Wednesday, March 14 2 Kings 5:1-15a We need to drink more water! is a constant refrain in our home every winter. As dry skin and chapped lips make their annual appearance, we find ourselves recognizing that using water to heal from the inside out would be the best solution. We are privileged to live in a place where we can simply turn on the tap and have safe drinking water, so one would assume we would avail ourselves of this fairly easy solution. Right? Wrong! We settle for more lip balm and lotion because that s easier than changing a habit. We get in our own way. Naaman almost got in his own way, too. When Elisha s messenger commanded him to wash in the Jordan seven times- a fairly simple task- Naaman balked. Were it not for his servants accurate assessment of the situation, Naaman might have completely missed out on an opportunity to be healed. Not only that, but he would have lost the chance to have an encounter with God. Anger almost kept Namaan from that life-changing experience. What self-inflicted obstacles keep us from having a more meaningful relationship with God? God of all the earth, keep me from getting in my own way. Amen.
Thursday, March 15 Galatians 3:26-28 Clothing is one of the ways humans like to express their identities. We communicate something about ourselves by what we choose to wear, and rightly or not, people regularly make judgments about who we are and what we are like based on our clothing choices. This idea of clothing as an identity marker also has a place in the church. Infants being baptized sometimes wear white gowns. Those affirming their baptisms might wear robes. Even our caskets and urns are often dressed with a pall. All of these traditions are rooted in the scriptural understanding that through baptism we are clothed in Christ. Their intent is to remind us of our identity. Paul tells us that through our baptism we are all children of God, made one in Jesus. That is to be the defining feature of our identity. We look different. We appreciate and prioritize different things. We have different experiences and viewpoints. We have been entrusted with different gifts and abilities. We may not always agree. But through our baptism into Christ, we are in this together. God s family includes us all. Divine Parent, help me to remember my baptismal identity as your beloved child and lead me to remind others that they, too, are part of your family. Amen.
Friday, March 16 John 9:1-12 There is much to appreciate about growing up in a small town where most of the people with whom you started kindergarten are also the same ones with whom you get your high school diploma. But there are some challenges, too. In a setting like this, the perception of a person s identity is set early. For example, if you are unlucky enough to be labeled as uncool in elementary school, chances are most of your classmates are still going to consider that your defining characteristic when you graduate. As humans we are often far too eager to assume we have others all figured out. Our reading today reminds us of that reality. The disciples assumed they had the blind man s story all figured out. Surely he or his parents sinned, they reason. Jesus quickly corrects them. Similarly, the community struggles to believe the formerly blind man s story of healing. His testimony challenges their assumptions about his identity. In that challenge, however, another opportunity for healing is born. Not only has the blind man been given sight, those around him have been given the chance to see that their assumptions about him had blinded them. This man was a beloved child of God with a calling to be a witness to the good news of Jesus Christ. It was not just the man born blind who received sight that day. Great Physician, heal me of everything that blinds me to seeing others as you would want me to see them. Amen.
Saturday, March 17 Psalm 51:1-2 In many faith communities, Psalm 51 functions as a call to worship on Ash Wednesday. Our cry to God to have mercy on us and cleanse us from our sin is particularly appropriate for the solemn nature of Ash Wednesday, but it is also appropriate each and every day. When writing about the significance of baptism in the Small Catechism, Martin Luther tells us that through our baptism the old person in us with all sins and evil desires is to be drowned and die through daily sorrow for sin and through repentance. In our baptism, God washes us from our iniquity and cleanses us from our sin. This didn t just happen on the day of our baptism. It is an ongoing, daily process. Likewise, God renews us daily. Luther continues by explaining that daily a new person is to come forth and rise up to live before God. Our baptism is a daily reminder of God s love for us. As we turn to God, we are cleansed from our sin and brokenness. God renews and restores us. Our life is a baptismal life. Have mercy on me, O God. Cleanse me from my sin. Thank you for the gift of new life I have in you. Amen.
Sunday, March 18, 2018 Hebrews 5:7-9 Most of us hate to feel vulnerable. We don t like the feeling of being exposed. We may fear getting hurt. Yet researcher and author Dr. Brené Brown reminds us Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path. 1 Jesus embraced the path of vulnerability. Our text from Hebrews reminds us that Jesus path to the cross was marked by emotion and tears. Truly human, Jesus undoubtedly felt the sting of betrayal and the crushing weight of what was to be his fate. Nevertheless, he embraced it. In Christ, God became vulnerable to offer us all healing and salvation. We find our hope and our salvation in Jesus. We also find a reminder that God can and does work through our vulnerability. Gracious God, give me the courage to be vulnerable for the sake of your work in and through me. Amen. 1 From Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
Monday, March 19 Isaiah 58:6-9 Do you know what the first question asked of God is in the Bible? It s found in Genesis 4:9. Having just killed his brother Abel, Cain asks God, Am I my brother s keeper? One of my college professors pointed out that one way to understand the Bible is as an answer to Cain s question. Am I my brother s keeper? A strong case can be made that the biblical answer is a resounding yes! As God speaks through Isaiah in today s reading, we see that at the heart of what God wants for God s people is love for one another. More important than signs of piety and religious ritual is making sure that people are fed, housed, and clothed. Justice is to reign. It is in these acts of communal care that God s people will find healing. Are we our neighbors keeper? Yes, yes we are, and in those efforts we will find that God is already present and at work. God of justice and healing, help us to care for our neighbors, especially those in need. Amen.
Tuesday, March 20 Mark 5:34 It seems practically impossible to go an entire day without seeing an advertisement for some product or program designed to improve health or wellness. Whether it s a new diet or the latest wellness gadget, we are constantly surrounded with options that ostensibly exist to improve our wellbeing. Except sometimes they don t. Sometimes these solutions fail. Sometimes we fail. Thankfully, Jesus doesn t fail. Merely touching Jesus clothing was all it took to forever change the life of one woman. Suffering from hemorrhages for twelve long years, this woman had endured not only physical trials, but the sting of being considered unclean by her community. Yet when she encountered Jesus, all of that changed for her. Jesus noticed her, listened to her story, cured her, and helped her find belonging again. Her faith in him had made her well. Faith- a relationship with Jesus- is where we can find true wellness and healing. That doesn t necessarily mean that we will always be cured of our diseases, or that we will achieve our fitness goals, or even that we will always feel happy, but it does mean that we can receive the abundant life Jesus promises us, even in the midst of hardships. Through Jesus, our faith can make us well. Dear Jesus, you never fail. Help me to trust your promise of healing and abundant life. Amen.