Friday, April 8, 2022 "For Whom Are You Looking?---Matthew 28:5-6
Dr. Dorothy L. Smith
“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’ ” Matthew 28:5-6
Have you ever spent time looking for something until you find it; then stop just to wonder why am I looking for this or that? So many times in life with our busy schedules, we major in minors. But today let's spend a little time on the majors. The women went back to the tomb, the tomb is the last place they saw Jesus, therefore, this is where they thought they would find Him. But instead of finding Jesus, they found two angels. The angels told them there was no need to be afraid. This was to comfort them. Then the angel gave them the good news. Jesus is not here, because he is risen just as he said he would.
Are you looking or expecting something and don't really know where to begin looking? Well, why not major in the majors. Use this formula to process how to proceed. First talk with God through prayer, then listen for God's answer. Until now you were not ready to hunt but now you are ready to go forward. The best time to go forward with anything is always after you hear from God. Now, let us look and anticipate finding our destiny. You are majoring in majors. On your mark, get set, go!!!
Let us pray:
Lord God we come to you asking for your help and direction. We realize we don't know the way but you do, therefore, please lead us in the right direction to find our destiny. We want to be in your perfect plan for our life. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen.
____________________________________
Thursday, April 7, 2022 "Seeing the Way of Lent"---Mark 10:51 NIV
Rev. Tiger Pennington
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” Mark 10:51 NIV
During the season of Lent, we fix our gaze upon Jesus’ journey to the Cross. Learning to see in the season of Lent sharpens the image of Jesus as the way of revealing the loving heart of Father, Son and Holy Spirit through self-giving, radically forgiving, co-suffering love. When I think of Jesus, the journey of Lent and longing to see, I think of Bartimaeus.
We encounter Bartimaeus by name in the gospel according to Mark, 10:46-52. On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus has been desperately trying to confer sight upon his disciples through a thrice repeated declaration of his impending death and resurrection. Three times Jesus says he will be handed over to be killed and three times the disciples resist the message of co-suffering love and insist upon internal power struggles. Maybe it is the disciples, and us, instead of Bartimaeus who need to cry out, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
All too often, we are like the disciples. We want to deny suffering, assert control, make sure we are on the “winning” side and operate by the love of power rather than the power of love. We can’t “see” the way of the Cross and of Jesus’ suffering as the way God reveals love, demonstrates forgiveness and overcomes the principalities and powers. To borrow from the title of N.T. Wright’s excellent book, we can’t envision the Cross as “The Day the Revolution Began.”
So ironically, Bartimaeus the blind man sitting by the roadside, beside the way, becomes the one who can really see. Yes, Jesus grants his request of sight but Bartimaeus then follows Jesus along the way and Jesus is on the way to the Cross. It seems Bartimaeus sees the way and follows along the way while the disciples protest and argue about the way.
During Lent, we are confronted over and over again with the redemptive reality of Jesus’ suffering upon the hard wood of the Cross. We are invited to see Jesus along the way. And in seeing Jesus we see God running to all of us prodigal children in order to envelop us in a divine loving embrace.
The disciples seem to be blinded by pride of position, place and power. Jesus came not to control or coerce through power but rather to invite and redeem through co-suffering love. As Charles Wesley penned, “And can it be that thou my God shoudst die for me.” Oh may we cry out all the more with Baritmaeus, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
Lord, deliver us from the love of power and grant us sight to see the power of love. Amen
____________________________________
Wednesday, April 6, 2022 "What Stops You in Your Tracks?"---Psalm 116:2
Janice Trigg
I was totally stopped in my tracks the other day by a post I read on Facebook; actually, stopped in my thoughts would be more accurate because I was not technically moving, I was simply sitting and scrolling. But the point is I stopped and could not go any further after I read this:
“Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!” Psalm 116:2
It was posted in a beautiful flowing font but that is not what struck me. It simply put an image in my mind that I could not shake. God, the God of the Universe, bending down to listen to me! The all-powerful Jehovah taking the time to listen to the very weak little me.
It struck me because it is the truth, but it was also exactly the truth I needed to hear. I had been dealing with a lack of motivation in my prayer life. It took me by such surprise I was not sure that I had ever read that verse before. So, I opened my Bible app to check it out.
I found out this is from the New Living Translation which is not what I normally read so I looked it up in several other translations just to be sure they had not taken too many liberties in the translation – as if I did not believe that God really listens to me. I found in the other translations the phrases, “He inclined his ear to me,” and “He turned his ear to me.” So, yes, God really does listen to me.
