Holy Week--Betrayal

Lent Day 37: Wednesday in Holy Week, March 31

Theme for the Week: The Passion of Christ according to Saint Luke

Passage for the Day: Luke 22:1-6

¹Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. ² The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people. ³ Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; ⁴ he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. ⁵ They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. ⁶ So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.

Reflection:

The Gospel of Luke sets up the time of Jesus’ death as being at the time of the Passover, one of the high, holy holidays of the Jewish calendar. The chief priests and scribes are described as looking for a way to put Jesus to death because they are afraid of the people. This is not the first time that Luke mentions this. Three chapters earlier, after describing Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, his cleansing of the temple and his teaching of the people, Luke writes: “The chief priests, the scribes and the leaders of the people were looking for a way to kill him, but they did not find anything they could do because the people were spellbound by what they heard.” Now again, a few days later the leaders, again, want to kill him, but they are still afraid of the people.

We are not really certain why the chief priests are afraid of the people, but we can speculate. Great crowds of people would gather in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover, as faithful Jews came to make the required sacrifices in the temple. Perhaps the priests and leaders are afraid that Jesus will get these crowds of people all riled up and that the leaders will be the targets of their rage, or that the Roman ruling authorities will hold the leaders responsible for the out-of-control mob.

They find their way around the problem of how to get rid Jesus, when Judas steps into the picture. Satan, who, we heard in Luke Chapter 4, had departed from Jesus after the 40 days in the wilderness to await an opportune time, indeed finds this so-called opportune time with Judas. Satan enters into Judas, who then agrees to conspire with the chief priests as to how to betray Jesus.

What does Satan do when he enters into Jesus? What hold does Satan have on Judas? Is Judas tempted by the money offered by the priests or the power he holds over Jesus’ fate? Luke has set the scene for Jesus’ death: in Jerusalem, at the time of the Passover, and betrayed by one of his own disciples, Judas Iscariot. Imagine Jesus’ pain in knowing that one of his own is the trigger for his murder. The wheels are in motion, the inevitable must occur, Jesus must die.

Prayer Themes:

In this Holy Week, thank God for Jesus’ great sacrifice. Pray that I might be able to witness to Jesus death and resurrection. Pray that Satan might not enter into me, tempting me with offers of power and wealth. Pray for those in positions of authority that they might not abuse their power.

Holy Communion--A New Covenant

Lent Day 36: Tuesday in Holy Week, March 30

Theme for the Week: Holy Communion—Bread for the Journey

Passage for the Day: Luke 22:14-20

¹⁴ When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ¹⁶ for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; ¹⁸ for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” ¹⁹ Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Reflection:

On this Tuesday in Holy Week, I think and feel what it means for Jesus’ hour to come. Jesus eats this last Passover meal with his disciples before he suffers. As he sits at the Table, Jesus knows that he is going to suffer. In his humanness, his death on a cross will hurt more than words can describe. Jesus’ body and blood are given for you and for me.

The cup is the new covenant in Jesus’ blood. This is covenant is the fulfillment of the prophecy of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34). “The days are surely coming when I will make new covenant with the house of Israel…I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people…I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sins no more.”

God has sent Jesus, who suffered and died for you and for me. In Jesus, God will forgive our iniquity and remember our sins no more. Thank you, Jesus!! Thank you, God!!

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the new covenant. Thank God for remembering my sins no more! Pray that I might understand and feel the magnitude of the gift that God gave for me in Jesus’ death. Pray for those who still live under the burden of sin.

Holy Communion--For the Forgiveness of Sins--Part 2

Week 6 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 35: Monday in Holy Week, March 29

Theme for the Week: Holy Communion—Bread for the Journey

Passage for the Day: 1 Corinthians 11:27

²⁷ Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord.

Reflection:

On this Monday in Holy Week, I ponder, what does it mean to eat the bread or drink the cup in an “unworthy manner”? Does it mean that I have to have been on good behavior before I can come to the Table? Does it mean sinners aren’t welcome at the Table?

I don’t believe that only those who are sin-free (as if any of us could be sin-free), can come to the Table. Otherwise, why would Matthew have recorded Jesus as saying that eating the bread and drinking the cup are for forgiveness of sins. We wouldn’t need forgiveness if we came to the Table sin-free. I come to the Table as a sinner, asking for forgiveness.

