Hello, Reader!
Join us for Morning Prayer as we explore the faith journey!
Reflection on the Readings for the 2nd Sunday of Lent 2026
Old Testament – Genesis 12:1-4a God calls Abram to leave everything behind, his country, his relatives, and his father’s house, and to go to a land God will show him. This call leads into the unknown and requires complete trust. God makes extraordinary promises: Abram will become a great nation, his name will be made great, and through him all the families of the earth will be blessed. The scope of God’s promise extends far beyond one individual, encompassing a universal blessing. Abram’s response is striking in its simplicity: “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him.” No questions, no negotiations, no requests for more information; just obedient faith stepping into God’s promise without knowing the destination.
Psalm 121 This beloved Song of Ascents offers trust to travelers and pilgrims. The psalmist looks to the hills and wonders where help will come from. The answer is immediate and confident: help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. God watches over his people and does not slumber. He provides shade at our right hand, protecting us from the sun by day and the moon by night. The Lord guards us against all evil and watches over our going out and coming in, now and forevermore, sustaining all who, like Abram, journey into the unknown.
Epistle – Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 Paul presents Abraham as the prime example of justification by faith rather than by works. Scripture states that Abraham believed God, and that belief was credited to him as righteousness. Paul contrasts wages, earned through work, with gifts, received through faith. The promise to Abraham and his descendants was not based on the law but on the righteousness that comes from faith. If inheritance depended on the law, faith would be meaningless and the promise void. Instead, the promise is grounded in grace and guaranteed to all who share Abraham’s faith, for he believed in the God who brings the dead to life and calls into existence things that do not yet exist.
Gospel – John 3:1-17 Nicodemus, a Pharisee and leader of the Jews, comes to Jesus at night and acknowledges him as a teacher sent from God. Jesus responds with a startling declaration: no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above. Nicodemus takes this literally, asking how someone can be born again when they are old. Jesus explains that entering God’s kingdom requires being born of water and the Spirit. The Spirit moves like the wind, unpredictable, mysterious, and powerful. When Nicodemus asks how these things can be, Jesus points to the Son of Man, who must be lifted up so that all who believe may have eternal life. The passage reaches its climax: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” God sent the Son not to condemn the world but to save it.
Reflection: The central theme of these readings is faith as trust in God’s promises and openness to his transforming work. Abram walks by faith into the unknown. The psalmist assures us that God watches over our journey. Paul teaches that righteousness comes through faith in the God who brings life from death. Jesus tells Nicodemus that entering God’s kingdom requires not human effort but divine transformation. As we continue our Lenten journey, we are challenged to trust as Abram did, to believe as Abraham did, and to be born anew by the Spirit. We may not understand how these things are possible, but we trust in the God who loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. Our help comes from the Lord, who watches over our going out and coming in, now and forevermore.
You can read the full reflection and Scripture texts on today's services webpage.
The podcast of today's service will be available later today on your favorite podcast platform, or you can listen here.
A few things to note
- Join us for the Living Compass Lenten Study on Tuesdays at noon in classroom 1. You can bring your lunch along.
- Silent Film Night will take place on March 28, 2026, at 6 pm for our fifth season! We will screen two films: Spring Fever (1919) and The Life and Passion of Jesus Christ (1907). Bring a friend!
- Maundy Thursday service on April 2, 2026, at 6 pm with Canon Scott Leannah.
- Good Friday service on April 3, 2026, at 6 pm, also led by Canon Scott Leannah.
If you feel inspired to pray for others, we encourage you to include those on our prayer list in your prayers to help strengthen our community.
If you need inspiration for prayer, remember the Book of Common Prayer or these prayers to guide your prayer journey.
Don’t forget to review this week's announcements and the church calendar.
Blessings, and have a great week!
