Sunday, March 23
Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm 121
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17 or Matthew 17:1-9
I don’t know about you, but I have plans. Plans to attend a lecture, plans
to have my hair cut, plans to travel, plans to go grocery shopping, plans to
watch a lacrosse game ... plans, plans and plans. To keep up with all these
plans, I have a calendar on my phone, at my desk and if that wasn’t
enough, a large “family” calendar on our bulletin board. Everything on my
“to do” list is scheduled, with digital reminders and alarms.
After reading today’s assigned scripture, I’m wondering ... did Sarah and Abraham have plans? Surely they did. Surely they had things on their “to do list.” Maybe those plans didn’t include a lacrosse game, but there had to be bread baking, sheep herding, council meetings, and family dinners, right? So how in the world did they drop every plan and “Go” as God directed? Ok, maybe that’s do-able, God says “Go” and maybe we all would drop everything to do just that. As we know, that’s just what Abraham and Sarah did ... but hold on ... here’s the part that makes me nervous. In Genesis 12, verse 1, we hear God say “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” Hold on, “to the land that I will show you”? In this language, God uses the present tense “go” followed by the future tense “will show.” Hmmm, that really doesn’t work for me. I need a plan, a schedule, a calendar. How can I “go” if I don’t know how or even the destination?
Our Romans reading (4:16) gives insight. “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring - not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham ....” Faith. Each time I consider the word “faith,” I’m reminded of a necklace I had as a child. Hanging from the chain was the tiniest sphere with the tiniest mustard seed inside. “Even if you have faith as small as a mustard seed ....” I wonder now if Abraham and Sarah had this kind of faith. Small, tiny, but enough. This lent I pray that God would give me faith to actively “go” even when the journey or destination isn’t yet revealed. That He would release me from my calendar of plans so that I might drop everything to follow Him.
Melissa Peter
Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm 121
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17 or Matthew 17:1-9
After reading today’s assigned scripture, I’m wondering ... did Sarah and Abraham have plans? Surely they did. Surely they had things on their “to do list.” Maybe those plans didn’t include a lacrosse game, but there had to be bread baking, sheep herding, council meetings, and family dinners, right? So how in the world did they drop every plan and “Go” as God directed? Ok, maybe that’s do-able, God says “Go” and maybe we all would drop everything to do just that. As we know, that’s just what Abraham and Sarah did ... but hold on ... here’s the part that makes me nervous. In Genesis 12, verse 1, we hear God say “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” Hold on, “to the land that I will show you”? In this language, God uses the present tense “go” followed by the future tense “will show.” Hmmm, that really doesn’t work for me. I need a plan, a schedule, a calendar. How can I “go” if I don’t know how or even the destination?
Our Romans reading (4:16) gives insight. “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring - not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham ....” Faith. Each time I consider the word “faith,” I’m reminded of a necklace I had as a child. Hanging from the chain was the tiniest sphere with the tiniest mustard seed inside. “Even if you have faith as small as a mustard seed ....” I wonder now if Abraham and Sarah had this kind of faith. Small, tiny, but enough. This lent I pray that God would give me faith to actively “go” even when the journey or destination isn’t yet revealed. That He would release me from my calendar of plans so that I might drop everything to follow Him.
Melissa Peter