In Lent, there is a heightened attention given to the 40 day period of fasting and temptation that Jesus endured in the wilderness. We see that Jesus begins his public ministry, well, privately. All throughout Jesus' life we see him again withdraw into lonely, solitary, "desert places" to pray and commune with God his Father. In our busy lives, this might seem like a waste of precious time: "I just have so many things to get done, I can't stop and be alone." But Jesus shows us how critical it is for us to be in a quiet place, far from distraction, where we may find temptation and pain. We may have to actually look in the mirror, and we may not like what we see. I hope and pray that you can get alone in a quiet place this season, confront the scary things in your life, and surrender them to God. May He show you his mighty power in the wilderness, as He did to Moses in the burning bush, and to the Israelite people in their wandering.
SONGS:
Rachel Childs will sing a song entitled "Empty Me." Our cry to God as we begin our service is that He alone would fill us with His Spirit and His love.
We will begin, as we did last week, with the Confession of Sin. We will sing "All Who Are Thirsty (1998, Brenton Brown & Glenn Robertson)" as both a song of invocation ("Come, Lord Jesus, Come") and an assurance of the mercy and grace of God ("Let the pain and the sorrow be washed away, in the wave of His mercy...")
A new song for Long Green this week is called "The Desert Song (2008, Brooke Fraser)" As we meditate on this idea of going into the desert, this song perfectly captures that moment: "This is my prayer in the desert, when all that is in me feels dry...My God is a God who provides." We find in the desert, as Israel found when God gave manna, quail, and water to sustain them, that we will know God's provision best when we need it most.
"The Heart of Worship" continues the theme of clearing out distraction: "When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come..." We affirm that all our worship is for, about, and because of Jesus Christ our Savior.
We will finish with the hymn "He Hideth My Soul." We rejoice and proclaim that God cares for us and protects in "a dry, thirsty land".
Isaiah 35:1-8 (CLICK HERE) Here we read the promise that God will one day turn the desert into a fertile land, flowing with water and life. We trust in His promise to turn our mourning into dancing and our pain into joy.
In Him,
Patrick Bourckel