1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

Lenten Devotional
Written by those who worship at
St. John’s Lutheran Church ELCA
Chehalis, Washington 98532
Welcome to Lent
Lent is the time in the church year when we take time to pay attention to our devotional
practices. We give up things that are destructive to our walk with Christ and we add
things that build up our sense of discipleship.
Your fellow pilgrims on this journey offer this resource as a tool for you to spend a few
moments everyday this Lent reflecting on your faith and the promises of God. Over the
next several weeks, these reflections can guide your prayer and devotional life. Each day,
another pilgrim offers his/her thoughts on what it means to be a Jesus follower.
Each devotional is based on the text appointed for the day by the Revised Common
Lectionary. Christians around the world are reading these specific texts on the appointed
day. In a way, when you use this resource, you are not just connecting with the person
who wrote it, but also Christians a world away who are also reflecting on how God is
speaking through God’s Scripture.
May your Lenten journey fill you with the love and power of God.
Pastor Matt
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Psalm 51:1-17
February 18
Create in me a clean heart O God
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence
And take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation
And uphold me with thy free Spirit.
Those of you who remember the “old” Red hymnal will recognize these words from the
offertory of the first setting. I sang this hymn nearly every week for twenty years. I
still miss it today.
This Psalm is attributed to King David. He wrote it following his affair with Bathsheba.
He had her husband Uriah killed so he could marry her. The child they conceived before
their marriage died one week after birth. Even a powerful king, that was used to getting
his way, known for his great skill (killing Goliath), and many talents, cannot run from the
consequences of sin.
David did not ask for justice, because that would have meant death. He asked for mercy,
to have the sin cleansed completely from him. “Wash me and I will be whiter than snow”.
David asks God, who created heaven and earth from nothing, to create a new clean heart
in him. It was not enough to go and sin no more. He wanted all of his being to be sin free.
He wanted the wholeness and true joy that comes with living in God’s way. God does not
ask for works or sacrifices as offerings. He asks for humility and acknowledgement that
God is first in our lives.
The season of Lent begins tonight. We begin to look at our own lives. Some may even
choose to give up something for Lent. (Doing without chocolate or coffee, TV or my
tablet would be significant sacrifices for me.) The most common misapplication of the
sacrifices is the belief that the sacrifices themselves atone for or remove sin. They
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don’t. They are intended to be the END of the process that first begins with “a broken
and a contrite heart”. If sacrifice doesn’t begin with a change of heart, it’s just an empty
ritual with no real meaning to God.
I believe the reason I loved this hymn was because the words gave me assurance that I
could come to God, despite my failings and be restored as a child of God.
Psalm 25: 1-10
February 19
Trust and Receive God's Mercy
Psalm 25 is a prayer David wrote for his “sin oppressed soul.” (Per Halley's handbook.) He
trusts fully in God’s forgiveness and mercy. He admits to God that he has been a sinner
and asks for God to forget his sins and also to remember God's mercy “that he promised
of old,” a covenant made with God's people.
Verses 1 – 10 hears David trusting God and asking to be kept from shame and to keep him
safe from his enemies. He says, “no one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame.” He is
confident in God's mercy.
Okay...fast forward to my life. I say I trust in God, but I agonize over past mistakes and
sins. I try to “let go and let God”, but I never quite get to the point of that complete
feeling of “you are forgiven.” I have good intentions that I never follow through on.
Somewhere I read, “Good intentions without wisdom lead to destruction.” God have mercy
on me! So what do I do to live without totally imploding? Pray, pray, pray and read God's
reassuring words over and over again! Psalm 25:4- 5 is significant because it points out
who can help. “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and
teach me.” I go to church and am filled with songs of praise and words of peace and
joy....and even some convicting words. I take communion and am reminded once again of
God's great mercy: Jesus. I go away feeling refreshed and strengthened to face another
week. And, I am thankful. What joy and what great comfort to know we have a patient,
understanding and loving God. We are forgiven through Jesus' great love for each one of
us! Just like Pastor Matt said on the Baptism of our Lord Sunday.
Thank you, God, for your covenant with each one of us who look to Jesus for the
forgiveness of our sins. Amen
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2 Timothy 4:1-5
February 20
The Best Beverage
There are so many choices of beverages today: coffee, tea, milk, pop/soda, sparkling
water, juice, juice drinks, energy drinks… Then there are sub-categories: regular/decaf,
herbal, whole/2%/1%, nonfat; with pulp/light pulp/no pulp; flavored or unflavored. When
I was a kid circa 1960, I remember regularly drinking milk and orange juice with pop being
a rarity; Kool-aid was served the younger set at Vacation Bible School and church events.
“Don’t drink the Kool-aid” is now in the vernacular, though today’s young adults likely do
not know its origin. Jim Jones was a self-professed visionary who started the People’s
Temple movement in 1956. It was a commune run totally by his dictate. In the early 70’s,
he moved his operation from California to a compound in Guyana he named “Jonestown.” It
was to be a utopia, but it did not live up to his promises. His followers lived in
substandard squalor, were segregated by gender so husbands and wives could not live
together, and worked 11 hour days in stifling heat and humidity while subjected to 24/7
loudspeaker broadcasts of his teachings. When a California state representative arrived
to investigate claims of people held against their will, he was killed end route to the
airport to return stateside. Fearing worldwide exposure of his “operation,” Jones
convinced his flock of the need for “revolutionary suicide” to prevent torture of their
children by detractors who would surely follow. So on 11-18-78, 912 men, women, children,
and infants drank grape Flavor-aid (not Kool-aid) laced with cyanide. Jones did not drink
it, but shot himself. This was the deadliest non-natural “disaster” in U.S. History until
9/11.
To be sure, there are other Jim Joneses! Look at the young people from America and
Europe traveling to the Middle East to join Al-Qaeda and associated groups. Others
either seek or avoid answers by turning to drugs and alcohol. Still others attend
trendy “designer churches” whose services are “watered down” to the point no scripture
is read or spoken to attract people who are turned off by liturgy. Such churches are akin
to a knock-off of a Rolex watch or Dooney-Burke bag.
The “best” answer and the “best” beverage is water, not just any old water but “living
water.” In John 4:10, Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well of this “living water.”
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He said, “Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.” In
John 7, Jesus added, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and let the one who believes
in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of
living water.’”
Prayer: Dear Lord, let us drink heartily of your living water that we might share it with
others through our words and actions.
Amen
Mark 1: 9-15
February 21
Mark begins chapter 1 with the good news of Jesus and his baptism by John.
10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit
descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I
love; with you I am well pleased."
Just after Jesus receives the Holy Spirit he receives God's blessing. Jesus is anointed to
do his work under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This event is the beginning of his
public ministry. He is immediately sent out into the desert to be tempted.
It is easy for us to enjoy the blessings we receive from God, but we also have to accept
the low moments that feel like we are in the desert. When we remember our baptism, we
know that the Holy Spirit is always with us. I like the image of the dove which comes
down from heaven to symbolize love and forgiveness. The gentle nature of the dove
reminds me that the Holy Spirit brings us peace. God's spirit guides us to live out the
purpose that he intends for us.
My nephew is living a new life since losing his sight in an accident at age 37. He lost
everything, his health, home and job but not his faith in God. With the help of his pastor,
church, family and friends he has been able to accomplish more than he ever thought
possible. In December, he was the first blind student to graduate from Seattle
University School of Law. He has found a better way to live than in his previous life.
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Jesus overcame temptation in the desert as he relied on his Heavenly Father. The Spirit
opens our eyes and heaven to us. Our hope is that one day we will hear God's blessing for
us.
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts
through our baptism. Help us to fulfill our purpose and to please you. Amen
Psalm 77
February 23
Sleepless in Chehalis
Either I can’t fall asleep or I wake up at 3 a.m. and can’t get back to sleep. Usually this
happens when I am anticipating something. In the past few months, the “somethings” have
included: whether or not to buy a new-to-us car, the need to re-side our house and how
best to pay for it, and the 1st Christmas with our new daughter-in-law. Synapses are
rapid-firing and I can’t shut them down!
The psalmist’s description of his similar plight varies from “I am so troubled that I
cannot speak” to “I commune with my heart in the night.” I just love that gentle wording.
Apparently, my heart and I are communing quite regularly.
The psalmist solved his insomnia by meditating on “all of God’s mighty deeds” which could
take some time. I resort to repeatedly reciting in my mind The Lord’s Prayer, random
parts of the liturgy, and my childhood bedtime prayer (not the typical version):
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
When in the morning light I wake,
Lead thou my feet that I may take
The path of love for thy dear sake.
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This is my version of counting sheep and it works for me. Until reading this psalm for the
devotional, I did not know that I was reviving an age-old practice. Maybe some of you can
try it with your own favorite prayers.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to draw near to you in all things knowing that you will then
draw near to me and provide comfort. Amen
I Peter 3:8-18a
February 24
Suffering for Doing Good
V 8” Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be
compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the
contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit
a blessing. 10 For, Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue
from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and
his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do
evil.”
