-Lent 3

Sunday-Dt. 26 was one of the readings for Feb. 21. Embedded in it is a small creed of faith. It emphasizes the humble origins of the people and the acts of God to move them to freedom. We have our confirmation folks present a statement of faith to the session. It is a good way to see what you hold dear and what you see as more expendable in your beliefs. Consider writing a short statement of faith for yourself. We could use it as an affirmation for worship, perhaps.

 

Monday-Doubt is thought to be the opposite of faith.  I think faith is in constant tension with doubt, especially in terms of how we grasp doctrine. Longing for the divine presence, even in its felt absence, is a faithful response. For me faith is staying in relationship with God, even when the ties that bind are frayed. George MacDonald wrote" peoplemust beleive what they can, and those who believe more must not be hard on those who believe less."

 

Tuesday-Calvin famously started his Institutes by saying that "true and sound wisdom is the knowledge of God and ourselves. This wisdom, true and sound is joined by many bonds." In a way, his view is similar to our view of Jesus, where the sacred and the human are joined. We come to know God in worship and sacrament, in Bible reading and prayer. Would you say that the two are joined that we need both types of knowledge to attain wisdom for full human life here?

  

Wednesday Michael Jinkins has witten a series of books in the form of letters to young people. His new one is directed at his grown children, mostly about religious struggle and a sense of vocation, of calling..In writing of grace, he reminds his daughter that grace cannot be permitted to beocme merely an abstract concept, or even within the character of God. Grace is seen in the person of Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus embodies grace.

 

Thursday-I heard it again at a funeral, the baby boomer clarion call that we cannot mourn but only celebrate a life. We were made to feel guilty about being sad, because the deceased would not have wanted us to be sad. A life worth celebrating is a life worth mourning. We rush everything, but some things do take time, and grief is not to be rushed through. God loves us in all of our emotions, tears and ache included. God embraces the joyful and the grieiving.

 

Friday-We had a talent presentation in lieu of a formal sermon recently. Talents, like love, find richness in sharing them. I like that it was a resposne to the reading on the transfiguration, as teachers became musicians; lawyers became drummers; students became composers. As we grow older, we may well regret not pursuing a talent, or knowing that we have some so deep down that they have been buried. What talents do you have that you like or don;t like to share? What talent would you like to have?

 

Saturday-Children's books are a great way to engage spiritual themes, both in the illustrations and the stories.  Over the years, we have heard a number of children's stories during the time for the young people. Are there storybooks you remember from childhood or that you prized reading to children? I remember our daughter's beginning of categories for the world when she read the Phantom Tollbooth and its word and number people. In our region, Rabbi Sasso writes some beautiful books for children. I like two books on Old Turtle by Douglas Wood.