I think coming to the Table in an “unworthy manner” is to come in a way that rejects or belittles the gift that Jesus has given us. I would imagine that if I would come to the Table thinking this is a “bunch of baloney” or something worse, that would be coming in an “unworthy manner”. I would also imagine that denying someone else a place at the Table because of rules that I have made up or judgments that I have made about his or her character would also be “unworthy”. I like to think of coming to the Table as Luther did, as “one beggar telling another where to get bread.”

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the forgiveness of sins that comes from “coming to the Table”. Pray that I might come in a way that is humble, respectful and in remembrance of Jesus’ gift. Pray that in this Holy Week, I might be moved by Jesus’ gift of himself. Pray for those who struggle with feeling of unworthiness. Pray for those who reject God’s wonderful gift of Holy Communion.

Holy Communion--In remembrance of Jesus

Week 6 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 34: Saturday March 27

Theme for the Week: Holy Communion—Bread for the Journey

Passage for the Day: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Reflection:

This passage is the only time that St. Paul records a verbal interaction between Jesus and his disciples in one of his letters. The Corinthians had lapsed into some “un-Christian behaviors” during their Communion meals and Paul was reminding them of the significance of Jesus’ words. Because Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was most likely written before even Mark’s Gospel, this is the earliest written account recording Jesus’ interactions with his disciples at the time of their last meal together. This event, together with Jesus’ commands, is the basis for our celebration of Holy Communion. Paul emphasizes Jesus’ words: This is my body…This cup is…my blood. When we eat the bread and drink the cup, Jesus is present in our midst.

Neither Matthew nor Mark’s accounts has Jesus telling the disciples to “do this in remembrance of me.” In addition, neither of them records Jesus as saying that when you eat and drink, “you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” When we come together to celebrate Holy Communion, not only is Jesus truly present with us, but the eating and drinking function as an active Memorial to him. We remember all that Jesus has done for us. Paul emphasizes the communion meal as a means for communicating or proclaiming the Good News that Jesus died for you.

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the opportunity to share in the bread and wine of communion. Thank God for the presence of Christ in our midst and our memories of Jesus’ death for us. Pray that in communion, I am able to be thankful and accepting of all that Jesus has done for me. Pray for those who struggle about participating in the Communion Meal. Pray for all those who are alienated from the Christian Communion.

Bread of Life

Lent Day 33: Friday March 26

Theme for the Week: Holy Communion—Bread for the Journey

Passage for the Day: John 6:35

³⁵ Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Reflection:

In John’s Gospel, he does not record the details of a meal of bread and wine when the disciples gather with Jesus for the last time. At the last gathering John describes Jesus’ servant leadership in the washing of the disciples’ feet. However, John does record details of Jesus’ description of himself as the bread of life. This incident in Capernaum occurs shortly after Jesus’ feeding of the 5000. In John’s Gospel this revelation does not occur in a private setting with only the disciples, but rather with the crowds who have gathered around Jesus.

What a promise Jesus makes!! “I am the bread of life!” In different words than those used in Matthew and Mark’s versions of the last supper, Jesus again promises us that he will sustain us. If we come to him, we will never be hungry. Jesus gives us the food that lasts forever—not a perishable kind of food—but a food that nourishes, uplifts and strengthens our lives. Jesus nourishes us in a way that mere bread made from flour, water, salt and yeast cannot. Jesus feeds our bodies and our souls. Jesus puts himself at the core of our lives. Jesus gives us bread for the journey in this life and beyond.

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for Jesus, who is the bread of my life—the bread that sustains me. Pray that I may be open to Jesus’ nourishing action in my life. Pray for those who have never experienced Jesus’ sustaining work in their lives.

Holy Communion--For the Forgiveness of Sins

Week 6 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 32: Thursday March 25

Theme for the Week: Holy Communion—Bread for the Journey

Passage for the Day: Matthew 26:26-28

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” ²⁷ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; ²⁸ for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Reflection:

As we near the end of Lent and approach Holy Week, this passage takes on a special significance. Matthew records this event as occurring during the last meal that Jesus shares with his disciples before being condemned to die on the cross. The remembrance of this event, along with Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet are at the heart of the celebration of the Maundy Thursday service in my faith tradition. Jesus shares a meal—the simple unleavened bread and wine of a Passover celebration with the disciples. In the course of blessing the meal, Jesus tells the disciples that the bread and wine are his body and blood. The wine is the blood of the covenant that God makes with God’s people, promising forgiveness of sins.

Matthew uses many of the same words to record this scene, as does Mark. Matthew likely had access to Mark’s Gospel when he was writing his own. However, unlike Mark, Matthew places an emphasis on the forgiveness of sins which is promised in Jesus’ blood.