V “13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should
suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats[b]; do not be
frightened.”[c] 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an
answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do
this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak
maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For
it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ
also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He
was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”
It seems, to me, that’s it’s a bit contradictory that we should “suffer for doing good.” For
instance, from an early age it was instilled in me that if I didn’t want to suffer, all I had
to do was “be good.” Of course, at a young age, it really wasn’t that hard to do (okay,
maybe just a little) – I just had to obey my parents or teachers or anyone in authority
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and I was pretty much guaranteed a good outcome. That was then, this is now, and the
rules have changed!
Verse 9 above says, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult.” Watch any TV
sitcom or reality show and they would have you believe just the opposite. We are
constantly being schooled on TV, in the movies and in real life that if someone insults you,
you insult back – if someone does you evil, you claim your right to return that evil. Suffer
for doing good? I think not! Stand up for your rights – don’t let anybody walk all over you
– make sure everyone knows you are not to be messed with! That’s what the world says . . .
Peter, in his Gospel, wants us to do otherwise . . . “repay evil with blessing, because to this
you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” He goes on to explain why that’s a
good idea.
Now the hard part: doing it!
I’ll be honest – this is a hard verse for me to consider and I’m not sure why I choose to
write about it. Perhaps because of my nature or because I have bought into what the
world is selling, I struggle with being loving and kind when faced with unkindness or
hurtful behavior. And perhaps my reaction to want to repay evil with evil is born out of
gut-wrenching fear – fear of pain, fear of rejection, fear of harm. However, Peter
reassures me that I have nothing to fear! And if I do suffer, it is better to suffer from
doing good that repaying evil with evil. Well said Peter, well said.
My prayer: Thank you Lord for Peter’s words of comfort and calm – may my words and
actions be ones of gentleness and respect . . . may I keep your words in my heart and
always remember the One who suffered and paid the price for my sins. Amen
Proverbs 30:1-9
February 25
When I first read this I read it from the Living Bible, and it was the first few verses
that grabbed me.
“I am tired out, O God, and ready to die. I am too stupid even to call myself a human
being! I cannot understand man, let alone God.”
I thought I would write about my mother. She wakes up almost every day thinking this
and many times saying it out loud to my sister, who hates it when she does. However, she
IS 88 and probably feels like this. Some days, when my arthritis acts up or I’ve had a
difficult day I think the first part, I am tired out, O God. I have not felt ready to die
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just yet though. The writer seems to be depressed. He doesn’t call himself old, but
tired, and he calls himself stupid. I must be stupid also, because I don’t understand man
either. Why my mother wants so badly to die when so many others want only to live I
don’t understand. We wish we could help. I have a quote hanging on the bulletin board by
my desk, “Trying to understand some people’s behavior is like trying to smell the color
9.” This verse just tells me, let people be who they’re going to be without trying to
understand them. I don’t feel like I should try to understand God either, just let Him be
who’s He’s going to be. I just know He loves me; I’ll try to understand that!
In verse 8, the writer asks God for two favors, the second one is…”give me neither
poverty or riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs!” The writer may have been
tired, depressed, whatever, but he certainly wasn’t greedy. This reminded me of a
favorite family story from some years ago, when our daughter was in about the second
grade. Her prayer at the dinner table one night was, “thank you God for making us medium
poor.” We laughed then and obviously it still brings a smile. The writer’s reasoning is
sound, “if he has too much money he may be content without God, if he is too poor he may
be tempted to steal, and that would insult God’s holy name.” Whether or not our
daughter thought we had “enough” to meet our needs, or she was content that her needs
were met, she was thankful. That’s a good thing.
Dear Father, let us not forget to be grateful for everything, to be careful what we ask
for, and to leave the understanding to you.
Romans 3:21-31
February 26
Metamorphosis
The New Student Bible (1990) offers some insight into this lesson, noting that some
scholars consider it “the central theological passage in the Bible.” It is helpful to first
review the story of Paul, the author of the book of Romans. He started out as Saul, a
devout Jew who was extremely anti-Christian and anti-Gentile. On the road to Damascus
to round up such disbelievers to bring them to justice, he encountered a bright flash of
light. The voice of Jesus confronted him about his actions and ordered him to stay in the
city to await further instructions. Saul found himself struck blind and had to be led by
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his companions. The Lord sent Ananias, a disciple there, to lay his hands on Saul and
restore his sight. Saul was immediately filled with the Holy Spirit and became that which
he had previously detested, a follower of Christ.
He later was known as Paul, becoming one of the first men ever to fight for racial
equality (between the Jews and the Gentiles). He had the unique perspective of having
been, at one time, an avid supporter of each group. He actually had walked a mile in the
other’s shoes. He professed that through the grace of God, all believers are justified by
faith and equal in God’s sight. God had sent his son Jesus to live among these enemies to
foster peace among mankind.
There is so much controversy in the world. We have ongoing conflicts between political
parties, law enforcement and civilians, blacks and whites, gun enthusiasts and anti-gun
supporters, the haves and the have nots ---- the list goes on…
Amidst all this discord, we have the option to listen for the still, small voice of the Holy
Spirit. In her essay “Listening to God,” Carol Mayhall explains “Sometimes a thought pops
into my mind - a thought so different from what I was thinking, or so creative that I
never would have thought of it, or opposite of what I wanted God to say to me. When
that happens - and it lines up with God’s word - I know I’ve heard His voice in a distinctive
way…”
Dear Lord, When disagreements arise, help me to hear your voice and be an instrument of
Your peace knowing that all the faithful are precious in Your sight.
Amen
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Romans 4: 1-12
February 27
Focus Verses 7-8
“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is
the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
Computers keep track of all sorts of things. If you play computer games the computer
keeps track of your score. The computer has an electronic calendar. It keeps track of
each minute, each hour, each day, each month, and each year. When you visit a web site
the computer keeps track of your visit and adds it to the total number of people who
have visited the site. The computer can even track your mistakes. When you type a word
incorrectly the computer will underline the misspelled word.
As we read the Bible, in the Book of Romans, we learn an important thing about God; he
does not keep track of our mistakes - our sins. The verse is this, "Blessed is the man
whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin" (4:8).
This means that people who trust that God will forgive the mistakes they have made are
blessed - happy. The Bible tells us that when we ask to be forgiven, are sincere and sorry
for the hurtful things we have done, our "sins are covered" (4:7) God puts our mistakes
away. They are not counted and totaled. God does not keep track of our sins.
I am so thankful for this wonderful feature in our lives and on my laptop!
Thank you Jesus for forgiving my sins. Be happy. Amen.
Psalm 22: 23-31
February 28
Here is the story I’ll tell my friends when they come to worship.
Shout Hallelujah, you God worshipers;
give glory, you sons, adore him, you daughters.
He has never let you down,
never looked the other way
when you were being kicked around.
He never wandered off to do his own thing;
He has been right there, listening.
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Here is the great gathering for worship.
Down-and-outers sit at God’s table
and eat their fill.
Everyone on the hunt for God
is here, praising him.
“Live it up, from head to toe.
Don’t ever quit!”
From the four corners of the earth
Long lost families
are running back to God.
All the power mongers are her before him,
All the poor and powerless, too,
Along with those who never get it together
---Worshiping!
Our children and their children
will get in on this.
As the word is passed along
from parent to child.
Babies not yet conceived
will hear the good news-that God does what he says.
I should just say AMEN! Here, but, I am having a “God where are you?” moment. As you
may have noticed the print switched from italics half way through.
Words had a strike through line in them and I could not (cannot) correct a letter without
erasing the next one. David spent the first 21 verses complaining that God had
abandoned him. We all feel that way at times. Jesus died on the cross. Then we get to
verse 22 and the whole outlook on the world changes. We go from being sorry for
ourselves to worshiping. We realize that God was always there. Now we all can sit down
to the grandest Lutheran basement potluck ever held. Everyone is there. Those filthy
rich power grabbers (like me at times) and those who can’t get anything right (me too)
are also there right next to me and my children, grandchildren and my greatX6
grandchildren, living it up from head to toe. A free potluck and we didn’t have to cook or
buy anything.
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Thank you heavenly Father for all your many blessings seen and unseen. Thank you
for our opportunity to worship you with all your different children. Help us to see
the value in all of them and find true joy in worshiping you. In Jesus name, Amen!
Mark 9: 2-9
March 2
I have never climbed to the top of a mountain, something I hope to do some day.
However, I do enjoy the experience of going up in elevation with the hope of seeing new,
beautiful sights. Whether hiking to viewpoints overlooking Mt. St. Helens and Sprit Lake,
driving the Bear Tooth Highway in Montana and stopping to take in the incredible views
and breathe the crisp, clean air or hiking to Burg Eltz near Moselkern, Germany, and at
the end of the trail being rewarded with a stunning medieval castle, the fun and
excitement makes the effort more than worthwhile.
