I am trying to write this article, but Ivan has other ideas. He has curled up on my lap, purring loudly and he wants me to pet him. He has waited all day for me to come home so that the pet fest could begin.

Ivan is the most loving cat I have ever known. He lovesloving. Oh he likes to play, but loving is life to Ivan. He wakes up in the morning wanting love and seeks out love before bed. Ivan loves me and wants me to love him, and loving is the most important part of his life. Loving is essential in all our lives, whether we are cats, dogs, or even people. Loving is life. Or rather without love life is worth-less.

As the song says, “All we need is love.” God created us to give and receive love, but sometimes our desire and ability for love gets broken or twisted. We feel the need but try to meet that need with other things. The sad truth is that nothing else can fill that need to give and receive love and we remain empty and unfulfilled without love. God created us for love because God is love. God loves us, and seeks out a loving relationship with us. God desires to connect with us in love morning, noon and night.

Now my grand-dog Isis has crawled up on my lap for loving. Imagine what it would be like to curl up in God’s lap and feel the loving caress of God’s hand. We can all do that when we worship and pray, and when we reach out and love others as God loves us. All we all need is love.

Our theme for Lent this year is “Closer to Christ.” If we are closer to Christ we will feel the loving embrace of God in our daily lives. Lent is the perfect season to draw closer to Christ. Lent means, "spring," and it is an invitation of renewal to prepare us for Easter through deeper disciplines of prayer, fasting, and service. In early times candidates prepared for baptism by fasting for forty days while receiving instructions on the Christian faith. The forty days of Lent parallel Jesus’ fast at the beginning of his ministry. Today Christians observe Lent as a general time of preparation and renewal.

I challenge us all to start and/or continue our spiritual journey closer to Christ and the life God intends for us. I challenge us to draw closer to Christ through weekly worship, regular bible study, and faithful stewardship of our time, talent and treasure witnessing God’s love to the world.

May each step of our journey of faith draw us closer to Christ and the love that God offers us! I will see you in church and remember. God loves you and so do I!

Pastor Tom

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