Wouldn’t you think that as a Christian I would know that God listens to me? Well, yes, technically I did know that but, on that day, I needed to be stopped in my thoughts and have a new image planted in my mind to remind me that God really does make an effort to listen to me. He bends down, he takes time, he gets close. In other words, he stops in his tracks to listen to me. So why wouldn’t I pray to him as long as I have breath?
Thank you, God, for bending down to listen to me. I will keep praying as long as I have breath.
____________________________________
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 "Seek"==Matthew 6:33
Community Contributor
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
Our dishtowel drawer was about empty and at the back of the drawer, my searching hand grabbed the “paper-towel replacement” which we had invented in 2020. At the time, we couldn’t find paper-towels at the store. Instead, we trimmed our worn dishtowels and used those. In times of scarcity, we get creative; we make things work. And then the shelves are filled again, and we go on.
Let us come to the Lenten journey with the creativity to renew our relationships with our God, ourselves, our family, our community. What will you do to nourish this creativity? Here are some ideas to get you thinking. Reach out in prayer: every time you put on your seatbelt or every time you refill your water bottle, lift up a prayer. Reach inward with a new skill: try journaling, take a class, start an exercise program. Reach out to family: send a card or a joke via text, meet for coffee. Reach out to community: look into nonprofits and educational groups, be a mentor at church or for a younger student. What creative ways will you seek out to bring abundance to your Lenten journey?
Lord of fullness, help us seek out creative ways to renew our connections; grant us courage to take the first step. In your name, we pray. Amen
____________________________________
Monday, April 4, 2022 "Things"--Psalm 73: 21-26
Fredrikson Center Team
“When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.
Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73: 21-26
The earlier verses of Psalm 73 speak to the gluttony we witness so brash and boldly about us; and often the experience of greed, consumption and waste falls heavy and sharp upon sometimes weary followers of Christ and his way of service.
In those weighted and stung moments, we lash out, childish and pouty, we lament: “Why can’t I have all the nice things; go on all the fancy trips; rich foods; trendy clothes; luxury cars and remodeled homes? It’s not fair!” Insert stomping of feet. We are brutish, we are ignorant. All these “things” make heavy the work of serving each other and cloud our sight of what is right. Moreover, if we feed these desires, we do then become like a beast toward our true God.
There comes the time though, when the outward polish of those with so much is stripped away; we see the limit of the comfort of these things. In grace, we return to the true comfort of service and the work of the Lord. It is what fills us and sustains us. It is what holds our hand and never let’s go.
Lord of All Things, help us feel the comfort of your hand in ours, as we work in service with you and our brothers and sisters. Especially as we seek to set aside this Lenten journey to grow closer to you, let us see beyond the material comforts to the peace that comes from expending our hearts and spirits in service. We praise and adore you; we thank you for the wonder of your unconditional ever-present love. Amen.
____________________________________
Saturday, April 2, 2022 "Slip Sliding Away"--2 Corinthians 5:21
Dr. Rich Menninger
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
The Contemporary English Version translates today’s verse with the words, “Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so Christ could make us acceptable to God.” It is so easy to pass over this verse with only a hint of sorrow or guilt. Because of what we learn from the news media or what we watch for entertainment, we encounter evil and violence at almost every turn. This leads to us becoming desensitized and, in the end, failing to take to heart that our God is holy and offended, grieved, and repulsed by our transgressions. While we can easily gloss over sin, God—because He is God—cannot and He must somehow remove the sin which severs our relationship with Him. Such a separation can only be mended by the One who takes our place and receives the full force of God’s judgment.
Our words for today, “to be sin for us,” present a great mystery that is hard to describe in words; yet it is easy to visualize. The three hours of darkness on the afternoon of Good Friday (Mark 15:33) reveal that the sinless Son of God was accursed so that those who sin might escape the judgment due them. As Paul teaches, we are under the curse of the law because we can’t keep all the laws of God (Galatians 3:10); but thanks be to God that “Christ redeems us from the curse of law by becoming a curse for us” (3:13). These thoughts reflect what the prophet Isaiah said over 2500 years ago: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (53:6).
It’s easy to ignore or reject the biblical teaching that we are indebted to God on such a large scale. Now we must always remember that our unworthiness for all that God has done for us doesn’t diminish our worth in His sight; rather such an awareness highlights just how much we are valued by Him. Yet we tend to shy away from our need of a Savior by protesting that we are good enough on our own and don’t need to be reminded just how far away we are from Him. Such a stance produces a negative result. If we think our good deeds or good intentions are sufficient to gain acceptance from God, then we have intentionally walked away from Him, all the while fooling ourselves into believing we are drawing closer to Him. Maybe the songwriters Simon and Garfunkel had it right: we “believe we're gliding down the highway when in fact we're slip sliding away.” If good works achieves salvation or if there is a way to God other than Christ, then His death was unneeded and our verse for today is at best unnecessary and at worst untruthful (Galatians 2:21).