Each time we gather for Holy Communion, Christ is with us, in and under the bread and wine. In Christ’s presence, forgiveness of sins is granted. When we gather, we remember Christ and the covenant that God made with Jesus’ blood. When we gather and celebrate Holy Communion together, God forgives our sins.

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the forgiveness of sins given to us in Jesus’ name. Thank God for the opportunities to gather and celebrate Holy Communion together. Pray that I might remember what Jesus has sacrificed for me. Pray for those who do not yet know the joy of participating in Holy Communion. Pray for those who are preparing for to receive Communion for the first time.

Holy Communion--Bread for the Journey

Week 6 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 31: Wednesday March 24

Theme for the Week: Holy Communion—Bread for the Journey

Today we enter the 6^th week of Lent—a week that includes Palm/Passion Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. As we near the end of our Lenten journey, we will spend this week reflecting on Christ’s gift of Holy Communion.

Passage for the Day: Mark 14:22-25

²² While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” ²³ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. ²⁴ He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. ²⁵ Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Reflection:

Mark, which is Gospel most likely written earliest, records this account of Jesus sharing a last meal with his disciples before being condemned to death on the cross. After blessing the bread and wine and giving thanks for them, he tells the disciples that the bread and wine are his body and blood. In his words, Jesus also reminds them that this is his last meal. “I will never again drink…until I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

As Christians, every time we gather around the table for Holy Communion, we remember and celebrate Jesus’ words. “This is my body…this is my blood, poured out for many.” Jesus reminds us that he has given his life for the “many”—that includes all of us! We live into the reality of Jesus’ presence with us when we gather at the table, in his name, recounting the words he spoke for us.

The bread that Jesus tells us to take is bread that is Jesus, himself—bread that strengthens us for the journey that each of us takes through life and beyond. The wine we are given to drink is the blood that binds us in a loving covenant with God—a covenant that lasts through life into death.

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the gift of Jesus in the bread and the wine when we gather in his name. Thank God for both the bread that strengthens me and the blood that binds me to God. Pray that I might hear Jesus’ words anew each time we gather in his name. Pray for those who are preparing to participate in Holy Communion for the first time.

Baptized--We Live in the Hope of Resurrection

Week 5 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 30: Tuesday March 23

Theme for the Week: Holy Baptism--Baptized We Live

Passage for the Day: Romans 6:5-6

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.

Reflection:

Yesterday we looked at the first part of this passage and reflected on what it means to be baptized into Jesus’ death with my old sinful self drowning in the waters of baptism, allowing a new person to rise out of the water. Today I would like to spend a little time thinking about what it means to be “united with Christ in a resurrection like his.” This is the ultimate promise of baptism. In baptism, not only am I freed from sins in my life while I am here on earth. But I am also promised a new resurrected life following my death. I often read these words at Memorial Services or Funerals. In these settings the power of these words is so comforting. We know that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. We have the eye witness accounts of the many people who saw him. And we have Jesus’ promise that in baptism we are united with him and will share with him in the joys of resurrection. As a baptized person, I do not have to fear death. I can rely on Jesus’ promise, conveyed to us by St. Paul, that I will be united with him in a resurrection like his. Thanks be to God!

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the power of resurrection. Pray that I might not fear death, but will be able to rely on Jesus’ promise of resurrection. Pray for all those who are facing death, and for those who sit and watch with them, that this promise might comfort them.

Baptized--We are Made New

Week 5 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 29: Monday March 22

Theme for the Week: Holy Baptism--Baptized We Live

Passage for the Day: Romans 6:3-4

³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Reflection:

This is a tough passage because many of us find it difficult to associate baptism and death. How many people who are bringing their infants for baptism want to hear about death? It may be a little bit easier to think about baptism as implying the death of our old sinful selves. Martin Luther refers to this as the death of the “old Adam or old Eve” in us. When I am baptized in Jesus’ name, my old self is drowned in the water, just as Christ was killed on the cross. My old self is the part of me that just finds it so easy to do the wrong things—the part of me that walks away from God and the part of me that keeps slipping into behavior that hurts the people around me. Following baptism, a new person rises from the waters of baptism. In other words, with baptism I are made new, and I leave all that sinful stuff behind. The old sinful person, figuratively, is peeled off of me and I am all new, shiny and sin-free. However, because I am human, it is easy for me to slip into doing the wrongs things again. But not to worry, because baptism is for life, once I have been baptized, each day, I again can figuratively leave all the junk behind me in the waters of baptism and each day I am again made new in Jesus.

