Ohmygosh! Are you kidding me? The season of Lent is at the halfway mark? Where, oh, where has the time gone?
If I am honest, I know exactly where the time has gone. There has been the usual. Kids ROCK, Confirmation, and sermon and worship prep each week. Spiritual reading (a portion of one book or another) daily. Quotidian (can you tell it’s my favorite new word) household chores like doing dishes and washing clothes. Some routine is good, right? There have been add-ons. Enriching Lenten services with ecumenical brothers and sisters on Sunday nights. Enlivening Bible studies with fellow disciples on Monday nights. Sewing Day and making homemade ice cream to celebrate the plethora of March birthdays in our extended family. Yes, this requires more preparation on my part, but the time preparing and participating is rewarding and well-spent. There has been the unexpected. A conversation about a wedding in the fall. Funerals. Connecting with some important women in my life and young people with musical gifts at a delightful UMW Guest Day. Many more prayers emailed to me than in past years, prompted by our Conference’s emailed daily devotional. Facebook messages from longtime friends that prompt future get-togethers. Mood swings, mine and my spouse’s, prompted by who knows what. Thank you, God, that whether I’ve been keeping up with my daily devotions or not, and whether I’ve given up anything or taken up anything new for Lent, you are there. Thank you, God, that whether or not I’ve been engaged in a Bible study, whether or not I’ve worshiped or reflected on a regular basis what it means to live for you, you are here. Even when I am not intentional about seeking you, knowing you, or being in a committed relationship with you, O God, you are still working in my life to reveal yourself. And to strengthen. To encourage. To restore our hope that there is a new day coming. In the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, may it be so. Grace and peace … --Pastor Pat
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