It's Lent

Listen again for one new word or phrase or part of this piece of beautiful music that moves your heart today.


I want to dive and dwell in the refrain of "You Say" that goes:

The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me
In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity, 
You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And You say I am held when I am falling short
When I don't belong, oh You say that I am Yours
And I believe (I), oh I believe (I)
What You say of me (I)
Oh, I believe

To find our identity in God's grace is a life-long; day-by-day part of faith.  Faith not as intellectual assent or affirmation; faith as the daily practice of seeking out meaning and living out of the truest part of ourselves (you are a beloved child of God).  Daigle gives voice to that shadow side of ourselves that wants to say we are weak...falling short...alone...isolated...broken.

Unfortunately, the history of the church is that we did a good job actually amplifying the message that you were "A Sinner in the Hands of An Angry God"...to quote the title of the famous Jonathan Edwards sermon.  To be sure, Pastor Edwards had his faithful reasons for preaching that particular sermon.  As someone who preaches every week, I shutter thinking that I might be known for just one sermon that I preached at one time.  We have no idea if Pastor Edwards ever even thought that was a good sermon!  Or was the one he wanted to be remembered for!  Too often Lent becomes the time to dwell in our brokenness and even beat ourselves up. 

We do need to name and notice our shadow side.  It can be our ego that wants fame or fortune or to be in the headlines.  We live in a world where we worship those who are rich and powerful.  Yet, who we are has nothing to do with the balance of our bank account or the house were we sleep at night.  Nothing!

As someone who presides at a lot of funeral...those who have been wealthy...those who have died with barely a penny to their name...those who were CEOs to those who worked on factory floors.  You know what?

Rarely does someone's job even bare a mention!
Rarely does anyone talk about how much money a person had!
Rarely does the achievements that hang on our walls get more than the briefest acknowledgement!

All these supposed measures of success in our world...all that we commit our time to...all that we are told should be our goals...in the end might be on display for people to glance at while they are holding a cookie at the reception.

Stop for just a moment...let that sink and settle in.  Not to discourage you, but to remind you.  You are more than the sum of money to your name or the title you hold or any other way we rate and rank people.

This is why faith is counter-cultural.
This is why faith is sometimes left behind.
This is why faith is so misunderstood.

God is constantly trying to tell you a different story, but it is one that is so hard to hear.

God is trying to have us live from the unconditional and unceasing love.  May that invitation, these words, and the music for today off you more than a trace of God's grace.

Blessings ~~