This winter has been pretty wet. At times it seemed as if I may have seen the sun once or twice. But if it was not raining the fog seems to take control and gray was still the order of the day. At times it became hard to believe that the sun would ever come out again. We experience gray seasons like that in our lives as well and it seems that the older we get the more difficult it becomes to chase the gray away. Things like riding my bicycle in the rain don't appeal to me as much as they used to.

Our faith life goes through similar seasons as well. At times it seems as if the presence of God in our lives is a distant unrealized hope. Our spiritual life looses it's sparkle in the same way. The clouds and fog sweep in and cover the light of Christ ushering in the presence of cold and darkness in their wake.

No aspect of life is simple and predictable. Least of all our relationship with God. Somehow, if God is faithful we need to be prepared in some way to weather these ups and downs in our lives. At times it is easy to believe that we are unworthy or somehow at fault. Scripture however, presents a much more complex picture. God will prepare us for the difficulties of all the aspects of our lives. Shielding completely us from the dark would take away God's precious gift of freedom we were given at creation. God prepares us for times of trouble mostly by example. Jesus life was filled with the extremes of the same kind of darkness and light we experience. Using his life as an example we can be certain that though we may walk through the valley of the shadow that we are not alone. Our feelings may tell us otherwise but God is faithful and will not abandon us even it death.

This is the central truth God teaches us in the life death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a church we prepare for the seasons in our own spiritual life through the teachings of the church year. We move from the expectation of Advent to the joy of the coming of Christ in Christmas. In Epiphany we relive the discovery of God's presence in our lives alongside his disciples. But no one can live on mountain top experiences for every and darkness and difficulty enter into our teachings in Lent and culminate in the wonderful mystery of Easter. It is a great cycle that moves between darkness and light. Our personal spirituality moves in the same great cycle, not because God disapproves or somehow does not love us but because God does love us and wants to grow into the very image of his Son, Jesus Christ. Jut as we grow and mature from and infant to an adult we follow the same process in our spiritual life. This great cycle of from the mountain tops to the difficult dark valleys in our life of faith deepens us and adds a kind of wisdom that cannot be learned in any other way.

The deep darkness teaches us true faith. It is only when we hope and cling to our faith when we cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel that we are truly walking in faith. It seems to me that it is in the darkness that the Spirit of God that walks alongside is most please with who we are becoming. When in darkness we can believe the cold and darkness of winter will give way to the growing warmth and light of Spring and summer that is the essence of faith. as the Author of Hebrews puts it; Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. (Hebrews 11:1-2) Lent and the darkness if our lives should be received with a deep joy. Not the kind of joy like a bright dancing fire we experience on the mountain tops, the kind of joy with which we receive the dawning of Easter morn, but a joy that burns deep within like the heat of a deep bed of coals. Just as our lives moves in a cycle of darkness and light so to does our experience in the joy that comes from the presence of God. May you experience that deep abiding joy in your life as we move through the darkness of lent toward the brilliant joy of Easter.

Pastor Jim Bliss
March 2010