Sin is a loaded word. For those outside the faith, it’s a funny and dated religious term. For Christians, we repeat it so often that it loses its bite. Scripture reveals that sin is worse than we know. Jesus is so serious about it that he says, “If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out.” What is it about sin that’s so fatal it would require Jesus to go to the cross?
This Lent we do a soul examination, studying all the ways God describes the complex of sin. Lawlessness, adultery, rebellion . . . The cancerous nature of sin means that we need to go deeper than surface confession. The problem is worse than we know, which makes our Savior greater than we can imagine.
Invocation
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, who delivers us from all evil.
Invitation Prayer
Lord, you know the evil that comes when we are alone. You prayed in the Garden while your friends were asleep. You faced the agony of death and evil alone. Do not leave or forsake us in our isolation. Draw near in the dark of night when no one else is around. Have mercy, O Lord, Amen.
Word
Hosea 2:20
“I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord.”
Meditation: Wedding Cowd by Koleen Barnes
I have been to my fair share of weddings. I would venture a guess that you have too. They all have a pretty similar flow, but sometimes you get something unique thrown in there.
I was talking with a friend recently about the prospect of her getting married. She mentioned that she didn’t want to get married in a church and didn’t think all of the fanfare was necessary. I found myself thinking back on my wedding and a few things that were important to me and my husband, as well as something unique that has stuck with me.
It was important to us to get married in a church. Specifically our church. We wanted God to be involved, as well as our family, friends, and church family. It was important to us to be in a space where we could be reminded of our commitment and union on a regular basis. It was also important to us to have people there who would help remind us of that commitment, both to God and each other, should we forget.
At the beginning of the service, once my soon-to-be husband and I were in front of every person we hold near and dear, our pastor asked us to turn and look out. He gave us a heads up that he would be doing this, but it was still shocking and overwhelming, and honestly one of my favorite moments of the ceremony. There is something impactful about seeing every set of eyes and smiling face looking to you in love and support. It was so important for me to see that all of these people were seeing and accepting the commitment that I was making to my partner as well as the commitment we were making to God together.
People always tell you that marriage is hard. Yes, it has hard minutes, hard hours, hard days, hard seasons. For me and my relationship, it is so important to have all of those faces that I saw looking back on me, plus some new ones who have joined our life since then, especially on those hard days. Sin creeps into your life, and marriage is not immune to that. I think everyone experiences some not-so-nice thoughts about their spouse in the course of their marriage. Society tells us that sin can get away from you. That sin can fester and lead you astray. Can lead you to a place that can be very difficult to recover from.
I feel so lucky to have joined my spouse in a place where God was at the forefront and the people in our lives know that. That doesn’t make every day perfect, but it does help us to focus when the days may get away from us. It brings things into perspective for our union and what is really important. We are able to rely on each other as well as our community and our Savior to point us in the right direction and away from things that may distract us or lead us astray.
Dear God, I ask that you help me to remember that you are an essential part of all of my relationships, including my marriage. I thank you for surrounding my family with supporters of our union and supporters of you. Please help me to keep you at the center of my life. Amen.
Sending
In the face of evil, may God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ fill you with every spiritual blessing. Go in his name, Amen.