A Word From the Pastor (April 2007)

Dear Friends:

How easy it is for relationships to be broken or fall into decay. National divorce statistics bear witness to the frequency with which those who were once deeply connected find their bonds torn asunder. The number of children in foster care due to parental neglect or abuse is a shocking testimony to the frailty of the parent-child bond in our modern age. Often in my conversations with folks inside and outside the church I hear of family squabbles that have left folks permanently estranged from one another. We need only consider the partisan nature of domestic politics or the hostilities that prevail in international relations to see the painful consequences of disharmony within the human community. Separation and estrangement is a huge problem in our modern world.

Given that we have such difficulty loving our brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors, whom we can see, is it any wonder that we often neglect our relationship with the Lord, whom we can not see.

Lent is here, a season of penitence, in which we hear these words from the prophet Joel:

"Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love …" (Joel 2:12-13abc)

It is so easy to wander away from God, to separate ourselves from the source of our being. We become caught up in the grueling demands of everyday life and neglect to carve out time for God. We become so focused on building our careers or providing for our families that we lose sight of our utter dependence on the Lord. In the wake of great sorrow or struggle, we find our faith shaken, and we grow disillusioned with our God. Perhaps we experience a season in which we make poor choices and then draw away from God in shame or guilt. Perhaps we hear God calling us in a direction we don't really want to go, and so we turn away from the Lord in rebellion. Estrangement is a huge issue when we ponder our relationship with God.

But there is good news. God loves us and waits patiently for us to return to the Lord. God is gracious and merciful, willing to forgive our human foibles, longing to draw us close and restore our broken bonds. God loves us enough that God sent the Son, Jesus Christ, to dwell in our midst, to be one of us. God chose to draw near to us in the incarnation, the Word made flesh, and God chooses to heal our estrangement by the crucifixion, the offering of Jesus' life on a cross for the sin of the world. God loves us so much that the Lord wants to spend eternity with us. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead bears witness to God's plan to give eternal life to his forgiven and restored children, to share with them in new life, in a reconciled everlasting relationship.

Yes, God loves us. This is good news. May we repent and return to the Lord. Surely, healing our estrangement from God is the first step toward a healed human family and a renewed creation. God bless you with a holy, God-centered Lent. Repent and return to the Lord who is "gracious and merciful" and "abounding in steadfast love."

In Christ's Love,
Rev. Peggy Ann Sauerhoff