Kathy Hiatt prayed before her vacation to Mexico. She asked God to use her on this trip. On the plane flight she wondered, "Is he the one I should speak to? God want me to reach out to her?"

   It wasn't until she found herself waiting on a boat with a young driver while her friends and their guide went SCUBA diving. The conversation with that young driver became her favorite moment of the trip. They had a great conversation, a Godly conversation, such that went another boat floated by she saw that its name was The Galilean!

   Jesus, the Galilean preacher and teacher (and Messiah!) spent an afternoon with a Samaritan woman, someone he should not have been speaking to - especially in public. She was a hated Samaritan, a woman of ill-repute because of her multiple marriages, and certainly not of the influential class. Yet Jesus revealed himself to her and she began to proclaim his name.

   Kathy's friend was also not of the influential class, and it was an unusual and even a little awkward situation. Yet she was open to God using her, and He did. The young driver later came over to Kathy as their car was driving away. He thanked her, clearly showing that the conversation (and her Godly presence) impacted him greatly.

How might we be more open to God using us? Have you ever prayed before a vacation that God might use you? It might be worth trying on your next trip.

     Thanks to Mark Piepenbrink for joining me in the second DiaLogos sermon conversation last Sunday. As Mark went from pastoral ministry to secular work with people with disabilities, and I went from secular film work to pastoral ministry, we enjoyed talking about the call from God.

    The call from God represents some big ideas. First, what do we mean by "call"? Every Christian has received a general call to faith and service. Responding to this call involves intentional and ongoing spiritual growth and active outreach. Jesus never says to us, "This is enough. You've grown in faith enough; no need to progress any further." To the contrary, the spiritual life recognizes that just down The Way is a bit more understanding, a bit more hope, a bit more peace... a bit more real life. Why settle for anything less than what God wants to give you?

     Next we consider our particular call(s) from God. These are personal to you and involve your spiritual giftedness. (Every believer is given spiritual gifts for the elevation of the community.) When you are using your spiritual gifts it is like walking with the wind at your back. Not engaging your giftedness can instead feel like walking into a (stiff Missouri) wind! The key is discernment. How have you discerned your spiritual giftedness and God's call(s) to you? Do you feel a call now and are you in need of discernment? How might others help you with discernment?

In many cultures there is an ancient custom of giving a tenth of each year's income to some holy use. For Christians, to observe the 40 days of Lent is to do the same thing with roughly a tenth of each year's days. After being baptized by John in the river Jordan, Jesus went off alone into the wilderness where he spent forty days asking himself the question what it meant to be Jesus. During Lent, Christians are supposed to ask one way or another what it means to be themselves.

If you had to bet everything you have on whether there is a God or whether there isn't, which side would get your money and why?

When you look at your face in the mirror, what do you see in it that you most like and what do you see in it that you most deplore?

If you had only one last message to leave to the handful of people who are most important to you you, what would it be in twenty-five words or less?

Of all the things you have done in your life, which is the one you would like to undo?  Which is the one that makes you happiest to remember?

Is there any person in the world, or any cause, that, if circumstances called for it, you would be willing to die for?

If this were the last day of your life, what would you do with it?

To hear yourself try to answer questions like these is to begin to hear something not only of who you are but of both what you are becoming and what you are failing to become.  It can be a pretty depressing business all in all, but if sackcloth and ashes are at the start of it, something like Easter may be at the end.  (Frederich Buechner, Whistling in the Dark)

Many thanks to Paula Schupp for her willingness to join with me in our first DiaLogos  message. We explored the following passages: Genesis 2:15–17, 3:1–7; Matthew 4:1-11; Psalm 32; Romans 5:12–19. Normally we don't look at so many passages, but these fit so well together and they carry the fullness of the Biblical message:  from sinful brokenness to redemption through Christ. Psalm 32, in particular, speaks of how God lifts from us the weight of sin (as the weight of a hot, humid summer is lifted).

We would love to hear your reflections on Sunday's message, on any or all of the four passages, or on the issue of sin and redemption in general. What do these passages say to you?        Rob

During Lent, a season of self-examination and self-discipline that leads to Holy Week and Easter, our sermon series each week is a dialogue between Pastor Rob and a Broadway member. We hope that these messages will spur further thoughts and comments here from those in worship, from the radio broadcast, and from friends on the internet.

Do what extent do you think of your faith journey as an ongoing conversation with God? Sometimes that conversation includes clarity and answers, while at other times it includes questions and uncertainty.

Look for the ADD COMMENT link below.