CEDARBROOK COMMUNITY CHURCH 23700 Stringtown Road Clarksburg, MD 20871 www.cedarbrook.org Cedarbrook Community Church Lenten Readings, 2016
An Introduction to Lent Lent is the Christian season of preparation for Easter. The purpose of the forty days of Lent is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ his life, his ministry, his suffering and sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection. Page 1 Pages 2-3 Pages 4-5 Pages 6-8 Pages 9-10 Pages 11-13 Pages 14-15 Pages 16 Contents An Introduction to Lent Week 1 of Lent: Seeking Week 2 of Lent: Repentance Week 3 of Lent: Worship Week 4 of Lent: Sacrifice Week 5 of Lent: Presence Week 6 of Lent: Remembrance Week 7 of Lent: Post-Resurrection This devotional guide was put together to help you and your family prepare for Easter. Each week you will be invited to intentionally make space in your life to reflect on a short passage of Scripture that will pull your heart in tangible ways towards the living Christ. Each week you will also be invited to make space to engage in a one specific, time-tested spiritual practice that will help you to slow down and be more present and attentive to Jesus and his journey to the cross. My prayer is that this devotional will enrich your journey towards the cross this Lenten season. Ken Jackson Spiritual Formations Pastor 1
Seeking O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 In John 4, Jesus calls anyone who seeks him to hunger and thirst for real food and for real drink (himself), refusing all other substitutes. And for his part, God promises that all who ask receive, those who hunger will be filled, and all who seek will find (Luke 11:10) because scripture insists the true God we are seeking wants to be found (Rev. 3:20). Spiritual Practice: Ignatian Reading This approach to relational reading and prayer is attributed to Ignatius of Loyola, a monk in the early 1500 s. Ignatius encouraged us to enter actively and fully into the story we are reading so that we can learn more about and participate more fully in the mind, the heart, and work of Christ. The idea is to use your faith and imagination to place yourself into the text, like a fly on the wall. In modern terms, it is as if you are creating in your mind a short film about what you are reading, with you being present in the story. This approach works best with narratives. Ignatius invites you to actively use your imagination and all five senses as you interact with the text. As you read Scripture this week, reflect on questions such as: As you journey through the readings this week, you will have a chance to engage a spiritual practice called Ignatian Reading to give depth to your experience. Feb 15: Mark 5:24-34 Feb 16: Luke 10:38-42 Feb 17: Mark 10:46-52 Feb 18: Luke 19:1-10 Feb 19: Job 19:25-26 Feb 20: Isaiah 53 What do I see and hear? What do I smell, taste or touch? Who are you in the story? Are you a spectator or participant? Who are the characters and what is going on with them? What are their moods? If I were in this scene, what role would I play? If I were Jesus in this story, what would I be thinking, feeling, saying? As you immerse yourself in the Scriptures in this manner, listen carefully for what God may say to you through the text. Conclude with a prayer that expresses to God what has arisen for you in this time. 2 3
Repentance I love you. I was wrong. Please forgive me. Some three-word sentences are so full of meaning and power they can actually be life-changing. Yes, they can literally alter the very course of our lives. Most of us have stories to prove it. Repentance and forgiveness are the primal elements of relationship. The God of scripture is first of all a God of relationship, who created us in his image for relationship with him and each other. This is why all Christ-followers must be well-practiced in the work of repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. Spiritual Practice: A Prayer of Repentance Most holy and merciful Father: we confess to you and to one another, that we have sinned by our own fault in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven. Have mercy on us, Lord. We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit. Have mercy on us, Lord. We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives, we confess to you, Lord. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. James 5:16 Feb 22: Psalm 32:1-5 Feb 23: Daniel 9:3-10 Feb 24: Psalm 51:10-12 Feb 25: 1 John 1:9-10 Feb 26: John 10 Feb 27: John 11 Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people, we confess to you, Lord. Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done: for our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty, accept our repentance, Lord. For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, and for our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us, accept our repentance, Lord. For our misuse of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us, accept our repentance, Lord. Restore us, good Lord, and let your anger depart from us; Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great. Accomplish in us the work of your salvation, that we may show forth your glory in the world. Amen. 4 5
