Pastor's Ponderings - March

When he reached the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not come into the time of trial. Luke 22:40

Yale Divinity School professor Thomas Troeger asks, "How does prayer, particularly the repeated prayers of the community of faith, shape us over time?" Jesus often prays, say the gospel writers, using the psalms and the prayers of his Jewish tradition to guide him.

This text comes from the passion narrative of Luke's gospel where Jesus prays in Gethsemane after the Passover meal with his disciples. He is fully conscious that his response to God will lead to more difficult times, even death. So, he prays not only for himself, but also for the disciples whom he invites to accompany him in prayer.

Prayer has been the focal point prior to and during Lent as we embark on the congregational renewal process Springs of Living Water! offered by the District Leadership Team. Included in the bulletin each Sunday are scriptures with questions for daily meditation and prayer.

The theme for March is fasting. It recalls Jesus fasting and praying in the wilderness (the same time-frame of Lent) to discern our deeper faith during many temptations. As Thomas Troeger observes, "The Lenten pilgrimage would become a way of seeing in Christ what it means to live the prayers we pray."

May our prayers during Lent draw us closer to Christ as we sense his presence growing among us in personal and congregational life.

In peace, Paul