St. Aidan`s Episcopal Church 2015 Lenten Devotional booklet

St. Aidan's Episcopal Church
2015 Lenten Devotional booklet
Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here; He has risen!
Luke 24:6
1
What Does Lent Mean to You?
What comes to your mind when you think of Lent?
Is it a time to "give something up"?
Or maybe "take something on" - such as a new spiritual exercise?
Having grown up in a Christian denomination where Lent was not observed,
I found that observing Lent has made my Easter so much more meaningful.
Certainly more than having a new outfit to wear, as I had formerly thought of Easter.
To me Lent is a very personal time of reflection and introspection
as we examine our lives and our relationship with God,
coming face-to-face with our own sinfulness and mortality.
Lent is most fully experienced within the context of a worshiping community
- we just don't enter into the season in isolation.
Go to the last two pages of this Lenten Booklet to see the wonderful offerings
of services and learning experiences offered at St. Aidan's during this Lent.
Lent is not meant to be the Church's season of depression.
It's not a time to walk around with sad faces, doing our best to look miserable.
Sometimes we equate holiness with misery;
the more miserable we are, the more holy we must be.
But that's not fair to the concept of holiness.
To be holy means to be set apart in a special way.
A holy Lent is a joyful Lent because it draws us closer to the heart of God.
It sets us apart, keeping us focused on the spiritual priorities of our lives
and our single most important relationship - our relationship with God.
It's not a time to be overly grim,
but an opportunity to be drawn into ever-deepening relationship
with the risen Christ.
So in this light, I wish you a holy Lent,
and hope that this Devotional Booklet,
made possible by the generous gifts of your fellow Christians' time and talents,
serves as a companion on your spiritual journey.
I pray that this Lenten Devotional Booklet help draw you ever closer
to the God of compassion and mercy
as we each move through the wilderness into Resurrection Glory!
Harmony Kiser
2
Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Isaiah 58;1-12 Psalm 103 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
It’s time to be still. Find a quiet place. Place your feet flat on the floor. Sit up straight.
Breathe deeply for 20 seconds. Then open your eyes and read these verses of Psalm 103, slowly, pausing a bit between each
verse. Feel the confessions, the blessings, the healings.
1
2
3
4
Bless the LORD, O my soul, *and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, * and forget not all his benefits.
He forgives all your sins * and heals all your infirmities;
He redeems your life from the grave *
and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;
5 He satisfies you with good things, * and your youth is renewed like an eagle's.
8 The LORD is full of compassion and mercy, * slow to anger and of great kindness.
9 He will not always accuse us, * nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, * so far has he removed our sins from us.
13 As a father cares for his children, * so does the LORD care for those who fear him.
14 For he himself knows whereof we are made; * he remembers that we are but dust.
15 Our days are like the grass; * we flourish like a flower of the field;
16 When the wind goes over it, it is gone, * and its place shall know it no more.
22 Bless the LORD, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion; *
bless the LORD, O my soul.
The Both/And of our relationship with God and of Ash Wednesday sing out in this psalm. We
are sinful, worthy of ashes; yet God is foremost merciful and full of compassion. Bless God for
mercy.
Are days are like grass; the wind goes over it and it is gone. Yet God redeems our life from the
pit and crowns us with loving-kindness. Bless God for love and redemption.
Maybe in these 40 days of Lent, your disciplines and sacrifices will truly help you grow closer to
God—and become merciful, loving like God. Maybe, you can let go once and for all of some
anger that has burdened your soul ‘forever.’ With God’s help, your life will be redeemed from
that pit of anger, sin, and fear. Bless God for redemption.
Let go of sin and ash and anger! Embrace and Bless the Lord, O My Soul
The
Rev. Rob Wood
3
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Deuteronomy 7:6-11
Psalm 37:1-18
Titus 1:1-16
John 1:29-34
Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward
shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
Psalm: 37:1-18
Be still.” Be still? Be still? Okay. Then what? “Be still.”
We spend hours of our day in the pursuit of doing. Accomplishing. Completing.
Proving. Starting. Finishing. Competing. Winning. To the point of exhaustion.
What more can we do? Doing more is seemingly impossible.
Luckily, we can do what God wants us to do. We can meet all of his expectations.
Trust in Him. Take delight in him. Be still. Wait patiently. Surrender. God is
omnipotent. He can do it all. He can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
Be still. When I am still, I am closest to God. When I am still, I can hear that
quiet voice inside my heart. When I am still, that quiet voice, God’s voice, is
louder than all the noise around me, and I know what God wants me to do.
Valerie Pettit
4
Deuteronomy 7:12-16
Friday, February 20, 2015
Psalm 95
Titus 2:1-15
John 1:35-42
Titus 2:1-5
How can we be a good soldier in these difficult times?
Be proud of our faith in Jesus Christ
and spread this faith through showing your gratefulness.
Take every opportunity to acknowledge all that you have been blessed with.
All our days are a miracle for which to be grateful.
By focusing on sharing your blessings with others,
they will know you are a Christian.
Hopefully, they will want to have His grace themselves,
and turn to learning about the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.
Anne McManes
5
Deuteronomy 7:17-26
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Psalm 42
Titus 3:1-15
John 1:43-51
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done,
but according to His mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that,
having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
The saying is sure.” Titus 3: 4-8
Justified by grace. The grace, the peace that passes all understanding. Grace is the love that has everything to do
with the one from whom it is derived: God.
One of the first sermons that I heard in the Episcopal Church was about the Grace that was given to all of us. The
priest shared that we did not have to do anything, not one thing, to earn that Grace. God gives it to all of us. As an
11 year old, that is how I interpreted his message. The message was so powerful and so different from what I had
heard about in another church. Before this, I had felt that there was a giant Scorecard, a Chores Chart, and that if I
did not complete enough good works, I would not measure up, much less be rewarded or deserve God’s love. I
would let God down.
This new message was awe inspiring. God’s Grace is a gift bestowed upon us from the moment we are born. We
can’t earn it. We can’t control it. We don’t have to deserve it. We just need to stay open to receiving the sacred. It is
powerful, divine, and a gift that keeps on giving. It is more than a second chance, it’s a third, fourth, and fifth.
At 16, my mom died suddenly. I felt somehow responsible that I could not save her. It was not in my control. It
took my grandmother to remind me again of the incredible gift of God’s Grace. Always present whether we accept
it or not. God loves all of us, just the way we are, with all our frailties, bumps and warts. At 61, I sometimes still
need to be reminded of this incredible gift.
This morning, Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud was playing on the radio,
“Maybe we found love right where we are!”
Oh yes, Ed, right here, right now and just as we are. It continues:
“When my hair’s all gone and my memory fades,
and the crowds don’t remember my name,
When my hands don’t play the strings the same way, mm,
I know you will still love me the same.”
We learn to accept that we are accepted. We are loved. Right where we are.
One Sunday, I sat in the back with the Grandman. He adores music and as the organ began to play at the Eucharist, Lucas said,
“Grammy, may I dance?” “Yes, Lucas, dance”. It was pure joy to watch him move on unsteady feet with a big ole smile. Yes,
Lucas! We should all be dancing because we have received the most incredible gift. Grace. Amazing. God secure. Better-for it.
Ready to fly! Grace.
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
Saint Theresa's Prayer
Debi Carnaroli
6
Genesis 9:8-17
First Week of Lent
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Psalm 15:1-9
1 Peter 3:18-22
Mark 1:9-15
"Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long." --Psalm 25: 7
"God waited patiently in the days of Noah." --from 1 Peter 3:20
God grant me patience and grant it to me now!
--author James W. Moore, and others
I wonder if Jesus was patient? God waits, and acts, through generations of humanity, through time immemorial; the
Spirit moves over the waters of creation and flood and birth and baptism; Jesus waited through forty days of a
wilderness that from our own we can only imagine, through three days of darkness with souls trapped in the same,
and waits still through so much more. I am, as always, in awe; I am not good at waiting, whether it be for a calling
25 years in the making to reach the fulfillment I envision,
or for a child to "Get Downstairs Right Now, Or You Will Be Late To School AGAIN."
Waiting is built into our church year through Advent and Lent; there must be something important about waiting
that we need to learn, over and over again. Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day, where Bill Murray’s
character keeps repeating the same day? The people and events never change, but gradually he does, and it is only
then that he breaks out of the endless cycle. Our cycle of waiting, our cycle of birth and death and rebirth, doesn’t
end. St. Benedict said “Always we begin again.” It is harder to wait for Easter when we know we will have to go
through Lent again--but like Bill Murray, there is something here that we must learn, some way in which we must
change.
There is a joy in the journey, in the agony and exultation of eternally becoming, a peace that seeps in to
the cracks in our armor as long as we don’t plug them too quickly with physical things or with the
desperate sort of piety that allows us to mask our deep need for the space and silence in which the Spirit
speaks. For this we long, and of this we are frightened.
I am longing, and I am frightened. At times I feel forever barred from the ladder to heaven and eternally locked in
combat with the angel who unstrings my thigh, whose name I demand to know; I am ever on the deck of the ark
looking anxiously over a landscape rendered unfamiliar by the flood that was the consequence of sin, waiting for the
dove to return or for the raven who never does. I deeply desire rebirth and resurrection, the fulfillment of kingdom
and calling, yet sometimes it causes me to tremble as if I were indeed there when they crucified my Lord. What
shape will the resurrection take, and my own rebirth? What place can I possibly have when the tomb is opened and
empty?
Whatever God has for us on the other side of Easter, on the other side of whatever wilderness we find ourselves in, it
may not take the shape we envision or even any shape we recognize at all. What we do know is that God was there
in the past; God is with us now; and God will be there on the other side as we weep and as we rejoice. We do not
have God’s knowledge, but we do have God’s promises.
"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."
Mark 1:15
God, grant me patience--and thank you for waiting for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sarah Sambol
7
Deuteronomy 8:11-20
Monday, February 23, 2015
Psalm 52
Hebrews 2:11-18
John 2:1-12
For because He Himself has suffered and been tempted,
He is able to help those who are tempted.
Hebrews 2:18
The temptations we are subject to outnumber even the seven deadly sins
of wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony. For example, Jesus lists
evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies"
(Matthew 15:19).
Paul provides numerous lists. But these are not really the class of sin that the writer
of Hebrews is writing about. The writer of Hebrews is talking about Sin with a
capital S: Apostasy. He is talking specifically about falling away from Christ,
which in the religious persecutions of the time was greatly to be feared.
I do not fear being tempted to this kind of overt falling away, thank God, but I do
have a more subtle fear, the fear of quietly falling away internally. I got to thinking
about this and I am wondering: "Is there any real substance to an allegiance to God
in Christ if we are living without an active dependence on and guidance by God?"
