The six Sundays in Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days of Lent. This is because every Sunday is a "little Easter," a celebration of Christ's resurrection. Nevertheless, on the Sundays in Lent we do reflect on Christ's journey to the cross for us. There is no devotion in the book we are using, but in worship we think about what God has done for us on the cross.
This year, each of the Old Testament readings in Lent are of a covenant, or a promise, God made with God's people. The first is the covenant God made with Noah and all living creatures after the flood, that never again would God destroy the earth with a flood. Here's the first promise that God is not a God of retribution, but of restoration. There will still be judgment against certain people and parts of the earth, but never again will the earth be destroyed by a flood, or, I believe, other acts of God. The sign of the promise is the rainbow.
If God makes that promise to all the earth, if God desires to restore the earth and even sends His own Son to restore our relationship to God, what should our attitude be about God's good creation? Too often, I think, we have chosen to use the earth for our needs without thinking about the consequences. There are far too many examples of how we have harmed the earth and polluted the land, water, and air. Here in Salt Lake we can't deny the bad air from pollutants that gets trapped with the inversions. So, with God's promise of the rainbow, it is a good reminder of our need to care for the planet God has provided for us. Hopefully, we have learned some things from past mistakes, but we have a long way to go to learn to responsibly manage the earth's resources. This is a global concern, for we all share the planet that makes life possible for us.
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