One of my personally favorite things to do was ride with my dad in his log truck. It was
usually during the summer. We would start the day at about 3:00 in the morning, drive to
Centralia, get into his truck and head to the woods. We would either go to the harbor and
up into the Olympic National Forest or to Randle and up into the Gifford Pinchot National
Forest. Many of these summer days would begin in darkness, but you could still see and
sense the coastal or valley fog or low clouds. Within a few hours we would rise from
nearly two hundred feet in elevation to over four thousand feet. As the day would
brighten with the rising sun, through the fog and clouds, we would begin to see specks of
blue sky. As we made each turn and rose a little higher in elevation finally we would be at
the most beautiful places: clear blue skies, vast views of the mountains, flowing rivers,
deep valleys, and green trees.
In Mark, Chapter 9, Verses 2 through 9, Peter James and John went up the mountain
with Jesus, saw Jesus change in appearance before them, were told by God that Jesus is
his Son and to listen to him, and then told by Jesus not to tell anyone what they had seen
until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
I would be so excited and inspired by what I saw during the day with dad that when we
got home I had to tell my mom and my sister. I cannot imagine not telling anyone of the
most beautiful things I was able to see on those days with dad.
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But for Peter, James and John and the other disciples there would be a time soon when
they could and would share the teachings of the Son of God.
Hebrews 11: 1-3, 13-19
March 3
Faith in What We Don’t See
11 1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm
foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t
see. [Taken from The Message paraphrase]
“You believe there is a God? That’s absolutely laughable! How naive can you get?”
Our full reading is known as “The Faith Chapter.” It talks about all those biblical
ancestors who lived by faith. However, there are so many things we could talk about in
this chapter that I’ve chosen to focus on just the first two verses.
According to Hebrews, true faith is absolute certainty that what it believes is true and
that what it expects will come. Faith is a hope which looks forward with absolute
conviction. But quite frankly, if faith requires absolute conviction; then it’s tough having
faith (of any kind) in today’s world!
There are many things that can and at times have shaken my
personal faith. Everyone thinks their religion is absolutely right
and all others are wrong. I am not a Universalist, yet I have
found truths in many other religions. When I look at the history
of our own Christian faith, my faith can be shaken to its core. I
have experienced believing and praying for a daughter’s healing and yet she still died. I was convinced that God was calling me to
perform a specific ministry; yet that ministry folded. Science
and human behavior have challenged my foundational faith assumptions (and yet, I am also
surprised by how much they can reinforce that faith, as well). The list goes on.
We have all sorts of responses and answers to life’s questions and doubts. For me,
though, the bottom line has come down to the fact that I can’t tolerate living without a
God of love; and I can’t tolerate the ultimate value system of a world based on the self. I
cannot find hope in the direction and promises of a world without the Christian faith. My
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faith in this God of love ultimately dictates all that I am. I live in it, from it, out of it,
and will die in it - so much so that it literally possesses and controls me.
I think the bottom line for me is that I have chosen to believe that this is God’s world! If
we can grip that fact, two things follow. First, we will use it as such and remember that
everything in it is God’s, and we will try to use it as God would have us use it. Second, we
will remember that, even when it may not look like it, somehow God is in control. If we
believe that this is God’s world then into our lives come a new sense of responsibility and
a new power of acceptance; for everything belongs to God and all is in his hands.
PRAYER: Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!
Jeremiah 30: 12-22
March 4
The anger of the Lord. Terrifying. Who can imagine it? God punishes the sins of Israel.
Must have been SOME sins! Nothing like my sins, of course. My sins—hardly worth
mentioning. God promises discipline in due measure. Who can stand before the Lord? He
reassures with the promise to uphold His special covenant with Israel. He is just, not
fickle. He promises restoration, redemption, and hope for a better future. Lord, remind
me that it is two who enter a covenant. You, who are unfailingly faithful, please help me to
remember and keep my promises to You. Lord, open my eyes to see when my troubles are
my own doing—a product of self-centered thinking and error. Restore this sinner to
health, O Lord. Then help me to forgive as you have forgiven me. Amen
Psalm 19
March 5
God’s glory is on tour in the skies,
God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
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Professor Night lectures each evening.
Their words aren’t heard,
their voices aren’t recorded,
But their silence fills the earth:
unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.
God makes a huge dome
for the sun—a superdome!
The morning sun’s a new husband
leaping from his honeymoon bed,
The daybreaking sun an athlete
racing to the tape.
That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies
from sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts,
warming hearts to faith.
The revelation of GOD is whole
and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of GOD are clear
and point out the right road.
The life-maps of GOD are right,
showing the way to joy.
The directions of GOD are plain
and easy on the eyes.
GOD’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of GOD are accurate
down to the nth degree.
God’s Word is better than a diamond,
better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,
better than red, ripe strawberries.
There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger
and directs us to hidden treasure.
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Otherwise how will we find our way?
Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
Keep me from stupid sins,
from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
God, Priest-of-My-Altar.
The Message Paraphrase
Acts 7:30-40
March 6
I have always been fascinated by the courage of Stephen. It is one of the many reasons
I picked the name for my son. In this passage he is arrested and facing death in the near
future. He uses the opportunity to remind us of another time when God's people were
turning away from Him. Moses has led the Israelites out of Egypt, but they are not
happy and lack the faith to follow God completely. The message of the burning bush is
lost on them. In Stephen's day, again the leaders lack the faith to follow God, so they
kill the messenger. "How awful is that?” we proclaim! We would never turn our backs on
Him.
Would we? Every time we waste our time and energy on false gods in our daily lives.
TV, cell phones, the bigger and better toys, all pull at our attention, drawing us away from
our Lord. We cannot lose hope, because even in the midst of all the distractions, God
calls us back to Him, just as he sent Moses to call the Israelites back, eventually leading
them out of the desert. During Lent we should take the time to hear His voice.
Stephen paid a heavy price for his message. Not much
he is stoned to death. Even his death is used to bring us
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later
closer to God. A message worth dying for must be important.
Dear God, please keep calling me home, and help me to be a voice for you. Amen
Exodus 19: 9b-15
March 7
High upon a mountain in a quiet place
they were prayin' prayin' prayin'
The choir recently sang the gospel for Transfiguration Sunday describing the mountaintop experience provided to Peter, James, and John. Scripture gives several accounts
where God met humans on a mountain top to reassure them of His involvement in the
human race. He met Moses on Mt. Sinai and Joshua on Mt. Ebal. How beautiful on the
mountains are the feet of those who bring good news Isaiah tells us. President Johnson
often quoted Psalms saying I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come
from? Abraham went to a mountain to sacrifice his son for whom God provided a lamb
instead. Mountain-top experiences appear throughout scripture and usually describe a
place where God is meeting His servants. While John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High may
have been about artificial highs, the spiritual high we are given throughout our lives is
supernatural.
I have never experienced meeting God face to face. I hasten to add that I have had
mountain-top experiences that I would describe as God-filled such as my baptism as a
teen, our wedding, the birth of our two daughters, achieving educational goals, and many
moments at St. John’s where you could feel the Spirit at work. Maybe it is in such events
that we do meet God face-to-face.
It is reassuring to know that Jesus promised us that He would be with us day after day
right up the end of the age. (From The Message) As we experience the mountains and
even the valleys of our lives on Earth, we know that Christ is with us just as He promised.
John 2:13-22
March 9
This is one of my favorite types of Bible verses — a paradox. This particular passage
takes me back to college. Maybe it’s the fact that I am planning a trip to Bellingham later
this week, but I don’t think that’s it. The first person who identified himself as a
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Lutheran and impacted my schema for religious belief was a college professor at WWU.
He didn’t preach Lutheran theology; in fact, his self-identification as a Lutheran was part
of a disclaimer in his classes. He didn’t hide his background and faith, but he chose to
suspend it in the interest of offering us an unbiased view of different religions. This was
a dramatically different way of looking at other faiths than what some of my friends
experienced in religious colleges, where comparing other religions was more about
discrediting them.
I took two religion classes from him, and he encouraged us to put ourselves in the shoes
of the practitioners of the faiths that we studied. I clearly remember attempting to
write of religious experiences from the viewpoint of a Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, or Jew.
One of the prime rules in his class was that we not judge the beliefs of others, but
rather try to understand them and find connections between the belief and practice of
varied faith communities. It was during and shortly after the Iranian hostage crisis, so
suspending judgment was a pretty tall order.
One of my Bibles titles this passage “The Wisdom and Folly of the Cross.” Verse 18 in
that version reads: “The message of the cross is complete absurdity to those who are
headed for ruin, but to us who are experiencing salvation it is the power of God.” As I
think back on a lifetime of religious experiences, I am impressed with the depth and
variety of belief and practice within Christendom. We start our journey with simple
concepts, ready-made for our young brains: “God is great, God is good”; “Jesus loves me.”