Worship Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy! Psalm 99:9 Eugene Peterson describes a true worshipper as "content to be simply yourself" standing before a great and holy God. In the presence of his Savior, John the Baptist had this response: He must become greater, I must become less. (John 3:30) This is just one of the great mysteries and marvels of worship: in one sacred moment, both God and self come into rightful alignment. The things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of God s glory and grace. This week, take time to engage the practice of Lectio Divina a worshipful way to behold the sacred in the everyday. Feb 29: Psalm 29:1-4 Mar 1: Psalm 95:1-6 Mar 2: Psalm 100:1-5 Mar 3: Psalm 148 Mar 4: John 12 Mar 5: John 13 Lectio Divina Lectio Divina, Latin for sacred reading is another ancient practice of reading and praying the Scriptures. We can trace this approach back to Christ-followers in the 4 th and 5 th centuries. Lectio involves a slow, reflective reading of God s Word, a balance of words and silence that opens us up to God s initiative and speaking rather than our own managing of the outcome. Lectio consists of four movements: 1. Reading God s Word, 2. Reflecting on it, 3. Responding to it, and finally 4. Resting in God s presence all with the aim of nourishing and deepening one s relationship with God moving from acquaintanceship, to friendship, to intimacy. In the beginning it may be helpful to be conscious of all four movements or stages. But in time, with practice, one flows through the different stages effortlessly. To begin, choose a passage no more than 6-8 verses long. Plan on reading the passage slowly at least four times (one time for each movement). As you prepare to read God s Word, allow your heart to grow quiet, aware and present. See next page for reflection questions 6 7
Lectio Devina (continued) 1. Read: prepare to hear from God. Pay close attention to the words you hear. What words or phrases stand out to you? Notice any thoughts, emotions, memories or experiences that come to your mind and imagination. After you read, sit in silence and allow the words to resonate within you. 2. Reflect: meditate on what stood out to you. After reading the passage again, take a few moments in silence to thoughtfully chew on the word or phrase God is speaking to you. Pay close attention to the thoughts, questions and feelings this word provokes in you. Stay present with God whatever comes. 3. Respond: offer your thoughts and emotions to God. With this third reading, let the words enter your heart in such a way that they prompt some kind of response. God is always inviting us in some new way to let go of something or to take up something, to do something or to be something. What action steps or experiments might be called for? Listen for his invitation and then respond with prayer from an honest heart. 4. Rest: wait before God in his presence. With this final reading, allow yourself to sit with the words as if you are sitting with your best friend. Take these quiet moments to simply rest and wait in stillness before God. This is a posture of yieldedness before the great lover of your soul. Sacrifice Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 Is this why our favorite stories are the ones of great personal sacrifice for sake of love? When Jesus washed his disciples feet hours before going to the cross, he was giving an example, a pattern, a posture to follow: a life of self-giving love and service. We are never more like Jesus than when we let his love flow through us in acts of service to others. This week, we are introduced to the spiritual practice of secret service, drawn from Jesus words in Matthew 6. Mar 7: Matthew 6:1-4 Mar 8: Mark 10:35-45 Mar 9: John 13:1-17 Mar 10: Hebrews 13:15-16 Mar 11: John 14 Mar 12: John 15 8 9
