A Pastor in The Northwest

In studying for last week's sermon, it dawned on me that the final part of the chapter reveals that the older brother in the famous prodigal son parable of Luke 15 was ALSO lost.  He was lost in the sense of not embracing the love, compassion, and forgiveness of the father, much like the religious leaders who were critical of Jesus being friendly with the lost and 'men and women of questionable character.'  To be found in Messiah Jesus, our hearts should be in sync with the Father's heart when it comes to other people - especially those who may seem hard to love. Lord, give us a heart transplant today so we can have Your heart towards others! Photo by Daniel Jensen on Unsplash

  In the ancient church tradition of Lent, the fourth Sunday is know as "Laetare" meaning to rejoice. It is the halfway point between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday and reminds followers of the paradox of rejoicing while suffering. The Eastern Orthodox call the season of Lent a 'bright sadness' where we experience joy and grief at the same time. I think I can understand this better the older I get. Something can be two things at the same time like beauty and danger or peace and adversity. Sometimes grief and joy are related. Loss and delight can be brothers and sisters. In a devotional I read today, I read this: As Francis Weller astutely notes, "to be alive and to love means we will also experience sorrow and loss. Acknowledging this reality enables us to find our way into the grace that lies hidden in sorrow. We are most alive at the threshold between loss and revelation." In the paradox of walking with Jesus, sometimes flourishing can appear to be loss...

The first mention of prayer shows up in Genesis 4:26 with the phrase, "at that time, people began to call upon the name of the Lord..." What prompted this? Well, having children seems to be the immediate context, but I wonder, what draws us to prayer? What compels us to call out to the Lord? Is it desperation? Is it frustration? Is it a sense of being overwhelmed? Is it a celebration or thankfulness? Is it a desire for closeness to the Lord? According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, A classic definition of Christian prayer is “an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies." What is motivating your prayer today? I believe that no matter what is driving or compelling your calling out to the Lord today, it is all fitting in your relationship with Him! Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. -I Peter 5:7 NLT Photo by Amb...