Dear Trinity Family & Friends,

This Sunday, we continue our Lenten sermon series, “What Are You Afraid Of?” and we will focus on “Apathy” based on Luke 9:21-27 (CEB).

In this passage, Jesus has cornered the disciples and asked them to clearly proclaim his identity. Simon Peter proudly delivers the correct answer - “The Christ sent from God!” - like a child raising their hand in Sunday school. While Peter’s answer is correct, Jesus’ response to this correct identification likely struck the disciples as odd: the Christ must suffer and die, those who wish to follow this Christ must lose their lives, gaining this entire world will do you no good. Upon first hearing the deal that Christ is offering, the disciples may have been tempted to become apathetic - to simply abandon this future filled with strife for an easier way.

This week, our spiritual practice is lament. How strange that an entire book of the Bible - Lamentations - is named after this spiritual practice, yet it is often ignored! Lament is a means by which we can cry out to God, expose our pain and hurt to the Lord, and recognize that God still acts in our lives even in the midst of our suffering. It is a vulnerable, soul-searching act before God.

As we prepare for this week’s sermon, I invite you to reflect on these questions:

1. What fear has caused you to surrender to apathy?
2. What deep-seated pain or hurt have you kept to yourself, refusing to expose it to the loving gaze of our Creator?
3. What concern keeps you from honestly offering your deep pain to God?

We have a real, bold, firm faith available to us through the “Christ sent from God.” Let’s allow him to work in our lives this Lenten season, to eliminate the temptation of apathy and to come be present with us in our laments. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday!

In Christ,

Pastor Dale