And I would say no. Huh. Maybe I am closer to apostasy than I feared.
Lent is a time for all of us to focus on the work of staying faithful to God rather
than falling away. And I think the tools are right in front of us:
Go to church and listen to the Word;
Participate in communion;
Pray and really talk with Jesus;
Talk with friends about your faith and your attempts to be faithful.
Paul is a great source for ways to be faithful.
If we do these things surely we will be closer to entering God's rest.
Gregory Smith
8
Acts 1:15-26
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Psalm 15 Philippians 3:13b-21
John 15:1, 6-16
“O Lord, who may abide in Thy tent? Who may dwell on thy holy hill?”
Psalm 15: 1
What if someone handed you a list of 8-10 things you could do that would
guarantee that you would “never be shaken.” Nothing would “ruffle your
feathers.” All of those things---fear, worry, anxiety, guilt would no longer have a
hold on you, no longer even matter or affect you in the physical way that they do.
Really? That easy-huh. You would without a doubt begin to give that list
some serious consideration, right?
Well, Psalm 15 outlines a list of eleven traits of a righteous man. David says that
these are the qualities that God is looking for, if we are to be “his guests.” These
character traits are, as you would imagine, not natural for us, but are imparted to us
by God. They encompass all aspects of our lives---words, actions, attitudes, and
even finances.
Read Psalm 15 to find the list of righteous qualities that will guarantee peace of
mind.
Debra Tomlin
9
Deuteronomy 9:13-21
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Psalm 119:49-72 Hebrews 3:12-19
John 2:23 - 3:15
“Encourage one another daily while it is still 'today'
so that no one grows hardened by the deceit of sin.”
Hebrews 3:19
Moses details God’s anger at the Israelites for turning aside from the path He had pointed out to them and,
instead making a molten idol while Moses was on Mt. Sinai for 40 days with God. Moses, in anger, went
down the mountain and smashed the tablets made by God. God said to Moses: “Let me be that I may
destroy them and blot out their name from under the heavens.” Moses pleaded with God and prayed that
He would not destroy the Israelites including Aaron. Yet, once again, the Lord listened to him and the
Israelites were spared from a fate they justly deserved.
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever." Psalm 136:1
In the Psalm, a faithful servant vows to keep God’s law even when among the wicked. He thanks God for
the good done to him.
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statues.
The law of Your mouth is more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces.”
Psalm 119:71-72
The author of Hebrews cautions the Christians to whom he writes to be careful:
“Lest any of you have an evil and unfaithful spirit and fall away from the living God”.
Hebrews 3:12b.
The author refers to the intercessory prayers offered by Moses in the desert that saved the Israelite nation
from divine destruction. He goes on to say:
“We have become partners of Christ
only if we maintain to the end that confidence with which we began.” Hebrews 3:14
A certain Pharisee named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, attracted to Jesus by the signs He has performed,
comes to see Him under cover of darkness (a sign that Nicodemus lacks faith light), but is confused when Jesus says:
“I solemnly assure you, no one can see the reign of God unless he is begotten from above.” John 2:3.
Nicodemus responds:
“How can such a thing happen?” John 2:9.
Jesus answers:
“You hold the office of Teacher of Israel and still you do not understand these matters?” John 2:10
Disbelief, or unbelief, will cause a sinner to fall away from the living God.
Brethren,
In this Lenten season, let us recommit ourselves to our faith in and obedience to Jesus,
our Master and Savior; to avoid sin
and see our afflictions as opportunities to obey:
“The law of Your mouth is more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces.”
Amen
Joe Rich
10
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Deuteronomy 9:23 - 10:5 Psalm 50 Hebrews 4:1-10 John 3:16-21
"So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God;
for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labors as God did from His."
Deuteronomy 9
These days, the medical community reminds us that we have to exercise at least
four days a week, eat moderately, and get plenty of sleep or rest. Like many, I
have been trying to accomplish all these objectives. It can be daunting, but I give
it a good college try. I find the most difficult aspect is getting enough rest every
day.
In Hebrews 4:1-10, the “rest” is not the rest that I mentioned above. Rather, it is
God’s calling to us to rest within Him. It’s his reminder to us that we have tried
his patience and have trouble resting with our faith. We have a lot of
preoccupations keeping us from that rest and grace of God. We must remember
that God made sacrifices so that we would know the laws, the order, and summon,
through the Holy Spirit, the faith in our hearts. It is the truth and belief in God’s
works that is in question here. When we awake every morning to begin our day, we
can know that God created it and is still offering His “rest” to those of us who
believe.
Our labors each week can be long and trying, but God is assuring us that when we
come to Him and observe that rest, like He did on the seventh day after creation,
we will all be able to find the faith that Christ taught us, and that God expects from
us.
Personally, as I awake every morning, first and foremost, I am thankful to God for
my new day. I place my hand over my heart and feel each beat and breath of life
that God gave me. It is a constant reminder to me of my faith that keeps God close
by and Christ resting in my heart.
Oh Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee.
I give Thee back the life I owe,
that in Thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. George Matheson
Carol Banks
11
Friday, February 27, 2015
Deuteronomy 10:12-22 Psalm 95
Hebrews 4:11-16
John 3:22 -36
“For the word of God is living and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.
Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him
to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4:12-13
It is very easy to get a sense of fear when reading this passage. Who can imagine
that any negative thought or action can cause a double-edge sword to pierce our
bones? It seems extreme and far-fetched in a time when we no longer use swords
but it does force us to pause; we are judged by our thoughts and attitudes.
Despite the comparison to a double-edged sword, this message is still relevant
today. We can look deep within ourselves to see who we are, what we have done
and what we should do. We might take a harder look if we remember that God can
see everything that we know. Imagine that you look in the mirror and it isn’t you
that is looking back, but it is it God’s face. Depending on the day, you might wish
for the sword instead of God’s all-knowing look.
Despite the words and imagery, fear is not the primary message of the four
passages. Joy and singing also permeate. There is a celebration of the amazing
wonders that God performed. Psalm 95 describes how amazing by stating “In his
hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is
his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.”
During Lent we should take the time to reflect on what we have done but also what we will do in
the coming year. We will struggle with what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes the decision
is more grey than black and white. Fear not, the word of God is there to help guide us. If you
are unsure, you could look in the mirror for God’s face hear what he is telling you.
Jim Smith
12
Deuteronomy 11:18-28
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Psalm 55
Hebrews 5:1-10
John 4:1-26
“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds;
tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Teach them to your children,
talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and when you get up.”
Deuteronomy 11: 18-20
It sounds easy enough,
“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and mind,” Deuteronomy 11: 18
but sometimes remembering to
“to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your hearts and with all your soul”
is the last thing from my mind. I am consumed with work; I am worried about my children; I am stressed over
budgets; and I am focused on my own petty injustices. If I can barely remember these words, how can I teach them
to my children?
Deuteronomy continues and tells us to
“tie them as symbols” or “write them on your doorframes.”
These seem like silly, maybe even extreme suggestions, but when faith feels so intangible and hard to grasp, these
symbols may be just what we need and give comfort.
When I sit in church in the presence of God and surrounded by symbols of His love, I remember his words and feel
surrounded by love. It should be this simple! Perhaps taking one of those symbols into my home, or your home, will
convey the same sort of peace and reminder of God’s love and his words. Find a sanctuary or a place of peace and
worship in your home to remember his words. I have to continually remind myself that worship does not have to
take place on a Sunday morning and we can pray to God at home, at work or even at a stoplight.
Prayer and worship can sustain us when we feel separated from God and can feel the evil around us. Psalm 55 says
that
“I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the states of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger.” Psalm 55:2-3
I feel this turmoil in my own heart, but also see it in the “hearts of the world.” It is heartbreaking to read the news
and hear the tragedies happening to people in far-away, unpronounceable places. I would love to
“flee far away, and stay in the desert;
I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”
This evil is tangible and I believe God will
“Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave,
for evil finds lodging there.”
I worry about this tangible evil, but also about the daily evils that draw us away from God: the distractions, the false idols, the
jealousies and pettiness. These are the evils that can invade our hearts if we are not prepared for battle. And God is our weapon.
“I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.”
I want to feel the euphoria or amazement that the Samaritan felt when she met Jesus at the well and He said,
“I who speak to you am He.”
I will use her experience when I feel despair at the world, in my life, or just in my heart.
I will find a symbol or place that will lead me to remember that God is the One.
Martha Smith
13
Secpmd Week of Lent
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Genesis 17:1-7 Psalm 22:22-30 Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38
"The words 'it was credited to him' were not for [Abraham] alone,
but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousnessfor us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." –
Romans 4:23-25
The Lenten season occasionally brings me back, at least in attitude, to the constant refrain of childhood
road trips: “are we there yet?” It’s a long haul to Easter, after all, trying to practice newer, kinder life
habits for 40 days, especially without coffee or wine or chocolate. I imagine God in the driver’s seat,
issuing heavenly eye-rolls and summoning His own eternal patience. No matter how many Earthly years
we humans acquire, we are still just children.
I recall my own father, who was rational and fair and extended the rules equally to his children (Work hard! Play
fair! Stop that fighting in the back seat…we’ll be there when we get there!). We knew good behavior would be
rewarded with a trip to Dairy Queen. Our heavenly Father, too, makes a promise to his children. And what a
blessing that we are all His children, so that He may join all of humanity as a family. I believe part of the tie that
binds us is His call to be active participants in His covenant: a promise and a tradition meant for all time.
God’s promise to Abraham, and Jesus’ promise to his disciples, were meant for generations. God exhorted
Abraham to walk before Him faithfully, and established with him an “everlasting covenant…for the generations to
come” (Gen 17:7). Psalm 22:22-30 beseeches all the descendants of Israel to revere Him to the ends of the earth, to
declare His glory even to a people yet unborn…that is, our own children. And the faithful generations that followed
Abraham were fruitful, indeed.
Yet Jesus brought a new promise, a covenant meant for the generations but beyond generations and beyond empire.
Although God blessed the descendants of Abraham with nations, Jesus asked “what good is it for you to gain the
whole world, yet forfeit your soul?” With the death and resurrection of Christ, the heavenly covenant grew richer
and more intimate, for our faith now embraces a Savior: Jesus was delivered over to death for our sins and was
raised to life for our justification (Rom 4:25).
Every member of every generation comes to know the ebb and flow of life. I have never felt closer to God than in
my children’s births, and my father’s death. When I tell my children stories about their grandfather, his love of road
trips and soft serve and life itself, I am passing on a language of how to love and to live in this world. When I tell
my children about God’s vast love and Jesus’ great sacrifice, I am passing on the very keys to salvation that extend
from this world to the next.
