Lent 1: Wake up & choose mercy

On their long trek through the desert, Moses invited the children of Israel to choose life.  

Along our Lenten journey, God offers us the gift of mercy---ours to receive if only we will wake up, open our hearts, and confess, asking God to cast out what cannot remain in the same room with that life-giving mercy.  

So lift your eyes. Where might you discover God's grace in disguise?

"Holy God, our lives are laid open before you: rescue us from the chaos of sin and through the death of your Son bring us healing and make us whole in Jesus Christ our Lord." {Common Worship, Church of England}

If grace is so wonderful, why do we have such difficulty recognizing and accepting it? Maybe it's because grace is not gentle or made-to-order.  It often comes disguised as loss, or failure, or unwelcome change.  {Kathleen Norris}