Prayer: Dear Father, give us a spirit of learning that accepts Your word as truth, no matter how painful to confront. In the Name of the Spirit of Truth. Amen.
____________________________________
Friday, April 1, 2022 "Too Much or Not Enough?"--Mark 14:9
Rev. Tiger Pennington
“Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” Mark 14:9
As a young boy and teenager, I dreamed of playing major league baseball and I had a major baseball card collection. I cherished the dream of playing baseball and cherished those Topps baseball cards. As a young girl and beyond, my wife Cynthia dreamed of owning a horse. About 20 years ago, with my childhood dream long past, I decided to sell my baseball card collection and give the money to my wife to make her childhood dream of owning a horse come true. And so she bought a horse and named him “Topps.”
I still vividly feel and remember the intense emotion after selling my baseball cards. Immediately afterward, sitting in my car, money in hand, tears were streaming down my face. They were tears of love and joy that cost me something and the cost made it all so much sweeter.
I was reminded of this personal scene as I read the scene in Mark 14:3-9 where a woman anoints Jesus with expensive perfume while at the home of Simon the leper. Notice first that Jesus is at the home of an untouchable outcast. Next, we notice the woman coming toward him with an alabaster jar of very costly perfume, ointment made of pure nard. To the objection of many, she pours the lavish gift from her jar upon the head of Jesus. Jesus celebrates her gift and ends the debate about the proper use of such a gift by saying, “Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”
Imagine what it felt like to give this gift. Imagine what kind of encounter(s) with Jesus she must have had to be so lovingly willing to expend such a gift to pour over his head, a head soon to be pierced with a crown of thorns. And imagine what this gift felt like for Jesus. Rejection, betrayal, denial, mocking and crucifixion were all on the horizon, in his head so to speak. So, this anointing upon his head for burial must have felt particularly and profoundly precious.
The giving of the gift was so sweet because it was indeed costly. This woman is remembered because she gave much. And Jesus is Savior because he gave all.
It all makes me want to sing, “When I Survey the Wonderful Cross.” Sing the last verse with me, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small. Love so amazing, so divine. Demands my soul, my life, my all.”
Let us pray: Eternal and loving God, may the immeasurable love demonstrated through the Cross inspire our devotion and overflow into caring for all. Amen
____________________________________
Thursday, March 31, 2022 "Crafted with Purpose"==Psalm 139:1-4
Sydney Shrimpton
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.” Psalm 139:1-4
Do you believe God loves you? The answer to this is more often than not, a knee-jerk response, an enthusiastic “Yes!” Those of us who are raised in the church are told again and again, “Yes, Jesus loves me.” New Christians are indoctrinated with this deep, yet somehow simple truth: Yes, of course God loves me. But how many of us actually believe it? What about this: Do you believe God likes you?
This tends to be more difficult to answer. Though we are taught we are given our salvation by grace alone, too often it seems that we believe our actions and missteps leave God feeling more than a little fed up with us. We spend our time cowering from Him, tallying up our victories and losses, keeping an account of what we’ve done well and what we’ve failed to do, all in hope, it somehow balances out in the end. God knows you. The Creator of the Universe rejoices in you. Does that thought even register? It’s easy to shake our heads, thinking, “Oh, no. Well, yes, of course He loves me. He died for me. But He spends more time being exasperated by me, shaking His head at my shortcomings more than He actually wants to hang around me.”
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
Of course we fail; we fall short of His expectations and desires. There is no such thing as perfection. Except that there is. And His name is Jesus. And He passed on His perfection when He died for you on the cross. He clothed you in white. There are no shortcomings—not in the Father’s eyes. You are washed white as snow. That tally you’re keeping? Irrelevant. All those times you’ve messed up? Don’t matter. All the ways you’re failing God? Repent and turn.
God has searched you and He knows you. He loves you. He even likes you. Stop hiding from Him. Stop calculating all the ways you could never be as good as someone else. You are His workmanship, crafted with purpose, created for a reason. You are a work of art—His work of art. The same one who created the stars and mountains and ice cream created YOU. When you live with the joy that comes from this sense of freedom, you find that you are much less inclined to be judgmental to yourself or to others. You learn how to love fully, abundantly, in every way that you can, because you too feel that love, regardless of circumstance. You learn to extend the grace that has been extended to you. There is no need to fear, to doubt, to cower, to hide. The Lord is familiar in all of your ways. And He loves you. Run to Him.
