Why do we “celebrate” Lent? Does it have to be so depressing and dark? Intern Monica Holman explores the temptation to either turn Lent into some sort of suffering contest or to avoid the darkness altogether and shape it into something pretty and palatable. Does this ancient tradition still serve a purpose? Monica thinks so, especially today!
At the end of the sermon, Monica reads a blessing from the wonderful new book The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie. Find it on Amazon here.
At times, there can be a rhythm to church life that can lead to feelings of complacency, as if our walk with God has entered a “same old, same old” pattern of sameness. In this week’s gospel reading (Matthew 17:1-9), Pastor Russ Gordon sees a few disciples of Jesus perhaps slipping into this kind of complacency. They seem to be getting a little bit too accustomed to the wonders occurring around them. What happens next?
There are a lot of changes happening around us! A lot of uncertainty, a lot of new things, and with that a lot of temptation to worry that we won’t be able to rise to the challenge, and that we just aren’t enough to handle it. Intern Monica Holman describes how God promises us that we are enough with God leading us, and how stepping into the sometimes-scary unknown is a step towards choosing an abundant life with God.
The blessing read at the end of the sermon is from Creating Space: A Prayer Book for Peace in a Time of Crisis and Chaos from LEAD. Click the link to learn more about the book, or about the wonderful work that LEAD does.
This week, Pastor Russ urges us to add season and spice to our Christian lives! How do we allow our faith to become diluted, and what can we do about it? Take a listen!