Even in the fleeting moment of our existence, humanity is blessed with the time to love and ponder, to falter and
recover, to be redeemed by Jesus’ sacrifice and come back to God again and again. As one generation passes away
to the next, we must keep our covenant and share the Good News—Jesus Chris is Lord!—so that the Word may
cascade through the generations until he calls us home.
Lord, give me the words and wisdom to share your great love with all those whom I encounter,
especially children, so that a great faith in your covenant may echo from one generation to the next.
Cara Becker
14
Jeremiah 1:11-19 Psalm 56
Monday, March 2
Romans 1:1-15
John 4:27-42
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.”
John 4:
How often do you find yourself saying, “I want that”, or even more dramatically, “I NEED
that”? I would venture to say that most of the things we want are exactly that…wants, and most
of the things we say that we need are more often than not just a want that is higher on the priority
list. Sure there are things that we truly need (like food, shelter, clothing and medical care) that
are imperative to our physical survival, but God already knows that. So why don’t we always
know this too?
In the Gospel, the disciples have just rejoined Jesus to find He had been spending time
conversing with a Samaritan woman at the well. Even though a few of the disciple’s eye-brows
were surely raised at this sight, no one asked Him any questions. Instead, they urged Jesus to eat
some food thinking Jesus may be hungry. Jesus responded to them by saying, “I have food to eat
that you know nothing about.” The disciples were perplexed and still wondered who had
brought Jesus this food? Jesus then responded with the mind-blowing answer, “My food is to do
the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.” From thinking about the food we literally
eat to knowing God’s will for us was quite a leap in thought for the apostles and is for us as well!
So, how do we know what God wills for us? In the perplexities of life, it isn’t always clear what
God really wills for us. In his book, The Way of Serenity, Father Jonathan Morris encourages us
to unceasingly pray and commune with God. If we really listen, over time, the whispers God
sends back to us will create a serenity, a peace that will lead us down the path He wills for us.
We must remember that God’s peace that passes all understanding may not always keep us on
our “comfy couch” in life, but more importantly will keep us comfortable and right in our
relationship with God. So brothers and sisters, keep listening to those whispers!
“The peace of God, it is no peace, but strife closed in the sod.
Yet let us pray for but one thing-the marvelous peace of God.”
Hymn 661
Ann West Dancy
15
Jeremiah 2:1-13
Psalm 61
Tuesday, March 3
Romans 1:16-25
John 4:43-54
“Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
“Go your son shall Live”, the man believed and went his way.
John 4:48-50
Jesus directs all of us (‘you”) in his message of Belief in the deepest sense. God
loves all of us, he is the way to the Truth. We are the Truth and are to live the
Truth through service to others in love and light. We often seek God’s protection
and healing, looking for outward signs of his message. The father of the ill son
Believed, he did not rush home but went about his way until the next day. Faith
lies inward as does the Truth. During Lent we seek repentance, we look for the
light in the darkness, we let go of the false truths holding us back from being
authentic children of God and true to ourselves. By going within, we come more
present to now and open to new possibilities. Take time in Lent for stillness, for
quiet meditation. Know that you are enough, but most importantly that you are
LOVED.
Heavenly Father,
Help us to take time every day to be with you.
To walk the darkness and seek the Truth.
To let go and be.
Guide us to be the Light unto others.
Know we are enough, know we are here, right now, in this moment.
In your name we pray.
Amen.
Linda Bowman
16
Jeremiah 3:6-18
Wednesday, March 4
Psalm 72
Romans 1:28 - 2:11
John 5:1-18
"I will give you shepherds after my own heart,
who will feed you with knowledge and understanding." --Jeremiah 3:15
This promise from God comes after a sobering recitation of the sins of faithless Israel and Judah. I am struck by
God’s continuing to offer love and hope even in the face of repeated sin and denial, by a striking reminder of the
love the father shows in the parable of the Prodigal Son, and by God’s offer of shepherds after [his] own heart.
God offers knowledge and understanding, even though human grasping at these in absence of both divine invitation
and the ability to contain them is at the very root of sin. What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
"Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son." --Psalm 72:1
In Jeremiah, God promises leaders. The Psalm for today is an intercession for a leader, just as we pray every
Sunday for those called to lead both church and nation. I can’t help but think that the justice for the poor and
downtrodden that is held up as a model in this psalm could be the beginning of how to redeem sinners and begin to
repair the consequences of sin, many of which come from grasping at that which will not feed us.
"Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience?
Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? " --Romans 2:4
I wonder sometimes how God manages not to get tired of us and wipe us out, individual or corporate, with a flood or
some other disaster. The beginning of the passage from Romans is little more than a litany of habitual sins:
wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit...and the list goes on. And after reminding us
not to judge others because we thus condemn ourselves for our own sin, Paul offers us this impassioned reminder of
God’s forbearance and another desperate plea for repentance.
The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up;
and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” --John 5:7
And as so often happens in the life of Christ, the Gospel reading for today not only contains the narration of a
miracle but a call to action. No one offered to carry this man to the healing waters, nor brought him some in a jar,
nor cleared the way for him to approach the pool at last ahead of others. Jesus, in a stroke, renders the established
mode of healing unnecessary, telling the man to take up his pallet and walk even though it is the Sabbath, thereby
setting off a controversy that lasts for the remainder of the chapter. He worked on the Sabbath, yes, as did the man
he healed--and as he reminds us a few verses later, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.”
We are often the sheep, the faithless one, the wandering children; we are the people praying for their leaders and the
paralytic who cannot make it to healing on his own. Can we also see ourselves as shepherds, leaders, defenders, and
workers? Can we find it within us to take up our own pallets and walk, and help others to do the same? We are not
called to be Jesus, but we are called to follow his example. As Christian singer Francisca Battistelli says,
“Perfection is my enemy.” As an old hymn says, “Work, for the night is coming.” Can we set aside despair over our
own sin, and give our lives to God so that he may use us to heal others? How is God calling you to lead today?
Take a moment or 20 in silence to ask God--and as always,
in Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
Sarah Sambol
17
Thursday, March 5
Jeremiah 4:9-10, 19-28 Psalm 70 Romans 2:12-24
John 5:19-29
"May all who seek Thee Rejoice, and be glad in Thee!" Psalm 70:4
Today we are seeking answers on how we can stop wars, disease, crime and the dissolution of so
many families. On July 18, 1958, the Reverend Billy Graham stated in a newspaper article,
“We’re seeing a shuffling on the stage for the last great drama in history.
All we can do is sit back and pray.”
This was in reference to his belief that the doom of the world will come in the Middle East where
history first began at the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. He further emphasized that
“the Bible teaches us that history will end in the Middle East;
that the last great war will be there and that Israel will be in its center.”
Centuries later, we are still seeking as those who lived in Jesus’ time were seeking. Here the
believers had found their Messiah and now he was suffering at the hands of those he had come to
save. How could they possibly rejoice and be glad in thee, as they witnessed his persecution and
crucifixion. Yet, had not that brave and courageous band of followers continued to spread the
Word, our world may have ended before now.
Only God knows when the end will come, but it is our mandate to seek and believe. Not too
easy to do when you have a dread disease, or have lost a loved one, or are out of work, or are just
plain tired. But carry on we must. When we get down the most, it is our duty to pray, pray,
pray…..for those fighting to keep the freedoms we enjoy, for those who are infirm and without
hope, for the elderly who are about to close the last chapter in their book of life, and for the
young who have yet to experience need or crisis.
As we go through this Lenten season, may we continue to remember those who have suffered
like our Lord, who gave their lives for us in many different ways. But in the end, we will, like
Him, be with the Father, and Israel will be our center.
Carol Sue Ravenel
18
Jeremiah 4:1-9
Psalm 95
Friday, March 6
Romans 2:25 - 3:18
John 5:30-47
"Come, let us sing to the Lord
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care."
Psalm 95 1, 6-7:
In the meditations today, we are told to “be” in the presence of the Lord. We should listen,
worship and follow. “Be” in the world through listening, joy and praise! Sitting at a Super Bowl
party, I was introduced to David’s mom. She is a wife, a mother and friend. She shared the story
of losing her daughter Allie, to cancer. Allie was to a precious gift to many; a mom of three
girls, a wife, daughter and a friend to many. I listened, affirmed her pain and listened some
more… through the stories, my new friend kept sharing.” I keep talking but after this story I’ll
stop”, she would say. It was important that I listen. Who could understand her pain more? I loved
hearing her many stories, and there was no need to stop. We are told to listen and “be”. In all
aspects of our life it’s important to “be” in the presence of our Lord.
A few years ago, I read a book titled, My Heart, Christ’s Home. As I reflected on today’s
readings, I thought about this simple story. Loving Jesus, is having Him in our hearts. Our heart
has many rooms; a living room, where we are in conversations with friends and family, enjoy
family time; the kitchen, where we share our meals and time in communion. There are more
rooms, the study, the recreation room, etc. Think of the times of your life when you rejoice in
the Lord and are in His presence; sharing, laughing, listening, reading the Bible and “being” with
Jesus, wanting him to be with you. But, also think of the times when you really don’t want to
invite Jesus to join you. Is it when you are at work, play, when? Jesus calls us to “be” in his
presence in all we do, in all rooms of our heart, every day.
In all we do, remember that in the tough times of life, sing to the Lord…even if off tune. You are
unconditionally loved! In the great times of life, sing to the Lord in thanksgiving; but sing to the Lord in
everyday of life as well. Jesus is in all rooms of our heart, remember to “be” and rejoice in the Lord. We
are the people he watches over, the flock under his care.
Most Gracious Heavenly Father…
please help me to “be” in your presence in all times of my life.
Help me to listen to a friend, laugh with a stranger,
and reach out with a welcoming hand to a make a new friend.
Help me to be the person that sits with the new family during breakfast and church
and invite them to join us each Sunday and share how they can become involved in St. Aidan’s. Father, keep all the
rooms of my heart open and inclusive of You
in all aspects of my life for You are my rock and my salvation Amen
Deb Stecher
19
Jeremiah 5:20-31
Saturday, March 7
Psalm 75
Romans 3:19-31
John 7:1-13
“'Should you not fear me?'” declares the LORD.
'Should you not tremble in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar, but they cannot cross it.'”
Jeremiah 5:22
The ocean is something that is full of incredible wonder. There is nothing comparable to
having your toes straddle the hair-width border that the water creates with the sand as
you let the water trickle over your feet. Looking out into the depths of the sea, it is
almost impossible not to feel a deep sense of humbleness as you think of how something
so beautiful can bring peace to our souls while also having the power to destroy
everything that we have created with our hands.
In Jeremiah 5, we see something very interesting happen that parallels the capacity of
the sea to destroy. The Lord causes great havoc to the streets of Israel: a foreign nation
is brought upon Jerusalem and destroys many of their homes, eats their harvests, and
devours their sons and daughters. But as this happens, the Lord says that He will not
destroy Jerusalem completely. The logical question would be, why not? Why not
completely destroy the cities of Jerusalem after so much damage has already been done?
