Pastor’s Prattle

March 2026

As I write this article, there is a huge winter storm hitting the northeastern U.S. There are blizzard conditions from New Jersey up into New England, with high winds and very large amounts of snow. People are not able to get out, and many are starting to lose power. We know a little of what that will be like for them, since we recently had our own serious winter storm.

We know, too, that in about a month, we will be entering our Spring severe weather season. As the cold and warm air masses start to collide, storms will arise that could be severe. There will also be the possibility of tornadoes and serious wind events. Like in any storm, all you can do sometimes is to hunker down and endure it.

We also know what it is like to endure some of the storms of life. There are many things that we will face in this life—financial struggles, family stresses, illnesses, loss of loved ones. Some of the storms are brief and mild; some are prolonged and strong. Sometimes, all we can do is hang on and endure.

We don’t always realize it, but the greatest and most significant struggle that we face is the battle with sin. It is constant and life-long. The power of sin is strong and has the ability to destroy us. The consequences can be eternal. It is nothing less than the battle between the forces of good and evil.

The season of Lent is an opportunity for us to take an honest look at that struggle in terms of our own lives. It is a chance for us to see how we are faring in that battle. If we are honest, we will realize that we are not able to come out on top and, try as we might, we don’t have the strength to overcome the power of sin. At least, not on our own.

So we turn to God in penitential prayer, asking him to forgive our short-comings and to empower us to defeat our enemy. It is when we turn to him and his power that the tide of the battle turns, because we know that it is his power within us that overcomes the power of sin. It is when we rely on him that we know we will win in the end.

Let us spend this season of Lent in prayerful self-examination, putting the outcome of the storm in God’s hands. Then, when we celebrate Holy Week and Easter, we will be overcome with joy, as we see once again the lengths God went to, in order to offer forgiveness and Life to us.

Pastor Jim