Lent

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 

The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 

We write this to make our joy complete.

(1 John 1: 1-4)

One of the saddest terms that has crept into our public vocabulary in the past few years is “unchurched.” The term is used by survey researchers to describe people who say they no longer attend worship services regularly or are no longer part of a fellowship of believers. The term does not give us a clue as to why these people have left their groups, and I have no particular insight to offer.

But this is not a new thing. Since the time that Christ was on earth, people have been joining fellowships of faith and then leaving. Jesus tells us that the seeds we scatter do not always take root.

The writer of this epistle tells us to look beyond the phenomenon of the “unchurched” and to proclaim with joy what we know, that Jesus came to earth to give us eternal life. It is a joy and a message to be shared. It is a fellowship that is constantly on offer.

During this season of Lent, I feel the joy of that message and fellowship more strongly than ever. My heart and my prayers are with those who are “unchurched” so that they can experience the same feelings of love and grace that well up within me. Like the epistle writer, I want to proclaim what I have seen and heard so that I can have fellowship with them.

Our prayer today:

Dear Lord, help us to proclaim your love and offer your fellowship to those who have tried to dismiss themselves from your presence. We know that you are always ready to welcome those who seek your love and grace. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.