Day 2 Lenten Devotion--February 23, 2012

Lenten Reflection for Day 2

Date: February 23, 2012

Author: John Harris

Bible Passage: Matthew 28:16–17 (NRSV)

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.

Reflection:

“Doubt is merely the seed of faith,” states an elderly Benedictine monk in response to Kathleen Norris’ frustrations with her own Christian faith. Doubt plays a major part in this morning’s Bible passage.

Jesus has a special place in His heart for all of us “doubters.” And I ask all of you, who has not had his or her moments of doubt? In over thirty years of leading adult Bible studies, I cannot count the number of times folks have expressed difficulties of belief over certain Bible passages. But, you know what, Jesus can handle our doubts. Indeed, the “seeds of faith” are planted in the very heart of our unbelief. We just need the “intestinal fortitude” to continue our conversations with Jesus by continuing to read the Bible, attending worship services (particularly the Wednesday Lenten services!), and availing ourselves of the sacrament.

It is through worship that we hear the word of God and how God strengthens our faith and speaks to us in our moments of doubt. Through worship, we see how God responded to all those other doubters—Sarah, Moses, Jonah, Jeremiah, Peter, the woman at the well, and Thomas just to name a few. Through worship, we keep the channels of communication with Jesus open. When we keep our two way conversations with God open, as Kathleen Norris so eloquently states, “things fall into place.”

Prayer: Dear God, I know that You are with me in my moments of doubt. Help me to discern Your ways through worship and the gift of Your body and blood. Speak to me through Your Holy Spirit as you have spoken to the prophets of old. Amen.

Devotion for Lent Day 2: March 10

Blessed Day 2 of Lent to Everyone. This morning's guest blogger is my husband John Harris, who shares his reflections on what God has to say to us about worry!

Lenten Reflection for Day 2

Date: Thursday March 10, 2011

Author: John Harris

Bible Passage:

Philippians 4:6–7 (NRSV)

⁶ Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Reflection:

As we ponder Paul’s advice not to worry and to bring everything to God in prayer, I am reminded of Bobby McFerrin’s little ditty that he wrote in 1988 that eventually became a catch phrase for the entire decade of the 80s’. To quote Bobby, “Here is a little song I wrote, you might want to sing it note for note. Don’t worry be happy, In every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double, Don’t worry, be happy...”

We chuckle at Paul’s advice and Bobby’s naïveté in writing his tune and its image of irresponsibility as we sit on the beach with our heads in the sand, ignoring our own and the world’s problems. Even Jesus, in Matthew’s Gospel on the Sermon on the Mount, tells us that worrying about what we wear or what we eat or our health is not going to add to our happiness or add a second to our life span. What Paul, Bobby, and Jesus are driving at is not so much ignoring the needed activities of daily living, we do need to be responsible, as much as we put theses activities above our relationship with God. We need to keep the proper perspective as we nurture our relationship with God, and the best way to do that is through prayer, supplication, meditation, and scripture reading. Keep the prayer channels open to God, strengthen our relationship with God and our neighbors, and eventually all our needs and worries will sort themselves out.

The influential Indian mystic Mehrer Baber, who was McFerrin’s inspiration for his song, stated “Do your best. Then, don’t worry; be happy in My love. I will help you.”

Bring your problems to Jesus in love and prayer. Nurture your relationship with God and ask for help as we go about our daily activities. Take time every day to pray and meditate on the word of God. And truly, our hearts and minds will succumb to the quiet peace of God’s love for us.

Prayer:

Even as God adorned the lilies of the field and fed the birds of the air, how much greater, O Lord, is your love for us. You know our needs even before we ask for them. Help us strengthen our love for you as we pray, meditate and reflect upon your word. Let your peace, that passes all understanding, fill our beings as we interact with our neighbors and the world. Amen.