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We can get anything we want, from anywhere in
the world, whenever we want it. That's how it is and that's how we want it to be. Still, our lives aren't any
different than other generations before us. We are in need of spiritual direction, but it has to be in a
format that is real and relevant for us.
This Lenten Series touches on issues that we care about, that we want to talk about and it comes in a
format that is very real and relevant.
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February 13, 2008
TODAY
How much time and energy do we spend wishing things were how they used to be? We often think
about times in our past when things were different and want our lives to be like that again. Some of us
have even come to believe that our best days may actually be behind us. But if we're in some way hung
up on the past, what does that mean for our lives now? How are we and those around us affected if
we're not fully present? If we're longing for the way
things used to be, what does that really say about our understanding and appreciation of our lives
today? Maybe we need to learn to embrace our past for what it is, in order to live our lives to the fullest,
right here, right now.
February 20, 2008
NAME
We all compare ourselves to others. We spend our lives wondering what others think and say about us.
Some of us even wish we were someone else. We question why we are the way we are and not the
way we wish we could be. Some of us have let the expectations of others dictate who we've become.
We act a certain way to be accepted but know that we're being untrue. But why are we so
concerned with what other people think, say, or look like? What does it say about us if we are unable to accept who
we are? Maybe if we really knew our true selves, we wouldn't give so much attention to other people's
lives and live more in tune with the life God wants for us.
February 27, 2008
STORE
We all get angry about things from time to time - some of us more often than others. For some of us, it
feels like we're constantly on the brink of losing it, where it doesn't take much to get angry about
anything. And this kind of anger can be seen everywhere we go - at work, in traffic, at the store, at home. But
what is really at its root? Anger is often looked at as a bad thing, but are there things actually worth getting
angry about? Maybe if we had a better understanding of our anger and where it comes from, we could
learn how to channel it toward something constructive something that's bigger than ourselves.
March 5,
2008
DUST
Believing in God is important, but what about God believing in us? Believing that we can actually be the
kind of people we were meant to be. People of love, compassion, peace, forgiveness, and hope. People
who try to do the right thing all the time. Who act on the endless opportunities around us every day for
good, beauty, and truth. It's easy for us to sometimes get down on ourselves. To feel "not good enough" or
feel like we don't have what it takes. But maybe if we had more insight into the culture that Jesus grew up
in and some of the radical things he did, we'd understand the faith that God has in all of us.
March 12,
2008
YOU
Some of the central claims of the Christian faith are the source of many discussions and heated debates.
But are we always debating the right things? Maybe some of our discussions would change significantly if
we had more insight into the actual circumstances that surrounded the first people of the Christian
movement - if we had a better understanding of the things they did in the context of the world they lived
in. Maybe some of the claims of the Christian faith that we typically perceive to be unique aren't really
that special at all. And at the same time maybe we don't always put enough emphasis on the things that
truly should matter in our lives.
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