As we grow up and become adolescents, religion gives us rules and to live by.
Eventually, for those who continue to pursue their faith, we are confronted with
challenges. Some of those challenges come from without, and some from the mysteries of
our faith. The notion of an all-powerful God, who gives humans his Son, is a difficult idea
to fathom. And the fact that the Son chooses to sacrifice Himself for us is equally
troublesome. But, for me, verse 25 sums it up pretty neatly: “For God’s folly is wiser than
men and His weakness more powerful than men.” Even though the notion is a pretty simple
one, there is plenty of intellectual “meat” there to chew on and satisfy the intellect. For
me, faith needs to feed the mind as well as the heart.
In the first paragraph, I gave my old professor credit for impacting my religious view of
the world. I didn’t know it then — I was pretty comfortable in the church I grew up in.
Years later, as we tried to decide on what church we would eventually call “home” in
Chehalis, I recalled how I was enriched and challenged in my classes with that professor,
and figured that if that was what being Lutheran was about, it would suit me pretty well.
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It’s either chance or I was being steered in a certain direction — I don’t know, and I’m
pretty comfortable with that paradox!
Psalm 84
March 10
The Joy of God’s Presence
The psalmist starts out with declaring the peace and joy he feels when being saturated in
God’s presence.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the
courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
At first glance it appears that Psalm 84 is about attending church. How do you feel about
attending church? Do you look forward to going to church each Sunday? Is it the
highlight of your week? Do you miss it when you can’t attend? As I reread this psalm and
took time to reflect on it and listen to what the psalmist is saying, I realized that we
must look beyond that weekly trip to church.
Psalm 84 is a psalm of longing. Longing for fellowship with
God. It is a Psalm about spending time with God, in His
presence. Contrary to what people may think the church
building is not God’s dwelling place. Perhaps we meet Him
there, but the place God has chosen to take up residence is
in each of us. We must continually be in God’s presence every
day and feed our soul with His Word, or we’ll starve
spiritually. The psalmist tells us that our souls yearn for the spiritual food that only God
can provide.
The Lord grants us honor and blessing by filling us with his presence. The choices we
make reflect the glory and majesty of his presence in us. When we truly spend time with
God, we will realize that everything we were looking for to give us joy, strength, peace,
and satisfaction is found in Him. We must continually come and rest with Him; getting
into the His Word to find and be in His presence.
Being in God’s presence is to have a personal relationship with our loving Father. If we
have a personal relationship with God then as we go through each and every day we allow
Him to participate in every choice we make. If God dwells in us then we will desire to
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worship with other Christians. We will want to attend church: to pray, sing, hear the
Word and fellowship with other Christians.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for dwelling among us. Help us to enjoy Your presence more,
to marvel at Your beauty, and to shine with Your light into the world so that others will
see God’s hand at work in our lives. Amen.
Ezra 6:1-16
March 11
The people of God had been waiting in exile for about seventy years. During this time,
their homes were burned and their temple was destroyed. Everything they had known was
taken away from them and it looked like God had abandoned them.
When Ezra and those who were with him were finally able to return, they could see the
remains of that lonely city. They saw the painful reality of the burned homes and the
Temple in complete ruin.
Ezra returned to Jerusalem with the hope of rebuilding the temple. God was again on the
move and stirred up the heart of a king to allow the people of God to return to their
homes and begin rebuilding their lives. However, only a small remnant returned because
most of the people decided not to come back.
It would be too easy to blame them for their choice to stay where they were living. Most
people just decided to move on with their lives and settle throughout the Persian Empire.
Why should they go back? Why return to a place where it seemed God had abandoned
them? How could they know that this was God’s will? Why should anyone return to a place
where there was so much pain? The reason Ezra and the people with him returned was
the promise of a new covenant.
When the people of God went into exile, the covenant they had with God died. This meant
that their relationship with God was now gone.
The prophets proclaimed that one day God would resurrect a new relationship with the
people of God. Resurrection not only involves coming back alive from the dead but also
the reestablishing of a relationship. Think about it, when someone dies our relationship
with them also dies. If someone comes back to life then that relationship is reestablished
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as well. Ezra returned to a dead city and a dead temple. It was the hope of resurrection
that empowered him to make the decision to return to an abandoned city. God somehow
will resurrect the temple and bring about a new relationship with the people of God.
The season of Lent offers us a time of reflection. We are allowed to contemplate the
grace and power of our resurrection, which not only involves a new relationship with God,
but also a new relationship with people.
We are allowed to meditate on the painful reality
of grief and loss with the hope that God would
renew us. The story of Ezra reminds us that God
has not abandoned us. God may challenge you this
season of Lent to reflect on a specific struggle in
your life in order to make you grow into a new
relationship with God or with other people.
Psalm 107: 1-3, 17-22
March 12
In this text we are reminded to thank God for redeeming us and freeing us from distress
and harm. God’s enduring love rescues us time and time again from our problems. What
kind of trouble does God free us from?
Being lost; mentally and perhaps physically
Think about the senior in high school who
wants to go to college. She has been told that grades are really important so she studies
a lot. She is also worried about how she will pay for college; her parents talk a lot about
how they don’t know if they can afford it. She seems to be tired all the time staying up
late studying or worrying. She has trouble concentrating at times as she is almost
panicked about what her future will be.
Being hungry; perhaps emotionally and physically: A small 7 year old boy comes to school
every day hungry but gets fed at school. No one knows if he gets a meal at night. This
same little boy acts out a lot in class always looking for attention. Positive or negative, it
doesn’t seem to matter: he seems starved for it.
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Being troubled distressed: The widowed lady is distressed and depressed after losing her
husband. Many people visited her when her husband died but now everyone seems to have
drifted away. She is scared to be home alone, worried about finances and very lonely but
she does not want to bother anyone about her problems. She wonders why no one can see
how distressed she is.
Our responsibilities overwhelm us. Think of the father who is never home because he is
working all the time to support the family. His children never see him, he communicates
infrequently with his wife. They fight often. Even though the father works all the time
there is never enough money for everything everyone wants.
How does God free these examples from their troubles? When we turn to God and
unload our troubles/burdens, He can save us from our distress. In the examples above it
seems that we think we can or have to solve our troubles on our own. God sent his word
to all in need, He hears their anguished cries. He wants us to realize his unfailing love and
His ability to save us are always available to us.
We are reminded in this passage in Psalms to give thanks for God’s unfailing love and His
willingness to help us anytime and all the time. How should you or I give thanks? I am not
sure but I think of “passing it on”. Pass on God’s love by helping those in need, by listening
to God and work through him.
Ephesians 1: 7-14
March 13
The Greatest Mystery of All!
1: 9-10 For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of His will,
according to his purpose which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth.”
I love a good mystery - especially if it has an unexpected ending! Ephesians is a book that
is organized around a mystery that has been revealed! Paul claims that God has made
known to us “the mystery of His will.”
The New Testament uses the word mystery in a special way. It’s not something
mysterious in the sense that it is hard to understand. Rather, it is something which has
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long been kept secret and has now been revealed, but is still incomprehensible to the
person who has not been initiated into its meaning.
For example, when my husband and I lived on the Yakima Indian Reservation, discussing
communion with some of the Native Americans was an interesting experience - especially
if they knew nothing about Christianity. For some, communion sounded dangerously close
to cannibalism! For them, it was a complete mystery because they didn’t understand in
the least what was going on. But for us who know the story and the meaning of the Last
Supper, the whole service has a meaning which is quite clear. So in the New Testament
sense a mystery is something which is hidden to the non-Christian, but clear to the
Christian.
So, what’s the mystery of God’s will? When read in the context of the entire book, one
realizes that it is the fact that in Jesus, God has revealed that his love and care, his
grace and mercy, are meant, not only for the Jews, or even for believing Christians, but
for the entire world!
All over the world there is still strife and tension. Yet, Jesus came into the world to wipe
out the divisions. That, for Paul, was the secret of God. It was God’s purpose that all the
many different strands and all the warring elements in this world should be gathered into
one in Jesus Christ.
Paul then adds another tremendous thought. He says that all history has been a working
out of this process. He says that through all the ages (and all the years to come) there
has been and still are an on-going arranging and an administering of things so that this
day of unity will come.
It is the Christian conviction that history is the working out of the will of God. That is by
no means something everyone agrees on. We still happen to be living in an age in which
humans have lost their faith in any purpose for this world. But it is our faith as Christians
that in this world God’s purpose is being worked out; and it is Paul’s conviction that God’s
purpose is that one day all things and all humanity should be one family in Christ. As Paul
sees it, that mystery was not even grasped until Jesus came. Now it is our great task as
the Church to work out God’s purpose of unity, revealed in and through the person of
Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: Help me to see through your eyes of love, O God! Let me
see all humanity as part of my family to come; and help us
individually and together as the Church to especially grow in our
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ability to work out in our lives - in this century and in this location - your great purpose of
unity revealed in and accomplished through Jesus Christ and the gift of his Holy Spirit.
