As we commemorate Palm Sunday, remembering the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, we explore the idea of why he was welcomed as a king. Israel has many kings who ruled over the people, some who were righteous and others who were not. Many empires even dominated and conquered the people, practicing total control over their lives. The people did not need more power held over them, but looked to Jesus anyway in the manner in which he conducted himself. How does the attitude of Jesus make him a ruler who can be trusted and honored, versus the attitudes we see from others?

During Lent, we become so anxious about ourselves and obsess over what our sins have done. As we get closer to the time of Easter, we agonize over the crucifixion and what happens to the Son of God. But God does not wish for us to be in agony or obsess over ourselves to the point we cannot experience joy within his actions. Out of your own past, your own internal struggles, how have you seen God change the world around you to reflect that which he wishes you to have?

Our world teaches us that it is better to be upstanding than forgiven, that we must do everything right and have no blemishes in order to be respected. If we encounter someone with a blemished record, then that is permission to shun and exclude them due to their ‘failures’. But what if in that process we miss what forgiveness actually allows us to become? By not experiencing the forgiveness and counsel of God, do we miss who God actually is and the fortune of receiving that spark of new creation within us?

So often we try to take God’s word, God’s promises for our lives, and stuff them into molds which they do not fit. We try and put our energies toward things in this world which only end in destruction and disappointment. Where have you experienced disappointment from your efforts, and how might God be sparking opportunity from those low points?

The idea of God making a covenant, a contract or agreement, with humanity is more than just providing a list of rules for us to follow. It involves creating a way and life that unites all people together and provides a single home by which we all can fine security and rest. Part of coming under that agreement is not an outstanding moral character, a list of good accomplishments, or a pre-approval from an authoritative source. It is about a willingness on our part, and a desire to seek that place of rest and knowing the one who is providing it. Out of how God has revealed himself to you as an individual, and what God has shown you about what is true life, how willing are you to be gathered into it?

For forty days, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the Evil One in an attempt to corrupt his earthly ministry. In the same forty days of Lent, we pay more attention to the corruptions which surround us due to our own fasting and abstinences, or by the addition of virtuous practices. In the process we discover that overcoming evil is not an inner power, skill, or force of will. It requires a knowledge and reminder of what God has already done, and a decision to trust only him based off that reminder. What have you discovered, or already known, is that one weakness in your life, and how has God already promised to provide for you in the midst of that weakness?

The idea of journey is one we are all about to go on as we enter into the season of Lent, reflecting on the teachings and example of Jesus on his way to the cross. This season of Lent starts with that recognition of the deficiencies of the world, the land, the people, and the society all around us. It makes us start by understanding what we do not have; what we, and others, do not have to power to accomplish. It presents someone to us, to identify as the one whose power and wisdom proves they have something better to offer. Will you accept the one offering to guide you, and take that small, single step in trust?

As we prepare ourselves to leave the season of the Epiphany, and enter the season of Lent, we focus on the idea of identity and who waits for us to journey with him. The Transfiguration of Christ revealed to the disciples who they were following, and reveals to us who we are following today. Where in your life has Christ met you, and how have you recognized him?

Forgiveness is one of the most well-known, and emphasized, practices of the Christian faith. It is also one of the most misunderstood, and difficult, practices within the Christian life. While it offers a moment of healing and liberation for victims, and recognition of wrongs for perpetrators, it is an opportunity to understand how God prepares our hearts to accept his ways. What must happen to us that we can willing give and accept pardon without resentment or pride?

In a world where it seems like everyone is promised a solution to their problems, a cure for their ills, an identity for those who are lacking, there is an increase in disappointment and dissatisfaction among people with life and what it promises. But it is possible that the definition of “blessing” and “happiness”, which is peddled in the world, is different from God’s definition. What does it mean to be happy according to God, and what does the arrival and acts of Jesus mean in light of our disappointments?