Lent Day 34 March 31

Lenten Reflection for Day 34

Date: Saturday March 31, 2012

Author: John Harris

Bible Passage: 1 John 1:8–9 (NRSV)

⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Reflection: For those of us who remember the old Lutheran Book of Worship (the green book!), this morning’s passage comprises part of the Confession and Forgiveness of Sins that begins the usual worship service. We acknowledge our sins publicly before God, we are cleansed of all wrongdoing, and our relationship with God is restored. And, of course, the stage is set for the rest of the service where we hear God’s word and receive the sacrament. That is, the slate has been wiped clean; the soil has been prepared for us to love God and neighbor, and to sin no more.

Kathleen Norris cites Gregory of Nyssa’s famous maxim that sin is a failure to grow and reminds us of Carl Jung’s observation that, in order to grow, we must stop running from “our shadow” and face it. That reminds me of Pastor Pat’s “flash light” children’s sermon of two weeks ago that we need to shine the light of Christ in those dark spots in our souls where we have a tendency to plant sinful seeds. And, unless we are in the mushroom farming business, we need to shed Christ’s light into our shadows of sin, “fess up,” and allow that good fruit to grow to maturity. We need to stop committing the same sins over and over again, to grow like any plant toward the “light that has come into the world.” I believe Gregory’s image of sin retarding growth to be an apt one. Sin destroys relationships, and if we are expending energy trying to constantly repair relationships, there is nothing left to nourish and nurture those relationships when we finally restore them. The power of our public confession of sins is that whenever we fall into “the shadows,” Christ is there to light the way and to forgive.

Prayer: “Lord, let my heart be good soil, open to the seed of your word. Lord, let my heart be good soil, where love can grow and peace is understood. When my heart is hard, break the stone away. When my heart is cold, warm it with the day. When my heart is lost, lead me on your way. Lord, let my heart, Lord, let my heart, Lord, let my heart be good soil.” (Handt Hanson, ELW #512)

Lent Day 33 March 30

Lenten Reflection for Day 33

Date: Friday March 30, 2012

Author: Lorraine Blanchfield

Bible Passage: Proverbs 2:1–5 (NRSV)

¹ My child, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments within you, ² making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; ³ if you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding; ⁴ if you seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures— ⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Reflection:

Accepting God's words is more than simply acknowledging them. It is more than reading and agreeing with them, but actually living them out in our lives and making them a part of our daily actions. When we treasure something, we guard it, and do everything not to lose it. Do you embrace God's words and lean on them for understanding on what is

happening in your life? This does not always come naturally but I believe that if we just show up, and turn our will and lives over to God, he will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

God always hears us but there are times when we cry out to be heard. Like a child, I have cried out to God, "Why?" so many times. Why about my circumstances, why about the deaths in my family, especially the passing of my mother, who I grew so close to in her last few years. I just wasn't ready to let her go, and I still feel the void in my heart. Hunting for the hidden treasures, the insights or the answers, seems to be something that I do over and over again. It is a daily process of searching, reading and praying. If I am willing to do my part, then by the power of the Holy Spirit, I have received acceptance and a deep gentle peace of understanding, which has allowed me to grow as a person.

Prayer:

God, I give you thanks for the difficult times because it is during these events that I cry out to you and I find your love and forgiveness. May the Holy Spirit touch all of our lives with a peace that can still our cries, knowing that we can have peace and acceptance in all of our circumstances. Show us your hidden treasures daily to carry us through this life and onto our new life with you in Christ Jesus. Amen

Lent Day 32 March 29, 2012

Lenten Reflection for Day 32

Date: Thursday March 29, 2012

Author: John Harris

Bible Passage: Exodus 20:5–6 (NRSV)

⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, ⁶ but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Reflection: “Faith of our fathers (and mothers!), living still/ in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword./ Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy/ whene’er we hear that glorious word./ Faith of our fathers, holy faith, we will be true to you till death.