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the cleansing action of the waters of baptism. Thank God that I have been freed from the power of sin in baptism. Thank God that each day, I am again made new. Pray for all who are preparing for that plunge into baptismal waters and pray that their new persons will rise from the waters of baptism.

Baptized--We are Forgiven

Week 5 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 28: Saturday March 20

Theme for the Week: Holy Baptism--Baptized We Live

Passage for the Day: Acts 2:38

³⁸ Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Reflection:

Be baptized in the name of Christ and your sins will be forgiven. What a gift! In addition to all the other benefits of baptism—becoming a child of God and becoming a disciple, as well as a part of the Christian community, my sins will be forgiven also. And it that is not enough, I will also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit-the advocate and counselor. What a gift and blessing baptism is. Thanks be to God!

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the forgiveness of sins that is given to me in baptism. Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pray that others will hear the call to be baptized in the name of Christ.

Baptism--Making Disciples

Week 5 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 27: Friday March 19

Theme for the Week: Holy Baptism--Baptized We Live

Passage for the Day: Matthew 28:16-20

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Reflection:

In this passage, Jesus connects the devotion and learning of discipleship with the concrete action of baptism. Jesus’ remaining eleven disciples are to make new disciples, new followers/learners through the act of baptizing them. They are to be brought into the fold of disciples by an action which is both symbolic and transforming. And this is to be not just any baptism, but a baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Even 2000 years later, Jesus’ command is still being followed. Babies, children and adults still become disciples of Christ and members of the Christian Church through baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

In my baptism as infant, my parents and godparents promised to raise me in a way that I would know Christ and to teach me how to be a disciple of Christ, which includes following Christ’s commands to serve and to love, and participating in the strength-giving fellowship of the Christian community. If you are baptized as an adult, you make those promises for yourself. With baptism, I enter into the Christian community, and the Christian community promises to help me grow as a disciple. I promise to act as Christ’s hands in the world. I am also sealed by the Holy Spirit as a Christian, and marked with the cross of Christ forever. And in this baptism, Christ claims me as his own—promising to be with me forever. My baptism will last forever!!

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the gift of baptism that lasts forever. Pray that I might be strengthened as a disciple of Christ, and that I might be able to help other Christians grow in discipleship. Pray for all those considering baptism, preparing for baptism and those who are newly baptized.

The Holy Spirit in Baptism

Week 5 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 26: Thursday March 18

Theme for the Week: Holy Baptism--Baptized We Live

Passage for the Day: Luke 3:21-22a

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.

Reflection:

One of the things that I notice in this passage, is that Jesus is praying that the Holy Spirit descends on him. Not while he was being baptized, but while he was processing the entire event in prayer with God, his Father. It is while Jesus is in communication with God and open to the impact of this communication that Spirit comes down to him. We don’t know what Jesus was talking about with God, but we are privy to the answer—the descent of the Spirit. The Spirit is quite active in Luke’s Gospel, starting with the promise that John would be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, continuing with its role in Jesus’ conception, and its descent after Jesus’ baptism. It is the Spirit who leads Jesus around in the wilderness for 40 days. At his death on the cross, according to Luke’s account, Jesus gives up his Spirit. In Luke’s book of Acts, the Holy Spirit descends onto the disciples at Pentecost appearing as tongues of fire.

The Holy Spirit, in the event of Jesus’ baptism, has a bodily, presumably visible and touchable form. The form like a dove is reminiscent of the dove that Noah sent out to check if the flood had ended. The dove guided Noah and his family by revealing when it was safe to leave the ark. The only reference to a dove in the New Testament is in all four Gospel writers’ accounts of Jesus’ baptism. The dove, whether seen only by Jesus and/or John or by all the people present, is the means by which God chose to signal the presence of the Holy Spirit with Jesus. This is the same Holy Spirit who enters into each one of us at our baptisms and in whose name we are baptized. This is the same Holy Spirit that Jesus sent to us to guide us and to advocate for us for all time.

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pray that I may be able to sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. Pray that I will listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Pray for the presence of the Spirit in the lives of people who have become estranged from God.

Baptized with the Holy Spirit and Fire

Week 5 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 25: Wednesday March 17

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Theme for the Week: Holy Baptism--Baptized We Live

This week we will be reflecting on the gift of baptism and what baptism means in our lives.

