Each Saturday during Lent, we will take some time as a church family to practice a different spiritual discipline or spiritual practice together. Today, we are practicing Surrender with Katherine Riebe.
What is Surrender?
A picture of surrender can be a person with arms outstretched, palms facing upwards. Or a person with their hands straight up over their heads and even waving a white flag. Surrender is often looked at negatively. For example, those who surrender in war are often imprisoned and sometimes even killed. In an argument or debate, we may surrender because the other person has more power or more persuasive reasoning, not because we want to.
How do we think of surrender in the context of our faith and of Lent? Surrender often means to give up or to give in. So, we can think of fasting as surrender. During Lent, we often give up things that are pleasurable for the sake of journeying to the Cross. Whether it’s food, movies, or reading fiction, this kind of sacrifice may signify surrender. However, we can sacrifice without surrender. If our hearts are not surrendered, of what use is giving up anything? No matter the outward trappings or appearance, God who sees the heart knows if we are truly surrendered or not. And it is His opinion that matters. We can grow in our willingness to surrender. Sometimes we have to act first and our hearts will follow.
Giving in or surrendering our will to God’s is not just a Lenten-thing. Our lives should be in a constant state of surrender. Jesus is our example. He said, “Not my will but yours be done.” Confession can also be seen as surrender. When we confess, we agree with God that what He says is wrong is in fact wrong. We submit our thoughts and reasoning to His. We intentionally allow Him to be the One with the final say in our lives. This is not easy, but it is essential. However, unlike in war, surrender to God always results in good. There may be death—death to our fleshly and worldly desires and ways—but in actual fact, life is the end result.
How to practice Surrender:
Quiet yourself before the Lord and ponder these questions:
- What does surrender mean to you? Do you wish to surrender to God? If so, tell Him.
- How tightly are you holding on to your “right” to live your life the way you want? Are you willing to explore surrender to your Creator? If so, tell Him. What can you release as a tangible expression of your decision? Don’t wait until you feel 100% surrender. Move in the direction of the light. God will help you. Draw life from Him.
- Is there someone who can help you in this journey of surrender? Contact him/her today. Spur each other on to love and good deeds.
Led by Katherine Riebe
Caring for Your Plant
PRUNING
Pruning often brings uncomfortable, painful imagery and almost a sense of guilt. Yet we know the Lord prunes us out of love, in order that we might bear more fruit. Pruning isn’t only for dead and dying parts, but also for living parts. Sometimes healthy branches aren’t what is best for the plant to bear fruit, such as removing an apple tree’s suckers or water sprouts. And sometimes, pruning live branches allow us to grow more plants!
Once again, observe your plant. If it has yellow or brown leaves, trim them and remove the dead pieces from the soil, otherwise they can introduce bacteria. If you have a vining or stemmed plant and it is looking healthy (particularly if it is putting out new growth), you can prune the top of the plant to propagate it. Cut a length of stem with at least three leaves, remove the lowest leaf from the stem, and place the stem and node (where the leaf was attached) in a glass or water or in moist potting soil. Be sure to keep that section under water or the soil moist, place it in a well-lit area, and watch it over the next few weeks for new growth! Check your “mother” plant; if the top inch or so of the soil is dry, give it some water.
Led by Juliann Roedl
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