Kathleen Norris reveals that she “rediscovered” her “Christian inheritance” during her stay at a Benedictine monastery and that she had used her writing as a substitute for her religious heritage. I began to wonder. What have I used in my life, unwittingly, for a faith substitute, and who, in my life has led me back into “the paths to which I should go.” Like every Christian, I have had “dry” periods where my faith has flagged, usually at “me” centered times when I have had family, health or job issues. And I must say, the discipline of attending regular church services just did not seem “relevant.” Rather than reading scripture and meditating on the “Word,” I would go off on these tangents of Eastern religions, existentialist (and not Christian existentialists, either!) philosophy, and transcendentalism. My Mother, the patient person that she was, would invariably remind me not to use the books as a substitute for faith and to give Christianity a chance. Later on, my local church pastors, members of adult Bible study groups, and eventually my wife would provide “the flowing streams” that help me out of these spiritual “dry” periods.

When talking about our “Christian inheritance,” I immediately think of DNA. And, I guess, because of my background and the influence that Christian saints (my Mother and all those pastors and church members who have influenced me) have played in my life, starting as a small child at that baptismal font, I have the DNA of faith in my chromosomes. I guess that when my parents and Godparents stood up for me at my baptism, not only did I have their genetic make-up, I received that DNA of faith when I became a “child of God”. I really do have the “Faith of our Fathers (and Mothers!) in my blood.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, as a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you. Through you death and resurrection, we have inherited the promise of eternal life. Sustain us with the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence. Amen

Lent Day 31 March 28, 2012

Lenten Reflection for Day 31

Date: March 28, 2012

Author: Dan Affeldt

Bible Passage: Romans 5:3–5 (NRSV)

³ And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Reflection:

As I read these verses from Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, Charles Dickens’s line from “A Tale of Two Cities” just popped into my head;

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . . “

And I could not help but wonder if Paul might have written it this way;

“It was the worst of times, so it was the best of times . . “

Now I hardly think Paul was suggesting that we should go out and seek dire calamity so that we may heartily suffer and thus be able to boast.

But rather that, regardless of whatever “Painful Inheritances” become our burdens, we can indeed fully trust that God’s eternal love will pour into our hearts, guiding and sustaining us. And that through grace we will be led to peace, purpose, and hope, even amid turmoil, suffering, fear, grief and pain.

God's grace can guide us to be powerful even when we are weak. The power of God's grace can fill our lives as we seek to make our lives, and the lives of others, alive with hope. God's wondrous power can only salvage our lives when we allow, indeed when we welcome, his grace to reign in our lives. When this happens we are open to experience the peace of God.

Prayer: Dear Lord, our world so often bewilders me. What I hear and see is so far beyond my understanding; poverty and disease, deadly storms and earthquakes, war and killing, hunger and hopelessness; so many hearts bound by fear. Please strengthen my faith. Open my mind and my heart to your truth. Let compassion and love for my brothers and sisters flow from me and may we all be uplifted by your glory. Amen

Lent Day 30 March 27, 2012

Lenten Reflection for Day 30

Date: March 27, 2012

Author: Richard Day

Bible Passage: Romans 7:18–21 (NRSV)

¹⁸ For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. ²¹ So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.

Reflection:

This passage talks about the forces of good and evil in this world. Particularly, the battle within each one of us of wanting to do what we know is right and good but often failing and, instead, doing what we know is wrong and even evil.

Every one of us can relate to instances of this classic battle in our own lives. The bible is full of these battles. In fact the first one happened in the very beginning of the bible. Adam and Eve were living the good life in the Garden of Eden. But then Satan, in the form of a serpent, got them to do what they knew they shouldn’t do (i.e. eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) and the battle between good and evil was engaged.

When I first read today’s bible passage, the words that really struck me were ”when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.” It’s as if the devil is always lurking to counteract anything that is right or good. This was certainly the case in the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. It was also the case when God sent his Son into the world.

