First Sunday of Lent- Week of February 21, 2021

Begin your devotion time by praying this prayer: Loving God, you give us signs of your faithfulness every day. As we enter the season of Lent, open our hearts to receive your love and blessing. Amen.

Reflect on the Way of Love together: This week’s practice on the Way of Love is BLESS. God’s blessing comes to Noah in the form of a covenant. Where do you see God’s blessing in the world around you this week?

Adult and Small Child

Read: Genesis 9:8-17

Reflect: This week marks the beginning of the season of Lent: a time of drawing closer to God as we prepare for Easter. A good way of keeping the season of Lent is to practice being more loving. In the reading from Genesis, God gives an example of how to be more loving – by making a promise to always keep us safe.

God promises Noah and his family – and also the whole world – that God will protect us. Seeing a rainbow in the sky is a reminder to us of God’s great love and care for us. Seeing that rainbow can help us feel safe.

When we promise to protect and keep other people safe, we are showing them love. We are blessing them with our care for them.

During this season of Lent, we can find ways to make sure that all that God promised to protect is safe. We can be a blessing by helping others to feel protected and safe.

Respond: Draw and color a picture of a rainbow as a reminder of God’s promise. Hang that drawing of a rainbow in a window in your home. Then, draw a few more pictures of rainbows and deliver them to people in your neighborhood or to friends or family who could use a little sunshine in their lives. You can deliver these “rainbow notes� with a special treat or with a note that tells the person that you appreciate them. By sharing your rainbow pictures, you are blessing others with a reminder of God’s love and care.

- Katy Denning

Adult and Elementary

Read: Genesis 9:8-17

Reflect: Do you know how to play the game "tag?" I really loved running with my friends and trying my best to not be tagged "it." One variation on the game of tag is called "Freeze Tag." In freeze tag, once you're tagged, you become frozen in place and you have to be tagged again to be unfrozen. Everyone playing freeze tag made an agreement about the rules.

In our reading, God made an agreement or, a covenant with Noah. The sign of God's covenant was a rainbow. I'm so glad that God makes covenants with humans.

Respond: We can make covenants with our parents, our friends, and even our pets! How about you make a covenant with your parents to do your chores? This covenant is an example of a way to bless others. Get your pencils and write out the covenant, and then draw a rainbow.

- Imani Driskell

Adult and Youth

Read: Genesis 9:8-17

Reflect: In this reading God makes a covenant (a promise) with every living creature—that is ALL of living creation. God promises that God will never again destroy the world and isolate creatures from one another. In this covenant, God is declaring that God wants to be in relationship with humanity and all of creation.

The amazing part of this is that God asks nothing of us in return. God takes all the work, all the effort upon Godself. God offers us a sign—the rainbow—to remember the covenant.

In relationships, both people care for one another, love one another, trust one another, and give to one another. Have you ever ended a relationship because you felt like you were the only one “giving?� Although in this covenant God asks for nothing in return, God does desire to be in relationship with us. What are some ways you stay in relationship with God?

Respond: It is hard to be kind to others and expect nothing in return. Sometimes acts of kindness are laughed at or ignored. Sometimes they touch people in ways we never know. What can you do or say to someone this week that is kind and requires nothing in return?

- Katherine Doyle

Adult and Adults

Read: Genesis 9:8-17

Reflect: How blessed were Noah and his sons to have such an engaging conversation with God! A covenant, divine promises… oh my, how does one respond? As a senior manager of a large, fast growing retail chain, many years ago I was involved in planning and executing the store’s strategy. We’d sit at a large conference table each Monday afternoon to discuss upcoming locations, signed and problem leases, staffing, stock, and competition. These were very weighty interactions among senior management and support staff with everyone looking to the wisdom and experience of the Senior Vice President for Real Estate to set the tone and to keep us on track. But, even with millions of dollars and hundreds of people involved, there was no divine promise and several of the agreements, even signed ones - our covenants – went awry. God’s faithfulness certainly is awesome!

Respond: Take some time to review some of your agreements: your commitments to family, community, workplace, club, social group, alumni association, or church. What things are implicit in the agreements? Are there outstanding aspects which you have control of? Is anyone waiting to hear from you? Is there a due date you’ve missed or one upcoming that you’re seriously thinking of letting slide by? If after your review, there are points that are lacking, isn’t this a good time, with Genesis to fortify you, to address those things you’ve left undone?

- Mallard Benton