When I was in high school I received an injury to my upper thigh during a high school football game. At first I thought it wasnothing more than a simple Charley Horse that required just a little stretching. After the game I iced it a bit but went to bed without thinking much more of it. The next morning I woke up and I couldn’t even bend my leg. The muscle had tightened up so much that I couldn’t do anything. No matter how hard I tried to bend the leg, I was unable. I ended up going through 2 months of rehab for an injury that I thought was nothing.

During our lives many of us will go through many forms of rehabilitation, from cardiovasicular to substance abuse. The purpose of rehabilitation is to return us or even sometimes bring us for the first time to a state of good order. The season of Lent for the Christian church has a similar purpose. The annual observance of the Lenten discipline among Christians is a time to seek restoration for our lives. It is a time to reflect, take stock of our spiritual condition, and realign our lives. There is much to mine from considering our Lenten journey this year within the frame of rehab, much to explore, much to learn. On each Sunday of this journey, the Scriptures provide the core guidance for the work of the week to come in our own lives and with others.

This Sunday we have the privilege to witness the leadership of our youth here at Cornerstone as they lead us in worship. Sometimes it takes the example of others to lead us through the wilderness of our lives to seek out perfect order. What is the wilderness? I want to suggest that the wilderness represents those times in our lives when we begin to face, head on, our own brokenness. We admit we have fallen and can’t get up on our own. We admit we have lost our way. We admit we are facing trials and temptations. We admit we have come face to face with evil. We admit that we can no longer manage on our own. We need help. We need a Savior.For some, being in the wilderness is a temporary condition. For others, it is the status quo of their entire lives. But whether our wilderness is temporary or seems to be permanent, we experience it the same. Being in the wilderness is a time of testing.

Heading into the wilderness, whether it’s imposed upon us or we voluntarily go, is only the first step in the rehab journey toward reconciliation, healing, and wholeness. But it is a step we must take to start the process of recovery. Join us this Sunday during Sunday School for small “Rehab” small groups at 9:30AM and “Rehab” worship with our youth at 10:30AM.

In God’s grip,

Pastor Chuck Church