Prayer: Lord, there is nothing more important, nothing more beautiful than the grace you continually pour upon us. Help us to extend that same grace to ourselves and to others. Help us to discover what it feels like to be fully known and loved by you. Keep us in your arms and lead us to love as you do. Transform us with these truths so that we may live to glorify You. Thank you Lord, for knowing, loving, and even liking us. Amen.
Often prayers are in italics simply to indicate the devotion is coming to an end. Don’t know if we want to underline the prayers or not. May get cluttered if we do.
____________________________________
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 "Moving from Fear to Faith"--Jeremiah 29:11
Mary Alice Grosser
“…for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
Our heavenly father, we are still struggling in a world filled with division and anger. We strive to trust in you even as our faith in our fellow man is challenged. Our love and faith in you must out shadow all the other doubts if we are to find happiness and fulfillment in this earthly life. We seek forgiveness for the times we find ourselves focusing on our frustrations with our current situation vs. looking to you for your guidance and direction when we most need it.
We thank you for your patience with us while we struggle seeking our footing in our faith lives, which should be a priority despite any fears we are experiencing currently. We have been reminded that fear is nothing more than lack of faith and our frustrations stem from our own selfish expectations for what we want to happen in our lives.
May we use this time of contemplation during the Lenten season to recommit to our faith in your love for us and your ability to keep us happy and fulfilled if we only but surrender to your grace and care. Only through your Love for us and our faith in you can we find peace.
“… I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2
____________________________________
Tuesday March 29, 2022 "Practice" Philippians 4:5, 8-9
Fredrikson Center Team
“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near….Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:5, 8-9
Lent reminds us we are human and in need of God; be gentle with your brothers and sisters and with yourself too. As Thomas Merton said, “He (God) created man with a soul that was made not to bring itself to perfection in its own order, but to be perfected by him in an order infinitely beyond the reach of human powers.” So let us do the work of Lent: prayer, study, good works. Let us “put it into practice,” and then be gentle knowing God is working through us and perfecting us.
Gentle God, bring us near to you; help us practice the ways your Son showed us; we trust in you. In your name we pray, amen.
Monday, March 28, 2022 "Turn Your Ear" Proverbs 2: 1-4, 9-11
Fredrikson Center Team
“My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
…
Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.” Proverbs 2: 1-4, 9-11
Do we turn our ear to wisdom? Do we hear? Do we work to understand, as if searching for hidden treasure? This is active, an effort to make a clear path for communication and to further focus.
Our spirits, ragged and raw, block or confuse the words we hear; our own defensiveness mutes wisdom. Surely there are times when our dear friends, our trusted partners and teachers share wisdom with us. Sometimes though, we get caught up in what it means about us. What did we do or not do? What is being said about us? Is it possible to step away and refocus? What can we learn if we allow ourselves the space and care to hear and we work to understand?
God of Wisdom, open our ears, soften our hearts and grant that we might offer such tender care to our sisters and brothers. In your name, we pray. Amen.
____________________________________
Saturday, March 26, 2022 “Life and Death and Mushrooms”
Deuteronomy 30 and Mark 10-- Rev. Matt Sturtevant
Lately I have been reading a Field Guide to the Rocky Mountains, fascinated by the descriptions of the trees, flowers, and animals of the region. What has surprised me most, though, has been the author’s description of various kinds of fungi. The guide divides fungi into two broad categories: safe to eat and dangerous to eat. Some would taste great on a salad, while others can cause problems, from mild digestion issues to a rather rapid death! If you find one in the wild, it all comes down to making the right choice!
It reminds me of Deuteronomy 30, where Joshua tells God’s people “I have set before you life and death, (so) choose life.” It may feel like our daily choices don’t carry the same stakes as Joshua (or mushroom-pickers in the Rockies), but I would suggest that our lives are filled with daily choices between life or death. Will we choose death, in the form of small-minded vengeance, destruction of relationship, or reliance on privilege and worldly power? Or will we choose life, in the form of peace, health, grace, and generosity? Over a thousand years after Joshua, a man with the same name (“Jeshua,” translated Jesus), offered a man a similar choice: “Sell what you own and give the money to the poor…(and) when he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.” (Mark 10) He chose poorly.