Jesus was the embodiment of the greatest good this world has ever known. But, even at Jesus’ birth, evil was lying “close at hand”. Upon hearing of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, Herod ordered the slaughter of all the male infants in the town in the hopes of killing Jesus. Later in Jesus’ life, after He was baptized in the Jordan River and “the Spirit of God descended like a dove on Him”, He went into the desert where the devil was once again lurking. During those forty days and nights in the wilderness the devil relentlessly tempted Jesus to disavow good and to worship him. But Jesus said “Away from me, Satan.” Finally, in Jerusalem, the forces of evil working through Judas Iscariot, the chief priests, elders, and the crowd yelling “Crucify Him!” put Jesus to death on the cross.

But good would not be overcome by evil. Jesus’ resurrection is the victory of life over death and good over evil. Thanks be to God.

Prayer:

Lord, God, prepare us for those times when we are confronted with the decision to do what we know is right and good, but the lurking forces of evil are giving us convenient reasons to do what we know is wrong and evil. Give us the strength and conviction to be like Jesus and say “Away from me, Satan!” Amen.

Lent Day 29: March 26

Lenten Reflection for Day 29

Date: March 26, 2012

Author: Pastor Pat Harris

Bible Passage: Jeremiah 1:4–8 (NRSV)

⁴ Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” ⁶ Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” ⁷ But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”

Reflection:

As I read this passage and the longer story of Jeremiah’s call in the Biblical book that bears his name, I realize that most of us can identify with his situation. Most of us, have at one time or another, been called on to do something that we didn’t feel qualified to do, or which we didn’t want to do.

I know that many times when I started a new job, I would figuratively look around and think to myself, they want me to do what???? I would look at the files that came with the job and look at the mail coming into the office and wonder how I would ever catch on. Even worse, when I accepted the position in Germany, I had to use a German-English dictionary to read the files, the paperwork and the mail. I wondered what I had gotten myself into, and if I would end up looking like a fool.

Jeremiah is having some of the same thoughts. God has acknowledged that God has had his sights on Jeremiah since before birth. God now expects him to be a prophet to all the nations. (Notice that this assignment is not limited to Israel). Jeremiah has that “who me” kind of reaction. “I’m just a boy; I wouldn’t even know what to say.” In yet one more case of God qualifying the called, God explains to Jeremiah who is calling the shots. ‘You’ll go where I send you and say what I tell you to.’ It seems pretty clear that Jeremiah’s excuses aren’t going to work.

God calls us to do many kinds of things that we don’t feel qualified for, or for which we feel we don’t have enough time or energy. When we mumble our excuses to God, the Lord thinks that most of our excuses are pretty lame, also. God knows us and the ways in which are capable of growing and developing. God wants us to be able to do the things that are expected of us, and somehow God manages to give us the energy, tools and capabilities that are needed. Our role is just to believe that God will provide for us and somehow to find the courage to take that first step, trusting in God’s providence.

The things God calls us to do are not always, or even mostly, “church work”. In our everyday lives, God calls us to be a visible presence in the world. It may be standing up for someone who is being treated unfairly. It may be doing something related to our everyday work. It may be giving a volunteer effort to help someone who lives on the margins of society. The word “vocation”, which describes our work in the world, is from the Latin word “vocatio”, which means to call. God calls us to be God’s presence and hands in the world, as we live out our everyday lives.

Prayer: Gracious and Giving God, help me to hear your call to work in the world. Give me the courage to proceed and the faith to know that you will support me in what I am being asked to do. Amen

Lent Day 28: March 24

Lenten Reflection for Day 28

Date: March 24, 2012

Author: Susan Van Abs

Bible Passage: Ephesians 4:31–32 (NRSV)

³¹ Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, ³² and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Reflection: Starting with Ephesians, Chapter 4, Paul tells us how to live our lives through Christ. If Paul were alive today, he might be seen as a motivational speaker, showing us how to be successful in an often hostile world. Ephesians might be a book destined for the New York Times best seller list. The difference between Paul and a motivational speaker is that he is showing us how we can share the gift of Christ to others in our everyday actions. Ephesians was written a long time ago, and it is amazing how applicable it is for us today.

