February 13, 2026

Lent at Bay Shore is a full senses experience. What we see on Sundays in Lent is different, what we do and say is different, what we sing is different. The season is meant to be this way–it is not “the norm.” In Lent, we are called to review, reflect and for some of us to return to God.

A Word about This Lenten Theme

Have you ever decided to go all in for something?

Maybe it was when you chose a profession or a partner. Perhaps you made the exciting but terrifying decision to become a homeowner. Maybe it was when you joined your current congregation, or, if you came to faith later in life, when you decided to be baptized.

In Matthew 4, Jesus fasts for forty days in the wilderness, then confronts the testing of the devil. Responding to each temptation, he demonstrates the kind of savior he will become: deeply connected to God’s people and God’s creation; committed to cosmic saving power, not flashy tricks; filled with love for God and everything God loves. Refusing easy food, power, and dominion, Jesus goes all in on salvation on our behalf. When his life ends on Good Friday, his commitment will be total, emptied out in love dying on the cross and rising from the grave.

Jesus shows what it is like to be all in for the reign of God. It means being fully invested, deeply committed. There are no backup options. Everything is on the line.

As Christians, God calls us to a life of commitment and caring for our neighbors and our world, even when the cultures around us view our caring as naive and our commitment as pointless. The endless news cycle can be grim and optimism can be hard to find. It would be easier to detach from the need around us, to go numb and to care less as we try to guard our hearts and our expectations. But God calls us to deep engagement instead, to care more in a world trying to protect itself by caring less.

Those outside the church looking in sometimes see a community out of touch with the world around it. They wonder if the church is just for those too naive or too foolish to realize what is going on. But we know that the ancient gifts of our tradition are actually the perfect preparation for investing in the world beyond our church doors. We believe that our sanctuaries, fellowship halls, and Sunday school rooms are the rehearsal space we need to practice what it takes to go all in. This Lent, as we learn about God’s own commitment, we’ll explore how the elements of our liturgy prepare us for active engagement in the world God so loves. Our preaching, prayer, and devotional time help connect us to our neighbors, to the planet we share, and to God.

Before we can go all in, though, God shows us the way. God knows that going all in for this beautiful broken world is a challenge, so God goes all in on our behalf first, revealing what it is like to bet it all on love. God invests in human beings, even though we have a track record of sin that stretches from Adam and Eve in the garden to the present day. God invests in creation, even when we are bent on harming it. God commits to the unknown and to wonder when we want certainty and limits. God tends broken relationships. God goes all in on all the highs and lows that life brings, from moments of transcendent beauty to the deepest hopelessness. And in Jesus, God pours out every last drop of love, all of it for the sake of a world that may never fully understand.

This Lent, God is all in for us. Let’s go all in for God’s love, too.

Every 4 years, the world embraces the Winter Olympics. I do say “world” because this year, more countries were represented than in past years–and it was wonderful seeing that diversity.

I embrace the Winter Olympics wholeheartedly. I remember watching the Winter Games on ABC on my parents’ Zenith television, with an antenna, sitting on shag carpeting. I loved it. Learning about new cultures and watching people from countries I would probably never visit competing was truly inspiring to me.

And every 4 years since, I deliberately plan my life around the events. Something my family finds amusing and annoying at the same time.

We have come a long way since the antenna and Zenith. Now, I have Peacock which allows Live Events and replays 24/7, and I can choose how and when I watch. And this year, I told Pete, I am staying HOME. I called it my Hibernation Staycation. Other than tutoring, I would basically be home and in love with my LG screen.

And so, Bay Shore, I have. Yes, I did some work, but my laptop didn’t care how I was dressed and if I yelled at the TV. All week long, I have watched the biathlon, ski jumping, figure skating, curling, luge, and more. I have yelled at the women playing hockey, and cried with those who just missed the podium (and one Norse skier who disclosed wayyyyy too much in his interview, and obviously needs his own vacation).

And I learned many things.

There is a camaraderie with these athletes who perform at these levels. They know each other, they share the same coaches, they travel together, and they may be sad over their own results, but they always congratulate the other competitors. And some even compete against their country’s enemies. Watching a Ukrainian athlete shake hands with a Russian one–that was a lot. I don’t know, Bay Shore, if I would have had such grace. I don’t. But I was inspired by it.

Watching the Olympics inspires ME. Reminds me that its the little things that matter: the selfies seen on line, the joy of sharing a moment with thousands and acts of kindness told. Lots of kindness. It reminds me that this world is much smaller than we understand. What we do matters where we are, kindness spreads. Words matter.

One announcer said that the Winter Olympics was like a large family reunion every 4 years. I like this idea. With all of the AI and screen time that our world is leaning to, the Olympics requires in person participation. Observers and participants. Talking, cheering, crying. There are some things we can do online, but in person gatherings and activities–they are truly binding and create communities.

And so the other thing I learned, Bay Shore? I miss being at church. I miss our community. I miss you. So I am looking forward to Sunday and all its busy-ness, and I am looking forward to seeing you. Because being in person really matters, and sharing life moments is what creates community and buildings our faith.

May God bless you and your loved ones,

Pastor Sarah

Archives for February 13, 2026