Lent Day 37--April 4

Lenten Reflection for Day 37

Date: Wednesday April 4, 2012

Author: Ed Olney

Bible Passage: Genesis 12:4–5 (NRSV)

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. ⁵ Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan,

Reflection:

First of all, Abram is told to leave his home and family, pack up and head southwest to a yet-undisclosed land. That, in itself, took faith. He is told that out of him will come a great nation who will, in turn, be a blessing to many others. We see this in the verses preceding today’s scripture:

Genesis 12:1–3 (NRSV)

¹ Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Reading on in Genesis 12, we find that all of this actually came true because of the complete faith of Abram and his family in obeying God and making the journey. Can we relate this act of faith to our own Lenten journey? I believe the answer is yes, with the help of God. Our immediate reward is Easter.

When we look at both the Old and New Testaments, we notice that God is always the one taking the initiative. So it is not our doing, but God’s which leads us to salvation, but we must have the faith, or, as we say, “grace through faith.” So it is faith in God that leads us forward.

Prayer: Please God, give us the sense of faith, obedience and trust that we need to complete our life journey and beyond. That, finally, we will achieve our goal of everlasting life with you and your son, Jesus. In His Name we pray, Amen

Lent Day 10: March 19

This morning we welcome guest blogger Carol Brudnicki, who shares with us her reflections on what it means when Jesus says "Blessed are the meek."

Lenten Reflection for Day 10

Date: Saturday March 19, 2011

Author: Carol Brudnicki

Bible Passage:

Matthew 5:5 (NRSV)

⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Reflection:

When we were in India last February, we visited Gandhi’s memorial. Gandhi freed his country not with war and violence but by being “meek.” His persistence in non-violence resistance actions changed the course of his country. Likewise here in the US – Martin Luther King advocated non-violence actions to bring about reform and equal rights for everyone.

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus admonishes his disciple “ Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. (Matthew 26:52) Then Jesus heals the slave and goes with those who came to arrest him. In so doing he fulfills the scriptures and inherits the earth and heaven.

War and violence is not the means of attaining peace here on earth or in heaven. Seeking the good of others rather than doing what is good only for us will make us an “instrument of God’s.” Surrendering to God’s control and faithfulness to Jesus is more powerful than any other action. And so the Meek will inherit the earth.

Ponder:

When have you experienced helplessness and given your problem over to Jesus? Then has he guided you through the situation and created peace where there was conflict?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help me to renounce my own rights for your sake. Give me the gift of meekness and make me an “instrument of your peace.” Amen

Salty People

Reflection:

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading from Matthew (5:13-20), Jesus says to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth,” and “You are the light of the world.” There are lots of ways one can interpret the phrase, “You are the salt of the earth.” Salt was and continues to be considered a valuable natural resource. In Roman times, it was so valuable that salaries were sometimes paid in salt. It has been used for everything from seasoning to medicinal purposes to curing meat to melting snow on walkways. Melting snow is not an insignificant usage, up here in the frozen north country, where I live and serve.

Salt is also considered to be a blessing. Just before my wedding, when I was packing up, to move to my first apartment, my mother gave me a small baggie with a crust of bread and salt. She told me to always keep this baggie in my kitchen, as it was considered to be good luck. I have since found out that this tradition dates back to the time before Jesus, although I guess they were not packaged in a baggie at that time -:)

When Jesus says “you are the salt of the earth”, he could be saying that you are a valuable resource, or he could be saying that you are a blessing to the world. Whatever spin you put on this phrase, given the importance of salt, Jesus is paying a compliment to his followers. Notice also, that Jesus doesn’t put any conditions on his praise. He doesn’t say “if you do this, then you are salt.” Jesus says plainly and without condition—you are the salt of the earth. This is pure grace.

Jesus then goes on to say “You are the light of the world”. In most cultures, light is considered good and is the antithesis to darkness. In Christianity, light is associated with Jesus, himself. If Jesus’ disciples are light to the world, then they must have a role in reflecting the goodness of Jesus to the world.

Can you think of a time when God has used you to be light to the world? How have you been salt or a blessing to the world? May you be a salty person, blessing and seasoning those around you.

Prayer: Gracious God, you are light and good. Help me to reflect your light and your goodness and your blessing to those around me. Amen