Hi everyone,

I honestly can’t believe that we’re nearing the end of Lent already. Not that I’m complaining, it’s just that sometimes these days go by so fast that it feels like there isn’t time to process them (or prepare for them, for that matter). The seasons come and go and jump from one to the next, and before you know it, it’s Christmas again…

I have found lately that in the hustle and bustle, I have to intentionally slow down. I have to tell myself to stop, breathe, and reflect. I have to force myself to sit in the moment, feel the feelings, and be still.

That is when I can see God in the world. Moving. Acting. Revealing to us the ways that we are blessed, loved, and saved.

These are the readings for next week:
Matthew 21:1-11
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Matthew 27:11-54
And a video of them being read:

For one of the most important Sundays we get in the church calendar, we have a lot of readings. And I get it, there is a lot to cover. But at the same time, when there are so many words in front of us, we might tend to rush. We might want to get things over with. We might gloss over them for the sake of “saving time”.

But then we might miss the story. We might lose the emotion. We might skim past God’s role in the world… then and now.

Honestly this Palm/Passion Sunday doesn’t help much with that. Cramming two big events together like this isn’t exactly conducive for a slowed-down and reflective time. It feels like all of this just adds to the busyness of the transition between the two seasons.

Yet… even in that, God is with us. God can be seen. God is revealed in the quiet, yes, but also in the busyness.

That in the midst of the distractions, God is here. In the middle of the demands for our time and our focus, God sits with us. In the mundane and manic, God sees us, holds us, and loves us in a way that inspires us to love ourselves.

These coming weeks might feel overwhelming for some for various reasons, but God will always be our salvation, even when it doesn’t seem like it.

Thanks be to God! Blessings to you all this week!