Fourth Sunday of Lent: Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation - How Can We Give Thanks to God in Difficult Times?

On this fourth Sunday of Lent we continue our focus on Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation in which we are preparing e ourselves for the new life that comes through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter.  We are reminding ourselves in what ways our lives are so often disoriented from the ways of God and as we engage these Psalms in Lent we seek to be open to being reoriented to the ways of God.

The message for this fourth Sunday of Lent focused on Psalm 107

Connect to How Can We Give Thanks to God? Being Reoriented in Difficult Times. In this message, we experience reorientation as we learn to give thanks to God in difficult times.  This does not mean we thank God for everything - because trauma and pain is not the will of God - everything does not have a purpose for God.  But in giving thanks to God IN every circumstance, rather than for every circumstance, we are connected to God in our difficult times - and in being connected to God, in giving thanks, God walks with us through our dark times.  God is with us IN our difficult times

Third Sunday of Lent: Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation - Hearing God Speaking

On this third Sunday of Lent we continue our focus on Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation in which we are preparing e ourselves for the new life that comes through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter.  We are reminding ourselves in what ways our lives are so often disoriented from the ways of God and as we engage these Psalms in Lent we seek to be open to being reoriented to the ways of God.

The message for this third Sunday of Lent focused on Psalm 19

Connect to Hearing God Speaking - Being Reoriented. In this message, we experience reorientation as we learn to hear God speak to us.  There are three movement in this Psalm which lead us into deeper relationship with God - and as a result - we become more open to hear God speaking into our lives.  We move from witnessing God and God's creative work to being encountered by God and ultimately to being personal to God - in which we worship God.  It is in worshiping God, that we hear God the clearest.

Second Sunday of Lent: Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation - Where is God?: Experiencing Disorientation

On this second Sunday of Lent we continue our focus on Psalms of Disorientation and Reorientation in which we are preparing e ourselves for the new life that comes through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter.  We are reminding ourselves in what ways our lives are so often disoriented from the ways of God and as we engage these Psalms in Lent we seek to be open to being reoriented to the ways of God.

The message for this second Sunday of Lent focused on Psalm 22

Connect to Where is God? - Experiencing Disorientation. In this message, we experience disorientation when it more than seems God abandons us - we actually feel abandoned by God.  Deep cries from our souls emanate when we are left alone by God.  Jesus also cried this cry from the cross.  Yet, as he recited Psalm 22 it became an expression of trusting God to be with him, even as he entered into death.

May we also discover God to be with us, when we feel that God has abandoned us - may our new cry be in times of difficulty and struggle, "My God, my God, you are with me!"