February 22
Here we are at the beginning of Lent—this season when we attempt to quiet our hearts, turn a few degrees away from the good things our sinful hearts have perhaps made ultimate things, and prepare our hearts to mourn Jesus' crucifixion and celebrate his resurrection.
I’m so glad you’re here.
In this life that is so busy, so loud, and moves so fast, in an era where almost any item can be on our doorsteps in two days, and any answer can be found with just one click, we’ve lost some of the rootedness, the permanence, our hearts were designed for. In this space where lines blur between work and home, public and private, sacred and profane, we've been left in a state of perpetual confusion, groping our way through dusk that rarely leads to dawn.
So, come. During these 46 days, let’s pause and breathe.
Let’s exhale amidst the busyness, the blurred lines, the perpetual dusk. Let’s lay down the to-do list, the constant comparison, the 3 am "Am I enough/Will I ever feel enough/Is anything enough?"
And, let’s inhale—God's deep, great, never-ending love, his peace, his mercy, his tender care. Let’s inhale his power, his knowledge, his stillness, his justice, his effort, not our own. Not our own.
Together, from now until Easter Sunday, let’s spend a few minutes together meditating on God's goodness and his great love as we journey towards the depths of Good Friday, from the stunning beauty of "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" to the alleluia of "He is not here; for He is risen."
Grateful to be with you this season,
Jennifer
“All Things New” by Andrew Peterson
Come broken and weary.
Come battered and bruised.
My Jesus makes all things new,
All things new.
Come lost and abandoned.
Come blown by the wind.
He'll bring you back home again,
Home again.
Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake,
The light of the dawn is upon you.
Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake,
He makes all things new.
All things new.
Come frozen with shame.
Come burning with guilt.
My Jesus, he loves you still,
He loves you still.
So, rise up, oh you sleeper, awake,
The light of the dawn is upon you.
Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake,
He makes all things new.
He makes all things new.
The world was good, the world is fallen,
The world will be redeemed,
The world was good, the world is fallen,
The world will be redeemed,
So hold on to the promise.
The stories are true that Jesus makes all things new.
Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake,
The light of the dawn is upon you.
Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake,
He makes all things new.
Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake,
The light of the dawn is upon you.
Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake,
He makes all things new.
He makes all things new.
All things new.
All things new.
He makes all things new.