Do they not deserve complete punishment after their distrust in the Lord anyway?
A great answer to this question can be found in Paul’s letter to the Romans:
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight
by the works of the law;
rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” Romans 3:20
Here, Paul says that somehow we become conscious of our sin through the law of the Lord. The people of
Jerusalem had no idea how much disdain they were showing toward the Lord until He showed his wrath
upon them. They were not even remotely aware that their lifestyles reflected a belief system that
completely left out the sovereignty of God.
And Paul says that we are no different today. We would never acknowledge the goodness of the Lord and our
complete need of him if we were not brought to our knees and shown how sinful we truly are. We had to be wrecked
by our sin to be shown just how much we need our savior Jesus Christ. But the most beautiful part of how God works
in our lives is just how He worked in the lives of the people of Jerusalem.–He brought them to their knees, showing
them that He is sovereign and they are completely powerless without Him.
Through acknowledgement of our sin, we are also brought to our knees and are enlightened to the knowledge that we
have free access to Jesus to cleanse us, if only we are humble and live by faith in Him day by day. Through our faith,
the wrath of the sea can never destroy us; rather, we can continue to dig our toes in the border of the sand and gaze in
awe of the everlasting sea.
Kaitlyn Berry
20
Exodus 20:1-17
Third Week of Lent
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Psalm 19 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
John 2:13-22
In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun;
it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;
it rejoices like a champion to run its course.
It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens
and runs about to the end of it again;
nothing is hidden from its burning heat.
Psalm 19:5-6
Growing up in the Catholic Church was not always an easy path. The nuns were
always behind us prodding us to do the right thing. When Lent came along we
suffered through daily prayers, and Stations of the Cross along with fasting and
plenty of self-denial with the message to just “offer it up”. They must have done
something right, because they instilled in all of us the power and might of constant
prayer. In this third week of Lent perhaps it’s good to lighten up a little and look to
the almost always joyful praises of the Psalms.
What could be more joyful and beautiful than imagining God’s power in creating
the earth in six days and then giving us the gift of rest on the seventh day?
Or imagine standing on the shore watching the sun come up over the water, casting
an orange and pink shimmer over the softly capping waves.
It’s not possible to deny the existence of God.
So, let us rejoice in this solemn time of Lent and submit to the greatness of our
God. Let us ask him to guide us with his strength. He will show us the way.
He will pick us up when we fall.
He will forgive us all those things we have done or not done.
Welcome him into your heart and know that he is with us.
Nancy Williams
21
Jeremiah 7:1-15
Psalm 80
Monday, March 9
Romans 4:1-12
John 7:14-36
"The grass withers, the flowers fade,
but the Word of Our God endures FOREVER."
Isaiah 40:8
I often think of an old, unkept Eastern European man I met many years ago at a bus stop across from the
New Haven Green. In our discussion, he repeatedly said to me:
"I love Jesus."
He was most emphatic!
To me, as an Episcopalian, his Faith was so raw, so genuine, so unpretentious, so unsettling! Can you
imagine a "typical" Episcopalian proclaiming, so witnessing his love of Jesus in the public square! The
old man's witness to me was at once personally humbling and highly instructive.
I also thought of my maternal grandmother, who with a band of immigrant West Indians established a
Pentecostal Church at 47 Howard Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts in the very first decades (1917) of the
last century. That church remains a testament to their Faith - in existence even today.
It was this grandmother who taught me by rote that
"they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mt. Zion,
which shall not be removed, but abideth forever."
Psalm 125
Thus, I have learned that defeats generally are momentary, even fleeting. I do not mean to minimize their
impact, or underestimate their significance!
Victories! My personal experience . . . I have often been chastened, but literally and figuratively always
positively untouchable on the days I most enjoyed God's favor, and when I have remained solidly
anchored in His Word!
Let us therefore reflect for a moment on the earthquakes we experience in our personal and professional lives, the
great life-changing tremors each of us experience from time to time - just as Job did in a single day.
In the Novel of Life, as we laugh, grieve, go about our daily tasks, amid a charred memory here and there, and even
as we have a Job day or know, know that
"The Name of the Lord God is a strong tower.
The righteous run into it, and are safe!"
Proverbs 18:10
To us, as Believers, His Word must, therefore, always be paramount. May we stand always on His
Promises, as revealed in these readings. May we always dwell unshakeable, in His All Mighty and
Eternal Word!
Caleb Pilgrim
22
Tuesday, March 10
Jeremiah 7:21-34
Psalm 78:1-39
Romans 4:13-25
John 7:37-52
The scriptural story for today is focused on God's love and His faithful protection and love for His people despite
their continued unwillingness to remain faithful to Him. The Psalms tell us their story of Exodus and its
conclusion:
"Then at last, when he had ruined them, they walked awhile behind him;
how earnestly they turned around and followed him!
Then they remembered that God was their Rock—that their Savior was the God above all gods.
But it was only with their words that they followed him, not with their hearts;
their hearts were far away. They did not keep their promises.
Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins and didn’t destroy them all.
Many and many a time he held back his anger.
For he remembered that they were merely mortal men, gone in a moment like a breath of wind.:
Psalm 78:34
The Jeremiah reading repeats the same theme of broken covenant as they continued their occupation of the
Promised Land:
"O Jerusalem, shave your head in shame and weep alone upon the mountains;
for the Lord has rejected and forsaken this people of his wrath.":
Jeremiah 7:29
God's ax of punishment falls on all of His people and the Babylonian exile of almost 80 years transpires over the
next several centuries, more than 500 years before His Son arrives on the scene to begin his Ministry of Salvation
for all Mankind.
Paul teaches in Romans the example of the relationship between God and Abraham to which we must all aspire:
"It is clear, then, that God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants
was not because Abraham obeyed God’s laws but because he trusted God to keep his promise. So God’s blessings are given to us by faith, as a free
gift;
we are certain to get them whether or not we follow Jewish customs
if we have faith like Abraham’s,
for Abraham is the father of us all when it comes to these matters of faith.
Now this wonderful statement—that he was accepted and approved through his faith—
wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit.
It was for us, too, assuring us that God will accept us in the same way he accepted Abraham—when we believe the promises of God who brought
back Jesus our Lord from the dead.
He died for our sins and rose again to make us right with God, filling us with God’s goodness". Romans 4: 13
Was Jesus really the Messiah? We read in John 12 that the crowd that assembled to listen to what he had to say
was clearly not in full agreement. He was already a wanted man by the Jerusalem Temple authorities because they
feared him. Self-interest, local myth and religious biases got in the way of saying “YES”.
Jesus is trapped in the continuing effort to find him guilty of blasphemy. And so, God patiently and perfectly waits
for the drama to play out; Jesus will be taken under guile and the Roman's will be asked to crucify him.
No consensus of the theological experts of that day had the courage to act against their self-interest. Apparently, not
many are willing to risk for Jesus.
What say you? Your Salvation has been bought and paid for through the blood of Christ.
You only have to claim it! Pray in thankfulness for this magnificent gift to you and yours.
Chuck Johnson
23
Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:6
Wednesday, March 11
Psalm 119:97-120
Romans 5:1-11
John 8:12-20
“I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.”
John 8:
As a child, I was terrified of the dark because I was overcome by this feeling of
bad things lurking in the shadows where I wasn’t able to see clearly. Even now as
an adult, I can at times still be overcome with these same frightful feelings in the
deep stillness of the night. The physical light allows us to confirm that we are safe
from all the potential dangers around us and becoming a security blanket of
reassurance.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus declares that He is the light of the world and whoever
believes in Him will always have the light. Jesus isn’t so much referring to the
physical light of this earth, but His great spiritual light. When we accept Jesus as
our Savior, His light shines into every nook and cranny of our lives and provides
us the tools to live this earthly life in the assurance of His promise of eternal life.
Through penitence, pray, praise and ministry, we are able to walk the days of our
lives with God’s peace and strength. I have often wondered how sad and difficult
it must be for a non-believer to live this life in the dark void of the beautiful, secure
light of Jesus. That is exactly why Jesus commands us to become beacons of His
light by loving and serving others, and spreading The Word!
During this Lenten season, allow Jesus to shed His light brightly in to your own
life, so that you may become a beacon and shed His light into the darkness of this
world.
I want to walk as a child of the light. I want to follow Jesus.
God sent the stars to give light to the world. The star of my life is Jesus.
In Him there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike.
The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart Lord Jesus.
Hymn 490, Verse 1
Ann West Dancy
24
Thursday, March 12
Jeremiah 10:11-24 Psalm 42
Romans 5:12-21
John 8:21-32
"Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."
Psalm 42 I attended a memorial service yesterday for the father of a co-worker. The
similarities in our two families was striking and made the service a little more
meaningful to me and a lot more emotional. The man we learned about from his
three sons and one daughter was a soldier. My father was a sailor with three
daughters and one son. As the oldest son spoke about his father, he said that his
parents basically had two families - one with children born early in their marriage
and two born much later. My parents shared a similar life. I have one sister who is
quite a bit older and the other three of us are stair steps that came along after many
years of marriage. Each of the sons told stories about how their father loved to
build things. My father, too, was often in the garage building one thing or another,
including a TV from a kit he ordered from Heathkit!
Finally, both of these men were devout Christians. They loved their country. They
loved their families. But, above all, they loved their Lord. Because of their faith
and clear understanding that Christ died so that we may live, they left this world
knowing that we will all be together again. They put their hope in God and lifted
praise to Him daily as He guided them through life on this earth. They lived their
lives with the knowledge that the angels were waiting for them and that they will
be waiting for us when we, too, reach that blissful shore. As Easter people, we
know this to be true.
The soloist closed the memorial service singing Life is Like a Mountain Railroad.
The chorus speaks of this truth.
Blessed savior, thou will guide us
Till we reach that blissful shore
Where the angels wait to join us
In thy praise forevermore.
Beth Barnwell, Polly Linthicum's Sister
25
Friday, March 13
Jeremiah 11:1-8, 14-20 Psalm 88
Romans 6:1-11
John 8:33-47
"Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer thy terrors,
I am helpless."
Psalm 88:15 RSV
According to my study Bible, Psalm 88 is a prayer for deliverance from lifelong
illness and is "notable for the absence of even a spark of hopefulness." People at
that time believed that illness came from sinfulness, so the psalmist would have
believed that the illness was for something he or maybe a forebear had done. So
the psalmist prays for God to relent.
Perhaps not all of us have suffered such depths of despair, but pretty much all of us
have asked about the sources of suffering. One message of this Psalm is that
regardless of where our suffering comes from, even if we believe God himself is
visiting it on us, the proper response is to keep praying.
