3rd Sunday of Lent - Cycle A

Our readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent Cycle A are:

1. Exodus 17: 3-7
2. Psalms 95: 1-2, 6-7, 8-9
3. Romans 5: 1-2, 5-8
4. John 4: 5-42

• Honesty with God
• Sometimes, its hard to be honest with God.  We think maybe He doesn't care enough to do anything, or maybe we tell ourselves that we should be able to take care of whatever it is that we're facing.  Or, we tell ourselves that God put this in our lives to make us suffer, to test us, to make us stronger.  Or, we are so scared, angry, ... that we don't know how to pray.
• Have you ever had a hard time bringing something to God in prayer?
• What made it hard for you to talk with Him about that?
• How did you manage to get past that obstacle?
  

• Dealing with doubt
• Even the most devout follower of Jesus has their doubts from time to time.  Sometimes its sudden and dramatic, sometimes the doubts come because we are tired and worn.
• Was there ever a time that you doubted?  Maybe the doubt was that you weren't sure that God cared anymore, or you doubted that God could ever receive you into His bosom again, or you doubted that there was a way to recover from a mistake that you had made.
• Did your faith eventually triumph?
• What did you learn from that "dark night of the soul"?
  

• Feelin' the love
• Accepting the love of God in our lives is essential to living in His kingdom.
  
• When or where do you most feel the love of God?
• Why do you think that time/place was graced for you?
• How are you affected by that graced time/place to this day?
  

• Change in plans
• When I make a plan, I prefer to stick to it.  Changing plans at the last minute feels disruptive, uncertain, even dangerous to me.  But sometimes, that's the best part of the journey.
• Have you ever had a sudden change in plans for your ministry?  You thought you were doing exactly what God had for you, but something else popped up out of nowhere?
• How did that make you feel?
• Why do you think that was such a surprise?
• Do you think God might have just told you that was coming ahead of time?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
• Do I truly think that God longs to hear from me, no matter what?
• Am I willing to live with my doubts and let them draw me closer to God?
• Am I willing to accept the love of God in my life, no matter how it comes?
• Where might God be calling me to deeper trust?

So Much for the Groceries

The Samaritans could spot us from a mile away.

Glancing sidelong at us,wherever we went.

Wondering who we were, why we were there.

And all that we needed was food for the journey.

 

We had heard stories about these Samaritans as children.

How they had abandoned our ways so many years ago

When we were wrenched from our land by the Assyrians

And led into lonely exile to strange lands and stranger customs.

 

Finally, after a great deal of money-changing, and bargaining,

We had enough to see the group of us through the week.

We congratulated ourselves on getting some real bargains.

And we were ready to go back to Jesus and be on our way.

 

But there He was, deep in conversation with one of the locals.

Clearly they were sharing deeply with each other -

But we knew that Jesus needed to eat, as did the rest of us.

But Jesus would have none of ordinary food.

 

Instead, He told us that His food was to do the will of His Father,

As though that would put meat on his bones and spring in His step.

And I began to wonder whether it would ever be the case for us -

That we would draw nourishment from finding and doing God's well.

 

So often it feels as though we try to do what's reasonable,

Or what anyone else would expect in similar circumstances,

And Jesus has some totally different take on what really matters.

Always amazing, always challenging, always loving.

 

I just wish that I could see that coming before I bought the groceries.

 

Shalom!