We may not always face such dualistic choices, yet Joshua and Jesus remind us that we are faced daily with decisions about how we will live. Who we will care for. Who we will follow. Whether or not we will choose the way of God in Christ…the way of life. This Lenten season, may we hear the invitation to live differently than the rest of the world. May we choose life.
Prayer: Lord, you have set before us life and death. Grant us the wisdom to choose life, and grace when we choose poorly. Amen.
____________________________________
Friday, March 25, 2022, “Salt and Light Versus Rice”
Matthew 5:13-16-- Rev. Justin D. Gnanamuthu, C.S.C.
“You are like salt for all mankind... You are like light for the whole world…” Matthew 5:13-16
Rice is the staple food in many countries across the world including my own- India. If I were to cook 5 cups of rice, would I add 5 cups of salt to it? Certainly not! So, in every form of preparation of rice, the rice always outnumbers the salt, yet a tad of salt makes an enormous difference in the overall outcome.
In the room in which you currently are, look up at the ceiling... What is the size of the electric bulb compared to the size of the room you are in? It is probably a ratio of 1:10000. Yet, darkness flees the entire space once the small bulb is flipped on.
If I am the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, then “little me” has the ability to make big things happen. Sometimes, because we feel outnumbered or overwhelmed at the sheer magnitude of evil or wrongdoers, we then choose powerlessness and helplessness and decide to go with the flow, not standing up for what we deeply believe is right.
Little doesn’t mean insignificant. You and I are significant. Our presence should make a BIG difference in this world. Let us stop waiting to be on the side of the majority. They may be the majority, but they are the trivial majority, and you and I are the impactful minority. They are the rice of the world, and you and I are the salt of the world. They are the spacious room and you and I are the light that dispels darkness from the room. Let us make our influence felt all round!
Let us remember that you and I are the world’s seasoning, to make it beautiful. So if we can just do the right seasoning to make even one life beautiful our life is surely worth living.
Be the salt and light in someone’s life today. Salt does not give flavor to itself; light does not illuminate itself. They are never self-serving but truly altruistic!
Prayer: Lord, you are our Light. Guide us as we follow your way. Amen.
____________________________________
Thursday, March 24, 2022 "Cheap Grace or Costly Grace? – Part 3"
Romans 12:2 --David J. Grummon
“Do not be confirmed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of you minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
For a 20th Century German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a risky, edgy guy. He published this book, The Cost of Discipleship, which called out the difference between “cheap grace” and “costly grace.” By definition, grace is free and our salvation can’t be earned, but, Bonhoeffer wrote, it came at a cost—the life of God’s Son. And because it was costly, it requires something of us. Therefore, we can either embrace costly grace, being completely transformed in radical and costly ways, or we can settle for cheap grace.
Cheap grace says, “Cool, I’m saved!” and goes about living, consuming, doing business and participating in society without much regard for anything else Christ said or did. But costly grace, which Bonhoeffer associates with true discipleship, requires us to give up all kinds of things that make no sense to the rest of the world. Bonhoeffer even went so far as to say that true discipleship requires us to be willing to let go of every other priority and allegiance—to profession, class, reputation, party, nationality, race, family, church, even to scripture—and relate to all of them first through Christ. This was more than just an academic exercise for Bonhoeffer, who was writing in 1930s Germany. The Nazis had just coopted the German Christian Church in exchange for promises of renewed influence and prestige. Bonhoeffer refused to be coopted, joined the resistance, and was arrested and eventually murdered by the Nazis. Costly grace!
Today, one could argue, cheap grace infects more than just our theology. Most of us expect all manner of paradise without giving much of ourselves in return: We want to avoid the effects of global warning without changing how we travel, consume, or do business. We want an end to sexual assault without confronting our own norms and behaviors. We want to end abortion without properly paying for better childcare, healthcare, housing, nutrition, or education. We want racial reconciliation without addressing structural racism or our own privilege. We want an end to mass shootings without giving up our guns or funding public mental health. We want an end to the pandemic without masking or having to get vaccinated ourselves. We want to get to heaven without true, transforming discipleship. Cheap grace!
What would embracing costly grace look like today? Do we have to courage for that kind of discipleship?
Prayer: Jesus, in a world full of cheap grace, give me courage beyond what I can muster through my own will and desires. I believe you have the power to transform me into anything if I let you. Help me to authentically become who you want me to be. As scary as it sounds, give me the courage to embrace costly grace and transforming discipleship.