Gregory Smith
26
Jeremiah 13:1-11
Saturday, March 14
Psalm 87
Romans 6:12-23
John 8:47-59
"As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist,
so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord.
They were to be my people, my pride, my glory – an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me."
Jeremiah 13: 11
Listen –Pray – Reflect and Do…
Each day we rise after a restful sleep. We may stop and say Morning Prayer or our daily
ritual and then our everyday life kicks in and we prepare for our day. Our mornings
usually revolve around thoughts and actions. Picking out the right clothing for our
work, whom will we interact today, what’s expected of us at work or home, did I
complete all I was expected to the day before? Our human life kicks in as we head into
the world to be productive in our daily lives. But once we leave our comfortable homes
we start to encounter others… maybe on Marta, although we may be reading our tablets
we over hear a conversation or see a sad person, do we smile or turn our heads? Or, the
person next to us needs to talk… do we listen? What about the colleague that needs to
stop you in the middle of your busy day and share? People need people and it’s not
always when it meets our timeframe…
However, if we stop and LISTEN… listen for the needs of our companion in
conversation, what is it that they are saying? PRAY… for the response that God is
placing in your heart. REFLECT on how to respond, what are the words we should
choose when talking and DO… say or do what is needed to be the “Jesus” in each
situation we encounter. Each action we take is an action for God…
Actions speak louder than words. Jeremiah uses the loincloth to arouse peoples
curiosity and get his point across. Proud people may look important but God says their
pride makes them good for nothing, completely useless. Pride rots our hearts until we
lose our usefulness to God. Let’s not lose our usefulness to God but we the vehicle that
reflects what Jesus would do.
Dear Father,
Our lives take us to different places each day.
Please be with me to Listen, Pray, Reflect
and Do what You want me to do and say in each situation.
May I be the eyes, ears, voice of Jesus to the person that needs me today? Take away
the prideful action
and fill my heart with what I am to do to be a child of God.
May today start new beginnings! Amen,
Deb Stecher
27
Fourth Week of Lent
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 3:14-21
Today's Lenten readings center around the theme of God's gift of Eternal Life to all who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God . Read of it as expressed in the Gospel of John:
"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3: 16.
God's plan for the Salvation of the world was laid before the beginning of all creation with His Son and His Holy Spirit with
Him as told in the first chapter of the Gospel of John:
"In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him,
q and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it" John 1:1-5.
The Old Testament reading finds Moses with the exiled Hebrews in the desert, unhappy with God Numbers:2:5. “began to
murmur against God “. God punishes them with poisonous snakes and in true and perfect God form provides them a remedy of
treatment should they be bitten: Numbers 21: 8 Then the Lord told him, “Make a bronze replica of one of these snakes and
attach it to the top of a pole; anyone who is bitten shall live if he simply looks at it! 9 So Moses made the replica, and
whenever anyone who had been bitten looked at the bronze snake, he recovered! WOW! What a demonstration of not just the
justice but the love and mercy and the POWER of God. Did it catch their attention. We weren't told if any failed to “look at the
replica” but who would deny such a certain gift that provided life instead of death?
Well that takes us again to our Gospel reading for today:
And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness,
so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life" John 3: 14.
WOW again; NOW we are talking about the greater Gift of Eternal Life not just a delay until the day we die the
human death.
Paul teaches in Ephesians s God's great gift of Eternal Life through His Son. You will want to open your Bible and read the
entire 10 verses but here are the closing verses:
"God saved you by his grace when you believed.
And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have d one, so none of us can boast about it.
or we are God’s masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10
It really does not get any better than this for any living being. Why then do so many refuse to even consider the offer? It seems
to me to be a matter of heart-mind-soul-will and a question of whether one is willing to accept Jesus and His Father as the Lords
of our lives or are we going to do it our way? Self will is a very powerful gift from God, and it stands at the decision point. A
personal choice.
Perhaps someone you care about is “on the fence” here.. Pray that God will touch them and equip you as a vessel of love and
compassion to be the bearer of the Good News to that special person.
God Speed Good and Faithful Servant!!!
Chuck Johnson
28
Monday, March 16
Jeremiah 16:10-21 Psalm 89:19-52
Romans 7:1-12 John 6:1-15
"Why has the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us?
What is our iniquity?
What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?
What is my transgression?" --Jeremiah 16:10
"But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive,
so that we are slaves not under the old written code
but in the new life of the Spirit." --Romans 7:6
I don’t think I am dead to that which holds me captive, at least not yet.
Not by a long shot.
During one of the hardest times of my life, the time of probably the greatest temptation I have
ever faced, I had a hard time even saying the Lord’s prayer, as my soul cried out in anger and
desperation whenever I got to “lead us not into temptation.” I felt that the Lord had led me into
temptation, or at least given me very little direct, comprehensible assistance in resisting a
temptation that seemed to have been designed for me. I had prided myself--there’s another
cardinal sin!--that I was aware, not arrogant, knowing of my capacity for blindness.
I had no idea-none at all. What is my iniquity? What isn’t?
In a moment where I was convicted at once of knowledge, sin, homecoming, fear, love, regret
and exultation all at once, when I looked over a literal and figurative precipice and considered
whether to jump, when everything I knew seemed to have changed, all I wanted was to escape
from my transgressions. And the only reason I didn’t is not that I wouldn’t take a leap of faith
but rather that I could feel the rock of ages under my feet.
A mentor of faith of mine once asked in a moment when the soul in front of him wanted to walk
away, whether there was something undeniably precious worth saving. And the answer, even
though barely, even though only by the grace of God, was not a resounding and thundering, but a
whispered yet cataclysmic yes. YES, it is worth it to stay. YES, it is worth it to hold on, no matter
in the moment whether it is for God or others or eventually, someday, hopefully for respect of
self as a creation of God as well. YES, Lord, YES, now and always, no matter what waits.
My loaves and fishes are before You, Lord. Do with them what You will.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, AMEN.
SarahSambol
29
Jeremiah 17:19-27
Tuesday, March 17
Psalm 97
Romans 7:13-25
John 6:16-27
"For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."
Romans 7:15
In today’s reading from Romans, we find Paul in a state of inner struggle
and defeat. He wants to do good but says that he continues to do the evil
that he does not want to do. He begins to realize that self-effort cannot
achieve an absence of sin by keeping the law. What was intended to free
the people from sin actually enslaved them to the law.
We are not told when Paul was experiencing these struggles. Footnotes
suggest that it might have been during his days of physical blindness at
Damascus. It also suggest that his struggle was between the old Mosaic
Law and the new birth that he receives through Christ.
Toward the end of the chapter, Paul says: “What a wretched man I am!
Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through
Jesus Christ our Lord.” Just like Paul, we are unable to overcome sin by
keeping the Law which is why Jesus came. He perfectly fulfilled the Law by
living a sinless life and then laid down his life for you and for me as
payment in full for our sins of the past, present and future. What an
awesome gift! What is our response and how do we express our
thankfulness?
Father of love, Source of all blessings,
Help us to pass from our old life of sin to the new life of grace.
It is not by the deeds we have done but by Your grace alone that we enter.
Help us to find meaningful ways to express our thankfulness.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
Joan Cowart
30
Wednesday, March 18
Jeremiah 18:1-11 Psalm 101
Romans 8:1-11
John 6:27-40
"Jesus said to them,
'Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven,
but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.'”
John 6:32-33
Someone recently said that Jesus was a Progressive because he cared for the poor
and those in need. I don't want to get into a debate about Jesus' potential political
views. I'm not even sure he would have wanted to dirty his hands with politics. Tax
collectors are one thing but powerful politicians are something completely
different.
To me the bigger debate is what his thoughts on religion and powerful religious
leaders where. Jesus wanted us (individually & collectively) to have a direct,
loving relationship with God. He was intolerant of those people and personal
desires that blocked that relationship. He challenged the religious leaders of his
time and even became violent with the money changers.
Increasingly, people today are not connecting to church communities. They don't
see a need for religion. Science, technology and government can address their daily
needs and concerns. It makes me wonder if we are somehow blocking the love of
God for those people. Are there things that we can do (individually & collectively)
to help bring the unchurched to a deeper relationship with God? Are there ways
outside the church or how we manifest God's Church that would help these people
feast on the "true bread from heaven"?
Dear God,
Draw us ever closer to you
and help us awaken others to your love. Amen
Jim Linthicum
31
Thursday, March 19
2 Samuel 7:4; 8-16 Psalm 89:1-19
Romans 4:13-18
Luke 2:41-52
"After three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions.
Everyone who heard Him was amazed at his understanding and His answer."
Luke 2: 46-47
As I read the lectionary for today, I realized that I have written on these lessons before.
This shouldn’t have been surprising since each year I ask for March 19th (or February
18th or April 9th), my children's birthdays, and I write with them on my heart and in my
mind. But it had never occurred to me before that by doing this I would be writing on
the same set of scripture every three years.
I had a distinct memory of writing about Jesus’ parents searching frantically for him
once they realized he was not with them on their return trip from Jerusalem. So I
decided to go back through my files to find that meditation. I didn’t find it – it must
have predated 2011, the year I started keeping copies of my annual Lenten meditations.
What I did find, though, was the meditation I wrote in 2012, inspired by a verse from 2
Samuel. This year I didn’t even notice that verse but instead found my mind focusing on
Jesus in the temple. I’m sure that’s because I am currently one of three teachers for the
middle school Sunday school class, a wonderfully smart and clever group of boys and
girls who are right around the age Jesus was at the time of this story.
I am frequently amazed at the insight and maturity of these middle schoolers, so of
course my mind would focus on 12-year-old Jesus.
What really struck me as I thought about all this is that though I have read these same
four passages three different times, each year something different has caught my
attention. I am comforted by realizing that the Bible, this very old book, has new and
different things to teach me and will reach out to me in new and different ways each
time I read it.
I may change and the circumstances I find myself in may change, but the word of God is
consistent. God’s message of love is a constant.
What I need to read to know that love changes from year to year, and God’s word is
ready.
Polly Linthicum
32
Jeremiah 23:1-8
Psalm 102
Friday, March 20
Romans 8:28-39
John 6:52-50
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,
who have been called according to His purpose.
For those God for-knew he predestined to conform to the likeness of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many.
And those he predestined he also called; those he called he justified;
those he justified, he also glorified."
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all---how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?
Christ Jesus, who died----more than that, who was raised to life----is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written: " For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
NO, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
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 8:28-39
We are told that Paul wrote the Book of Romans in the form of a letter to the people of the church in Rome. Paul's
primary theme is the basic gospel. God's plan of salvation and righteousness, for all mankind, Jew and Gentile alike.
