First Sunday of Lent

Every once and a while we go to church on Sunday and we get the exact message that we needed to hear. That happened to me this week.

This week’s gospel talked about the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert. In his gospel Mark writes about how “…..the angels ministered to Him.” Father pointed out that while in the desert Jesus was in a “God-less place,” and that his being there brought God to it. Ironically, that is what we are still being called to do all these years later – bring God to “God-less places.”

If we look around the world today, it’s hard not to feel that we are living in a “God-less place.” Watching the news and hearing about all the hatred and crime that fills our world, we can’t help but see what happens as we start to turn away from God. Father stated that we aren’t often overcome by the goodness in the world as often as we are burdened by the darkness of it. It’s hard at times to believe that there is any goodness or light left at all – but that’s where we come in. We’re called to be the light bearers of the world. We are called to spread the goodness so others CAN be overcome with it.

Today’s first reading told the story of the covenant that God made with Noah after the flood. God told Noah there would never be another flood. The sign of this covenant would be the bow in the sky that would appear whenever clouds come upon the earth. It made me think of the quote from Dolly Parton – “The way I see see it – if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”

Feels like we’ve been in a rainstorm for a while now.

As I talked about last week, anxiety has always been an issue for me. When I get overwhelmed or stressed it gets worse, and last week was one of those times. Listening to Father’s message today about finding the goodness, overcoming the darkness, and finding our way out of the rain to find the rainbow was exactly what I needed to hear. Some days are harder than others to see that rainbow, but staying connected to the Lord helps. Even though we may not always feel overcome by the goodness of the world, we ARE surrounded by it everyday. It’s up to us to notice it.

This week’s opening hymn offers us a daily prayer to help with it all:

”Change our hearts this time
Your word says it can be.
Change our minds this time
Your life could make us free.
We are the people your call set apart
Lord, this time change our hearts.
This time change our hearts.
This time change our minds.
This time change our hearts.”

I hope this week you are overcome with the goodness of the world, that your mind is changed to not focus on the darkness, and if you experience some rain – that you keep your eyes set on the rainbow.

Have a blessed week, and see you back here next Sunday.