____________________________________
Wednesday, March 23, 2022 "Patience is a Virtue"
Proverbs 14:29--Kurt Hamilton
“Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.” Proverbs 14:29
Patience is something that is hard to practice. As one of my good friends likes to say to her preschool students, we need to practice our patience muscles. And this is so TRUE! How often are we presented in situations where our patience is tested? I have always said that I am the least patient when I am driving.
For whatever reason, when I enter a vehicle, I have this thinking that wherever I am going is now more important than everything else going on near me. I might need to practice my patience muscles a little bit more on the road.
What are some examples in the bible that remind you of patience? Maybe Simeon and Anna come to mind as they were waiting for Jesus to be born? Or maybe John the Baptist comes to mind waiting for the Messiah and carving a way for him? I am sure that we could go on and on about different examples, but one to highlight is the different stories in Ruth.
Now talk about some patience that needed to be practiced. A story of someone who was willing to wait, and that patience was rewarded with Boaz. When I think of practicing patience, I sometimes don’t remember the situations where I have been rewarded with good things. How about safely getting home after driving home from work? Maybe it can be as simple as God gave me life to live and breathe in this day and that he is with me no matter what?
I think sometimes we don’t realize how patient God is with us! Have you ever thought of some of the mistakes that we have made over and over and realized that God forgives us each and every time? That he looks at us as his children to give us new directions and ideas to keep us away from sin. Today my challenge is this. Let us practice using our patience muscles together. Pray this prayer with me as we ask God to continue to be patient with us.
Prayer: God teach me to be more like you. When others are struggling give me the strength and reason to make sure that I am helping them just as you help me. Let me practice patience in my everyday life, in everything I do. When I stumble with patience, let me look back to your words and wisdom for guidance. As I continue to live in a world that is rapidly moving, remind me to be patient and move at your pace. Open my eyes to your vision, and your world in my everyday life. Let patience be something that is practiced instead of earned. And let patience be something that I find instead of have. God thank you for being patient with me. We pray all these great things in your Son’s Holy name, Amen.
____________________________________
Tuesday, March 22, 2022 "Open"
Psalm 34:8--Trish Dowd Kelne
“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8
My mom used to make hamburger helper, cooked noodles, browned ground beef and then the spices that came in the box. She was a divorced mom, working full time and tending to four kids (ages 3 to 13 at the time of the divorce). A simple meal was a necessity and a blessing.
As an adult, it is a meal that I rejected, and without reason. I just didn’t think I liked it.
The other day, I came across a recipe for hamburger casserole, which is hamburger helper without the box: elbow noodles, tomato paste, onions and ground beef, cheese. My daughter really wanted to try it. After some pushing, we made it and in fact, we loved it.
We set ideas and concepts, tastes and preferences in stone; we get stuck and forget that trying, giving it a chance, might open us up to learning a new way. If we taste and see, we may discover we have changed; or there might be another way of experiencing something.
This Lent: take to heart opportunities to try something new and moreover to try. Rather than watching something on a screen—take a walk to a park you’ve never visited; listen to a style of music that is new to you; try a new cuisine; ask the librarian or your pastor to recommend a new author. Before your expectations get the best of you—give it a try and see.
God of all possibilities, may we trust in your ways, open to learning and willing to begin anew. We thank you. Amen.
____________________________________
Monday, March 21, 2022--Psalm 51:17 "Broken Hearted"
Fredrikson Center Team
“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.” Psalm 51:17
We look to the Lenten season for “what to give up” and what sacrifices to offer toward renewal and transformation. Let us look to our hearts, broken in the sorrow of our torn world, and bring our brokenness to the cross. In this work of Lent, may our broken hearts be also our strength, our witness to Christ’s gift, our demonstration of Christ within us and in the world.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-12
Perhaps this year, in the hard pressing, perplexity and violence of our current times, we take heart in this, God’s work to transform us, and pray that we allow his work to be done; that we embrace with broken, trusting and willing hearts the work he calls us to and the love of our brothers and sisters on this path. What can you give? What can you do? What will you give; what will you do to transform your heart to reveal Christ within this world? Make use of your brokenness, test the strength God entrusts in you by serving his people, his Son here on earth.
Prayer:
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
We lift our hearts to you Lord, amen.
____________________________________
Saturday, March 19, 2022 "Are You Kidding Me?!"
2 Corinthians 5:21--Dr. Rich Menninger
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
It is easy to study the Old Testament and miss the mercy and love of God. We often envision a demanding and vengeful God, who is just waiting to inflict punishment on those who sin. But if we hold this position, we fail to see God’s grace. And this grace is never more present than in the sacrificial system found in the law of Moses (Leviticus 4:32-35). When sin occurred, the guilty one provided an animal for the atonement of sins, a means to temporarily cover the sin and restore the relationship between God and the penitent. Often this animal was a lamb, for it represented innocence and purity, essentials for achieving atonement. This lamb must be without blemish and spotless, otherwise it would not be acceptable to God.