It is easy to hold on to our bitterness and anger. It is also easy to use our anger towards hurting someone or telling the world how we have been wronged. Paul’s message to us is simple – forgive one another “as God in Christ has forgiven you.” While the message is simple, it is not simple to do. It is much easier to hold on to our anger, to let it simmer, sometimes to the point of being harmful to ourselves and others.

Ongoing anger has physiological effects such as high blood pressure, depression, heart disease, and stroke. Why do we put ourselves through such turmoil and torment when it is unnecessary? We need to let go of the anger and not only think kind thoughts towards one another, but forgive one another and love one another. God does not abandon us, even when we are angry with him and ask “why me?” God loves us no matter what and we need to extend that love to our neighbors. His son was the ultimate gift to us. When we are angry towards others, do a 180 degree turn and do something kind for them or think good thoughts of them.

Prayer: Dear God, Help us to turn our thoughts towards you when we are angry and cannot see the bigger picture of the world we are in. Help us to remember your forgiveness and grace and help us to see Christ in everyone we meet. Amen

Lent Day 27: March 23

Lenten Reflection for Day 27

Date: March 23, 2012

Author: Elaine Day

Bible Passage: Mark 10:27–30 (NRSV)

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” ²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.

Reflection:

The above passage occurs right after a rich man asks Jesus what he must do to receive eternal life. The man has followed the commandments but Jesus tells him that he must sell all that he has and give the money to the poor. The very rich man will not do this and walks away forlorn. Jesus tells his disciples that it will be harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. The disciples then ask, “Who, then can be saved?” Jesus’ response is found in the verses for today. We cannot earn eternal life. Eternal life is only possible through God.

Peter hears these words but appears to be proving that he and the disciples are worthy of eternal life because they have put God before everything and followed Jesus. Jesus tells them that they will be abundantly rewarded for the sacrifices that they have made serving God. However, it is by the grace of God that they and we are saved not by our works. It is because of the grace of God that we want to follow Jesus and do good, because if we love God how can we enjoy doing evil?

Prayer:

Lord, God, increase my faith in you and help me to follow you each hour of the day. Amen.

Lent Day 26: March 22

Lenten Reflection for Day 26

Date: March 22, 2012

Author: Mike Harris

Bible Passage: Lamentations 3:40–41 (NRSV)

⁴⁰ Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord. ⁴¹ Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands to God in heaven.

Reflection:

This devotion has been difficult for me to write. I have been leaving and returning to it. Every time I get self-righteous or negative I abandon it in hopes that when I return I will have arrived at my neutral message. It has not worked.

I believe that every problem, regardless of the scale, can reach a good resolution if contemplated about. I believe that every problem, regardless of the scale, has been manifested out of a lack of contemplation.

God gifted humans with a very adaptable conscious mind. By observing something with our senses our brain adapts to understand it better. Apply enough observation over enough time and any problem is surmountable. This is what we have evolved to be. Our lives can be without stress. God has given us this opportunity. Unfortunately, our limitations have been our excuse not our responsibility. We sense we are incomplete. Instead of wondering why we look for a product to buy.

Originally, the Bible excerpt brought me back to our Western philosophical roots, all the way to the trial of Socrates. His crimes against the state were said to be the corruption of the youth. During his defense he said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” He encouraged his students to challenge the accepted beliefs of the time and to think for themselves. For encouraging the examination of life Socrates was put to death.

