Men's Breakfast & Lenten Journey Reflections

On the first Saturday of each month, 8 A.M. to 9 A.M., First UMC offers a men's breakfast at Rising House, just across the street from the church. We begin with a hot breakfast meal and then we conclude our time with group singing and a devotional thought.

For devotions this morning, I read from Luke 9 and focused on verse 51 where Luke records, "When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem." I shared how one of the controlling themes of the Gospel of Luke is how Jesus is on a journey to Jerusalem where he would suffer and die for the sins of the world.

Luke's second volume, the Book of Acts, continues this journey theme with the apostles of Jesus spreading the good news of Easter all the way to Rome.

The Christian faith is more than simply a set of propositions and theological doctrines. At it's core, the Christian faith is a journey. And because it's a journey, we experience adventure, surprises, detours, delays, joys, and heartaches along the way. In the midst of all of these experiences, it's vitally important to remember that we are making the journey WITH Jesus.

To help us remember that we are making this journey with Jesus, the season of Lent encourages us to open ourselves to the many "means of grace" that are available to us. Some of these means of grace include scripture reading, prayer, weekly worship, fasting, serving in the name of Christ, going on a retreat, reading a Christian book, spending time in silence, etc.

We are presently in the middle of the season of Lent. How is your journey to Jerusalem with Jesus going? What are the detours, delays, joys, and concerns, that you may be facing along the way? Think about the means of grace that are available to you during the journey.

And if the journey is feeling too difficult, remember that a new journey will begin not too long from now. This one will begin by the garden tomb.

The Christian faith is a journey.