Lent Devotionals

Starting on Ash Wednesday, Pastor Kevin invited everyone to sign up to receive a daily lent devotional via email. 

These devotionals during Lent are to help us consider how to grow in our spiritual journey during this season.

Below is a sample of the devotionals that are being sent. 


If you would like to receive the daily devotional, please let us know via email: info@rivervalecommunitychurch.org.

  • LENT DEVOTIONAL
    Day 1- “Moron!”

    “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.  But to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”- 1 Corinthians 1:18


    One summer my family was vacationing in the Adirondacks.  We spent most of our time at the beach by a quiet mountain lake.  One day I rented a canoe and went out exploring. I was so enamoured by the surrounding landscape that I did not notice a large sign posted on the bridge I was about to float under.  On it said something to the effect of “Warning, Danger Ahead.” I wistfully passed under the bridge oblivious to the upcoming hazard. As I came out the other side I did, however, notice something ominous.  When one looks out over a body of water there is always a point on the horizon where one’s view of the water stops. When peering over the ocean the waterline comes when the curvature of the earth bends the ocean down giving way to the sky above.  With a lake it is the shore on the opposite side which brings sight of the water to an end. With a river it is usually a bend whereby the countryside hides view of the water as it tucks around the corner. But in this case my view of the water ceased for no apparent reason. There was no bend.  The mountain that rose above the waterline seemed to be a farther distance than the line itself. At first I paddled forward curious of this strange sight until it all hit me at once. I remembered that I had driven my car over the very bridge under which I had just paddled. And I remembered that to one side- the side towards which I was headed-- was a huge waterfall as the water toppled over a dam.  Fortunately, I noticed this soon enough to turn around. But one wonders what others must have thought at the sight. The bridge that passed over the lake was fairly busy and I’m sure that a number of cars would have gone over as I went by. I can only imagine what must have been muttered under the breath of those who saw my canoe paddling towards the dam. “Moron!” “Crazy fool!”
    Strangely, as Paul writes a letter to the church in the city of Corinth he suggests that following Jesus and living one’s life in accordance with the Gospel will, from the outside, look just as foolish as paddling a canoe straight for an overflowing dam.  Paul says the “message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.” The word which is translated as “foolishness” or “folly” in English translations is the greek word “moria” from which we get our word moron!! As we enter the season of Lent it is a season in which we are invited to unite our life story more closely with that of Jesus.  In the weeks leading up to Good Friday we are invited to journey with Jesus to the cross. We are invited to turn away more and more from the very things our society tells us are indispensable to the good life. It is an invitation to foolishly paddle towards the cliff trusting that doing so will in fact lead to life as surely as Good Friday leads to Easter morning.