Passage for the Day: Luke 3:16

¹⁶ John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Reflection:

What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire?

Jesus Christ, the Messiah whose coming that John was prophesying, called on his followers to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised his followers the gift of the Holy Spirit as an Advocate and Counselor. Christians, as Jesus’ followers throughout the ages, have been baptized according to his command. Although water is the visible element used in Christian baptism (either through submersion or by pouring water on the person’s head), we believe that the Holy Spirit descends into a person at his or her baptism. This is a baptism that is good forever. Even though the water dries, after baptism, I am permanently changed. The gift of the Holy Spirit never ends for me. Because baptism lasts forever, each day I can call on the Holy Spirit to forgive my sins and to guide me through another day.

To be baptized with fire, is likely another reference to the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost, the Spirit descended onto the disciples like tongues of fire. The Spirit is a fiery presence in my life, refining and purifying me daily.

Prayer Themes: Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit that entered my life in baptism. Pray for the refining and purifying action of the Spirit in my life. Pray that I might hear and respond to the Holy Spirit’s ongoing guidance. Pray for those preparing for baptism in this Lenten season and for those who are newly baptized.

The Spirit Helps Us to Pray

Week 4 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 24: Tuesday March 16

Theme for the Week: The Lord’s Prayer as a Way to Ask for Help

Passage for the Day: Romans 8:26-27

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. ²⁷ And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Reflection:

I am thinking of those days when praying seems to be just one more hurdle that I can’t get over. Maybe I am feeling frazzled, without so much as a minute to brush my teeth, much less stop to pray. Maybe I am so upset, or in so much pain, or in such deep grief that I don’t know where to start to pray or maybe I am afraid that anger might spill over into my prayers. Where do I turn? This is the time to call on the Spirit and just outright ask for help—Holy Spirit, its your turn now—I can’t go pray myself. God promises that the Spirit will jump right into the middle of things and pray for us—with “sighs too deep for words.” This is a very comforting picture and the gift of a God who does not want us to suffer alone. God will understand the pleas of the Spirit on our behalf, and God promises to respond. This is a powerful promise and one I should feel free to turn to when I am feeling frazzled, weak or in despair.

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit—the Advocate, Counselor, Guide. Pray for a trust in the Spirit and the willingness to turn to the Spirit. Pray for those who have somehow blocked the Spirit’s presence in their lives.

Abiding in Christ

Week 4 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 23: Monday March 15

Theme for the Week: The Lord’s Prayer as a Way to Ask for Help

Passage for the Day: John 15:4-7

⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Reflection:

These seem to be really powerful words. “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” Anything I ask will be done for me—that seems pretty difficult to believe. Yet, abiding in Christ and letting Christ’s words abide in me are not as easy as they might seem to be on first glance. Abiding is a word we don’t use much in everyday language, and in our fast paced world, abiding is not something we do very easily. The sense of abiding is to remain with something, or someone, to dwell with that person or thing. Abiding takes time, its is not done on a “drive through”. Abiding with Christ, means to take some serious time pondering, meditating and praying about Christ and what role Christ has in my life. And letting Christ’s words, another way of saying the Word of God, abide in me, means that I am spending some real time praying and thinking about who Christ is, what Christ has said and how those words are affecting my life. If I am really dwelling in Christ and letting Christ’s words dwell in me, the things that I ask for will be quite different than they would be without that intimate interaction. Most of the things that I would be likely to ask for without that serious “dwelling” are going to seem not worth asking for, if I am truly abiding in Christ.

Prayer Themes: Thank God for the Christ’s words and Christ’s actions in this world. Pray that I might gain just a glimmer of understanding of what it means to abide with Christ and to let Christ’s words abide in me. Pray that I am able to spend some time dwelling with the Word of God. Pray for others to learn to abide with Christ.

Pray Without Ceasing

Week 4 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 22: Saturday March 13

Theme for the Week: The Lord’s Prayer as a Way to Ask for Help

Passage for the Day: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit.

Reflection:

In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he give us a “tall order”. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. Was Paul kidding? Did he really think this was possible? Some days it seems like even a little rejoicing is difficult. How is it possible to rejoice always, particularly when I am in pain or worried about something, or things just don’t seem to be going my way?

