On this Palm Sunday, we are invited to think about what kind of king we're looking for in Jesus. Do you have the courage to say “I love you,” to this Jesus? A king of compassion and God’s justice—of God’s Truth and Love?

In Peter, we often see ourselves—someone who is both steadfast and unsteady, a dear friend and a betrayer, a follower and a wanderer. Someone who loves Jesus with all his heart, and struggles at the same time.

This coming week, I challenge you to be mindful of the ways you’re clinging and fixating on “what you know to be true” and missing God’s bigger truth. How might it feel to release your grip, and follow God into the unknown?”

our series is titled “Wandering Heart.” We are studying the faith journey of the disciple Peter, and connecting that with the lyrics of the hymn “Come Thou Fount.” So to set the stage, we’re going to be singing “Come Thou Fount” each Sunday. If you’ve been around the Church a while, it might sound a little different than you’re used to, but the message is still the same and so is spirit behind it.

As a new disciple, perhaps Peter wants to prove himself. Boldly, in

the middle of a storm, Peter steps out of the boat to join Jesus who is walking on top of the waves. He, too, walks on water until the wind shakes his trust and he begins to sink. Many of us know what it feels like to be thrown off balance, to feel as if we’re sinking. Maybe this looks like doubt, unexpected change, too-busy seasons of life, devastating grief, or distance from God. In this story, we empathize with the desperation Peter feels as he cries out, and we pray for God to save us when we sink.

This Lenten season—these 40 days leading to Easter—we are going to focus on the life and faith of Peter. After Jesus, he is the most frequently mentioned individual in the Gospels and New Testament. He is a consistent presence throughout Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. In Peter, we see a person who is both steadfast and unsteady, a dear friend and a betrayer, a follower and a wanderer. In Peter, we often see ourselves.

As we close out this series on living out our faith, may this story of Eutychus and the early church remind us that our journeys are not linear and that living in faith looks different, depending on the situation and time of our life. People do fall, and when they do, we as a community of faith are called to sit with them, celebrate their life, and be God’s loving presence.

"How often do we underestimate someone—assume that they don’t have something valuable to share because they’re too young, not the right gender, too old, not educated enough, not wearing the right clothes, their skin is too dark, or they have an accent.

I would wager that at any point in time, this has happened to each one of us… and we’ve done this to many other people.

In life, we have a choice: we can either let the labels—that either we or society place on a person—speak for them, or we can allow the person to speak for themselves."

Faces of Our Faith: Joseph of Aramathea by BrecksvilleUMC

I don’t know about you, but even in situations that are far less stressful than imminent war and oppression, I forget to turn to God first for guidance and comfort. Of course, I eventually go to God, but first on the list might be Google, or worrying about it for a while, or trying to figure out how I can carry the burden on my own.

But those times when I remember to pause, and center myself in God’s presence, and open myself to God’s wisdom… oh my! Those times are so much easier and so much better!