Psalm 69:1-3 ¹ Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. ² I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. ³ I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.

Lent doesn’t seem like the appropriate time to be talking about waiting. But in fact, it is an opportune time to talk about it. Despite our busier than ever lives, there is this little part of us that cannot wait until Easter day comes. Some people can’t wait because they know spring break from school will follow shortly. Others because they are ready for vacation or that Easter gives them the feeling that spring time is here. The truth is that we wait to celebrate what God has done, and our waiting becomes God’s waiting.

Henri Nouwen writes in his book "Finding My Way Home": “I realize that a reflection on waiting from a spiritual perspective can be approached from two directions, namely, the waiting for God and the waiting of God.” Back in Advent, we were waiting for God, we counted down the Sundays until we arrived at Christmas. We celebrated our waiting for the birth of the Messiah. Luke’s Gospel is filled with waiting before the birth of Christ. Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, and Anna are all waiting for some reason. When Christ is born, we see their waiting coming to an end.

Now we are in the middle of Lent, and a different waiting is happening. The story that we will soon tell is a story that shows us that God is waiting. On Palm Sunday, Jesus started his triumphant ride to death. Soon afterwards Jesus was handed over by Judas. Soon after that, Jesus was handed over by Pilate so the people could choose between him and Barabbas. Soon after that, Jesus was handed over for crucifixion. Jesus was waiting. God was waiting. God is still waiting. We believe that God gives us free will and the ability to choose our decisions. We believe that even when we don’t make the appropriate decision, God welcomes us back. God welcomes us when we choose him over the evil in the world. Until everyone in the world does that, God is still waiting. God is still waiting for the appropriate time to come back and fix everything that is evil in the world. We are still waiting for that day as well.

In our prayers this week: Alma, Buddy and Ann, Gail and Linwood, Gail Nunamaker (Alice Smith’s friend), Michael, Chris, and Brenten.

God's Peace,

 Pastor Judson