April 6th was the 5th Sunday in Lent this year and saw eighteen worshippers join Julia. Julia told us the story from Exodus 3:1-4:17 where Moses is called by God in the burning bush where he is given a mission to go back to Egypt and free the Israelites. Julia’s message was entitled “Giving Up…Guaranteed Outcome.” There are only three things that are predictable as life itself is unpredictable. And the three things that are predictable? death, life, and change. We are to move away from the outcome but rather plan and prepare for what the outcome will be. Perhaps we expect God to do what we want but God does not work that way!
God does not fix things. However, God is with us in whatever happens just as God was with Moses in what he encountered. We heard again what is known as the Serenity Prayer. We were left with this question to ponder: What is it that we need to let go of today so we can live life more fully? What is our answer?
The last Sunday in Lent is also known as Palm Sunday as we enter Holy Week. Twenty-four worshippers joined with Julia on April 13th. We heard the scripture of Jesus’ _entry into Jerusalem found in Matthew 21:1-11. Julia’s message was entitled “Giving Up…Anxiety” and she told us she was anxious about this message because we cannot give up some anxiety in our lives. As Jesus and the disciples entered Jerusalem, they were no doubt anxious of what would happen there. For it unnatural to not feel anything. Anxiety and excitement remain the same, but too much anxiety is dangerous. There are two responses to anxiety: worry and procrastination. Worry is the thinking part of anxiety and is a bad habit. Procrastination leads to not acting on what we need to bring to each day. As Jesus and the disciples entered Jerusalem, they were anxious, but they entered. They acted as they trusted that God was with them. We were left with this question to ponder: Where are we worrying and procrastinating today? Perhaps a difficult question for us to answer in today’s world.
Julia’s Lenten series has been entitled “Giving Up for Lent” and has included giving up Greed; Envy; Entitlement; Needing to “Fix it”; Needing a Guaranteed Outcome; Anxiety. In the February 20th newsletter we were informed that “Kenosis involves the gradual stripping of the personality and a detachment from non-essentials for the sake of making room for life/God/love/light”. It is a deliberate practice of letting go of things, habits or addictions in order to discover more of one’s true self.” How has this year’s Lenten series enabled us to discover more of our true selves?
Written by: Marie Wedderburn