The significance of the lamb is clear: it became a substitute for the offender by bearing the penalty and punishment due the one offering the lamb as a sacrifice. By offering the lamb for one’s sin, the price of the sin was paid, thus freeing the one sinning from receiving what was deserved. It should come as no surprise that the picture of a sacrificial lamb in the Old Testament carried over into the New Testament. This idea of a “perfect lamb” was applied to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Early in Jesus’ ministry John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching and exclaimed, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). As Peter puts it, we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19, ESV). That is to say, Jesus was sinless (2:22), which makes the words for our study today even more revealing. The grace of God comes to us by the death of Christ, a voluntary death, yet one that Christ saw as necessary (Mark 8:31). If the idea of an innocent lamb being killed gets to us, then the death of the Perfect Lamb should bring us to our knees.
The fact that the One who had no sin was to be punished for sin is “the great paradox of redemptive love” (R.V.G. Tasker). There is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22) and only a pure and acceptable lamb would suffice. As we saw in my preceding devotion, God appointed Jesus to be our lamb, to take the wrath our sin deserves and to show us grace by accepting us into the family of God (Romans 8:14-16). And this relationship will go on eternally as will our praise: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain” (Revelation 5:12).
____________________________________
Prayer: Dear Lamb of God, thank you! Amen
Friday, March 18, 2022 "Like Riding a Bike"
Romans 8:38-39--Nicole Hamilton
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:38-39
Once, someone told me that our relationship with God is like riding a bike. You’re either on it and moving closer to him, or you’ve stopped peddling and become stagnant in your faith. This has stuck with me because I’ve found it to be true. When I’m invested in spending time in the word, praying, or worshiping daily, I feel connected to God and my cup is full, ready to pour into others. Ironically, these are the times when my life is not as fast-paced and hectic. I have time to slow down and be still with God.
On the other hand, when my life gets busy, I find excuses to skip those quiet moments, and the longer I remain out of my routine, the more disconnected I feel from God. Lucky for us, God is constant, even if we’re not. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that no matter how far or close we feel to God, His love is never separated from us. No matter how long it’s been since you’ve invested time in your faith, God’s open arms gladly welcome your presence and connection.
Currently, I ask you to consider, am I in a season where I’m on the bike propelling my faith forward, or am I stuck and drifting off course? Just like our physical body needs daily nourishment, our spirit needs daily substance to live the life God intended. Today, I urge you to find one intentional thing to do to nudge yourself closer to God because it only takes one small push to get the wheels turning again.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We are grateful for your consistency. I rejoice in the fact that no matter how far I might stray, you are excitedly welcoming me back with open arms. Help me remember that I can never be separated from your love, and use that feeling to love others the same way. I pray that I remain on the bike, always moving towards you.
In your name, we pray,
Amen
____________________________________
Friday, March 18, 2022 "Like Riding a Bike"
Romans 8:38-39--Nicole Hamilton
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:38-39
Once, someone told me that our relationship with God is like riding a bike. You’re either on it and moving closer to him, or you’ve stopped peddling and become stagnant in your faith. This has stuck with me because I’ve found it to be true. When I’m invested in spending time in the word, praying, or worshiping daily, I feel connected to God and my cup is full, ready to pour into others. Ironically, these are the times when my life is not as fast-paced and hectic. I have time to slow down and be still with God.
On the other hand, when my life gets busy, I find excuses to skip those quiet moments, and the longer I remain out of my routine, the more disconnected I feel from God. Lucky for us, God is constant, even if we’re not. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that no matter how far or close we feel to God, His love is never separated from us. No matter how long it’s been since you’ve invested time in your faith, God’s open arms gladly welcome your presence and connection.
Currently, I ask you to consider, am I in a season where I’m on the bike propelling my faith forward, or am I stuck and drifting off course? Just like our physical body needs daily nourishment, our spirit needs daily substance to live the life God intended. Today, I urge you to find one intentional thing to do to nudge yourself closer to God because it only takes one small push to get the wheels turning again.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We are grateful for your consistency. I rejoice in the fact that no matter how far I might stray, you are excitedly welcoming me back with open arms. Help me remember that I can never be separated from your love, and use that feeling to love others the same way. I pray that I remain on the bike, always moving towards you.
