God's Presence in life's Wilderness

Dear Fellow Children of God,

Yesterday I was talking to St. John member, Linda Griese, about our Lenten observance.  This past Wednesday was the last of 6 mid-week Lenten worship services this year.  We talked about the fact that our Lenten observance has gone quite well this year.  We have had good attendance at our meals and good attendance and good response to our worship. 

But, as I was talking to Linda I shared with her a conversation concerning Lent I had many years ago with my wife, Kathy.  After many weeks of extra services I told Kathy something like, “Lent is hard on a Pastor.”  Her response was, “Lent is hard on the Pastor’s family.”  In other words when the pastor works hard, the family experiences that too.

However, do you know that is exactly what Lent is supposed to be?  Lent is a period of 40 days (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter.  Lent is not only a time to consider our sin and the amazing sacrificial love of God, but it is also a ‘wilderness time’ for God’s people.  As the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness waiting to reach the Promised Land, as Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan, Lent reminds us that our life is full of ‘wilderness times.’  Our lives are full of times that we wander in this world, struggling with doubts and temptations to sin, waiting for God’s deliverance of the Promised Land.

It is easy to want our ‘wilderness time’ to be over.  But there are blessings in the wilderness too.  In our struggles we can forget that God is with us in the wilderness of life.  But, even if we forget this truth, God is with always with us.  Sometimes we learn more about God’s love when we experience Him in our struggles than when life is going well.

This week God called long-time St. John member, Charlie Fox, home.  One of the Bible verses I read to Charlie during the weeks before he died was the well-beloved Psalm 23.  In Psalm 23 God promises, “4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”  God promises He is with us in the life’s wilderness, even in ‘the valley of the shadow of death.’ 

Lent can remind us that life in this world is full of struggles and temptations.  But, God is with us during our times in the wilderness.  And . . . at the end of Lent God blesses us with the victory of Jesus’ Easter resurrection!!!!

A Child of God, Thankful for God’s presence in life’s wilderness,

Pastor Jonathan

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am always adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message. . . Or, if you know someone who would like to receive one of these e-mails, please send me their e-mail address.

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