Whenever a few people are in control of the rest they want to rest to think like they do or else they loose control. Today, a few people are in control. We call them the 1%. The rest of us are their cattle or do their bidding for them. It does not take much contemplation to understand that the system that empowers the 1% doesn’t work. But they have so much control now that it will take large-scale examination and contemplation to reengineer the system so opportunity is available for the rest of us. Unfortunately, I see more the pressure to join the 1% and be grateful for the scraps of opportunities they throw away. Thus, we live with more stress than we have to.

The opportunity for a low stress environment is still given to us by God. We just need to act a little less and think a little more about the way we spend our money, who we vote for, and what messages we teach our children.

Prayer:

Dear God: Guide us to examination and contemplation. Help us understand that these are our roads to a higher quality of life. Lead us away from the belief that things external to us can complete us. Leave us content with your wisdom that is innate within our minds. Help us gravitate toward that wisdom by way of contemplation. Give us the patience to see the results of contemplation and the courage to employ it as a means of achievement. Amen

Lent Day 25: March 21

Lenten Reflection for Day 25

Date: March 21, 2012

Author: Mary Harrington

Bible Passage: Philippians 4:11–13 (NRSV)

¹¹ Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. ¹² I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Reflection:

Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians while he was in prison, but he told them that he was happy whatever his conditions. Paul knew prosperity, but he also suffered beatings and imprisonment. Always he knew he could “do all things through him who strengthens me.”

For many of us “older” people, we have known the challenges/disappointments of being without when we were young and just starting out on our own. There were the high times - being happy with a new job, new marriage, etc. There were low times – the temptation to blame others for our difficulties, being dissatisfied with our lot in life, focusing inward, wanting what others have.

As time progressed and we had different “high times” - accumulated assets – new vehicles, a home, etc. And low times - the temptations – regardless of what we have always looking for the next acquisition, the stresses of responsibilities, illness, and loss. In all circumstances we had opportunities to share and be grateful because whether we have little or plenty, there are still many people worse off that we are, and as followers of Jesus, we need to reach out to them as we can.

Can we be more like Paul and be happy in whatever our conditions? Are we content in all circumstances, as Paul was, knowing that God meets all our needs? We should use Jesus as our example, regardless of our status – where we are in life – and become more of a servant to others.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to always be content, whatever my circumstances, knowing that you will give me the strength to handle anything. Open my eyes and heart to opportunities, large and small, to be a servant to others.

Lent Day 24: March 20

Lenten Reflection for Day 24

Date: March 20, 2012

Author: John Harris

Bible Passage: Galatians 6:2 (NRSV)

² Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Reflection:

We need to be good and empathetic listeners to our neighbors, even if we cannot fully understand the nature of their burdens. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we need to listen with a “spirit of gentleness” to our neighbors when they need someone to talk to or have that momentary “melt down.” It is easy to love your neighbor when everything is going right, not so easy when they or someone they love are ill or having problems. It is at these times that Jesus’ second great commandment becomes the most difficult to fulfill.

I confess! I am “addicted” to Dear Abby, Annie’s Mailbox, and Miss Manners. When it comes to advice columns, I just cannot help myself! What problems—real or perceived (it doesn’t matter!) are my neighbors willing to reveal to the extremely empathetic editors of these columns. Sometimes the writers requesting advice just need a sounding board, a “sympathetic ear,” and Abby never hesitates to affirm them as they deal with their “issues.” Other times, Abby, in a “spirit of gentleness,” will detect a “transgression” in the writer and will remind the person that they will “reap what they sow.” Now, I am certainly not advocating that we all get into the advice column business, but we can certainly mimic Abby and be good listeners to our families, our co-workers, our church families, and to all our neighbors. Be a good listener. Take time with folks who are going through difficult times—the loss of a spouse or loved one, the loss of a job, or battling a serious illness. Help them lighten their burdens by just listening!