In your name, we pray,
Amen
____________________________________
Thursday, March 17, 2022 "No Matter What " Part 2
Matthew 19:25-26--David J. Grummon
“When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:25-26
Historically, God has often spoken through prophets standing at the margins of our faith tradition, calling us to repentance, reform, accountability, and a more authentic relationship with God. Francis of Assisi in 12th Century Italy was just such a prophet. He was rather critical of how Christian faith was being expressed then, amidst the drastic economic shifts leading to the Renaissance. He didn’t leave the Catholic Church, but he rocked the status quo of his day. Born into wealth and privilege, Francis publicly rejected the lifestyle of his family, and gave up his status and economic power to live a life and create a community that demonstrated a radical call to greater discipleship, giving up things that seemed foolish to the world around them.
The Franciscan Order that grew up around him accepted poverty to embrace and accompany the poor. Francis and company embraced creation and the environment in ways that still seem edgy today. But the Franciscans didn’t limit themselves to monks and nuns living apart from everyone else. Event today, Franciscans include laypeople who want to live this life of radical discipleship while still living in the world and working in their vocations. Visibly rejecting the world’s ways and following Christ’s teachings and life of radical nonviolence, Franciscans abstain from carrying any kind of arms so that the use of deadly force is always off the table, even in the face of dangerous world. Might this risk injury or even death at the hands of others? Yes, it might, but Francis and company chose to follow Christ, no matter what.
“Who then can be saved?” You can’t blame the disciples for wondering if they had the courage for such radical discipleship. But what if, like those 12 disciples, and like Francis centuries later, we didn’t try to do it by ourselves? What if we tried discipleship within a community of others who are all asking, “How can we follow Christ, no matter what?” With God, all things are possible!
Prayer:
Jesus, in so many ways, despite my best intentions, I am flawed, messed up, and cowardly. I don’t believe I have the ability, the character, or the courage to be your disciple. But I believe you have the power to transform me into anything if I let you. Make me into who you want me to be, the person you meant me to be. Make me your disciple.
____________________________________
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 "Tears Turn to Thankfulness"
John 11:33-37--Sydney Shrimpton
“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ ” John 11:33-37
Lazarus was a man whom Jesus loved. While Lazarus became ill, his sisters, Mary and Martha, called to Jesus, telling Him that “the one whom you love is sick.” Jesus waited a few days before going to Lazarus – He said that this sickness would not end in death but would glorify the Father. Upon His arrival, Jesus stepped into a scene of weeping and wailing. Martha told Him that if He had come earlier this wouldn’t have happened. Mary didn’t even come to greet Him, she was so distraught over her brother’s death. There were professional mourners carrying on as though the death of Lazarus was an eternal demise. In the midst of all of this, there was Jesus, about to perform a miracle.
Yet no one believed he was there to raise Lazarus. They all thought He had come too late, that He hadn’t timed His journey correctly, that He had made a mistake. He saw the pain they were going through and the process of deeply mourning and the grief they were enduring. He saw their lack of belief and felt what they must feel – the hopelessness that stems from believing your loved one is lost forever.
He saw it and felt what they felt, and He wept. He didn’t weep because He missed Lazarus. He didn’t weep because He thought this was the end of Lazarus’s life – He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He wept because of the sheer humanness of the moment. He wept because He felt such compassion for these people; He wept for the fallenness of mankind.
In many ways, the death and resurrection of Lazarus is foreshadowing of Jesus’s own death and resurrection. Oh, how we would weep, if the story truly did end with Jesus on the cross. Oh, how we would mourn if the story was over with Jesus surrendering His spirit and dying. Oh, how hopeless we would feel if the end of Jesus’s life marked the end of His story. But there was no mistake. There was no end to the story on the cross that day in Calvary, just as Lazarus’s time in the tomb was not the end of his story. There was no need for weeping, for mourning. This was all to glorify the Father.
There exists eternal life for us. As we walk this path of life, there are tears. But we can be certain that, as we weep, we have a victorious Savior walking alongside us, arm around us, comforting us. We do not walk this road alone and, regardless of the circumstances, our Lord remains victorious. Look upon the circumstances in your life as opportunities to glorify the Father, and watch as your tears turn to thankfulness.
Heavenly Father, thank you for reigning supreme. Thank you for your immense comforting, your kindness, your compassion upon us. Be with us as we mourn in this life. Help us to know we’re not alone in suffering, that you stand beside us through it all. Remind us daily that, though the circumstances of this life may be difficult to endure, you are victorious, now and forever. Amen.