March 12, 2026 - Soul Searching

Traditionally Lent is a season of soul searching, an opportunity to take an honest look at one’s self and identify both one’s strengths and weaknesses.  As a clinical educator I observed that growth and change come when someone makes a mistake or experiences a failure, reflects on what they did, and explore what they could do differently.  Refusal to recognize and admit a mistake and reflect on one’s experience stunts growth and limits one’s ability to change.  It also keeps us stuck.

This action/reflection model of learning is a process we are invited to utilize during Lent.  We are invited to look honestly and critically at our lives, our behavior, and our relationships.  And we are invited to ask ourselves, “How might I function in a way that better reflects the values of my faith?” 

At the close of each worship service I use the following words as a Sending Forth statement:  “May we have the heart, the eyes, and the faith to see the face of Christ in everyone we meet; and may everyone we meet see the face of Christ in us.”  I like this statement because it reflects how I believe Jesus challenges us to live in the world.  But the truth is if someone cuts me off in traffic, or sits talking on their phone when the light has turnes green, I don’t see the face of Christ in them and they certainly do not see the face of Christ in me!

As we continue our Lenten journey, may we embrace the invitation of this season to look closely at how we engage the world, reflect, learn and grow. 

In the spirit of Shalom,

Rev. Dr. Dale Johnson