THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
By PASTOR TONY
March 5th, 2021
We continue on a Lenten journey together, walking through our own wilderness experiences, hoping, praying, and seeking that somewhere along the way, maybe by Easter or even now, we shall become closer to God. That’s the way I’ve always seen Lent at least, a period in which we search for God in ways that may have otherwise been unknown, neglected, or foreign to us. I’m reminded of the song, “Oh How I Need You” by All Sons and Daughters, which starts with a profound, yet obvious statement: “Lord, I find you in the seeking.” The song continues, “I find you in the morning. I seek you every day.” Even in the doubt, the Lord is found. God is discovered in the journey, in the midst of everyday life, there God is.
In our seeking thus far, we have searched for God by considering giving up some of the unquestioned constants of daily life, like eating fast food, and wearing certain jewelry. But before we go any further, it’s important to take a step back and try to see ourselves the way God sees us. In an attempt to understand this better, I opened up an old theology textbook by Daniel Migliore and want to share one quote that helped me take that step back:
“We are created in the image of God; we are sinners who deny and distort our created being; and we are forgiven sinners, enabled by God’s grace to begin life anew in faith, to serve as Christ’s disciples in love, and to move in hope toward the promised fulfillment of life in the coming reign of God.” (Humanity as Creature, Sinner, and New Being in Christ)
Having been made in the image of God, we join in a complex paradigm of how to live in a fallen state while being transformed into the likeness of Christ amidst the constant struggle of sin. We look back at ourselves and we find that in God’s image we have been created, yet sometimes find ourselves in ungodly spaces, fallen, hurting, in need because of sin and it begs the questions: How do we live as a freed people yet in bondage to the sin that persists in our world and what does it mean to live as Christians who have been given new hope and life to live into the promises of Christ?
We’ve been answering those questions all along, throughout Lent, we see examples like Jesus in the wilderness, tempted. We remember wilderness stories throughout history, yet simultaneously look towards Easter, where the promises of Christ draw near and hope reigns and joy fills the Earth. Not quite to the midway of Lent, we find ourselves in the seeking and we pray: “God see us and find us, we are yours.”