Friday - Lent 2

Happy Friday!   This week has flown by so quickly.   Between practicing the hymns for Sunday at St.  Andrew's and handing out posters for the Museum, this week is now at Friday.
Yesterday the Museum received their Vimy Night advertisement posters.  Instead of the 100 we ordered,  we received 1000. How drole.   1000.   I contacted all the Museum volunteers and asked how many posters they would like to take around town.    The Lt Col e-mailed back that he was presently on holiday in New Mexico.  Wow!  New Mexico.  Holiday.    Neat.  The Virden Army Cadet Commanding Officer is meeting me at Sobey's  Parking Lot this evening to hand him 50 posters for distribution in Virden.   Nothing says, "amusing" as standing in a parking lot at night in the dark with a bag of posters :)

May this Friday be a time of reflection upon your week and a joy knowing that Sunday is within view!  A day of blessing.

Devotional.....

Thank You God,  that during this time of Lent,  we make specific times to be alone with You in Prayer.    Transform us as we pray and renew our strength. Open our eyes to those moments when You speak to us and we say “aha!” in understanding.  And may we take the learning You have given us to those in our community.   This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Read:  St. Matthew 8: 23 – 27

Finally Jesus has time alone.  A time to spend in prayer.   Jesus and disciples get in a boat and set off to cross to the other side of the lake of Tiberias.   Jesus,  being worn out and tired falls asleep.    Suddenly a storm appears. Not your ordinary storm which the fishermen disciples were familiar with as a storm.    In the Greek translation,  the word used for “storm”  is actually the word for “earthquake”.  This is the kind of earthquake that is the end of the world type of earthquake.  Apocalyptic storm.     Yet Jesus remains asleep as the waves wash over the boat.    The Disciples wake Jesus and say, “Lord,  save us!  We are going to drown!”     Jesus reprimands them by asking why they are such cowards and faint hearts.     Jesus stands up and tells the wind to be silent and the sea to be calm.   And it is so.   The disciples rub their eyes in disbelief.   The disciples exclaim, “Even the wind and sea heed his command”.      In this short story,  it is as if the Disciples have not been listening nor watching Jesus pray and heal the sick and create miracles.    Suddenly they are confronted with a teacher who heals and does miracles. 

We call this an “aha” moment.   A moment when faith and understanding collide.    A time of blessing.   

Like the Disciples,  we too have heard the stories of Jesus.  We too have worshipped God at Church each Sunday.  But sometimes in our lives comes a moment of “Aha!  That’s what God means!”

As we travel through this Lenten time,   watch and listen for the “aha” moments that God gives to us.

Eternal God,  You know what for us is hidden;  bless Your people as we lay before You the hardness of our hearts.  Strengthen us in Your might,  deliver us from all that is evil and confirm us in faith,  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  (Taize “Praise in All our Days,  Mowbray 1981). 

Many blessings!