John 3: 1-13
March 14
“Understand?!”
V.3 Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from
above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to... v. 5 Unless a person submits to this
original creation—the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the
visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. When you look
at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape
within is formed by something you can’t see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living
spirit.
7-8 “So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’—out
of this world, so to speak”...9 Nicodemus asked, “What do you mean by this? How does
this happen?” [Taken from The Message paraphrase]
“We must be born again! Got it?” Do we get it? Jesus is making a huge statement here.
Humanity, by itself, is flesh and its power is limited to what the flesh can do. By itself,
humanity cannot be other than defeated and frustrated. It is the universal fact of human
experience. The very essence of the Spirit is power and life which is beyond human power
and human life. And, when the Spirit takes possession of us, the defeated life of human
nature becomes the victorious life of God. To be born again is to be changed in such a way
that it can be described only as rebirth and re-creation. But do we really get it when it
comes to the practical living of our everyday lives?
There are two kinds of misunderstanding. The one is when we misunderstand because
we’ve not yet reached a stage of knowledge and experience where we’re able to grasp the
truth. When we’re in that state, we simply need to have it explained to us so we will be
able to grasp the knowledge. However, there is also the misunderstanding which comes
from refusing to see. We deliberately shut our minds to truth which we do not wish to
accept. Because we do not wish to be changed, we will deliberately shut our eyes and our
minds and our hearts to the power which can change us. In the last analysis, what is the
matter with so many of us is simply the fact that, when Jesus comes with his offer to
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change us and re-create us, we more or less say: “No thanks; I’m quite satisfied with
myself as I am, and I don’t want to be changed.”
Sometimes we’ll also say, “This rebirth about which you talk may be possible, but I can’t
understand how it works.” Jesus’ response is basically, “You may not know how the Spirit
works, but you can see the effect of the Spirit in human lives.” Jesus is emphatic that he
isn’t talking about something theoretical. But he’s talking about something which can
actually be seen. We can point to person after person who has been re-born by the power
of the Spirit.
There are any number of things in this world which we use every day without knowing how
they work. But our lack of understanding doesn’t prevent us using and enjoying the
benefits which they provide. We may not understand how the Spirit works, but the
effect of the Spirit on the lives of people is there for everyone to see. The unanswerable
argument for Christianity, therefore, is the Christian life. No person can disregard a
faith which is able to make bad people good.
Jesus tried to make things simple for Nicodemus. He also gave a
warning which is applicable for us, as well. It’s easy to sit in
discussion groups, study and read books, or discuss the
intellectual truth of Christianity, but the essential thing is to
experience the power of Christianity. It is fatally easy to start
at the wrong end and to think of Christianity as something to be
discussed, not as something to be lived and experienced.
Therefore, at the heart of Christianity there is a mystery. It is
not the mystery of intellectual appreciation. It is the mystery of
redemption - the on-going presence and activity of the person of
Jesus and the power and activity of His Holy Spirit in our lives.
PRAYER: Dear God, give me eyes to see you! Let me be birthed anew each day so I can
love you more deeply. Open my life more and more to your presence; and give me the
ability to respond more and more to the working and leading of your Holy Spirit so that
others can and will see you when they look at me! Amen.
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Hebrews 3: 1-6
March 16
If you have ever been to a famous house you’ll be blown away by the size of the house and
the grounds. People are working inside and out. Cleaning, straightening sometimes leading
tours. Outside people are weeding, raking, keeping everything in prime condition. The
family often needs the money from the tours to support the house itself. The family
continues known by the name of the founder. We have toured several, the Astor’s, the
Vanderbilt’s, The Lee’s, George Washington to name a few. All impressive, all massive, all
more work than we want or can afford!
Houses and linages were very important to the Hebrews. Knowing your place within the
house told you who you were and what your job was. The people of the house were more
important than the servants, but the founder of the house was honored above all.
Moses was well known to the Hebrew people. He was a great leader and faithful to his
calling. For all that, he was still only a servant to the house that he served. Jesus is the
son of the founder of the house and is therefore of the highest importance. The passage
finishes with the reminder that we are the house founded by God and we need to act with
confidence in that fact.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for keeping your house safely in your hands. Embolden
us to work for you and your glory. Amen.
I Corinthians 10:6-13
March 17
Large and In Charge
On Facebook, I often see the comments ”Everything happens for a reason,” and “God
won’t give you any more than you can handle.” I really can’t stand either of these.
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I think when someone says the first, he/she is implying that there is a positive outcome
of every happening ,no matter how horrible, that he/she just can’t foresee. Try as I
might, I can’t see a “good” reason for a baby dying in utero, a building collapsing on
occupants, an airplane crash, or any other tragedy. Maybe it will prompt some future good
such as more medical research or better construction and inspections. If he/she is
talking about lesser trials such as failing a test or a job interview, I think personal
responsibility or lack thereof is likely the reason. I also think there is an implied start to
the phrase, that being “God makes…” God sure takes the rap for a lot of stuff (at least
from those who don’t really understand faith).
In the second saying, the emphasis seems to be on the second “you.” God won’t give you
any more than YOU can handle. To me, this wording suggests that we mortals are doing
the handling. In truth, God is the one doing the handling. If we go to him in prayer, he will
give us what we need to get through the troubling time.
An example in our midst is the birth of Bruce and Vicki Graham’s grandson. The parents
and grandparents certainly could have chosen to blame God. Instead they glorified God
and his blessings flowed into the hands of the physicians and therapists and the body and
spirit of little Jeffrey. And God gave Jeffrey’s family courage and love equal to the
challenge.
A Prayer for the Journey
O Christ, do not give me tasks equal to my powers,
but give me powers equal to my tasks.
For I want to be stretched by things too great for me.
I want to grow through the greatness of my tasks,
but I shall need your help for the growing.
E. Stanley Jones
John 8:12-20
March 18
Casting stones. An interesting, and thankfully archaic punishment. Public stoning clearly
doesn't happen in a literal sense that often anymore, but the judgment and hatred that
were behind the practice still happen every day in various ways.
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I find myself thinking or saying in private terrible things more often than I care to
admit. Judgment mostly. Why would someone do that? That's a stupid outfit. Are they
stupid? They probably shouldn't have kids. They'll just end up in prison. Well, maybe not
all of those things. Things that really have no place in my heart, and things that have no
place in the kingdom of God.
This is something that I know a lot of Christians struggle with. The scene from The Music
Man where the town gets riled up about the trouble in River City that starts with a
capital T and rhymes with P and stands for pool. A game that clearly is not inherently bad
gets vilified. The same thing happens all the time with any number of other things. Now I
don't want to get into politics, I don't want to be stoned. But, it is not hard to see times
where instead of helping, ministering, or loving we start throwing those metaphorical
stones. That is not a great way to reach people that need God in their lives.
I struggle with this all the time. I pray for the forgiveness that I am unable to give, and
for understanding where I would cast judgment.
Isaiah 30: 15-18
March 19
“…in repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…”
Wow!! This is great. All I have to do is sit back and relax and be quiet, trust a little and
salvation is mine. I do “sit back and relax” really well. Up to a point, that is.
When I retired 19 years ago, one of the things I had been told in a pre-retirement
seminar I took, was that most people needed to keep some semblance of a daily schedule
in their transition from work life to retired life. I did just that. After Judy left in the
mornings for work, I read for an hour or so. In fact, in the first year, I read the Bible
cover to cover. Then I began some home improvements. I gutted and remodeled both
bathrooms and the kitchen. By this time I didn’t need a schedule anymore. I was now
“retired” and on a roll. In fact, that hour of reading time was now pushed to the later
afternoon and my reading was often interrupted with a nap in the recliner. This was about
the same time I began telling people I didn’t know how I had ever had time to go to work,
I was so busy with “projects”.
Nineteen years later I have a pretty comfortable life. Judy retired and we began
traveling in earnest. If we aren’t on a trip of some sort, we are planning one. It’s really
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fun and I would hope you all would have a chance to travel the US or the world, if that’s
your interest. We have met some wonderful people and seen some unbelievable things
over the last several years. And we are far from done. At the moment there are some
home improvement projects cropping up again. (Just because you did them once doesn’t
mean you might not have to do them again!) But what about that “in quietness and trust is
your strength”?
Take time to reflect. Read the Bible and whatever else strikes your fancy. Sit back some
time during the day or evening and reflect on all the things that demand your time and
attention and set aside a moment at least to “rest” and you will be much stronger in life
and in faith. We are assured that salvation will be ours. I’m counting on that, and that’s
one of the things I reflect on daily.
Dear Lord: In the quietness of our hearts we hear your voice assuring us of our salvation.
