For Such A Time as This – February 16, 2021 – Karen Haldeman

To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,
 
Joys and Concerns
If you have a joy or concern you would like us to share and pray about, please call, text, or email it to me.  If you would like it included in our Sunday Worship sharing and prayer time, please share it with Pastor Bill that week by Thursday evening. 
 
Thank You:
To all who call others to check in on them and to share our emails and devotions.
 
Today’s Devotion:
Thank you to Karen Haldeman for this week’s devotion.
 
Scripture
 
“You are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  (Genesis 3:19)
 
Thoughts
 
On first reading, this scripture passage sounds kind of depressing.  It appears in the biblical story of Adam and Eve disobeying God’s instruction to not eat fruit from a certain tree in the Garden of Eden.  When God discovers their actions, he tells them that they will need to work hard, that  childbirth would be painful, and that they would experience the frailties of being mortal.
 
I wonder if we, in our high-tech culture, have forgotten that we are mortal, that we are “dust.”  The cosmetic industry makes is easy for us to deny the effects of aging.  Our excellent medical care system allows us to prolong life at any cost.  Our over-busy lives encourage us to forget that our bodies have limits.
 
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, the season we are invited to remember that we are “dust,” that our bodies have limits, that we are not immortal.
 
This is not necessarily a negative perspective.  Acknowledging our human limits allows us to slow down the pace of life to give our bodies (and minds and spirits, too) some rest.  Remembering that time is fleeting allows us to look more closely at what is most important to us and to experience renewed gratitude for our lives, our relationships, our blessings.  Remembering that we are “dust” encourages us to face life’s difficulties with honesty and with the knowledge that our Creator offers us grace amid our limitations.
 
The church sanctuary is open tomorrow from 9am – 8pm for prayerful reflection.  As you begin your Lenten journey, stop by to reflect on the challenges and joys of being mortal and to rest awhile in the presence of God who cares for his creation.
 
Prayer
 
Creator God, being human can be so hard at times and so wonderful at other times.  Remind us that we are your beloved creation and that you are with us through all we experience.  Help us to remember our human frailty so that we can share in your divine new life.  Amen.