Tracy's Blog

Lent is a time for self-examination and penitence, for taking a serious look at our lives and being sorry for our sin.  But it isn't a time to be self-absorbed or caught in the paralyzing grip of shame. We sang this hymn at church two Sundays ago and I thought it captures something of the essence of Lent. Verse 1 of "Out of the Depths" by Martin Luther "Out of the depths I cry to you;  O Lord, now hear me calling.  Incline your ear to my distress in spite of my rebelling.  Do not regard me sinful deeds.  Send me the grace my spirit needs;  without it I am nothing." In it, the singer acknowledges her/his rebellion and sin.  Look where they are calling out from: the depths.  This is where sin leads us.  This is where we end up when we live for ourselves and on our own strength.  But as Christians, we do not have to stay there!  We cry out to God and ask for help.  We can be bold, even though we ha...

Last week I was meditating on Psalm 25:4-5 "Make me to know your ways, O Lord ;      teach me your paths.   Lead me in your truth and teach me,      for you are the God of my salvation;      for you I wait all the day long." It got me thinking about waiting on the Lord and I had a thought I'd never had before......  being a waiter.  You know, someone who waits on tables at a restaurant.  Maybe one of the ways to view waiting on the Lord is this: just as a waiter serves the patrons at the table, so we serve God as we wait on Him.  Not that God is a paying customer... I don't want to take the image that far.  What I am interested in is the idea that waiting is an active state for the Christian.  As we wait for God to speak or act, we serve Him in everyway that we know how.  Sure there are things we are uncertain about.  Sure we don't know how He is going to provide in a particular s...