3rd Sunday of Lent

Our readings for the 3rd Sunday in Lent are:

1. Exodus 3: 1-8a, 13-15
   
2. Psalms Psalms 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11
3. 1 Corinthians 10: 1-6, 10-12
   
4. Luke 13: 1-9

• Fighting for your milk and honey
•  The promises of God seem to conveniently leave out key items.  Like "I will be with you when you enter the Red Sea, but you have to take the first step."  Or "I will cure your blindness, but first, wash in the pool of Siloam."  or "I will cure your leprosy, but you have to show yourself to the priest, even though you are clearly very ill."
• How has God partnered with you in bringing about His promises in your life and the lives of others?
• Why do you think that an omnipotent God needs you to be involved at all?
• How did your involvement change/heal/resurrect you?
  

• The rights of the oppressed
  
• We all agree that the children of Israel were oppressed in Egypt.  We all agree that they were oppressed during World War II.  Nowadays, oppression of  various kinds are going on all around us.  Enough to make it hard to keep track of them all.
  
• What is oppression?
• By that definition, is oppression going on in your neighborhood, your family, your life?
• What would God want to have happen in those oppressive circumstances?
• How can you become part of the solution?
  

• We're all in this together
  
• Getting along with each other can be tough.  One guy apparently could not even get along with himself.  Read his story here.
• Does God save us as individuals, or as a community?
• Why do you think that we worship God and serve Him in community?
• We we not all be more serene if we did not have each other to contend with?
  

• What fruit are you bearing?
• What is your life's work?
• Do you enjoy doing it?
• Do you feel called of God to that labor?
• How did God get you into this work?
• What does that tell you about God?
• What does that tell you about yourself?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God inviting me into partnership with Him this Lent?
2. How can I defend even one oppressed person  today?
3. How can I build God's community/God's family/God's Church?
4. Am I bearing what God put me here on earth to bear?

Shalom and a blessed Lent to you!