I think the rejoicing always, the praying without ceasing and the giving thanks in all situations are tied together. This group of three distinct actions all influence one another. If I am in constant communication with God in prayer, it will influence my outlook on life (e.g. my willingness to be joyful) and my capability to be thankful. On the other hand, if I can find something to be thankful about, then I want to pray to God in thanks, and if I am thankful, I am a whole lot more likely to be joyful. If the “always” and the “unceasing” seem difficult, I can start simply. I can find one thing to rejoice about even if I seem to be in the middle of a raw deal. If I can find one thing that gives me joy, then I can pray to God in thanks for that one thing. That may well jump start the cycle and get me off to a much happier, thankful day.

The last part of this passage is also tied to these three interlocking actions. “Do not quench the Spirit”! If I get myself off on a “woe is me” attitude, I am can get so focused on me and my problems that I will never hear the Spirit. If on the other hand, I am busy finding something to be joyful about, thanking God for that one thing, and spending time in prayer, the Spirit will have a much better chance of finding an entry into my life. When the Holy Spirit is working with me, I will also have a much better chance of sticking with prayer, joy and thanks.

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the all the things in my life that give me joy. Pray that God will help me to find things to be joyful about. Pray for help in thanking God and praying regularly. Pray for those who are finding it difficult to pray.

Lent Day 21 Forgive us our Sins

Week 4 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 21: Friday March 12

Theme for the Week: The Lord’s Prayer as a Way to Ask for Help

Passage for the Day: Matthew 6:12-14

¹² And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

¹³ And do not bring us to the time of trial,

but rescue us from the evil one.

¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Reflection:

This particular part of Matthew’s version of the Lord’s prayer has a triple emphasis on our being able to forgive others. Why does Matthew place so much more importance on this very difficult topic? Matthew’s Gospel has a big emphasis on righteousness, and it is hard to be right with God when I am holding onto all sorts of grudges and anger toward people around me. Let’s face it, forgiving others is not particularly easy. It is not even easy to forgive little things—slights such as a friend forgetting your birthday, or not inviting you to a party, or neglecting to return a phone call. Sometimes it seems easier just to get mad and stay mad. If it is not easy to forgive little things, forgiving the big things seems to take super-human or divine help. How do you forgive someone who has truly wounded you? How do you forgive someone who has physically abused you or ruined your reputation by spreading false stories about you? The world of social networking provides many positive possibilities to connect with friends, but it also provides many temptations to spread hurt and shame. How do you forgive someone when you have been totally hurt? I think it takes a lot of prayer and help from God to forgive some big stuff. I have to ask God to soften my heart and help me realize that carrying around the burden of grudges, anger or hatred is not helping me. Forgiving someone really benefits me, because it releases me from all the ugliness. It may also lead the way to reconciliation, but that may not always happen. The forgiveness part only involves me resolving to put away all the negativity. The reconciliation involves both me and the person whom I think has harmed me.

Prayer Themes: Thank God for those who are willing to forgive me for the things that I have done wrong. Lord, help me today to put away my anger and ill will toward someone whom I think has wronged me. Lord release me from the burden of holding a grudge. Lord, help me attempts at reconciliation with someone from whom I am alienated. Pray for those who have difficulty forgiving.

Your Kingdom Come!

Week 4 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 20: Thursday March 11

Theme for the Week: The Lord’s Prayer as a Way to Ask for Help

Passage for the Day: Luke 11:1-4

¹He (Jesus) was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” ² He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

³Give us each day our daily bread.

⁴And forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

Reflection:

Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. If the disciples had to ask for help learning how to pray, then it is not surprising that we need help learning to pray. The Lord’s prayer provides a helpful structure for prayer. This familiar prayer can be a good way to open or close our time with God. If we use it as an opening to our prayer time, it helps to center and focus us on being present with God.

One of the phrases in the Lord’s Prayer that captures my attention is “Your kingdom come.” What does it mean when I tell God in prayer that I want God’s kingdom to come? God certainly does not need my permission or my help to make the kingdom come. But by praying this petition, I acknowledge that God is in charge and that I am looking forward to a time when the world will be as God wants it. In praying this petition, we say that we are looking forward to a time when peace and justice will prevail, when all will be well-fed, well-housed and well-provided for and when resources will be shared equitably. We are looking toward that proverbial time when every person under his or her vine and fig tree will live in peace and unafraid, the time when swords will be turned into plowshares and the time when we will learn and desire war no more. When we pray this petition, we are praying intently for the time when God’s rule will win out over human wants, desires and demands. As Martin Luther reminds us in the Large Catechism, when we pray, “your kingdom come”, we are praying that God’s kingdom might come to us. We are asking that we have a chance to experience God’s rule here on earth and that we will be able to be participants in God’s wondrous rule in eternity.

