Saurday, February 28, 2026

Tahquitz Canyon, Palm Springs

Isaiah 44:1-8, Psalm 87, 1 Peter 2:4-10, John 17:6-19

As we embark upon the eleventh day of Lent, let’s reflect on turning to God and recommit to enter a closer relationship with God. Every Lent for me is different as I face different challenges and God reveals areas of my life where I need to shed the layers that separate me from him. As I read the readings for today, I was unsure where to go. In the reading I found reassurance that God has chosen each one of us to be his people, “I belong to the Lord” from Isaiah confirms that reassurance. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 also reaffirms what I need to do. 

Two separate elements were used in the readings, water and stones.  I recalled a hike I took up to see the waterfall at Tahquitz Canyon. Imagine what the water means to the people surrounding Palm Springs.  “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground” Isaiah 44:3. Water is used throughout scripture to emphasize its importance for life. We know what it is like to live in a dry land and how water brings life to our land. We rely on water to live and grow things to feed us. 

Recently, we had some baptisms in the church where water was poured over heads. Each person was marked with oil as Christ’s own and the water symbolized that Jesus washes us clean with it. I always envision Jesus being baptized in the Jordan and bursting out of the water with a desire to bring God’s kingdom to us. Can You feel the exhaling of breath as Jesus’s head emerges from the water and intake of the new life being breathed in? 

Water, for me, symbolizes the Holy Spirit pouring a blessing upon the baptized. We use water to cleanse ourselves; I invite you as you enter the church and see the Baptismal font at the back, dip your fingers in and refresh yourself and the covenant you made as you committed yourself to Christ.  

The stones referred in 1 Peter 2:4-10 are Jesus and all the people of God. Jesus is the stone that is Rock solid when we trust him. In a building, the cornerstone is the foundation which keeps the building steady and from collapse.  When I built my pond there are a few stones in my waterfall that keep the waterfall from moving and collapsing. They act like a cornerstone.  I had to choose the rock placement carefully as some rocks did not support the rest of the waterfall. Paul reminds us that we will stumble if we disobey Jesus’ message. My waterfall did not have that cornerstone because as the weather changed and some of the materials shifted corrections were made to the waterfall. 

With Jesus there is no shifting of that cornerstone. Paul reminds us that we are living stones meant to help build and support God’s spiritual house. Think of a building as using various sizes and shapes of stones. Some of the stones are larger and take more of the weight, others are smaller to help connect the pieces. We all are integral stones to play in building God’s house.  

In the gospel of John, Jesus prays for his disciples. This prayer is like cement or mortar that joins all the stones in God’s spiritual House so that we may be encouraged, strengthened, protected and sanctified through God’s word that we may go into the world to share his love. Jesus reminds us that not everyone will appreciate our work, in fact the world may hate you. Take consolation in the fact that your efforts bring Glory to God and his House. 
 
Greg Young   
 
 
 
 

Living Waters VOUS Music




 

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