Prayer: Dear Abby God (sorry!), help me be a good listener and a good neighbor. Let your “spirit of gentleness blow thro’ the wilderness calling and free. Spirit, spirit of restlessness stir me from placidness.” Let that spirit be a source of comfort to all those we interact with in our daily lives. Amen. (lyrics from #396, ELW, and written by J.K. Manly, Spirit of Gentleness)

Lent Day 23 March 19, 2012

Lenten Reflection for Day 23

Date: Monday March 19, 2012

Author: Howard Shaffer

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 11:11–12 (NRSV)

11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man or man independent of woman. 12 For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman; but all things come from God.

Reflection:

Saint Paul’s letter to the Church at Corinth addresses problems that sound much like today. In the verses, he makes clear that men and women come from God. This implies that they are equal in God’s eyes and in the church. This was radical then, and still is in parts of the world. It perfectly reflects Christ’s teaching and what Christ did. Women played equal spiritual roles in Jesus eyes and in the large group that traveled with him. They played an equal spiritual role in the early church. Luke tells how some women who traveled with Jesus’ group used their money to support the group. One of the women was the wife of an official in King Herod’s court! Imagine if there had been supermarket checkout line newspapers then!! The headline might have been “Wife of King’s Official Roams with Controversial Prophet’s Group.”

God chose a woman to bring Jesus to us in the flesh. Mary’s response to the Angel is the perfect example of Christian obedience. “I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.”

Illustrations of God’s plan can come from other cultures too. For me, the oriental symbol of the Yin Yang, a circle divided by an “S” shows the relationship between men and women. Where each is weaker, the other is stronger.

Prayer:
Dear God, we thank you for the way you have created us. Help us to always honor your creation and obey your intended plan in our relationships.

Lent Day 22: March 17

Lenten Reflection for Day 22

Date: Saturday March 17, 2012

Author: John Harris

Bible Passage: Ecclesiastes 3:1–4, 7 (NRSV)

¹ For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: ² a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; ³ a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Reflection: For those of us who came of age in the 60s’, we may remember Pete Seeger’s use of this text for his song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” that was later famously recorded by Roger McGuinn and The Byrds in 1965. The song was so poetic that it inspired me to read the whole book of Ecclesiastes as a cynical and “know it all” teenager. Having recently read the same text as a church lector on New Year’s Day (appropriate as we mark the passage of time!) and as part of a funeral service (when time no longer matters!), I was struck by its impact on me as I enter the sixth decade of my life.

For me, the text tells me to keep time “in perspective.” For those of you who ski Mt. Sunapee, there is a chair lift that has a pole on the way up that says, “Relax, you are on Mt. Sunapee time.” Which is a rather nice way of telling all those harried big city folk that got up at 5 a.m. to ski, to take a deep breath and enjoy the lakes, mountains, and valleys that God put there for our viewing pleasure. Forget the frenetic Boston driving, the idea that you have to be any place at any given time, and enjoy this “sacred time” of recreation.

Sacred time or “liturgical time,” as Kathleen Norris calls it, is, like all time, a gift from God. It is a time to “carry everything to God in prayer,” to read and meditate on the word of God, to give back to God the gift of time, “to wait,” as Kathleen Norris says, attentively in stillness rather than always pushing ‘to get the job done.” Even God took the time to rest in stillness after the exhausting task of creation! As Pete Seeger concludes at the end of “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” –“it is not too late!” Indeed, it is not! There is a time for everything under heaven—carve out some sacred time for yourself and listen in the stillness for God’s voice.

Prayer: God, you give us the gift of time. Help us keep time in perspective as we use it to glorify you and serve our neighbor. Help us to make good use of time rather than us being manipulated by time. But most of all, Lord, help us to develop sacred time to be and to walk with You. Amen.

Lent Day 21: March 16

Lenten Reflection for Day 21

Date: Friday March 16, 2012

Author: Pastor Pat Harris

Bible Passage: Revelation 21:3–4 (NRSV)

³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; ⁴ he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”

Reflection:

I find that the Book of Revelation is one of the least understood and most misinterpreted books in the Bible. There is a lot of scary imagery in this Biblical book, which relates to the experience of early Christians who suffered much persecution at the hands of the Roman empire. This imagery has been interpreted literally and misused by overly zealous Christians to suggest that this is the fate that God will inflict on those who stray from God’s path.