Prayer Themes: Pray that I may be faithful in my prayer life and fully present when I reach out to God in prayer. Pray that God’s Kingdom may come to me; that I might be able to be part of God’s Kingdom here on earth and that I will be a part of God’s eternal Kingdom. Pray for God’s peace, justice, mercy and equitable distribution of resources.

Lord Teach Us to Pray

Week 4 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 19: Wednesday March 10

Theme for the Week: The Lord’s Prayer as a Way to Ask for Help

This week we will be reflecting on the Lord’s Prayer and prayer in general. The Ten Commandments have shown us the ways in which have alienated ourselves from God and the people around us. The Apostles’ Creed has shown us the help that is available by the grace of God. The Lord’s Prayer tells us how to ask for help. When I am teaching students about the Lord’s Prayer, I sometimes tell them that the Lord’s Prayer is the 1-800 number for God!

Passage for the Day: Matthew 6:6-14

⁶ But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ⁷ “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹ “Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

¹⁰ Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.

¹² And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

¹³ And do not bring us to the time of trial,

but rescue us from the evil one.

¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Reflection:

The Lord’s Prayer is given to us in two different forms in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Today we will reflect on the longer version found in Matthew. Tomorrow we will look at the version found in Luke. The introduction to the prayer gives us an interesting command. Do not heap up heap up empty phrases, thinking that you will be heard because of your many words. Sometimes when we pray we feel like we have to use fancy language or “churchy” language, as if that were the only language God could understand. God wants to hear from us, and God wants us to pray in a way that we understand what we are saying. Familiar prayers such as the Lord’s Prayer give us a structure and the comfort of words that are etched into our hearts, minds and souls. However, God also listens to the words that come from deep within our beings. God hears the desperate cry, “Lord help me”, as well as the simple response, “Thank you Lord for ...” . God wants us to pray, asking for help, guidance or rescue from a tough situation. God also wants us to listen, giving the Spirit time and space to work in our lives.

Prayer Themes: Ask God for help in learning to pray regularly and to listen for the Spirit. Pray that God will deepen my relationship with the Holy One. Pray for all those who do not know how to pray, and for those who have no one to pray for them or to teach them how to pray.

God the Holy Spirit

Week 3 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 18: Tuesday March 9

Theme for the Week: The Apostles’ Creed as a Statement of our Faith

Passage for the Day: John 14:15-17

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”

Reflection: In the third Article of the Apostles Creed, we confess “I believe in the Holy Spirit…” What does it look like to believe in the Holy Spirit? Is it to acknowledge that I believe in the promise that Jesus made to send an Advocate (the paraclete), who will be with me for ever. In this passage from John, Jesus describes the Advocate as the “Spirit of truth.” Jesus also tells me that this “Spirit of truth” will dwell with me and be in me. Can I accept that there is a Spirit who dwells with me, advocates for me, counsels me, and guides me? How do I know the Spirit is there? I can’t see the Spirit, but I know, because Jesus promised, and because I can sense the presence of the Spirit, even if I can’t see the Spirit. The Spirit is the one who sort of sits on my shoulder giving advice. You know that kind of advice—the advice that says “maybe that isn’t the best idea,” or who says “even though it’s difficult, this is the direction you should really go.” It is the Spirit who brings me to faith, and keeps me from lapsing. When I confess that I believe in the Holy Spirit, I am saying that I trust Jesus’ promise of a Holy Guide and Advocate. A summary of the third article of the Apostles’ Creed is “God makes me holy”!! (I am made holy through the actions of the Spirit or Advocate.)

Prayer Themes: Pray that I am able to confess that “I believe in the Holy Spirit…”. Pray that I will be able to listen to the guidance of the Spirit. Pray for others that they may know the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is Lord!!

Week 3 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 17: Monday March 8

Theme for the Week: The Apostles’ Creed as a Statement of our Faith

Passage for the Day: Philippians 2:9-11

⁹ Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

¹¹ and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Reflection:

In the Day 16’s Lenten message, we watched Peter come to know that Jesus is the Son of God. The light bulb went off in Peter’s head as he came to an understanding of who he had been hanging around with.

