Recently, I've been asking our Alexa device to play Christian songs that influenced my faith as a teenager. I've listened to contemporary Christian artists like Rich Mullins and Third Day as well as rap (GRITS) and pop punk (MXPX). One of my favorites was a singer/song writer named Chris Rice. I've always loved Chris' sincerity and his apparent thirst to be in a deeper relationship with God.

This morning as I was making my kids breakfast and lunch I asked Alexa to play Rice's album, Deep Enough to Dream. The song "Hallelujah's" came on and I was instantly brought back to a time where I'd listen to the song daily as I sought to connect with the living God in all aspects of my life.

These are the opening lines:
A purple sky to close the day
I wade the surf where dolphins play
The taste of salt, the dance of waves
And my soul wells up with hallelujahs

Romans 1:19 says, "Ever since the creation of the world, God's eternal power and divine nature have been understood and seen through things God has made." God is always at work in big and small ways. Most of the time, we are simply too busy to notice.

This week we enter into the season of Lent. Lent is a pivot point on the church calendar where we turn from reflecting upon the birth of Jesus to reflecting on the death of Jesus. And as we wait, we prepare for resurrection.

As we enter into the season of Lent, my prayer for myself and for us as a church is that we would deepen our level of attentiveness and responsiveness to the movement of God. Where is God at work? How is God calling you to respond to this work? These are critical questions we must ask. Not only do they help embody the faith, they actually help us live into who we were created to be, fully human, fully alive in Christ.

Take a few minutes each day this week to slow down, breathe deeply, and pay attention to where God is at work. Don't be discouraged if it takes a few days to get the hang of it. Just like all disciplines, praying and listening to God takes time. If it helps, listen to songs like Chris Rice's "Hallelujah's" as you pray. Shoot me an email and let me know how it goes.

Sincerely,
Pastor Coby