Nothing will separate us from the love of God.
The scripture teaches us that God has a plan for our lives. Plans to prosper us and not to harm us. We have a future
and a hope.
Do I have an ear to hear and follow Christ's teaching and way of life? Do I let go of my self-absorption long enough
to listen and act on the Christ Spirit in me, to walk daily in God's path? I know I cannot, unless I humbly turn to
God for direction and be conformed to the likeness and obedience of Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to be walking in God's will? Do I free myself of the constraints of my desires? Do I act on the
knowledge I have freedom to believe in God's promises. I know I can't just go to God in prayer when an emergency
happens. Daily, hourly, I need His wisdom and help. To me it means, there is a wonderful peace that comes from
knowing I am not alone. The Holy Spirit is with me and comforts me. It brings to mind the joy and beauty to be
expressed in daily life. It is ripe with so many astounding and marvelous blessings. One of them being freedom
from thinking I can do it all by myself for He is with me in my struggles and hard times.
I thank God that He has created all of us with the ability to love each other and his great world. Even though we are
all different he conforms all of us into His likeness through Christ. He guides us into His purpose and love. God
blesses us with the knowledge that with Him, we can be victorious and more than conquerors in any path and plan
He has for us.
God, please help me to listen... and thank you for the life you have given me.
"THANKS BE TO GOD!
Melanie Joyce Alexander.
33
Saturday, March 21
Jeremiah 23:9-15 Psalm 107: 33-43
Romans 9:1-18
John 6:60-71
"Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.."
Psalm 107:43
Go To Your Room and Shut the Door!
Lent is a time to reflect and ponder. Ponder means to think through something with depth and with all its
implications. It implies a serious process involving a thinking head and a feeling heart.
The word “ponder” is not used frequently today; however, it is found many times in the Bible. The psalmists
pondered the loving deeds of the Lord. Mary, the mother of Jesus pondered in her heart the meaning of his birth.
Isaac went out to the fields to meditate. Jesus went to Gethsemane and pondered what was soon to happen to him on
Good Friday.
We are often busy pondering about our future, the “what ifs,” our past regrets, what college to attend, should I quit
my job, and so forth and so on – all without God in the picture. But how much time do we spend pondering the
deeds of God in our world and in our lives?
In Psalm 107:33-43 and in other verses throughout the Psalms, the psalmist calls us to ponder the loving deeds of the
Lord. How and where is the best way to do this? We won’t be able to go to Gethsemane and likely will not go to the
fields. There are, however, many places we can go – church, in our garden, on a mountain top – to name a few. But
it could be a place right “under our noses.” Jesus says in Matthew: “..when you pray, go into your room and shut the
door (How many times have you said that to your children?) and pray.” It’s as simple as that. No cell phone, no TV,
no laundry to fold, nothing to do but contemplate the loving deeds of God and his purpose for us.
The following are words of the Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern:*
I couldn’t hear myself think above the din of my surroundings,
And when I finally did, I was surprised by what I heard.
I’d lived my life in restless banter, but with a pause I met what had eluded me –
the part of me that waited to be born.
In a flash, the voices of my friends, abandoned, and my children and my spouse,
could once again be heard.
And I knew then the price of racing, harried, through my life;
Child, friend, lover, parent, Destiny, God made mute by my deaf ears.
No better argument for staying still was ever made to me.
No happiness, in my entire life, more easily, found and held
Than learning to be watchful – listening, waiting, looking –
for what watches, waits, and listens to be born.
Lent is the perfect time to shut the door to the outside world. It is a good time to wait and ponder all the good deeds
that God is doing in our lives and in our world.
Dear God,
help us see and feel you in all that we do and say.
Give us grateful hearts to see your loving deeds
as you continue to reveal to us your purpose in our lives. Amen
*From a sermon by Dean Scotty McLennan, Stanford Memorial Church, December 24, 2006.
Joyce Tripp Miller
34
5th Week of Lent
Sunday, March 22
Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalm 51:1-13
Hebrews 5:5-10
John 12:20-33
“Create in me a pure heart, o God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grate me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” -Psalm 51:10-12
This is a story I am ashamed to tell. Even as I begin, I think “surely they will understand. We all make
mistakes. It wasn’t that bad. Everybody knows kids can be cruel.” I imagine most folks thought I was a
nice enough kid: book-cracking, choir-singing, Girl Scouting, etc. But the very Girl Scout troop where I
was supposedly practicing kindness was the scene of one of my most shameful memories. It was the
talent show, you see—all us 9-year-old’s singing and dancing our hearts out—and Jenny McPherson’s
father had volunteered to run the camcorder.
After the show, we gathered in a dark classroom to view the footage. There was no doubt that Jenny had
out-performed all of us. We sat in rows of hard-backed plastic chairs; Jenny, alone, in the front, my
friends and I giggling in the back. On the TV screen, we saw Jenny’s feet moving in time while the rest
of us clopped along. We heard her voice, pitch perfect above the rest of our rag-tag chorus. With the first
pinpricks of jealousy, we began to whisper, loudly. “She thinks she’s so much better.” “She’s not that
good.” “She’s getting more time on camera because her dad taped it.” At an angle, through the ponytailed heads in front of me, I saw tears rolling down Jenny’s face. My stomach clenched with guilt and
my heart hammered. I shut up, but I didn’t stop my friends as they continued the abuse.
The vision of the pain and humiliation I caused her haunted me for months. One afternoon we crossed
paths in an empty hallway at school, and I felt as if somebody kicked me towards her. “Jenny!” I blurted.
“Jenny, I’m sorry about that day we watched the video. I’m so sorry.” Her face lit up with a smile—a
genuine, kind smile that I surely did not deserve—and she forgave me with a simple “it’s okay.” I felt my
heart filling up like a helium balloon. To this day, I can feel the relief and release of that moment.
When we are truly remorseful, there is an unmitigated joy in being forgiven. The ways in which God
forgives us are, no doubt, vastly greater than that of a sweet-natured 9-year-old. But perhaps he gives us
the capacity to forgive others and to need forgiveness ourselves, so that we may catch a glimpse of his
own great, unending love.
Pride keeps us from feeling remorse, keeps us from needing a Savior, keeps us from God’s eternal joy. Jesus tells us
his Father will honor those who follow and serve him. When he tells us to take up the cross, I believe he is telling us
to put down our pride and all the ugliness it tries to conceal. When we accept Christ, he becomes “the source of
eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Heb. 5:9), and, in great joy, we are forgiven.
Dear Lord,
Grant in me the ability to see my own mistakes and wrong-doings, so that I desire your forgiveness.
Give me a touch of your grace, so that I may forgive others, even when it is unasked.
In your Son’s name, help me to let go of my pride and release myself into the joy of salvation.
Cara Becker
35
Jeremiah 24:1-10
Monday, March 23
Psalm 31
Romans 9:19-33
John 9:1-17
"This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." John 9:3
Our Gospel lesson today is about a man born blind.
Have you ever thought what it would be like to be born blind?
Never to be able to see your Mother's and Father's loving eyes?
or the mischievous face of your sibling?
Or the beauty of nature?
I often thought that being blind was the worst thing that could happen to you.
That was until I met
and really got to know, the most extraordinary woman who was blind.
Miriam lived alone and was the Secretary of a Psychologist friend of ours.
She could tell from the footsteps of a person who it was that was entering the
office. When I asked her, she said she could "feel" the colors of her clothing.
I was envious of her for these deep perceptions!
She once said to me, "I feel so sorry for those who have eyesight, but cannot see!"
Does that describe me?
At the time of the writing of the book of John, the Hebrew people believed that if a
child was born with some "challenge", it was because the parents had sinned.
How grateful am I that that belief system has changed!
For Jesus taught:
This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. John 9:3
Now, stop for a minute.
Have you ever considered that something happened in your life
so that the work of God might be displayed?
Jesus healed the man who had been blind from birth, but the Pharisees were furious - because
Jesus had healed on the Sabbath!
I grew up believing that the Pharisees were the "bad men"!
However, I have learned that they were very much trying to follow God's law they just had not put "love" into it!
So today's Gospel proves to me that I have many misperceptions,
and that things often happen in my life solely so that the work of God might be displayed.
Harmony Kiser
36
Tuesday, March 24
Jeremiah 25:8-17 Psalm 120
Romans 10:1-13
John 9:18-41
"If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." John 9:33
Today's Gospel continues with yesterday's story about the healing of the blind
man.
When the Pharisees questioned him about how he gained his sight, he simply said,
"He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see." John 9:15
When they continued questioning him, he said, "He is a prophet." John 9:17
The Jews still did not believe that the man had been born blind and had
miraculously received his sight, so they vigorously questioned his parents.
How sadly we read that his parents were "afraid of the Jews" John 9:22
Doesn't this tell us that the blind man and his parents were not Jewish themselves?
Anyway, the poor parents could only say that they only knew that their son had
been born, but now he can see. In fright they said, "He is of age; ask him."
So they questioned the blind man who had been healed again, and he answered:
"I have told you already and you did not listen."
(How many times have we not listened?)
"Why do you want to hear it again.
Do you want to become his disciples, too?" John 9:27
So what did they next do to the poor blind man who had been healed?
They threw stones at him!
When Jesus heard that they had thrown the healed blind man out, he questioned
him, and then said:
"Jesus said, 'For judgment I have come into this world,
so that the blind will see,
and that those who do see will become blind.'" John 9:19
Aren't those words all we need to know?
Harmony Kiser
37
Wednesday, March 25
The Annunciation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Isaiah 7:10-14 Luke 1:46-55 Hebrews 10:4-10 Luke 1:26-38 (Canticle 15)
"Nothing is impossible with God.
'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered.
'May it be to me as you have said.'" Luke 1:38
Wouldn't it be wonderful to have the kind of faith that Mary did,
in spite of her fear and unanswered questions.
How I wish I could be that blindly obedient to whatever God asks of me!
Then we are told in the Gospel lesson that Mary went to her cousin Elizabeth's
home, and greeted Elizabeth with:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior." Luke 1:46-47
Wow! How in the world could a young unmarried woman who had just found out
that she was pregnant, ever have that kind of spirit?
The story of Jesus' mother, Mary has always been such an inspiration to me, and
completely fills me with awe.
Think of the time that when Jesus was only 12 years old, and got left behind,
and replied He was "about His father's business".
Think about Jesus being at the wedding with His mother when they ran out of wine
a complete catastrophy,
when Mary know that Jesus could "heal" the situation.
Think about Mary at the foot of the cross.
Think of Jesus' dying words, when speaking had to cause Him so much pain,
but he was so concerned about His mother that He gave her into the
care of His Beloved Disciple, John.
