Lent Daily Devotions 2019 Above All. Through All. In All.

Transcription

1 Lent Daily Devotions 2019 Above All. Through All. In All. Title: Above All. Through All. In All. Theme Verse: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6 Week Four Contents: One Faith. In All. With All. Above All. 4.1 Wednesday Musings on Faith: An Invitation (poem) 4.2 Thursday Faithful Soil 4.3 Friday Trusting the Song 4.4 Saturday Riding the Monsters Deep 4.5 Sunday Trusting Means Jump 4.6 Monday Showing Up 4.7 Tuesday A Lamp unto My Feet

2 4.1 Wednesday, March 27, 2019 Sing to the Creator, and bless the name above all names; Sing praises to the Glorious One from day to day Declare the splendor of the Radiant One to all nations, The marvelous works of Love for all people! For great is the Beloved, and greatly to be praised; Reverence Love above all else. Psalm 96: 2-5 (paraphrase in Psalms for Praying by Nan C. Merrill) Musings on Faith: An Invitation We believe. Creeds proclaimed for centuries by thousands Uniting voices into a common understanding. Words the church recites in kind. Memorized, studied, dissected into doctrinal dictates. I wonder Trusting within the core of life, Reflecting upon these ancient words entwined with Light; Shining through my own prism; Creating a personal paradigm within universal teachings. I believe In the goodness of all of creation; Formed in the heart of the Divine; Expressing itself outward Through a burst of life and love. I trust. Divine goodness and love made incarnate within creation; Present and lived with compassion, justice, healing, hope; Revealed in the particular for the sake of the universal; Reclaiming love and life for all of creation. I rely On this Divine Goodness, a Spirit fully present, Loving, forgiving, sustaining, Reminding the world of what it has mostly forgotten That it is deeply loved. I wonder with you Musing upon the ancient creeds entwined with Light; Shining through your own prism; Creating a personal paradigm within universal teachings. What is your proclamation of faith from the core of your being? Reflection: What is your proclamation of faith from the core of your being?

3 4.2 Thursday, March 28, 2019 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, God s mercies never come to an end; They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3: Faithful Soil The field sits idle as it has throughout the long winter. Dad plows it after the fall harvest and bits of corn stalks peek through the turned soil as they feed the earthen crust with renewing nutrients. The winter snow is quickly melting as the spring sun rises to a higher angle warming the earth in preparation for a new season of planting and growing. Dad spends the winter musing about the spring planting, what seeds to buy, how many acres to assign to which crop, how to water, fertilize and till. Now, he watches, closely reading the rhythms of season for the right time to plant the seed. Not always a patient man, now is the time this virtue is most needed. Yet, dad is a faithful man, respecting the earth with care and attention, trusting its gift in return of a bountiful harvest. The soil is faithful in return. Mutual in its respect, mutual in its presence over the long haul, mutual in the offering of its gifts. As dad waits, he whistles filling the air with a breath-filled song affirming what he trusts. The song accompanying his musing is one he has grown to love hearing the words within its melody, Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Reflection: How do you experience God s faithfulness?

4 4.3 Friday, March 29, 2019 You who live in the shelter of the Most High, Who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, Will say to the Lord My refuge and my fortress My God in whom I trust. Psalm 91:1-2 Trusting Songs of Care Each day, Andy and Susie climb the steps to Maria s home, excitedly push open the door, take off their shoes, hang up their coats and run into the open arms of Maria kneeling on the floor to greet them. Maria wraps them in a warm embrace, smothers them with kisses and laughingly greets them with Spanish words of affection and care. Maria, an immigrant from Mexico, provides child care in her home with a generous, kind and loving heart integrated with the traditions of her homeland. Andy and Susie are learning to love rice and beans as comfort food, to speak Spanish as a second language and trust the goodness of another culture. Like all children, Andy and Susie experience the typical bumps and bruises from falling down, bumping their heads or scraping their knees. When they seek the attentive care of Maria, instead of asking for a kiss and a band-aid, they go to her begging to hear a special song. Maria, care-fully places the child onto her lap, gently rubs the hurt and sings in a soothing voice: Sana, sana, colita de rana Si no sana hoy, sanara manana. Meaning: Heal, heal, tail of a frog If you aren t healed today, you ll be healed tomorrow. This silly, simple rhyming song quickly brings calm. The children wipe their tear stained cheeks and are soon on their way to yet another adventure. Andy and Susie learn to trust the presence of grace embodied in the loving hands and voice of another as their faith in love grows. Reflection: Children learn to trust love through the actions of another. As a child, who taught you to trust love and grow in faith?

