Give Up Running Away for Lent

This season of Lent, my congregation is taking on the study Give Up Something Bad for Lent by James W. Moore.  The focus of this Lenten study is very practical.  Rather than giving up stuff that you like (chocolate, cokes and the like), why not give up something that's actually causing a problem for you?  Why not give up something that's actually coming between you and the relationship God really wants to have with you?

This week our in our scripture lesson we take a look at the feeding of the 5,000.  At the beginning of this story, Jesus is attempting to retreat to rest and pray.  But the people in need follow him and what could have been a problem turned into an opportunity to minister to hungry people.  Christ could have kept going, but instead he stayed and showed us that in not running away from a problem a real opportunity for good presented itself.

In that spirit, let us pray these words from Reverend Moore:

Dear God, thank you for giving us the wisdom and courage to face our problems and not run away from them. Help us to deal with problems productively and to help others do the same.  Remind us that you are always just a prayer away and eager to advise us on how to solve our problems.  Amen.