In today’s reading we hear from Paul’s letter to the Community at Philippi, most likely written some 25 to 35 years after Jesus died on the cross. In the years that passed since Peter’s first revelation, the significance of Jesus as the son of God has become evident to the Christian community. Here Paul writes of Jesus, not only as the Son of God, but as the Exalted One and as Lord. He encourages the Philippians to confess or affirm that Jesus is Lord. This is one of the few Bible texts that actually refer to Jesus as Lord. Texts such as this one shaped the faith of those who created the Apostles’ Creed and inform our own understanding of Jesus as both God’s Son and Lord. You can hear an echo of these words in the beginning to the Second Article of the Creed: “I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord…”

Prayer Themes: Pray for the faith to confess that Jesus is Lord. Pray for an understanding of what it means that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Pray for others to come to know Jesus as Lord. Thank God for Jesus as my Lord.

Reflection on God the Savior

Week 3 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 16: Saturday March 6

Theme for the Week: The Apostles’ Creed as a Statement of our Faith

Passage for the Day: Matthew 16:15-17

¹⁵ Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.

Reflection: In this passage from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has asked the disciples who people think he is. After getting answers that range from John the Baptist, to Elijah, to Jeremiah (all raised from the dead), Jesus asks the disciples who they think he is.

Peter—active, always volunteering, “shoot from the hip” Peter—blurts out “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter amazingly has nailed Jesus’ identity. Or is it surprising! Jesus comments that Peter knows this because God has revealed it to him. Peter could not say or understand this on his own. God has chosen Peter as the one to speak this amazing good news.

Early on the magi knew that the baby born in Bethlehem was to be the Messiah. Jesus’ disciples, along with all the people who followed Jesus around heard Jesus’ preaching and teaching, and they saw all the things that Jesus did. The demons recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Finally God gives Peter the wisdom to understand exactly who Jesus is. But even Peter did not “get” what being the Messiah meant. Peter was thinking power and might, while Jesus knew that being the Messiah meant dying so others would live.

Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross so that your sins would be forgiven and so you could be reconciled to God. This is the essence of the second part of the Apostles’ Creed: God in Jesus saves me!!!

Prayer Themes: Pray that Jesus will continue to be a presence in my life through God’s Word and the gift of Holy Communion. Pray for others to know Jesus. Thank God for Jesus’ sacrifice. Pray that as Peter was given the insight to know Jesus, I might also come to know him.

Reflections on God the Creator

Week 3 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 15: Friday March 5

Theme for the Week: The Apostles’ Creed as a Statement of our Faith

Passage for the Day: Isaiah 42:5-6

⁵ Thus says God, the Lord,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it

and spirit to those who walk in it:

⁶ I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,

I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

I have given you as a covenant to the people,

a light to the nations,

Reflection: This passage gives us insights into the creative activity of God. There is nothing that has not been created by God. God has built the framework of the world—both heaven and earth. God created the mountains, the seas, the moon, stars and planets. The entire universe bears the imprint of God.

But even more importantly God has put life force into all that lives. I love the words in this text “gives breath to the people” and “spirit to those that walk”. Imagine what it looks like when God pours breath into living creatures. The moment after birth when a baby takes its first breath on its own is a time treasured by all who have experienced this miracle. Living, breathing humans and animals carry God’s gift of life.

God takes everything that lives “by the hand”, which is another way of saying that God continually cares for all living things. God’s creative activity is not once and done. God continually watches over and cares for God’s creation.

Prayer Themes: Thank God for the on-going gift of creation. Thank God for God’s work of taking me “by the hand”. Pray that others may feel God’s presence in their lives in the form of being “taken by the hand.”

Reflections on God the Creator, Savior and Sustainer

Week 3 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 14: Thursday March 4

Theme for the Week: The Apostles’ Creed as a Statement of our Faith

Passage for the Day: 2 Cor. 13:14

¹⁴ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.

Reflection: This is one of the passages in the New Testament that refers to all three aspects of the Trinitarian God. In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he closes by praying for God’s presence to be with this community in a multitude of ways.

This passage reminds us that we have many ways to experience God’s presence and action in our lives. The God who creates us, continues to love and to care for us. God’s creative activity never stops, but continues in God’s care and protection for all that God has made.

The God who creates us is the same God who saves us through Jesus Christ. Jesus’ action in our lives is pure grace. That means it is a gift which we do nothing to deserve. Jesus frees us from our sins without our doing anything.

The God who creates and saves us is also the God whose Holy Spirit blesses us and makes us holy, both individually as a community. The Holy Spirit acts in our lives continually as guide, advocate and counselor.

Prayer Themes: Pray that God’s creating, saving and blessing activity be a constant in my life. Pray that others may come to know God. Thank God for God’s multi-dimensional guidance in my life.