gradually the fear started to build. I still remember the lump in my chest as I turned what seemed to me to be corner after corner into aisle after aisle. About this time, still trying to ‘keep my cool,’ I started to calmly - and rather quietly – call our her ‘name.’ “Mom. Mom? Mom…” But still, she wasn’t there…and I couldn’t seem to find her! Finally, the anxiety and fear took full hold of me and a cry – really a quite ‘uncool’ scream – erupted from deep within my soul over and over again. “Mom! MOM!” And wouldn’t you know it, almost immediately she turned a corner and said, “I’m right here. Everything is ok!”
Do you ever feel lost this way toward God? ….especially when you’re struggling with really ‘tough stuff?’ I mean you KNOW He’s there. We all know He’s there! Every single one of us - every single human being – somehow, intuitively KNOW He’s there – right? But where and how exactly, right now, is He there for me – and for you? ….in our failure, guilt, struggle, doubt or pain? Do you ever feel alone even though you KNOW you’re not? Do you ever search for Him and seem to come up empty? How often are we not like me in that grocery store, crying out, “God! GOD!...Help me! Where – and how - are you here for me??
For a thousand years and more, Christians have been taking the 40 days before Easter – a time called ‘Lent” – to reflect on the fact that we feel alone….and why we feel alone. But also reflect on the fact that the message of the cross is that we are NEVER ALONE; that God is always with us, especially in our failures, guilt, struggles, doubts, fears, and pain! In a sense, we take these 40 days to once again cry out to our loving Heavenly Father and to hear His voice in the cross of Jesus as He says, “I’m right here, Everything is ok!
My God, That is Who You Are- Sunday, February 11, 2024
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When I Struggle Against Evil- Sunday, February 18, 2024
In Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, when a person speaks he says “hi,” gives his first name and then says, “I’m an alcoholic.” No pretense. No lying. No ‘holier than thou’ attitude. No ‘candy coating’ where someone denies reality. No, each one says right out front, “I’m an alcoholic.” So, here goes. I’m a sinner. I daily am tempted to do evil, evil that will ruin my life, destroy my relationships, and leave me feeling far from God…How about you? Where in your life can you relate? Where do you especially struggle with evil?..with sin? Today, we see that God is right there with us in the midst of our struggle against evil. He does not desert us. We are not alone. Need help?
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When I am Wrestling with Doubts and Questions- Sunday, February 25, 2024
As my children have gotten older, once in a while they have wanted to talk about doubts and questions that they have had concerning a variety of things. When they have done this, I have had two emotions. The first was great joy and honor that they wanted to talk to me about these things. The second was great fear because I knew I didn’t have all the ‘answers.’…What doubts and fears do you wrestle with? Which ones are you wrestling with right now? Life is so full of mystery! And walking ‘by faith’ can be so difficult! But, like a loving and concerned father or mother, God never runs away from us in our doubts and questions. Rather, He is honored that we would come to Him!....and He always understands because Jesus was tempted in every way that we are. He knows. He feels for us. He is there for us. And unlike me, He does have all the answers in His perfect wisdom. Today, we come to Him with our doubts and questions. Interested?
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When I am Lost and Confused- Sunday, March 3, 2024
The first dog our family had was a little dachshund. One day he got out and I went to look for him but couldn’t find him. I was almost home when I saw him get ‘run over’ by a car right in front of our house. Luckily, he was not killed, but was ‘rolled’ and badly shaken up, to the point of turning around and around biting at the air until I got him calmed down….Have you ever been blindsided by life? Have you ever been ‘rolled,’ so to speak, so that you feel lost and confused, left to just kind of ‘bite at the air?’ Do you perhaps feel this way right now? Today, we remember – and see that God is there for us, especially at such a time. Interested?
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When I am Blind and Alone- Sunday, March 10, 2024
There is an exercise that I believe every college ‘Psychology 101’ class has done and maybe most High School Psychology classes as well. It is really simple. The class is paired off into groups of two. One of the two is securely blindfolded while the other leads the first by the hand (and sometimes just by their voice) all over campus for maybe 30 minutes. The two then switch places and it is repeated again. What is expected to be experienced/learned? Two things. 1. Each person learns how to trust. 2. By listening and being guided by the other, each person learns that they can ‘see’ even when blindfolded.
Where do you feel blind, alone, hopeless? Today we are shown that Jesus is there and in Him we can really see! Interested?
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When I am Touched By Death- Sunday, March 17, 2024
“Dad, I don’t want to die.” These words were spoken to me by my son in the second grade after a friend of his in his class died from cancer. It honestly cut me to the heart. Where has death – or the fear of death – touched your life? God does not leave us alone in our fear and sorrow. In fact, He too is ‘cut to the heart” for us. He hurts with us. He weeps with and for us. In Jesus, He is there for us.
Where do you need to hear and to know this anew?
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When Life Overwelms Me- Sunday, March 24, 2024
Does life- and it’s mindless, frantic, pace – ever overwhelm you? Work commitments, responsibilities, children’s activities, and more. And they never seem to stop: “I am busier now than I ever was when I was working.” Where do you feel overwhelmed? Isn’t it interesting that Jesus, on Palm Sunday, chose not to enter a small village but rather the bustling, mindless, frantic pace of the capital city of Jerusalem to plant His peace right in the middle of it? Do you think He was maybe trying to tell us something?
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The Feast- March 28, 2024 Maundy Thursday
It Is Finished- A Tenebrae Service- March 29, 2024- Good Friday
He is Risen- March 31, 2024 Eastern Sunday
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