“Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” Colossians 3:14 (NRSV)
Worship Link for February 22, 2026: https://youtu.be/-ud_3jAxAwQ
Worship: Sunday, March 1, 2026 10:45 AM; Communion
Scripture to Ponder & Prayer
Second Week of Lent
Texts: Genesis 12:1–4; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1–5, 13–17; John 3:1–17
To Ponder: John 3:1–17
Last week, the stone we held reminded us of the weight we carry into Lent—our confessions, burdens, and the honest truth of our lives before God. This week, the symbol changes to a loaf of bread. If the stone named what is heavy, the bread reveals what sustains. Lent holds these together: we release what weighs us down, and we receive what gives us life.
In John’s Gospel, Nicodemus comes to Jesus searching in the night, longing for understanding. Jesus speaks of being born from above, of the Spirit moving like the wind, bringing life that cannot be manufactured or earned. Then comes the promise that anchors our faith: “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16). This love is not a reward for perfection; it is the source of new birth. Christ comes not to condemn but to save, not to burden but to restore.
The bread before us becomes a Lenten sign of this grace. Bread is gift, nourishment, and sharing. It reminds us that the same God who meets us in our brokenness also feeds us with mercy. We are sustained by love we did not create and could never deserve. And as we are fed, we are called to become bread for others—signs of compassion, hope, and life in a hungry world.
Prayer
Loving God,
you meet us in our heaviness
and you feed us with your grace.
In this holy season,
lift what burdens our hearts
and nourish us with your life-giving Spirit.
Make us signs of your love for the world,
through Christ, who came not to condemn but to save. Amen.
Source:
The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. National Council of Churches, 2021.
Trinity United Church 