Help us to daily
Hebrews 4:14-5:4
March 20
The writer of Hebrews brings us today words of comfort. “Now that we know what we
have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through
our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through
weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and
get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. Every high priest
selected to represent men and women before God and offer sacrifices for their sins
should be able to deal gently with their failings, since he knows what it’s like from his own
experience.” The Message
God had set up a complicated system of priests and sacrifices in the Old Testament. The
priests were intermediaries between God and humankind. Christ came to fulfill that
system. Imagine, we have our own mediator with God! Our mediator is like us. He
suffered the same temptations that we experience and made straight the path to
salvation.
We can approach the throne of Grace with confidence that our brother, the High Priest,
will represent us. He took on human form that He might fully involve himself in our lives.
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He is ready and available to save us by grace though faith, not from ourselves. We can’t
take credit for it. It is a gift from God.
In all of this we find comfort that Jesus is like us. He is our personal representative who
stays with us through the thick and thin of life.
Thank you, God, for our own personal mediator. Let us do justly, love kindness, and walk
humbly before you.
John 12: 1-11
March 21
Polar Opposites
When I was still working fulltime and had teens at home and was very
involved at church, I read a wonderful book: Having a Mary Heart in a
Martha World by Joanna Weaver of Whitefish, Montana. If they
haven’t already studied it, the Book Guild would find it a great
selection. It explores the dichotomy of Mary and Martha. The author is
a pastor’s wife and mother who, like many of us, put her miles in on the
hamster wheel as a “working mother” trying to do it all. She devotes an
18 page chapter to today’s scripture. Don’t worry, I won’t share it all.
Joanna:
Joanna explains the significance of Mary’s use of all that nard in washing Jesus’ feet.
Yes, it was a costly perfume equal in worth to nearly a year’s wages for a laborer of that
day. (When Joanna wrote the book in 2000, the equivalent value was upwards of
$30,000.) But more than that, it was likely Mary’s dowry. Since the siblings Mary,
Martha, and Lazarus all lived together in Martha’s house, it can be speculated that their
parents had died. Therefore Mary had no one to broker an arranged marriage for her as
was the custom. Literally, “she was pouring out her very life in love and sacrificial service”
when she used that nard. She gave her all in what Joanna terms “Extravagant Love.”
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Then there was Judas. He was just plain ticked off at Mary’s outrageous display. Jesus
had appointed him treasurer of the disciples. Offerings weren’t coming in so well anymore
and he was finding it harder and harder to embezzle funds from the common purse. He
had watched Mary literally pour all that money “down the drain.” Soon Judas would betray
Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, less than half the worth of Mary’s nard.
Me:
Now the dichotomy is between Mary and Judas. Both are necessary. The die is cast! So
begins the journey to Gethsemane and Golgotha.
Per Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve 2 masters… You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Joanna’s prayer: “May the Lord take this simple story of two sisters and use this ink and
paper, these words, as a doorway to bring you into a deeper relationship with him than
you’ve ever known. Remember it is a lifetime process and a work of the Holy Spirit.”
Psalm 119-9-16
March 23
Naturally, out of three devotionals left on the once very diverse and extensive list, I was
drawn to the one which spoke specifically to people my own age. (Of course I do assume
that’s what the passage meant by "young people.”) I feel because this reading is supposed
to apply to teens, I should be free to interpret it from my point of view.
The first two verses begin by telling "young people" they should study God's Word in
order to live more holy lives. From the viewpoint of a generation pressured to take high
school courses which only existed in a college classroom 20 years ago, this seems to be
asking a lot. How are we supposed to add studying the Bible into our schedule when we're
already expected to keep up with classes like pre-calculus and chemistry along with
whatever sports or clubs we want to belong to? It seems hard to enjoy something when I
have to associate it with the word study; it sounds too much like having to cram for a
test. I didn't fully understand what these two lines meant until I read the rest of the
passage, and even then I wasn't truly illuminated until I read it in my personal copy of
"The Message".
In The Message, the next part of the reading begins like this: "I'm single-minded in
pursuit of you; don't let me miss the road signs you've posted." As a new driver whose
sense of direction would lead her off the nearest cliff, I get this. Though we all try to
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follow God to a certain extent, life sends us through so many one-way streets and
roundabouts most can get lost fairly easily. We need to pay attention to the signs God
gives, sending us on the right route to our destination.
"I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt."
God's grace is like winning the lottery off a ticket you were actually given as a gift, a
whole lot of goodness for absolutely no cost. However, it's not alright to do some illegal
act because you have enough money to stay out of jail, and it's not alright to sin just
because you’re going to be forgiven afterward. So keeping some "grace" in reserve helps
when you really make a mistake would be a good idea; just think of how many people who
win the lottery go bankrupt only a few years later.
"Be blessed, God; train me in your way of wise living.” We can always use a little guidance
in life. No matter how hard we try, we don't use the wonderful organ between our ears
enough. God can help us live smarter.
"I'll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth" How did we learn
the alphabet? Someone took the time to teach it when we were young. In the same way
we should transfer what God has taught us to others.
"I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering piles of riches." We
concern ourselves too much with physical wants and distract ourselves from what really
matter. What is the point of having tons of money when you have to sacrifice happiness
to obtain it? We should focus more on doing what will bring us joy than doing what will
give us the most dough.
"I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you; I attentively watch how you've done it." We
will never fully understand how God works. We should cherish and think about the few
things we do understand and the many others we don't; live in his example.
"I relish everything you've told me of life, I won't forget a word of it." We should use
everything taught to us to better ourselves. We shouldn't forget about what God and
those around us have done to help us to where we are today.
Maybe it’s not about who reads the Bible every day or goes to church every week. Maybe
it’s less like studying for a test and more like learning through real life. I think this
passage is saying "young people,” and even "older people,” should look for God in everyday
life, and study what we find. Wouldn't everyone live much happier lives if they saw more
of God in the world?
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Lord, please remind us to look for you and your work in our daily life, so we may never
forget what you have done for us. Amen.
Acts 2: 14-24
March 24
A Prophecy Fulfilled
Today’s Bible reading takes place right after Jesus’ Ascension and Pentecost, that is,
after the coming of the Holy Spirit. People were amazed, confused and perplexed. Peter,
the early spokesman for the Twelve, seized the opportunity and shouted to the crowd. I
guess you could say that Peter was preaching the first sermon to the new Christian
church. Peter reminded the Jewish listeners that what they had witnessed was the work
of the Holy Spirit. The coming of the Messiah, the miracles, and the events described by
the prophet Joel were all well-established concepts to the Jews. Now Peter was
connecting those events to Jesus of Nazareth.
Peter began his sermon by stating that God himself had publicly endorsed Jesus by doing
wonderful miracles, wonders, and signs through him. Certainly many of the gathered
crowd had seen or heard of the ministry of Jesus. Surprisingly, Peter then accused the
Jewish audience of missing their Messiah and allowing their leaders to kill him. But then
he told them that putting Jesus to death was all part of God’s plan. The Messiah had not
stayed dead. God raised him from the dead and many people could testify to having seen
the risen Christ. I would imagine that many of the same Jews that Peter was preaching to
had been in Jerusalem for the Passover and may have been witnesses to the crucifixion
and the subsequent resurrection.
Jesus’ resurrection was the final sign that what he had said about himself was true.
Without the Resurrection, no one would have any reason to believe in Jesus. Peter said
that death could not keep him in its grip. Peter tells the gathered crowd that there is a
shift from God pouring out His Spirit to a few, such as prophets, priests and kings to
pouring out His Spirit on all regardless of age, race, or social status. Peter gives hope to
the crowd and tells them there is still time for repentance, salvation, and divine blessing.
As we read Peter’s sermon we are reminded that this is still true today – everyone who
calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
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O, God, we thank you that the resurrection of your Son offers life to all people. Fill us
with your Holy Spirit that we may boldly proclaim this good news in our words and our
deeds, witnessing to your love wherever you will send us. Amen.
John 12: 34-50
March 25
This particular passage has a lot going on. After many attempts of trying to write my own
commentary on the entire thing, I have come to realize that there is just too much to
talk about, so I am going to focus on verses 47-50.
Before I dig into those verses let briefly catch you up on what happens in 34-46. Jesus is
addressing the Jews publically for the last time before his death. John reveals that
although Jesus has healed people and performed other miracles, many people still do not
believe, and those that do believe are more concerned about getting kicked out the
synagogue than publically acknowledging their faith.
Although it is written over 2000 years ago, it still seems timely. Jesus talks a great deal
about walking in the light, for he is the light, but then goes on to talk about those who
choose not to walk in the light. Verses 47-50 are some that I think Christians should
keep handy so we can help curb judgment toward others in our society.