5 4.4 Saturday, March 30, 2019 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, And rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34: Riding the Monsters Deep Rhonda sits in her office waiting for the call from the front desk reporting the new client on her appointment calendar has arrived. Working as a counselor for more than twenty-five years, she still is a bit anxious each time a new person is scheduled to meet with her. Rhonda always reminds herself to take time, listen with her heart, make no assumptions, show respect and wonder to always wonder with curiosity and openness. Over time this work has changed her, it has opened her heart to judge less and care more. As one colleague writes at the end of each , Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always. Rhonda recognizes this holy experience of being with people vulnerable enough with her to share with her their own battle, whatever that may be. Rhonda longs to be kind. When asked how she is able to do this work day after day, Rhonda muses. I dare ride the monsters deep because I believe there is life on the other side. Rhonda trusts this truth as revealed to her through the stories of Jesus. After the passion and death of Good Friday, the quiet transforming cocoon of Holy Saturday, the gift of Easter resurrection always comes. Always. Joining the ride of monsters breaks her heart. Seeing new life affirms her faith. Reflection: What monsters have your ridden deep to find new life on the other side?

6 4.5 Sunday, March 31, 2019 A they came near the village to which they were going, Jesus walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is snow nearly over. So, he went in to stay with them. Luke 24: Showing Up It was her trademark. Bette had done it for years. Everyone who knew her, especially her family valued this action even more than the Pepperkaker, the Norwegian spice cookie she made for every special occasion. Bette showed up. No matter the occasion - choir at church, a junior high baseball game, a granddaughter s piano recital, cheer leading tryouts, a championship basketball tournament, or even a long lecture by her grandson on a topic she knew nothing about, Bette would be there. Sitting in a middle row in a non-conspicuous spot, purse resting on her lap, boots on her feet during the cold Minnesota winter and a scarf around her neck, Bette would be present. Bette, a quiet woman preferring to remain out of the limelight, had managed her family s finances with a spirit of determination after her husband misspent much of the budget on a fast life and alcohol. With little money, Bette believed the one gift she could give was being there. She gave it generously. Her faithful presence revealed her own faith-filled heart and the nearness of God s love she had trusted for a lifetime. Rarely speaking directly about what she believed, she lived what she knew, a faithful presence of the Holy. Reflection: The hymn Abide with Me is based on the scripture from Luke 24. How has God s faithful presence been revealed in your own life?

7 4.6 Monday, April 1, 2019 For God alone my soul waits in silence, For my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation My fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; My might rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times. O people; Pour out your hear before him God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62: 5-8 Trusting Means Jump Ellen stands on a three-foot square platform near the top of a tall pine tree looking down a zip line running parallel to the side of the mountain. Waiting with eager anticipation 100 yards down the hill her classmates, hold out their arms and shout, You ve got this girl. Jump. Ellen stands frozen on the ledge, feeling dizzy. She wants to escape and stand on solid ground without having to jump from this spot. Her mind reminds her that she is perfectly safe strapped into a double body harness hooked onto the zip line and wearing a hard helmet. Yet, she breaks into a cold sweat her heart pounding with fear. Her guide, Joel stands at her side explaining the process with a smile and more confidence than Ellen knows herself. Breathe. He says calmly. Just breathe. Remember the harness keeps you safe. Hold onto the bar. Open your eyes and enjoy the view. And jump. Just jump. Breathing out the air she was holding, Ellen looks into Joel s eyes. Some place of care within them gives her permission to trust, to believe, to have faith in the process. She knows she trusts him, the harness, the helmet and her friends who have already completed ride. Now, she knows trusting means she has to jump. She has to let go. OK. She yells. Let s do this. And with a jump and a loud scream, Ellen joins her friends laughing with her at the bottom of the ride. Reflection: Trusting expects that we let go of control and jump. However, we must also be wise about the risks. When have you let go and found an amazing journey ahead of you?

8 4.7 Tuesday, April 2, 2019 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalm 119:107 A Lamp unto My Feet Sharon looks around as she douses the camp fire with the last bucket of water. The dark night is even darker with heavy cloud cover. She stayed longer at the fire to ponder the day and create time for herself after everyone else on her team headed back to the cabins. I am fine to walk by myself, she assures others as she remains. Yet, now in the quiet and dark of night Sharon is unsure. She picks up the lantern and stands looking for the trail through the trees. Sharon chose this site during the day because its remote location created an atmosphere of mystery and quiet for the closing ceremony. Now, alone she stands, confused of how to walk back to join the others. Where is the path? She cannot see through the veil of the night. Sharon s breath quickens searching for the right direction to return holding the lantern higher creating a larger circle of light. The beam catches the opening through the trees as she begins a slow walk along a rocky path lined with prickly underbrush twisting through the woods. The lantern only lights the path a few feet before her. With each step she carefully places her foot on solid ground, stops, lifts the lantern to explore where to step next and then proceeds. Step by step the path is revealed. Step by step Sharon trusts the light to show the way. Reflection: As we walk through difficult times, we often cannot see to the end through the confusion. Describe a time in your life when you walked step by step into the future when you did not know what would happen.