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A journey through Lent - 2016
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1st Sunday of Lent.
I had not planned to add material for the Sundays of Lent, as they are not part of the 40 days, but I am leading some of the worship at Journey Light today.
As a result I have prepared some material for that. So I add it here as "bonus" material!
Today we celebrate the first Sunday of Lent and Valentine's Day.
Very different occasions or are they?
On Valentine's Day we think of love and all of its attributes.
These are laid out for us in a few verses of Paul's first Letter to the Corinthians. A passage so often read at weddings to set the expectations of a new marriage and the place of love in it.
Read them now.
Bible Passage: - 1 Corinthians 13 4 - 7(NIV)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
As we read these words we ralise that so often we do not live up to these ideals.
So in this time of Lent we make space in our lives to look honestly at ourselves and evaluate how well we meet these ideals as we respond to God's call to love others as ourselves.
We especially acknowledge the times when so often we do not display these attributes in our lives.
We offer God these things and are able to say sorry, prepare ourselves to do better and are able to "walk away" from the sometimes deep pain our failings impose on our lives, trusting that God will help and enable us to do so. For he keeps no record of our failings.
Some of us may have given up something for Lent some of us will have perhaps taken up something to aid us in our reflection to enhance our spiritual relationship with God.
No matter whether we have done either, before now, all of us should do both using this passage.
Taking up the attribites of love and giving up the ever present temptation to not display them.
Hymn: Singing the Faith - "A New Commandment"
Let us pray together.
Loving God, you are full of wisdom, truth and love. Calling us to live each day with love in our hearts brimming to overflowing .
Help us when we fall short of displaying that love. When our tiredness, irritation or fear leads us from your pathway of love into the darkness.
We are so blessed by you and your gentle guiding hand. We choose to give our lives to you each day.
In our sorrow, show us that you hold no count of our failings but start each day fresh with your ever forgiving love for us.
May we always hold in our hearts these attributes of love and ever work to display them in our lives and relationships.
Amen.