This Sunday, we pause in the middle of our Lenten journey for Laetare Sunday, a day whose very name means “rejoice.” In a season often marked by reflection and repentance, Laetare offers a gentle lift, an invitation to notice the quiet ways God is already at work, planting hope before we can see its full bloom.
Our scripture from 1 Samuel 16:1–13 brings us into one of those hidden moments of grace. Samuel, the son Hannah prayed for and promised back to God, is sent once again to listen for God’s surprising direction. Standing in Jesse’s home, Samuel learns that God’s choices rarely match our expectations. One by one, the older sons pass before him, each impressive in their own way, yet God says no. Instead, God chooses David, the youngest, the overlooked, the one still out tending the sheep.
In this story, we hear a deeply Lenten message. God sees what we cannot yet see. God works through the humble, the unexpected, the small beginnings. And like Samuel, we are invited to release our assumptions and open our hearts to the new thing God is quietly anointing in our midst.
Join us this Sunday as we explore this story of surprising grace and discover what it means to rejoice, even in the middle of the wilderness. All are welcome as we continue walking this Lenten path together. See you Sunday morning, in person or online.
First Christian Church of Lawrenceville is located in Lawrenceville, Georgia in Gwinnett County. Find out more by going to our website at https://lawrencevillechristianchurch.org/
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