’Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him” (Matt. 4:11).

The season of Lent begins this month, on March 9^th, Ash Wednesday. Each year Lent presents us with an intentional opportunity to leave behind that which brings us comfort at the expense of a disciplined relationship with God. We spend so many of our days working toward contentment in our lives, homes, careers, and relationships. Often times, striving for contentment means softening, or covering over the hard things in life with possessions, over-indulgences, and relationships that serve only as distractions.

The life of Jesus models an intentional, intimate relationship with God which reflects not only the beauty of God’s love, but also the reality that life is pain-fully hard and often disappointing. After Jesus’ baptism he was driven into the desert only to experience persistent temptation; however, the desert is also where Jesus experienced God’s strength and grace. If we spend our days making sure our paths never lead us to the desert of temptation, we will also pass up the beauty that comes from experiencing God’s strength and grace in our lives. It is in our darkest and loneliest of times that God’s grace can shine most brightly.

During this Lenten season, I invite you to examine your life for ways in which you work to avoid painful truths about yourself and your relationship with God. I hope that as a follower of Jesus you will allow God’s Spirit to drive you into the desert until you hunger and thirst for God in your life. For it is there that God’s promises of companionship and provision will find you. And, I pray that no matter where you are in the journey that you will emerge on Sundays to be attended by God’s angels in worship. Come each week as together we worship and adore God, and witness to God’s acts of salvation in the deserts of our lives. Come to the March 9^th Ash Wednesday dinner at 6:30, followed by worship at 7:30 in the FLC. Come to the Service of Healing and Reconciliation at 7:30 on Wednesday, March 30, also in the FLC. For more information about these or any event at the church, please call the church office. This Lenten season, make time for God and for worship.

Grace & peace for the journey,
Pastor Sue