Secret Service The practice of secrecy is simply this: do something good and try to make sure no one finds out about it. This week we read Matthew 6:1-4. With those words of Jesus resounding in our ears, here are a few questions that can help us sacrifice for the good of others in secret. In what specific way can you serve someone close to you (a family member, friend, neighbor) in a way that they will not know you did it? In what way can you serve someone in your workplace in a way they will not know you did it? Is there someone you know who is in need whom you could secretly serve through an anonymous financial gift? For whom can you pray for this week, in secrecy? Presence Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. Psalm 5:1-3 What happens in your body when in the presence of someone who is fully present to you? What happens in your soul? Do they find some deep sense of rest and wellbeing? an increasingly rare and radical departure from a culture defined by its distractions. Can there be a more powerful witness to God s grace today than by giving gracious attention to another? This week, we are invited to engage a practice called Examen a simple but powerful way to be attentive to God s Spirit at work in you and the events of the day. Mar 14: Psalm 46:7-11 Mar 15: Genesis 28:10-22 Mar 16: 1 Kings 19:1-13 Mar 17: Luke 7:36-50 Mar 18: John 16 Mar 19: John 17 10 11
The Examen Psalm 139:23-24 The Examen is a prayerful reflection on our responses to the events of our days. This practice involves taking a few minutes at the end of each day to go back over the day s events and invite God to show us where he was present with us, and how we responded to his presence. The Examen can awaken us to the subtle and surprising ways that God speaks to us in the ordinary moments of our day. The Examen helps us: Acknowledge sad or painful feelings and hear how God is speaking to us through them. Overcome a pessimistic outlook by encouraging us to notice the good in each day. Tell us the truth about who we truly are and what we need, rather than who we think we should be. Become aware of seemingly insignificant moments that ultimately can give direction to our lives. The Prayer of Examen takes about fifteen minutes and involves three different movements. You may want to light a candle to remind you of the presence of God with you. See next page for the Prayer of Examen Spiritual Practice: The Prayer of Examen 1. Prepare by quietly focusing your attention on God. Be still and know that God loves you. You want to see through God s eyes, not just your own. Approach God with gratitude, thanking him for his presence in each part of your day, even the dark and confusing parts. 2. Review the day in a posture of gratitude. This is like watching a movie of your day, scene by scene. You do not have to remember everything. Pay close attention to your thoughts and feelings as you review the day. Ask God to bring to your awareness the moment today for which you are most grateful: o If you could relive one moment, which one would it be? o When were you most able to give and receive love today? o Ask yourself what was said and done in that moment that made it so good. Ask God to bring to your awareness the moment today for which you are least grateful: o When were you least able to give and receive love? o Ask yourself what was said or done in that moment that made it so difficult. o Relive the feelings without trying to change it or fix it in any way. 3. Give thanks for whatever you experienced. Thank God for his presence and faithfulness this day. Look forward to the day to come and ask for grace and guidance for whatever the new day will bring. 12 13
Remembrance Do this in remembrance of me. Jesus in Luke 22 It has been said we need to be reminded of what is true more often than informed. Perhaps the greatest work of the Church is to help each other remember well. Over the ages, Christ-followers have experienced marked growth by expressing their worship, laments, prayers and remembrance through words. This week, use the following page to journal before God. Journaling In the space below, use words to write a letter to God, reflecting on your Lenten journey. This space is provided for you to process thoughts, express worship, or record your commitment to God in the season ahead. Mar 21: Deuteronomy 8:1-20 Mar 22: Isaiah 46:5-11 Mar 23: Mark 8:14-21 Mar 24: Luke 22:14-23 Mar 25: John 18 Mar 26: John 19 14 15
Post-Resurrection Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Luke 24:5-6 For all who seek after Jesus, looking back has its value, but the real life is found in what s ahead. There is work to be done, a Kingdom to build, good news to announce; there are mouths to feed, chains to break, and hearts to heal. Through Christ s life, death and resurrection, God has acted to restore his creation and give it new life. Forever. This is post-resurrection life the life Jesus now calls us to live with abandon. Welcome to a new day! 16 Mar 28: John 20 Mar 29: Matthew 28 Mar 30: Mark 16 Mar 31: Luke 24 Apr 1: John 21 Apr 2: Acts 1