Following the teaching of Christ, we must love His Mother, Mary! Harmony Kiser
38
Thursday, March 26
Jeremiah 26:1-16 Psalm 131
Romans 11:1-12
John 10:19-42
“I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at his mother’s breast." Psalm 131
The heart beat and warmth of a mother’s breast calms a child, feeling secure, safe,
protected. Love of Mother and child is innocent and pure. In this beautiful song of
trust, we sense the humbleness of the calmed and quiet soul. When we are at one
with God, when we are still and calm, we can submit to God’s plan, to God’s will.
“In God’s time.”
We hear and speak these words often when we are in difficult times:
out of work,
going through a divorce,
the loss of a loved one,
struggling with finances,
or when we are ill.
Our faith is tested day after day, night after night. Yet with the love of community,
and quiet connection with God, we find strength to carry on, to move forward, to
wait and be patient to the process.
Lent is indeed a process. We must have faith in this journey as God’s will and
guidance will be revealed to us.
Are you ready?
Are you listening?
Heavenly Father,
We pray that you will keep us safe and warm, that you will protect us.
Help us to have complete trust in your grace.
Guide us in your will as we humbly submit to your plan in your time.
In your name we pray. Amen
Linda Bowman
39
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-13
Friday, March 27
Psalm 141
Romans 11:13-24
John 12:1-10
“In Thee I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless.”
Psalm 141:8
I am ashamed to admit that I have never been one to watch the news on a
regular basis. Part of the reason is that I don’t really care for TV. However, lately
our family has been watching it while we eat dinner. While I do feel more
informed, I also feel more fearful. It has made me genuinely afraid of what people
are capable of, especially as I watch the evil actions of ISIS.
Psalm 141:8 reminds me of the protection God gives us, the sword and shield of
our faith. There is no one stronger, no one more powerful. I have caught myself
saying the same prayer of David.
God,
Please don’t leave me.
Be there with me every minute of the day
and protect me from the evils of this world.
And even more importantly, protect my family. Amen.
Debra Tomlin
40
Jeremiah 31:27-34
Saturday, March 28
Psalm 137:1-6 Romans 11:25-36
John 12:37-50
Jesus: “ Since I know that His commandment means eternal life,
whatever I say is spoken just as He instructed me.”
John 12: 50
Jeremiah was in Jerusalem throughout the crisis which led to the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians in 587BC and the
exile of the Jewish leaders to Babylon. Before he, himself was exiled into Egypt and murdered, Jeremiah prophesied of a “new
covenant” which in New Testament times is called “the Gospel before the Gospel":
“This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will place My law within them and
write it upon their hearts;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
No longer will they have needs to teach their friends and kinsmen how to know the Lord.
All, from the least to the greatest, shall know Me, says the Lord,
for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:33-34
Six hundred years later, Paul wrote to the Romans in 57 AD:
“As Scripture says
'Out of Zion will come the deliverer who shall remove all impiety from Jacob;
and this is the covenant I will make with them when I take away their sins.'
In respect to the Gospel, the Jews are enemies of God for your sake;
in respect to the election, they are beloved by Him because of the patriarchs.
God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.”
As John reports in the 12th chapter of his gospel, Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph on His last visit to
that holy city and proclaimed aloud:
“Whoever puts faith in Me believes not so much in Me as in He who sent Me;
and whoever looks on Me is seeing Him who sent Me…..
If anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world, but to save it.
Whoever rejects Me and does not accept My words already has his judge…..
For I have not spoken on My own;
no, the father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to speak.
Since I know that His commandment means eternal life,
whatever I say is spoken just as He instructed me.” John 13:4-49
Holy Spirit,
Please grant us the wisdom to hear the Good News that has been written on our hearts
and the persistence to live our lives in concert with the teachings of our Christ every day of our lives.
We ask this in Your name and the Father’s name and in the name of Jesus Christ,
our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Joe Rich
41
Holy Week
Palm Sunday, March 29, 2015
Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 14:1 - 15:47
It surprises me that today, Palm Sunday, the Gospel lesson does not describe Palm
Sunday, but rather the very long lesson is about Jesus being anointed by a lady
with very expensive perfume while Jesus was at Bethany and reclining at the table
in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper. When some of those present
began to rebuke her, Jesus said:
"Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her?
She has done a beautiful thing to me.
The poor you will always have with you and you can help them anyway you want.
But you will not always have me." Mark 14:6-7
Then Mark tells us about Judas Iscariot going to the Chief Priests to betray Jesus.
It continues with Jesus sending two of his disciples into Jerusalem to prepare a
place for them to celebrate the Passover Dinner. During the Passover Dinner,
while they were eating:
"Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying:
'Take it; this is My body.'
Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it.
'This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine
until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God." Mark 14:22-24
Then it continues with the Lord's Supper, where Jesus predicts Peter's denial of
Him. They then went to Gethsemane, where Jesus asked His disciples to sit while
He prayed. Jesus was "deeply distressed", and prayed:
"Abba, Father, everything is possible for You.
Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will."
Mark 14:35-36
Harmony Kiser
42
Monday of Holy Week, March 30
Isaiah 42:1-9
Psalm 36:5-11
Hebrews 9:11-15
John 12:1-11
We are moving into the final days of our Lenten Journey. The Resurrection is coming and with it God's most wonderful gift to
all creation will be made manifest in the Risen Lord. Many will begin to understand while some will not believe this “Good
News” the gift of eternal salvation. Such goes another Lenten Season …...
…...but with each of the many times I have made this journey I cannot help but be driven to tears of joy by the final cataclysmic
event of Resurrection. “First and Last time it will ever happen” but in our celebration of this Season we get the chance to
relive it each year.......... hopefully with new eyes and ears and hearts.
For those that believe, it is all a part of enjoying the gift of Eternal Life - life that begins here on this planet Earth with those
whom we encounter in our earth journeys. To believe also means that we are to share this “Good News” so that those we tell will
know of this Great Gift open to all who believe.
He sent us Jesus to achieve this mighty act of eternal salvation for all His Creation:
"See my servant, whom I uphold; my Chosen One in whom I delight.
I have put my Spirit upon him; he will reveal justice to the nations of the world.
He will be gentle—he will not shout nor quarrel in the streets.
He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the dimly burning flame.
He will encourage the fainthearted, those tempted to despair.
He will see full justice given to all who have been wronged.
He won’t be satisfied until truth and righteousness prevail throughout the earth,
nor until even distant lands beyond the seas have put their trust in him." Isaiah: 41: 1-4
God is mighty in all that He does:
" How precious is your constant love, O God!
All humanity takes refuge in the shadow of your wings" Psalm 36:7.
JESUS life, the perfect offering for our eternal salvation:
"He came as High Priest of this better system that we now have.
He went into that greater, perfect tabernacle in heaven, not made by men nor part of this world,
and once for all took blood into that inner room, the Holy of Holies,
and sprinkled it on the mercy seat; but it was not the blood of goats and calves.
No, he took his own blood, and with it he, by himself, made sure of our eternal salvation.": Hebrews 9:11-12 11.
The final hours approach:
"Six days before the Passover ceremonies began,
Jesus arrived in Bethany where Lazarus was—the man he had brought back to life.......
When the ordinary people of Jerusalem heard of his arrival, they flocked to see him
and also to see Lazarus—the man who had come back to life again.
Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus too,
for it was because of him that many of the Jewish leaders had deserted
and believed in Jesus as their Messiah." John 12: 1, 9-11
The Lenten Journey is almost finished- new journeys begin with first steps
and today is as good a day as any to step out in faith in ways large or small
(mustard seeds start really big things!).
I pray that we each strive to become messengers of the Gospel, guided by God and His Son,
that others may learn of this Good News.
Chuck Johnson
43
Isaiah 49:1-7
Tuesday of Holy Week, March 31
Psalm 71:1-14
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
John 12:20-36
“Jesus answered them,
‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Very truly, I tell your, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
it remains just a single grain;
but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world
will keep it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am,
there will my servant be also.
Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
Now my soul is troubled.
And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’?
No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’
Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’
The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said,
‘An angel has spoken to him.’
Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine." John 12:23-30- . . . .’
One clue of significance in this passage for me is that it is the only one in the Gospel of John in which we hear a
voice from heaven. In the other Gospels a voice from heaven comes at two other moments which signify Jesus’
baptism—a religious ritual, and the Transfiguration—an event which aligns Jesus with the faith tradition. Neither
involves one scintilla of pain or death. For the author of this Gospel, there seems to be one very thin place when
heaven breaks through: those moments of death, not just for Jesus, but for us as well.
It’s easy to talk about walking through Holy Week with Jesus toward his crucifixion—it’s so easy, frankly, that I’m tired of the
phrase. It can lend itself to a lot of posturing and faux holiness. For me, even with the somberness of the service, there’s not
much pain in going to Good Friday service, walking through the Stations of the Cross, and leaving to eat a fish dinner or even to
fast. If I allow it, all the liturgy and ritual can represent not much more than a stylized façade.
There are other “Holy Weeks” we are asked to walk through, though. Those Holy Weeks are the ones in which there is pain,
separation, disease, and death. The real thing. No façade, no comfort.
For a few of us, these “Holy Weeks” involve our deaths. The recent movie Selma has had me reflecting on the
ultimate sacrifice so many individuals made for future generations and times they would never know. More
common for most of us, our losses involves other deaths. There’s the sacrifice and exhaustion of caring for a loved
one who is going from hospital, to rehabilitation, and back to the hospital again. The death of visiting a relative or
old friend who turns to us in the fog of dementia and asks us who we are. It’s raising and caring for a child,
knowing that child will ultimately not always be so sweet and cuddly, and but will leave you.
Whenever we love deeply, we are opening ourselves to loss. At the same time, Jesus says, loving deeply is that thin place where
God breaks through and transforms us. It’s the only way our little kernel of wheat can bear any fruit. That’s the “Holy Week”
walk which all of us must make, all in our own way. It’s painful and can seem awfully lonely.
We are troubled by our walks, but Jesus was as well. I’ve made the journey, Jesus calls to us, and I will be with you. For all the
pain it causes, come love with me. Come be fruitful.
John Ray
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Isaiah 50:4-9a
Wednesday of Holy Week, April 1
Psalm 70
Hebrews 12:1-3
John 13:21-32
"After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared,
'Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.'
The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was speaking."
John 13: 21-22
How hard it must have been for Jesus to know one of His disciples would betray
Him. If we were in the same situation, would we just simply accept it or would
we argue back? Ask for explanations, demand some answers. Nobody likes to be
betrayed or disappointed, especially from someone you trust and love. What a huge
lesson of infinite faith and love.
What about the disciples? How did they feel when they heard such a statement?
Probably, for most people, facing a similar situation, the immediate reaction would
be very defensive or even asking
"How can you not trust me?
You have known me for a long time, I would never do that to you."
