February 22, 2023 - 1:13pm

Lenten Meditation: Thursday, February 23, 2023

Lenten Meditation: Thursday, February 23, 2023

Throughout the 40 days of Lent, we'll be posting meditations, opportunities to gather, and programs to support as we grow and learn together.

“What does anyone gain by winning the whole world at the cost of destroying himself?”—Luke 9:25

Jesus’ words this morning might feel like a harsh place to begin our Lenten journey. This passage seems to beg the kind of questions we most dread answering… are we ready, at this very moment, to pick up our cross? To lay down our lives? More than that, Jesus almost seems to split the world in two: those who seek to follow him, and those whose views and hopes are narrowed by self-interest and self-preservation.

Jesus knows that we want to save our lives, and that it’s hard to disengage from the messages that surround us—about what success looks like, that we should be self-sufficient and in control. God also knows that our constant striving is what robs us of life itself—peace, joy, and a deeper relationship with God, with others, and even with ourselves.

This morning—and over these next 40 days—it will help us to remember that our life of faith is not a linear progression. Some days we are blessed with a strong and active faith, that helps us to share the hope and love of Jesus and to bear one another’s burdens “with gladness and singleness of heart”. And there will be times when we lose track of our lives, and we can encounter God precisely in our weakness, confusion, and doubt. Perfection was not a part of God’s criteria for the first disciples, nor for us.

Today: Contemplate a Lenten intention, something that you want to give up or take on this season. How will it help you grow in the knowledge of love of God? Get specific.

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