However, if you take time to read the Book of Revelation, using some helps such as commentaries, to interpret the imagery, you will also find that there is much comfort in this book. This particular passage is one that I find very useful in comforting people who are mourning. The idea that God makes his home among us reinforces that our God is not a distant God. As “The Message” translation writes of the opening verses of the Gospel of John: “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.”

For people who are grieving, the idea that “God will wipe away every tear”, is a tangible description of how God comforts us. The death of a loved one can be a very isolating experience. Hearing that God is present and physically comforting us, relieves a little of the isolation.

It also helps me to hear that “death will be no more,”—that there is a time in the future when death will be abolished—when God’s faithful of every time and place will be re-united. In this Lenten time, when we think on Jesus’ death and live in the hope of his resurrection, we remember that each of us is baptized into both Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Prayer:

Ever-present God, may I hear and feel these words that describe your presence among us and your tangible comfort for all those who mourn. Give me faith to believe that there will be a time when death will be no more, and that mourning and crying and pain will be no more. Amen

Lent Day 20: March 15

Lenten Reflection for Day 20

Date: March 15, 2012

Author: Mary Davis

Bible Passage: Matthew 13:24–29 (NRSV)

²⁴ He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. ²⁶ So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. ²⁷ And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ ²⁸ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Reflection:

This is one of the "familiar" parables that I've heard since I was a child. While some interpret it to mean a parable on judgment, I read it as a parable on perseverance, since both wheat and weeds must grow together, and the wheat must overcome the weeds to survive. I believe that the good seeds are all of us, struggling daily for light and nourishment while surrounded by the weeds (evils) that threaten to choke and weaken us. These evils are both internal as well as external. Many people struggle daily to find basic necessities, while others are bombarded with stress from jobs, families, and impossibly high expectations. Still others face physical and mental illnesses, doubts, fears, addictions. For many, the call of wealth, fame, and glamour beckon. It is very hard to buck the tide of "the world" to stay true to God's teachings. Each day we have to choose. Do we take the easy way with superficial gratification where ever we can find it (the way of the weeds); or do we opt for the harder, narrower road, and struggle to do what is right and pleasing to God; while keeping in mind that those who choose to follow God's path, will one day be rewarded with the promise of a place in heaven.

Prayer:

Dear God, please help me to stay strong to your word today as I quietly battle the forces that try to overpower me. Help me to feel your presence at my side, to hear your words of encouragement, and, at the end of the day, to be refreshed with your peace. Amen.

Lent Day 19: March 14

Lenten Reflection for Day 19

Date: Wednesday March 14, 2012

Author: Ed Olney

Bible Passage: Jeremiah 12:1–2 (NRSV)

¹ You will be in the right, O Lord, when I lay charges against you; but let me put my case to you. Why does the way of the guilty prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? ² You plant them, and they take root; they grow and bring forth fruit; you are near in their mouths yet far from their hearts.

Reflection: Jeremiah is complaining to God. In the verses that follow (14-15), God answers Jeremiah: 14 This is what the LORD says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. (NIV)

I find God’s response to be the best explanation of today’s passage. Are you surprised? In a nutshell, those who have strayed from God’s heritage will be given a chance to repent and return if they now swear by God’s name. Does this have a New Testament tone to it? We should see a strong promise of forgiveness here and not despair.

God has given each of us free will to do what we want, but that doesn’t mean that we will always do the right thing. However, if we do turn from our sinful ways, then God will have compassion on us.

Prayer for today: God of justice and mercy, let me be as concerned about what is fair to my neighbor as I am about what is fair for myself. Help me to always conduct my life in ways pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen