The Spirit of the Lord is Upon us

January 23, 2022 Luke 4:14-21 The Spirit of the Lod is upon you 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Year C Opening Song Welcome COVID precautions Call to Worship Call to Worship (based on Psalm 19) The heavens are telling the glory of God May our worship reflect God’s glory. The firmament proclaims God’s handiwork. May we see each other as the handiwork of God. Let our prayer and praise, our singing and proclamation project the love of God. We commune with Christians around the world, with Christians throughout time. With Christians across geography and across time, Let us worship! —from Jesus Sets the Table, resources by the United Church of Christ, posted on their Worship Ways website. Stewardship Moment Moment for Stewardship (inspired by I Corinthians 12:12-31a) Less than a month after Christmas, I wonder if you can name the greatest gifts you received? Writing to the people of the Corinthian church, Paul reminds the believers to “strive for the greater gifts”. Why? Because the gifts we’ve RECEIVED are also the gifts we’re challenged to put to use. Some of us would love to have different gifts, but this scripture in I Corinthians 12 instructs us to recognize it takes many members with many different gifts to make up the whole body. (use specific references to well-known gifts in your own congregation) As we come to a time of sharing our gifts, we recognize not everyone is able to give great plumbing ability, but ______ shares that with us. Not everyone has a gift of welcoming newcomers, yet we’re grateful for _______, who helps first-time visitors find their way. Not everyone is able to lift us to the heavens with music, but we are so often raised up when __________ shares her/his gifts. Here’s the thing. YOU are the body of Christ, and individually members of it. Not everyone can do everything. Not everyone can write a check for $1000 (well, at least one which will not bounce [ 🙂 ] , but if that’s your gift today, we would be delighted to receive such a gift! But each of us, and all of us, are able to share because of the gifts God has given each one. Today, let us offer our gifts with glad and generous hearts, grateful for the ways we’ve received grace upon grace. Prayer of Thanksgiving Generous God, we thank you for instilling each of us, and all of us, with gifts to help build up the body of Christ. Receive what we’ve offered today. Bless each one in our giving. Help us use all these gifts to strengthen the body of Christ known as _______________ Church. AMEN Reception of New Members UMH 33 Scripture Luke 4:14-21 Common English Bible Jesus announces good news to the poor 14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 16 Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue as he normally did and stood up to read. 17 The synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, 19 and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.[a] 20 He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the synagogue assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed on him. 21 He began to explain to them, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.” Sermon The Spirit of the Lord is Upon You There is a Facebook post that circulates for a while, that ask you to explain your job in very simple crude terms. I finally came up with a good answers. I set people free. Well actually it is not me who sets them free – it is the spirit, but I get to be the one to proclaim the good news to everyone. Jesus actually gets up in front of the congregation and says this exact thing. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to set the captive free. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus is on his way home from being baptized. He has been traveling around in Southern Palestine, and now he is returning home to the North. Only Luke says that he is in Nazareth his home town. When a hometown hero returns and reads scripture at first they are proud of him. Until they realize that Jesus is not just talking to them, but talking about them. They are the captives who need to be set free. In his book 40 Days, Alton Gansky relates this story: "Harry Houdini made a name for himself by escaping from every imaginable confinement -- from straightjackets to multiple pairs of handcuffs clamped to his arms. He boasted that no jail cell could hold him. Time and again, he would be locked in a cell only to reappear minutes later. It worked every time -- but one. He accepted another invitation to demonstrate his skill. He entered the cell, wearing his street clothes, and the jail cell door shut. Once alone, he pulled a thin but strong piece of metal from his belt and began working the lock. But something was wrong. No matter how hard Houdini worked, he couldn't unlock the lock. For two hours he applied skill and experience to the lock but failed time and time again. Two hours later he gave up in frustration. The problem? The cell had never been locked. Houdini worked himself to near exhaustion trying to achieve what could be accomplished by simply pushing the door open. The only place the door was locked was in his mind. Faith is not a complex process. It is not the result of years of education, pilgrimages, or flashy supernatural experiences. The door to belief is ready to open and is locked only in the minds of those who choose to believe it is. Faith, Salvation; Works At some point I think all of us become prisoners to our habits, our thoughts, our expectations. And we get stuck there. Jesus came to open the doors for all of us. Liberation theology is a theology that strives for freedom of all people. It addresses the systems in our world that depend on the mental cultural prisons which say this is how life is and this is how it needs to stay. As Jesus told his hometown that it was time to change, they got so mad at him that they threw him off of the cliff. But that is the rest of the story. But that is not the scripture for next week. They did not get mad at him for quoting Isaiah. They got mad at him because he called them captives of their own beliefs. He had the nerve to say that gentiles and strangers were closer to God and would get to heaven before them. They were mad because Jesus challenged them to accept other people. That is like saying that a person who never goes to church, who doesn’t believe in God, who chooses to sleep in on Sunday is just as much a child of God as the person who comes to church every Sunday. It is sort of like saying that the person who chose to stay at home, stay out of the cold, and watch the service in their pajamas is just as much a part of this congregation as those of you who got up, got dressed, fought the weather to be present in church. And yet Jesus says that the spirit of the lord is upon me to each of us who hears. When Jesus quotes this scripture in Isaiah, he is talking about the jubilee year – every 50 years when the system was supposed to reset itself and all debt cancelled, starting all over again. But of course it has never happened – those who had the power were never ready to give it up, those who had money never gave it up. Imagine what the world would be like, if Jesus has never proclaimed freedom for all in our world? Once there was a church that decided to have a work day, on which members showed up to do heavy cleaning and light maintenance on the church building. A general call went out for volunteers. The usual suspects showed up – the ones who show up year after year. There was one other person who showed up as well – a new member, she brought with her the mop and bucket that all had been asked to bring. She even announced that she was here to work. No one payed attention to her, because they all had their assigned duties. They all laughed together, they socialized. No one bothered to talk with the newcomer. No one, or even make her a part of their activities. She went home that day wondering if she even belonged. There was a happy ending, with persistence she was able to get beyond the social understandings and become a part of the group. She soon realized that that cool reception was just a fluke. She was able to get beyond those ties of familiarity and friendship which served as a unintentional barrier. But what would have happened if she did not bring her broom and her persistence to church with her that day? Jesus came to set the captives free and sometimes we are the captives. I thought it was interesting that the scripture says that Jesus stood before the congregation and read the scrolls. I have to do a little more research- Jesus was a carpenter by trade, I was not under the impression that he could read or write. But my point is that Jesus did not really give a big speech, he just announced that the spirit of the lord was upon him. The message that he did give – is that those were not just ancient words – but living words. He said that the scripture had been fulfilled today. He opened the doors of the church, he gave us an opportunity to be in mission. How are those words being fulfilled here today? We have accepted new members in our midst, we will have an opportunity to support Methodist women in ministry to the community. But what else? What else needs to be done? Each year we follow the life of Christ, every year we learn about Jesus call to ministry, we think about our call to ministry, to follow jesus to be children of God. The spirit if the Lord is upon each of us. How do we fulfill this scripture in our lives today? Let us pray…. Prayer for others (I know it is long, but I am hoping with spacing that all of it can be included) Prayer for Others (inspired by Psalm 19:14) Creator God, we come before you asking prayers for those who lead nations cities churches homes. As you poured out your love in the Word may we hear your word and follow; may the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts lead us to you. Holy One, we come before you - a people broken into shards of lives sick, poor, hungry hidden by the limitations of our eyes. Help us to see as You see as you poured out your love in the Word. May we hear your word and follow may the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts lead us to you. God of Mercy, we come before you – seeking to live as you command, but often failing, and thus we are torn by cries of despair anger power control lost to foolishness and stumbling blocks despite your love in the Word Help us to hear your word and follow May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts lead us to you. Gentle God, we come before you giving thanks for all our blessings the gift of life hope faith love family friends all we care for this day. Help us to be Your hands. Incline Your heart, O gracious God, and teach us to love O Christ, our rock and our Redeemer. Amen. ~ written by Terri C. Pilarski, and posted on RevGalBlogPals. http://revgalblogpals.org/2012/03/11/sunday-prayer-lent-3b/ Lord’s Prayer Song Oh For a Thousand Tongues to Sing UMH 57 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook The Spirit of God is upon you. We go forth proclaiming God's love and liberation. The Spirit of Christ is upon you. We go forth to live lives of justice and freedom. The power of the Spirit is upon you. We go forth as one body, one spirit, one witness to the promises of our God. From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press. Community Time Benediction You have been called and anointed. You have been strengthened and enlightened. You have become one body in Christ. Now go to spread joy and liberation in word and in deed to all the world. From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press. Children’s Sermon People make promises every day. Sometimes we give something to another person as a sign of our promise, sometimes we sign our name to seal our promise, other times we just give our word to another person that we will do something. I'm sure you have all seen a ring like this. (Show the wedding ring.) When a man and woman get married, they usually make promises to one another. They say something like, "I promise to love you for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health as long as we both shall live." Then they exchange rings as a symbol of that promise. This is an ordinary letter like the ones we receive in our mail box every day. Right in the middle is the name and address of the person for whom it is intended. What do you see up here in the corner of the envelope? Right! It is a stamp. When the Postal Service sells you this stamp and you put it on a letter, it represents their promise to deliver it to the person to whom the envelope is addressed. It doesn't matter if it is cloudy or sunny, raining or snowing, hot or cold, the mail gets delivered. That is the promise that this stamp represents. You are too young to have a credit card, but one day you probably will. Most adults have a credit card which they use to buy things. When you buy something using your credit card, you have to sign a ticket. When you sign the ticket, you are promising that you will pay for the items you purchased using the credit card. Your signature is your promise. People make promises every day. Do they always keep their promises? Unfortunately, some people don't. God makes promises too. The Bible is full of God's promises. Does God always keep his promises? Yes he does! One of my favorite verses in the Bible is one that says, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. (2 Cor. 1:20) That is what our Bible lesson teaches us today. Jesus was in the city of Nazareth on the Sabbath day so he did what he always did on the Sabbath. He went to the synagogue. He stood up and began to read the words of the prophet Isaiah from the scripture. He read where it says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come." When he had finished reading, he sat down. All eyes were on Jesus. Then he began to speak to them. "The scripture that you have just heard read has been fulfilled this very day!" Jesus came to earth to fulfill the promises of God. All of God's promises are fulfilled in him. Wouldn't it be great if you and I were as faithful in keeping our promises to God as he is in keeping his promises to us? Our Father in heaven, thank you for your faithfulness in keeping your promises. Help us to be faithful in keeping our promises to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Additional Illustrations He Came to Help Us See Besides freeing us from fear and guilt, Jesus came to help us see. He wasn’t talking about physical blindness, but rather, spiritual blindness. We can’t see because we are trapped by habits, addictions and illusions of happiness. Therefore we are trapped, oppressed by our own choices and situations. Some of us are in denial. Others of us are reinforced through the enabling of other people. Consequently, we are not free. One night a tiger trainer was performing at a circus. He went into the cage with the tigers and a huge hush came over the crowd as the doors were locked behind him. Skillfully, the trainer put the tigers though their routine, entertaining the crowd. But, suddenly there was a "pop" and the all the lights went out under the big top. The trainer was locked inside the cage with the tigers in complete darkness. They could see him with their night vision, but he could not see them. All he had was a chair and a whip for protection. Finally the lights came back on and the trainer finished his performance. Later in a TV interview, the trainer admitted how scared he was. Then he realized that the tigers did not know that he could not see them. "I just cracked my whip and talked to them," he said, "until the lights came on." (from "Tigers in the Dark," God’s Little Lessons on Life for Dad, Honor Books) Keith Wagner, Liberated and Free Fulfilling Others? And the marvel is this: Jesus somehow fits the void in all the far flung instances of human longing. When medieval European artists painted the Holy Family, they usually painted them with typical German, Italian, or Flemish features. It was not imagination or prejudice which made them do so, but the instinctive feeling that Jesus belonged to them; he was one of their people. In our time, Christian artists in Africa and Asia paint the Holy Family with features and coloring appropriate to their world. Again, it is because they feel that Jesus belongs to them. The mountain church, where a duet twangs out country-western music on a guitar, may seem to have little in common with a Bach rendition from a four-manual organ; but each is seeking to show its adoration of Jesus in its own best way. Here is the common bond between a ghetto storefront church and the massive Gothic structure some miles away: they both bear the name of Jesus Christ; and they each seek, in their own way and setting, to fulfill the human longing. What about you and me? What is the longing in our lives which Christ has filled? "Today," Jesus said, "this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." For you, for me? To what degree are we in the business of fulfilling the scripture in the lives of others? J. Ellsworth Kalas, Sermons on the Gospel Readings, Cycle C, CSS Publishing Company Hope Do you remember the story of Pandora's Box in Greek Mythology? The lovely Pandora was sent by Zeus to be the bride of Epimetheus. One of Pandora's more endearing charms was her curiosity, but that quality also proved to nearly be her undoing. One day Mercury, the messenger, sent a box to the young couple. It was meant for them to enjoy, but under no circumstances were they to open it. Well, of course, it is the old story of the forbidden fruit. Told that she could not do it, it became the thing that she desired to do the most. So one day she pried it open and peeked inside. Suddenly out flew swarms of insects that began attacking them. Both lovers were stung with the poison of suspicion, hatred, fear and malice. Now the once happy couple began to argue. Epimetheus became bitter and Pandora wept with a broken heart. But in the midst of the quarreling, they heard a tiny voice cry out: Let me out, to sooth your pain. Fearfully they opened the box again, and this time a beautiful butterfly flew out. It touched the couple and miraculously their pain was healed and they were happy again. The butterfly we are told was hope. It is hope that sustains us; it is hope that sooths our pain. Staff, www.eSermons.com.

The One Who comes

December 4, 2011 Year B Second Sunday of Advent Isaiah 40:1-11 2 Peter 3:8-15 “The One Who Comes” Eschatology is our word for today Eschatology is our word for today. A word ending with logy always means the study of. Theology is the study of God, psychology is the study of the human psyche, and anthropology is the study of man. Escha means last, final, end, or in this case fulfillment. Eschatology means the study of the last days, the end times, and the fulfillment of human history. What is going to happen when Jesus comes again? Advent is a time to give thought to who God intends you to be – not who you were, not who you are – but the fulfillment of God’s mission in you. Every Sunday is little Easter The whole point of our faith is a celebration of that Jesus died, was resurrected and promised to come back again. We are always an Easter people. Everything that we do is in preparation for his return. We live in the shadow of the resurrection. Looking forward to what is to come, not looking back on what might have been. Without Easter, there would be no Christmas Without Easter, there would be no need for Christmas. We remember the first coming, so that we can understand the first coming. Christ came into the world – so that we could have eternal life. We need to keep that in foremost in our minds as we get ready for Christmas. Preparing for Christmas is in full blooom Have you noticed that Christmas is in full bloom? Stores are packed; the lights are out, Christmas movies are on. I used to say it won’t be Christmas until….. What about you. One of my favorite marks of Christmas is happening today – if I make it on time. The messiah The word of Handel’s messiah *PART I* OVERTURE RECITATIVE. (Accompanied - Tenor) Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness:-Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make straight in the desert a highway for our God. AIR (Tenor) Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight and the rough places plain. CHORUS And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together;for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The words of Isaiah 40 Those are the words of our text today….. God is gathered with the holy court – and he tells them to comfort my people. Prepare the way, create a highway for God, so that he can come immediately into the lives of his people What a concept – make a highway for God. What would it look like to make a highway in your life. Create a big open space for God. I decorated my house – set a place setting for Jesus – to come and make himself at home in my house, in my life, in my world. God’s message to us that God is still present, God still cares, God is still at work. If you are paying attention. Isaiah 40 good news to a world where God does not matter Comfort my people is good news. Lived in a world where there was depression and despair. The word from God was that they deserved it and were paying for not paying attention to God. The people of Isaiah Also lived in a world where it seemed God did not matter anymore. People had found other distractions. We feel that way. God had no power, God had no glory. God sees from heaven, and comfort my people – give them a message that God is still in control. And will come to deliver his people. 2 Peter 2 peter is the last of the new testament writings. Not written by Peter, not even the second generation, but the third. Closest to our times and our struggles. The first generation thought that Jesus was coming in their lifetime. But there was no Jesus. The second generation and still on Jesus. Why are you telling me to prepare for something that is not coming. Is indeed coming like a thief in the night – you never know. Started this whole conversation of eschatology – the end times. What it will be, what it will look like, what will happen when Jesus comes. There are different opinions with Christendom about what that day will look like and what Christ will do. But one thing we can be sure of – that we are found doing the will of god when he comes. Christ is our proof to the scoffers that God is still real and that God still cares. And that God gives us work to do in the meantime. No control over God, complete control over how you live your life. Who god calls you to be. Advent is my chance to prepare for the second coming. Take account of my life and decide what I need to do to get closer to God. It changes every year – depending on the circumstance. While the rest of the world is getting ready for Christmas. We are getting ready for Christ. Christ intervention into the way things are. What a couple does when expecting a baby When a couple is expecting a baby – there are certain things to do. Go to the doctor, have a baby shower, eat right, get things for the baby – sort of like getting ready for Christmas. There is a phenomena called nesting – when late in the pregnancy the mother starts preparing a place for the baby – getting the room ready – usually it is at that moment that the goes into labor. And everything changes. No longer getting ready for an event, preparing to be a new person a new identity. Change from doing to being. Being a parent is in who you are, not what you do. We all have to stand before the judgement seat Being a Christian is not in what you do, in who you are. Second coming – stand before God not interested in what you did – but who you are. Why did you give, why did you forgive, why did come to church, why did you treat people the way you did. Personal gain, or for the love of god. What do I need to do in order to prepare myself to stand before My God? Who do I need to talk to? What do I need to get rid of in my personality? What do I need to give away? What is standing in the way? What do I need to pray for? How do I need to pray? All good eschatological questions. The discussion of the things to come. My fulfillment in God’s kingdom. When Christ comes in his final victory what will he find me doing? Is my heart truly ready for Christ to come. When people say that Christ has not come in 2000 years – how do I help them see that he is always around, and the signs of his coming are nearer than you think. What is taking so long? Second peter says that he delays his coming out of mercy. He is waiting for you and for me and your our neighbors to get it. God is giving us time to get our lives in order. So that when he does come, we can stand before him blameless. Not to worry about when he comes, but what how we are preparing ourselves for his coming. Scripture says that for god a one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is only a day. One man prayed, God if a million dollars is like a penny to you and a day a thousand years, can I just have a penny – I would be happy with just a that much. God responds – sure I will give you one of my pennies’s – if you will just give a day. Eschatology – the study of things to come. What does God have in store for me? What is god calling me to be? What will my future days look like, what is the fulfillment of my life. Prepare yourself for the coming of Christ, not for Christmas. Parting benediction I leave you with the last words of 2 Peter text – therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found in him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. Amen.

An open invitation to abundance

An Open Invitation to Abundance Isaiah 55 Psalm 63 The Third Sunday of Lent Year C Rebekah was one of the prophet’s Isaiah’s best friends. She visited him every day. Isaiah was an old man, Rebekah was a child, but they still has lots to talk about to one another. One day Rebekah was on the beach playing with her friends. They were building houses in the sand. And along came Asher, another boy their age. He wanted to show them all the toy that he had just gotten from his dad. But it seemed everyone was too busy building houses. So Asher took his sword and started swinging it near everyone. They asked him to stop, but he just kept going. He knocked down all of the houses, and even started swinging at people. The more you asked him to stop – the more deteremined he was to be aggravating. Rebekah had to put her arm up to protect her face – the sword grazed her arm and left a bad scar. She and her friends got up and left Asher there swinging his sword. The next morning Rebekah went to visit Isaiah, she showed him her scar and talked about the event. Why did Asher do that asked Isaiah? He always does things like that. We don’t like to play with asher – because he is always trying to act big and strong. Why does Asher do that? When he plays with us, his house is neve as nice as our houses, so he is always trying to knock ours down. Why does Asher do that? Asked Isaiah again. Why are you asking me the same question over and over again? Because you cant make things better until you answer the hard questions. Then you should be asking Asher why, not me. No Rebekah, I am asking you – why does he do that? I guess he wants us to pay attention to him. He wants us to be his friend, but he is way too mean to play with. Rebekah in the marketplace where I go every morning – there are lots of people like Asher. That want to be noticed, they want people to pay attention to them. So they buy nice clothes, they buy shiny swords so they can feel important – they buy sweets because they think it will satisfy their hunger. But they find that it just doesn’t work. The clothes, the shiny tools, the food doesn’t make their life any better, it doesn’t make someone like them any better realized Rebekah. People feel good while they acquire these things in the market – but as soon as they are gone – life goes back to normal. It is very sad. Why do they do that? Rebekah smiled as she now had a chance to ask Isaiah the hard question. We all need to be needed. We all need other people, we all need to be accepted by other people, we all need to be loved by other people. We all need God. But hitting people and buying nice clothes doesn’t make anyone love you – it doesn even make others like you. And those things certainly don’t impress God. Rebekah and Isaiah were quiet for awhile. Then in a whisper, Rebekah said – I am going to ask Asher to come and play with us. You know I really like asher when he is not showing off. Maybe if I show him love first – then he wont need to act like that – and he will know that I am his friend. Isaiah thought for a minute – I have a song – I am going to sing the song to the people, so they can see that God really does love them, just as they are, they don’t have to buy nice things to come to God and experience God’s love. The don’t need nice things to feel good – they need God’s love. Are you going to put your song in your book to all generations? Asked rebekah. Isaiah smiled and began to sing his song… Ho you who are thirsty, ho you who are thirsty. Here is some nice cold water. You don’t need any money, here is good, rich food. It is a free gift from God. Don’t spend your money buying things that don’t help. The things you buy wont make your friends love you, the things that you buy wont make God love you. God has promised you that God will love you just as you are. There is nothing that you can buy that will make God love you. You cant buy things that will make your friends care Live God’s way! Be kind and good and fair. Love yourself, just the way God made you, then God and friends will love you too. Love yourself, love your friends, love your God. That is the open invitation that God gives to us all. All of us do something in order to gain attention. All of us do things to make people like us. All of us have a deep yearning inside of ourselves. Our society depends on it. Today you don’t have to go to the marketplace to buy the things that you need. All you have to do is turn on the television – and commercial after commercial appeal to our deep inner needs. Food commercials are constantly reminding us that we get hungry. All day Saturday I watch cooking shows on tv – just thinking about all of the wonderful things that I could cook. We sat and watched a cooking show at family share – Julie and Julia – all about what – food. I don’t know about you – but when I see something really good being fixed on television – I am not happy until I am able to fix it myself. Has any of it made a big difference in my life? No – but it satisfies that craving inside of me. But Isaiah is very right about our cravings – they only satisfy us for a short period of time – and then we are craving something else. And not really acknowledging that we are still hungry. Not paying attention to the fact that God creating us to be hungry, to have cravings, to need to be loved, to ask for attention. We created the minute things to hold our attention and to lose focus on God. Yet God created those things which really truly satisfy our heart. That makes us know that we are loved, and that God is always giving us the greatest of attention. Isaiah comes into our lives, into the streets, the marketplaces, the living rooms, the dens – to give us a message – Ho you who are thirsty – god has invited you to a feast – a feast that you don’t have to pay for the ticket. A feast where you don’t have to dress up – just open you heart, listen, trust and understand. And you will be filled beyond your wildest imagination. How are you letting God come into you soul and fill you to the brim this lent? Let us pray?