When the devil had finished every test,
he departed from him until an opportune time.
Luke 4:13, NRSV
3/19/21
An opportune time? That’s an interesting way to end Jesus’ journey through the wilderness! So the devil threw three temptations at him, Jesus didn’t fall for it, and the devil in essence said, “I’ll be back!” (in his best Schwarzenegger voice!).
But isn’t that how life goes? We come through one situation, then another one hits, and further down the road there’s yet another distraction! And trouble always seems to catch us at inopportune times. But with Jesus, everything can turn into an opportunity.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28, NRSV
The saying goes: Into each life a little rain must fall. So we know that problems will come. But there’s another saying: April showers bring May flowers. Could it be that our problems are preparing us for the promises of God?
I was alone – Jesus reminded me that, “I am with you always.”
I was abandoned – Jesus said, “I’ll never leave you or forsake you.”
I was weak – Jesus said, “When you’re weak, I am strong.”
We are the sum total of all of our experiences, and each and every experience has been preparing us for such a time as this, an opportune time. An opportune time to tell our story. An opportune time to serve our neighbor. An opportune time to mentor a young person and let them know that they can make it. An opportune time to give God glory!
May we not miss this moment, but may we always be ready to give an account for the faith in which we stand. This is our opportune time!
Worship with us in-person or online this Sunday, the fifth Sunday of Lent, at 10:00am. For online worship go to www.umcgt.org. To register for our limited indoor worship, you can sign up at: https://rsvp.church/r/gVufUAP4 .
We are opening up the Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) for overflow seating starting this Sunday! That means that when you register, if the sanctuary seating is full you have the option to gather in the MPR room with others, socially distanced, and watch Worship on the monitor. This simply gives more folks the opportunity to have some sort of fellowship in the church and see some familiar faces. All of the same CDC protocols apply to the MPR room (masking, distancing, and sanitization procedures).
We are excited to plan for outdoor worship on Easter! In the event of inclement weather, we will be indoors, socially distanced, utilizing the MPR room for overflow as needed. Either way, I look forward to our first Easter together, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Blessings,
Pastor Linda
Comments