During the season of Lent, we tend to think more of sin. Of the seven deadly sins, pride is one that can be good or bad. Having appropriate pride in your achievements is always a good thing, excessive pride in your accomplishments is not. It is when we move from thinking “I have done this well” (always with God’s help) to thinking “I am the only one who could do this” that we enter the realm of sin. Pride is a deadly sin because it refuses to acknowledge our reliance on God and gives all credit to ourselves. Whenever we place God outside our experience, we are surely in danger of being in the realm of sin.
You can think of it like this: a grain of wheat needs water, but if it only gets water, it is bloated and will not grow. It needs light, but if it only gets sunlight, it will not grow. But planted in the earth, the grain of wheat dies to itself. Then, surrounded by moisture and seeking the light, the grain of wheat grows, properly nurtured by everything around it. If we rely only on ourselves, our pride leads us to a false sense of importance, and a sure occasion of sin.
All of our COVID 19 protocols continue as we gather for worship. Masking and social distancing are a must. Our present regulations allow for 50% capacity in our churches, and you may notice more persons here. We are glad so many are being vaccinated, but that does not mitigate the need to be cautious. We will keep you apprised of what we are doing in this regard, and how we can all keep one another safe.
May God bless you all in this Lenten season; we thank you all for your continued support.