Jesus basically says that if someone hears the word of God but does not believe he will
not judge them. He states that there is a judge that will condemn those people on that
last day. I love these verses because they reinforce the fact that our job as humans is
not to judge. Let me say that again. As much as we would love to look down on others for
how they sin and what they choose to believe, it is spelled out pretty clearly here. If we
are supposed to live lives like Jesus and he is not the judge, then we are not the judges
either.
One of my friends from college works with various churches in the ELCA putting on
workshops and helping with various other facets within the church. One of the churches
she worked with for about 18 months had an amazing mission statement,
“Love Everyone, Transform Lives through Jesus, and Serve the World.
Wherever you are in your journey with God, you are welcome here.
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We are an open, affirming community for people of all ages, families of all kinds, and
people of every generation.
We appreciate a wide variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and beliefs.”
I had the opportunity to visit the church while I was in Minnesota in 2013. The mission
statement was in huge metal letters on a brick wall in the narthex. We were there on a
weekday so I didn’t take part in worship, but I still remember the church and I think it is
because their mission statement had such a great message,
“Wherever you are in your journey with God, you are welcome here”
Their mission statement really embodies the idea that everyone is in a different place in
their journey with Christ and that as a church their mission is not to judge, but to
support each of their members whatever their beliefs may be. I don’t want to speak for
him, but I can’t help but imagine this is the kind of nonjudgmental faith community that
Jesus would spearhead if he were alive today.
Philippians 2:1-11
March 26
“The Causes and Cures of Disunity”
2 1-4 If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any
difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you
have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be
deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the
top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your
own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. [Taken from The
Message paraphrase]
Disunity is the danger of every healthy congregation - and maybe even for humanity as a
whole. Paul’s directive to “agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited
friends” is something the world (and even factions within a congregation or the Church)
feels is naive and maybe even undesirable. When we are really in earnest and our beliefs
really matter to us, which is often when we are most apt to go after each other.
Versus 3 and 4 give us three great causes of disunity:
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* Selfish ambition: This is the danger of our not working to advance the work of Christ,
but instead working to advance ourselves or even the size, or power, or influence of our
congregation or competitive organizations.
* Personal prestige: To be admired and respected, to have a platform seat, to have one’s
opinions sought, to be known by name and appearance is a big temptation, to be the topdog holding the greatest power.
* Concentration on self: I think this one kind of sums it up. If we are forever concerned
first and foremost with our own interests, we are bound to collide with others. If for us
life is a competition whose prizes we must win, we will always think of other humans as
enemies or at least opponents who must be pushed out of the way.
Sounds a little like it’s describing today’s politics (both of the church and of Congress)!
In the face of disunity Paul sets down different considerations which ought to prevent
disharmony:
* We are in Christ: Jesus basically said in John, “If you love me, then you have to love one
another.” (I John 2:9-11) Our relationships with one another - especially within the
church - are an indication of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
* The power of Christian love! Christian love never seeks anything but the good of others.
It’s not just a mere positive reaction, but it is a victory of the will, achieved by the help
of Jesus and his Holy Spirit. It doesn’t mean loving only those who love us; or those whom
we like; or those who are lovable. It means an unconquerable good-will even for those who
hate us. It is the very essence of the Christian life.
* We share in the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit binds us to God and to one another. It is
the Spirit who enables us to live a life of love, which is the life of God.
* Human compassion! Simple human compassion should keep us from disunity. As the
human race, we were never meant to be snarling wolves but to live in fellowship together.
* A sense of fulfillment! As a parent, there is no happiness for me if there is disunity
amongst my children whom I love so deeply. If my kids really want to complete my joy as a
parent, then let them grow in and fulfill their fellowship as family. It is the same thing
with God.
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Paul isn’t threatening us. He is speaking with the appeal of love, which ought to always be
the accent or heartbeat of every congregation and Christian. There’s not much else to
say, is there!
PRAYER: Oh, God! Through the power and presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, bind us
together in love and unity so we as individuals, and as a congregation, may be all you have
created us to be; and do all that you have created for us to do! Let us be your love
serving one another and the world around us. Amen.
Philippians 2: 12-18
March 27
Vs. 14-16 from “The Message” says: Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering,
no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in
this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the
living God”.
Times of transition seem to bring up a time of questioning – why are we here, what is our
purpose, why should people want to come and join, why do we do the things we do? In
mid-January Kent Hunter from the Church Dr. was here to get our answers to some of
those questions. On the surface, the church is a place to come and have time with
friends, meet new people that we know will have similar values, eat, drink (mainly coffee)
and be merry. But more than that, it is a place to come and be refreshed in our soul. Be
reminded that our hope is not of this world. When we get depressed because of all the
things we read in the paper, see on the news, we come and get a different perspective at
church. There are good things happening. Verse 13 says “Be energetic in your life of
salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep
within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.” All is
not doom and gloom. We are not just relying on ourselves. We get recharged with God’s
energy and what a difference that can make! We can leave here; go out with a spring in
our step and a smile on our face to be that breath of fresh air to others.
Praise God for all his blessings. Amen.
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Mark 10:32-34, 46-52
March 28
Do we want to hear the Good News or the bad news first? The bad news is that Jesus
knows that when he gets to Jerusalem he will be betrayed, condemned, mocked,
persecuted, and killed. The Good News is that three days later he will rise. Resurrection!
Miraculous—unfathomable! Resurrection—yet it will be unlike any other the disciples have
witnessed. It will be preceded by overwhelming suffering and torturous death. Why do
the innocent suffer, Lord?
In baptism we share in Jesus death and resurrection. Death and resurrection. It’s so
easy to focus on one, and gloss over the other. The gift is both and all. On a good day, we
accept the gift gratefully. On a bad day, we become overwhelmed by the suffering. Then
along comes Bartimaeus…
Traveling along the road to Jerusalem, a bittersweet pilgrimage, Jesus stops in Jericho.
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” calls blind Bartimaeus. The others told him to
be quiet. Yet in the midst of the trouble to come, Jesus’ heart is open to Bartimaeus.
Lord, teach us to keep our eyes and hearts open—in times of trial and times of joy.
Teach us to come to you with our hearts’ desires, with life’s disappointments and
struggles as Bartimaeus did. Remind us today to open our hearts and be healed, and to be
a balm to our fellow travelers. Amen
Psalms 36: 5-11
March 30
When was the last time you said, “How could that person do such a thing?” Was it while
you were watching the news or counseling a friend? Perhaps it was directed at your
spouse or a friend. David poetically explores the reasons why people make bad decisions
by saying, “Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart.” One way of translating
this verse could be, “Disobedience whispers quietly to the heart of the guilty.” All of us
can remember a time when we heard the whispering of disobedience. We cannot escape
the Law of God which exposes our guilt. All of us must confront the agonizing reality that
we are the guilty ones who are causing pain to others. The hard reality of verses 1 – 4 is
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the Law of God which is revealing to us our guilt. We flatter ourselves and believe that
our iniquity cannot be found out and we have walked down the path that is not good.
These verses reminded me of Paul’s statement in Romans 7, “For while we were living in
the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear
fruit for death.” What are we going to do? At the heart of this psalm, David looked to
God who had promised to provide protection. “Your steadfast love extends to the heavens
and your faithfulness to the clouds.” We western Christians may have a hard time with
the idea of steadfast love. Perhaps a better way of translating that Hebrew word is with
loyalty. God’s loyalty and faithfulness to you is as long as the heavens are high, which is a
poetic way of saying it is unending. David goes on to say, “Your righteousness is like the
mountains of God…” God’s loyalty and honesty towards you is like a mountain that will
never be moved. When God says, “You are my child!” remember that it is impossible for
God to lie. When God says, “You are forgiven!” remember it is impossible for God to lie.
These attributes of God never change. God’s loyalty and honesty towards you does not
depend upon you or the circumstances of your life because they are a part of God’s divine
nature.
John 12: 20-36
March 31
In this passage Jesus admits He comes for all – not just the Jews. Jews were expecting
the wonder child/person, the Messiah, and they got Jesus, a common man, not what they
wanted or expected. Jesus was too common for what they had been told was to come.
Jesus then states to Jews (and Greeks) and all people, they must die to themselves and
their selfish ways – live for others and help others. Each must live as a believer helping
and doing whatever is needed for others.
It is hard to praise and glorify the Son of Man because this Man is someone no one else
can be. Many times we feel we glorify Him best when we are the loudest. But perhaps we
glorify God most when we accept Him in the quietness of our hearts or quietly doing for
others, and not looking for Him to give us great gifts, but simply understanding what He
gives us much more important than our wants or a big show. All He truly asks is we reflect
Him in our daily lives.
This is much like the huge life passages. When huge life changes come our way, many
people, and advertisers, tell us of the pure fantasy about to come our way. They show the
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fanfare of becoming engaged, buying a ring (a huge one of course), getting married
happily ever after, starting a new job, or having a new baby. People get excited and know
they will love the new adventure, but a short while later they realize most of life is work,
NOT just sunshine, rainbows and roses. Life can see a marriage become routine, getting
used to one another is not always easy. In the new job, we do not always get what is
promised. New babies bring dirty diapers, crying, and other times they literally cannot
tell what is wrong. It is hard to reflect good at these times.