During this season of Lent, let us all stop and ponder,
"Are we following our Savior's example?
What if I was the one been told I would betray Him?
How can I demonstrate with actions and not only words
that I am here willing to follow His plan
with the same love and faith He taught us.
Cecilia Trueba, Preschool & MMO Director
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Maundy Thursday, April 2
Exodus 12:1-14 Psalm 116:1, 10-17 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-17, 31b-35
This is a day you are to commemorate:
for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD a lasting ordinance.
Exodus 12:14
The book of Exodus tells us how Moses was sent by God to Pharaoh to be a deliverer of
Israel. The Pharaoh, of course, did not heed Moses' plea to set the people of Israel free
from their slavery, and the stage was then set for the showdown between the God of
Israel and the gods of Egypt. The final terrible plague that would descend upon the
people of Egypt would be the death of the firstborn sons in the land. Only those families
that sacrificed an unblemished lamb (Pesach) and smeared its blood upon the doorposts
of the house would be "passed over" (pasach) from the impending wrath from heaven.
The name Pesach (translated "Passover") derives from the Hebrew word pasach (passed
over) and refers to the sparing of the households of the faithful on account of the
sacrificial blood of the lamb.
That night the meal of the sacrifice was to be roasted with unleavened bread and bitter
herbs and eaten in haste, since the Jews were to be ready to begin their journey
immediately after God smote the Egyptian firstborn sons. God "passed over" those
homes whose doorposts were sprinkled with the blood of the Passover lamb. God
further commanded that Passover be observed annually as a permanent reminder of the
deliverance from Egypt.
It was at His last Passover Dinner that Jesus requested that we continue celebrating this
in remembrance of Him. (See Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-38; John
13-17; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34) That is why we say during the Holy Eucharist every week
from the Prayer Book:
"Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us."
A new command I give you: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are My disciples:
if you love one another." John 13:34-35
To me, this sums up what Jesus wants from us - to love one another!
Harmony Kiser
46
Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12
Good Friday, April 3
Psalm 22 Hebrews 10:16-25
John 18:1 - 19:42
'O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer:
At night as well, but I find no rest.
Yet you are the Holy One, enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
Our forefathers put their trust in you: They trusted and you delivered them.'
Psalm 22: 2-4
The first line of this psalm is the cry Jesus let out from the cross ;
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'
In His agony and despair during the three hours He hung dying on the cross Jesus
must have felt utterly abandoned. We cannot contemplate the crucifixion without remembering
the humanity of the Incarnate Word of God.
It was in that humanity that Jesus experienced the extremes of pain and suffering that
characterize so much of our earthly existence and of the story of our race. Jesus died and rose
again to overcome that pain and to restore to us the promise of eternal life. So when we hear that
desperate cry '.......why have you forsaken me ?' it is not only out of His own deep feeling of
abandonment - it is OUR cry that comes from the lips of our Saviour.
In His human-ness we are caught up in the experience of God in our human flesh in a
deep communion with Him in our most desperate moments.
Hearing those words from Psalm 22 in this time of extreme pain and helplessness we have to
remember the context in which they occur in the scripture which Jesus used:
'I cry in the daytime and you do not answer - by night as well, but I find no rest - YET you are
the Holy One....our forefathers put their trust in you.'
In this full expression of human suffering there are the words of faith '
TRUST IN YOU.'
Jesus' crucifixion is a profound act of faith in God. It is the ultimate placing of all our suffering,
no matter how extreme, in the loving arms of God in whom we trust - just as our forefathers did
and were delivered. The cry of despair is the beginning of a prayer of faith.
Blessed Saviour,
At the noon hour You hung upon the cross, stretching out your loving arms:
Grant that all the peoples of the earth may look to You and be saved;
For Your tender mercies' sake.
AMEN
The Rev. Canon John Bolton
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Job 14:1-14
Holy Saturday, April 4
Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16
1 Peter 4:1-8
John 19:38-42
"After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus,
though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus.
Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body.
Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came,
bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds.
They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom
of the Jews.
Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified,
and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid.
And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there."
John 19:38-42
The weight of Good Friday has settled in. It is Holy Saturday, a time of inbetween. Jesus, our Beloved Savior, has been brutally killed. He did nothing to
deserve such a death. He was gentle, kind, healing the sick, bringing hope to the
poor. Although my mind knows this is what happened, my heart wants to deny it.
It is too painful. If I am not careful, today can become like any other Saturday –
full of errands and cleaning and laundry, as I try to escape the events of Good
Friday.
But today we are called to be with the One who loved us first. Today we are called
to stop. Perhaps you can take time to sit in silence, or take a walk in the woods;
make sandwiches for Crossroads Community Ministries or set aside some quality
items to donate to North Fulton Community Charities. Mark this day and keep it
Holy. It is not just another Saturday; it is Holy Saturday, and we are called to a
time of Holy reflection, remembering all that Jesus has done for us, all that makes
it possible for us to be a part of the community we call Christian.
Deacon Lesley Ann Drake
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Isaiah 25:6-9
Easter Day, Sunday, April 5, 2014
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
As you raised and redeemed your Son Jesus Christ from sin and death on the cross, you also redeemed
our life from the pit!
We began this Lent and Lenten devotion with Psalm 103, saying,
“Bless the Lord, my soul.”
So we end our Lenten journey and welcome Easter
with a blessed and redeemed soul! Alleulia!
Our Lenten journey also followed the meditations of the Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE)—Stop.
Pray. Work. Play. Love. Simple words for deeper, more enriched spiritual life, these guiding values of
the Christian way have hopefully been a good path for you—and will continue to be so. They are not just
for Lent, after all. Especially Love.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son,
to the end that all who believe in him may not die,
but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“Love one another as I have loved you.” John 13:34
Or as the Brothers of SSJE said in their last Sunday meditation:
“It’s the time for love. (It’s always the time for love.)
Love is the beginning and the end, Alpha and Omega, and everything in between.
Love is the message, the messenger, the meaning of it all, because God is love,
[and] love does not exist until it’s given away,”
realized and expressed in a relationship.
The Resurrection is God’s defining expression of love and relationship with humanity. In the
Resurrection, God showed and gave His love to us…which makes us children of love, people of
Resurrection.
So, brothers and sisters in the love of God, do make time to love.
Make time to give love away in expressions of kindness, renewal, service, self-giving.
Be a Resurrection person, or as the beloved-hymn says,
walk as a child of the light
for these 50 days of Easter—and always.
Let alleluias ring from your lips and extend from your heart, head, and hands.
By the grace of God, you have been redeemed, reborn, renewed.
And for what?
To love God and neighbor!
The Rev. Rob Wood
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Contributors:
Pages
Melanie Joyce Alexander
33
Carol Banks
11
Beth Barnwell, Polly Linthicum's Sister
25
Cara Becker
14, 35
Kaitlyn Berry
20
Canon John Bolton
47
Linda Bowman
16, 39
Debi Carnaroli
6
Joan Cowart
30
Ann West Dancy
15, 24
Deacon Lesley Ann Drake
48
Chuck Johnson
23, 28, 43
Harmony Kiser
29, 36, 37, 38, 42,46
Jim Linthicum
31
Polly Linthicum
32
Anne McManes
5
Joyce Tripp Miller
34
Valerie Pettit
4
Caleb Pilgrim
22, 29
Carol Sue Ravenel
18
John Ray
44
Joe Rich
10, 41
Sarah Sambol
7, 17, 29
Gregory Smith
8, 26
Jim Smith
12
Martha Smith
13
Deb Stecher
19, 27
Debra Tomlin
9, 40
Cecilia Trueba, Preschool & MMO Director
45
Nancy Williams
21
The Rev. Rob Wood
3, 49
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Sunday Adult Forum During Lent 2015
Sundays February 22, March 1, 8, 15 and 22, 10:00 to 10:45 AM
Stop, Pray, Work, Play, Love.
In a series of short, daily videos over five weeks, the Brothers of the Society of St. John
the Evangelist (SSJE) invite us to recapture time as a gift. Facilitated by Fr. Rob Wood
in Burtenshaw Hall, this class will follow the daily video and Sunday recap meditations
of the SSJE Brothers.
Contemplative Prayer for Beginners
Led by Deacon Lesley-Ann Drake, we will explore contemplative prayer (prayer of
listening) using Thomas Keating's book Open Heart, Open Mind as our guide. Please
purchase the book ahead of time and reach Chapter 1 before the first class. Copies are
available at St. Aidan's for $13. Please see Deacon Lesley-Ann to purchase a copy of the
book or for questions. We will meet in the Rector's Office.
Lectio Divina
Led by Joe Rich in the Parish Office, Lectio Divina literally means "divine reading".
Lectio Divina is an ancient practice of praying the scriptures. During Lectio Divina, the
practitioner listens to the text of the Bible with the "ear of the heart", as if he or she is in
conversation with God, and God is suggesting the topics for discussion. The method of
Lectio Divina includes moments of reading (lectio), reflecting on (meditatio), responding
(oratio) and resting in (contemplatio) the Word of God with the aim of nourishing and
deepening one's relationship with the Divine.
"Not Your Mama's Sunday School
Seeing God's Power in Action: A Study of Acts by Phyllis J. LePeau, led by Carrie Kozel
in the Parish Life Building Library.
Wednesday Evenings During Lent
Wednesdays February 25, March 4, 11, 18, and 25
6:00 to 6:45 Soup Supper; Classes 6:45-7:30
We offer four learning opportunities, each taking the shape of a small group where
discussions and personal connections will grow. The discussions will be
a Bible Study, a reflection on the Rule of St. Benedict, a deeper look at the Enneagram
(with Nan Henson), and a writings of C. S. Lewis discussion group. Please join us!
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Holy Week Schedule
Palm Sunday, March 29, 2015
Services at 8:45 and 11 am
Passover Seder Meal with Eucharist at 5:30 pm
Sign Up for a Table by March 9
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week
March 30, 31 and April 1, 2015
7:00 PM, Eucharist
Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2015
7:00 PM Proper Liturgy for Maundy Thursday,
with Washing of Feet
Good Friday, April 3, 2015
12 noon -- Proper Liturgy for Good Friday
7:00 PM -- Stations of the Cross, which follows Jesus along the path from
His arrest to Calvary (more child-centered)
*****
The Great Vigil of Easter, Saturday, April 4, 2015
8:30 PM
Officially, the first service of the season of Easter
Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015
9:00 AM and 11:15 AM
Full music at both services, with incense at the later service.
*****
St. Aidan's Episcopal Church
The Rev. Robert B. Wood, Rector
The Rev. Canon John Bolton
Deacon Lesley Ann Drake
www.staidans.org
13560 Cogburn Road, Milton, GA 30004
Phone: (770) 521-0207
Email: [email protected]
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