One huge example for me is/was nights up with sick kids – asking are they breathing?
What can I do next? The stress and worry led me at times to question when life would go
right again. At times like this when my kids were little, and recently, I would request of
Jesus sleep for myself and my child’s hurt to leave because, of course, I had to work the
next day. After the pity party, I would start to think more unselfishly (usually when the
night would calm down). I would start by talking to God about health for my child and
health for those children not well as well as mine. I would begin to ramble about all the
pieces of life I needed help understanding, just a talk between the two of us as I would
watch my child sleep.
The whole world has come to tell us how wonderful it will be and in the end we get
everyday life. So is this so bad? Isn’t this why God put His Son on earth– to experience
and be an everyday person? Isn’t this where as humans the rubber hits the road? Isn’t
this indeed where we NEED Him the most? Isn’t this when and where glory and praise
should be given?
There comes a time when each of us has to decide to give up or go ahead. To some
quitting is an option – Jesus didn’t take that option. This appears as a fork in the road,
each person has to decide. We can go forth with Christ or live for ourselves, worrying
about no one but the almighty self. Being married, having kids, starting as new job all have
this in common. Do we work for the greatness of one, or do we decide to look for the
good outside ourselves and live for all?
Jesus admits to agony in life after all He did take human form. We too have to live
through hurt but go on. Maybe God doesn’t speak to us through thunder as he did to
Christ and the people around him, but he does speak to us. An answer to prayer, a
situation resolved, a child well again, a marriage on solid ground, not thunder, but an
answer given when we look beyond “poor me.”
Father, we are constantly tempted to live or go in the wrong direction. We are tempted
to live for ourselves, the crowds, accomplishments or individual victories. Please show us
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when real life comes we need to take the same path Jesus did - the path which took him
to the cross. By taking this path may we live to truly glorify You through Your Son and
live the everlasting life of Your promise. Amen.
John 12: 21-32
April 1
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him
to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he
loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already
prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the
Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was
returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a
towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his
disciples’ feet; drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.6 He came to
Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied,
“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
I might have chosen a verse without reading it; which means I ended up with a verse
about feet. I understand what I am about to tell you is somewhat laughable, and possibly
confusing, but I hate feet, possibly fear them. My family laughed as I stood there in
horror informing them, “My verses are about feet.” How can I even write a sentence
about feet, let alone an entire devotion? The answer itself lies within the feet.
I was focusing on the wrong thing when looking at this verse. This actually happens often,
we focus on the wrong things. We take the parts that we want or the parts we agree with
and we disregard all the rest. As I focused on feet, I ignored the fact that this is one of
the last acts of Jesus’ life. I ignored the fact that he was about to leave the world he
knew, the people he lead, and go through hell… like actually go through Hell. But when I
finally looked at his own words, I understood. He got down on his hands and knees, such a
humbling act, and showed these men how much he loved them. Do you get this? Jesus
knew his time was up, he knew he was about to be arrested, beaten, bruised, whipped and
crucified. He knew he was about to face a horrible, violent death and instead of looking at
himself, he loved outwardly.
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If you knew you were going to die within 24 hours, wouldn’t you take care of some
important things? Jesus took the time to wash his disciple’s feet. “Jesus knew that his
hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father.” (13:1). I know, personally,
if this was my last day on earth, I would not be washing feet. Yet, he did. Instead of
getting preoccupied with the “important things” or wallowing in self-pity, his last act was
to set an example for us to serve others by washing the feet of his disciples.
I know Jesus is amazing, but it leaves me asking, who’s going to waste time on feet when
the end is so near? Jesus. Why? Because despite everything he knew he was about to
face, despite what he was going to go through and what he was about to endure, Jesus
wanted to show them how important it is to serve one other. Jesus showed us what it is
to be humble, humility even in our time of need. By his actions, he showed that nothing
demonstrates love more than service to others.
Sadly, you still won’t find me washing feet, I just can’t do it. However, I will try harder to
make my actions demonstrate my love more clearly, especially in serving others.
Dear Lord, please allow us to let Jesus in so he can cleanse our feet and remove all that
prevents us from using our feet to follow him. Scrub away our insecurities, wash away
our weariness, buff off our bitterness. In your name we pray.
John 13: 1-17, 31b-35
Maundy Thursday
April 2
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in
him. 32 If God is glorified in him,[a] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify
him at once.
33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I
told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you
cannot come.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have
loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this
everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one
another.”
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The setting for this verse is the Last Supper with his disciples. It is here that Jesus
begins to leave them his final instructions. He has also repeatedly mentioned his
impending betrayal and death and how his disciples lack an understanding of what is to
come.
There are three manifestations of glory stated in the first sentence. First, Jesus is
glorified in the cross, and in the cross, the inner character of Jesus becomes visible.
John says, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Second, God was
glorified in Jesus. The cross also reveals the Father. There you see the mercy, love, and
grace of the Father. Third, God will glorify Him again, and will do it immediately. Here
Jesus is thinking of His resurrection. Our Lord is declaring a great principle here. How do
you achieve glory?
To glorify God is the exhibition of excellence both physically and spiritually. In the
context of God, it is the display of His divine attributes and perfections. Verse 34 sums
it up. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love
one another.
Sometimes we struggle with this concept of loving one another. We fight for what we
consider to be the best. Pride is an easy condition for us to cultivate. You can be proud of
your career and what you have achieved, proud of your home and community, proud of
your family.
It is good to have pride, but are you 'proud' to be humble? Are you willing to volunteer to
collect for a charity? To rinse the dirty dishes in the sink and put them into the
dishwasher at work? To befriend someone who is lost and alone? To put others above you,
and to do what is right?
True greatness lies not in how important you are, but in how you react and act towards
those around you. True greatness, for a child of God, lies in showing loving service to
others, especially those less fortunate (or less tidy) than yourself.
Thank you, dear Lord Jesus, for your example of service for me. Please help me to always
be ready to follow this example in love. Amen.
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John 18: 1--19:42
Good Friday
April 3
THE PLAN AND OBEDIENCE
John 18:11-19 42
No matter what sport is being played, the coach asks for obedience. Follow the rules, try
your best and even though one might not agree with the rules or a specific play, the coach
is the one who must be obeyed.
In life as parents we want our children to be happy, healthy, caring, responsible and
obedient. That is what we hope for and try to instill in our children. Obedience is not
always easy but is important as safety or health may be considered. Sometimes this is a
lesson repeated several times as some are slower at learning from their experiences or
perhaps just can’t believe how situations are played out and the same results are
experienced.
God had a plan. It was a huge plan. He had a Son who he dearly loved and yet when His
plan needed to be fulfilled He turned to His Son to fulfill the plan. Jesus understood His
Father’s plan and was obedient. It may be difficult for us to look at the enormity of the
plan and what it meant for Jesus. Imagine the emotional strength and belief in His Father
to carry out such a plan. Jesus knew what was going to take place in the garden and yet
He went. Jesus knew His follower Judas was going to betray Him. Yet He went. Jesus
knew soldiers would arrest Him. Yet He went to the garden and met the soldiers with no
resistance. This was the plan his Father had for Him. Jesus understood also that He
would be tried and crucified upon the cross yet He went forth with the plan God had for
Him.
In His plan God did not spare His own son, but gave Him for all of us so that our sins may
be forgiven. We must strive every day to be obedient to our Heavenly Father. We need
to praise God and thank Him for all the blessing He bestows upon us.
Jeremiah 29:11 states “For I know that plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,” plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plan to give you hope and a future.” Be confident that
God does have a plan for you.
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Dear Heavenly Father, as you set forth your plan for us, keep our hearts and love for you
in the forefront. Help us to remember how obedient your Son Jesus Christ was when you
called upon Him to follow your plan. Let us continue to be obedient to you in our actions
and words. Amen.
Matthew 27: 57-66
April 4
When this text begins Jesus has been crucified and died. Those present
included guards, observers, and followers including Mary Magdalene. All
must have asked themselves “what should we do now”?
This text reads that a man named Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate
and requested the body. Joseph appears to have been a man of financial
means, Jewish council member, and follower of Jesus. After confirming
Jesus’s death Pilate grants his request. Joseph than removes Jesus from the cross and
readies the body, wrapped in fine linen, for burial in a tomb which he had previously
prepared for himself.
What would I have done had I been present at the
crucifixion? Would I have had the courage and conviction of
Joseph to step forward and demand the body of Jesus? The
question remains equally relevant today; will I step forward
today when I witness injustice?
Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the resurrection of your son Jesus Christ, and the new
life he provides through the forgiveness of sin, let me use that new life to recognize and
act against injustice as was demonstrated by Saint Joseph of Arimathea.
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