Voices at the Table: February 2015

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Feb. 28, 2015: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

We encourage you to read this devotion three times a day. Start in the morning and reflect upon the morning reflection question. Then in the afternoon, read it again and reflect using the noon question for reflection. For the evening, take time to ponder how this has resonated with you in the day and reflecting using the evening question. We offer a prayer with each devotion for you to pray or we invite you to pray what is in your heart.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

24 Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. ²⁵Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable garland, but we an imperishable one. ²⁶So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; ²⁷but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.

Key Verses: v 24-25

Reflection:

Think of how far we will go in our culture today for a prize or a trophy. Athletes are disciplined to WIN. They know their goal and their goal is to win. In today’s reading, Paul is speaking to Christians in an ancient community called Corinth. Corinth was the home of the Isthmian Games, a very competitive and prestigious athletic event of the time, second only to the Olympics. The winners of each event would receive a crown of laurel leaves. Paul was telling them “don’t get caught up in all this competitive culture stuff.” Our goal is a crown that is not perishable. As Christians, we need to know our goal! Some of us are running toward the wrong end zone! The true prize that awaits us in our relationship with God through Christ Jesus is the prize of salvation. Run in such a way that you may win the prize.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: Are you competitive person? What prizes or trophies do you cherish?

Noon: Paul reminds us that running aimlessly through life is like “boxing at air.” Have you done any “air boxing” today?

Evening: Before you go to bed, try to let go of the competitive nature of the day and spend just five minutes clearing your mind of clutter. Focus on your breathing and breathe in the “Breathe of God” that sustains you.

Prayer: Holy God, I admit to you that I want to win at life sometimes more than I want to know You. There are days when I spend too much time trying to accomplish things that are perishable. Forgive me when I run aimlessly and help me to recognize the prize that I have in my relationship with You. Amen.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Feb. 27, 2015: James 2:5-6

James 2:5 - 6

“Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court?”

Reflection:

Have you ever played the game Monopoly? When I was a child, we didn’t really play it. My mom hated it. However, it was a favorite past time in my seminary career. There were some rainy days or days in which we were avoiding homework that we gathered in the common lounge to engage in this game. There are moments that you see the competitiveness come out in seminarians. As the game goes on and people collect more property and gain wealth, something occurs. Oppression happens. The lowly ones begin to scrape together the pretend dollars to cover debts, desperate deals with others are made, and you see the low in power work together to attempt to conquer the rich.

When power develops, a new dynamic appears. When reading this part of James, it points out how worldly possessions can push us to dishonor one another. Just like the example of Monopoly, we can get caught up in the excitement and miss the opportunity to become rich in our faith.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: Do you ever struggle with oppressing the poor?

Noon: Do you feel oppressed by the rich? How?

Evening: How can you become richer in your faith in God?

Prayer: God of power, we sometimes fail to be obedient. There are times that we oppress others and we allow ourselves to be oppressed. Allow us to know the richness in our faith rather than the riches in the world. Lead us to know Your love. Amen.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Feb. 26, 2015: Genesis 9:8-17

Genesis 9:8-17

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ⁹‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, ¹⁰and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. ¹¹I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ ¹²God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: ¹³I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, ¹⁵I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ ¹⁷God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’

Key Verses: vv. 9-13 "Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after

you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of theearth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth."

Reflection:

We all know people in our lives who we refer to as being a little "off". In my family, they would say that a person was a "half a bubble of plumb." I can only imagine what people thought about Noah from the beginning of his building of the ark. He would have definitely fallen in the "off" category to say the least. It is a funny thing, God hasn't stopped calling us to do things that might seem a little "off" by other people. After all, in Romans Paul tells us to not be "conformed to this world but to be transformed" aka- "off". Isn't God creative? Here, in our text this morning, we find Noah and his sons after the flood. He is engaged with a conversation with God and God is talking in our key verses. God offers some of the best news a guy like Noah could have heard- especially after surviving the ordeal he had gone through. God offers a covenant- a deep, unending, binding promise. The covenant was teeming with hope. The sky was now the limit. It was a new start for creation and a new start for Noah and his family. I believe that is what God offers us each day. With each day, we get another chance to get a life of faith a little more right than the last. That gives me a lot of hope and I pray it will bring you hope as well.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: What kind of covenant do you believe God has made with you? How does that covenant change the way you live and the choices you make?

Noon: Who is the most hopeful person you know?- say a prayer for that person

Evening: What second-chance has God offered in your life? How has that second-chance given you an opportunity of a new future with hope?

Prayer: The world is your creation and under your domain. Help me to live accordingly. Remind me that I have a future through you. One that is filled with hope and with potential. Thank you for not giving up on me or on the world. help me to share you love with others. Help me to offer hope to others today. Amen.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Feb. 25, 2015: Romans 4:13-25

Romans 4:13-25

13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, ¹⁷as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. ¹⁸Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ ¹⁹He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. ²²Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ ²³Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, ²⁴but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

Reflection:

This passage is fitting for Lent. This is the time that we reflect upon ourselves for introspection, understanding, and hope in growing closer to God. In this particular passage, the author is recounting the story of Abraham in a sense. We are reminded that through Abraham’s faith that God was able to work within him. All of what Abraham did was through God. As we spend this time in Lent, we are reminded that we are nothing. However, we are everything. God has claimed us. Remember all that God can do with the dirt, the dust, the grossness of the world. God makes all things new and incredible. So, when you feel at your most vulnerable, know that God is creating. Know that God works with our little faith and leads us to the most wonderful experiences. This is God’s promise to us.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: How have you seen God's beauty in the dust?

Noon: Is your faith enough to help carry you?

Evening: How do you plan to be bold during the Lenten season?

Prayer: Creator, we are so thankful that You can create beauty out of chaos. We often feel like dirt and are weighed down. We give thanks to You, who works in us to create amazing things. Please help us to remember Your power, Your glory, and Your love. Amen.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Feb. 24, 2015: Psalm 22:23-31

Psalm 22:23-31

23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him. 25From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. 26The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD. May your hearts live forever! 27All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. 28 For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.29To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him. 30Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, 31and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.

Reflection:
“But heard when I cried to him”, is a phrase that seems to echo in the heart. This verse says so much about how the psalmist views God. God is one whom we can come to in our darkest of hours. As we journey through lent, traveling through the wilderness as Jesus did, we will if we are sincerely focused on connecting more with Christ face dark hours. But our God is a god who comforts those who suffer, who struggle, and who cry out. We must trust that God will be there for us. Is it not comforting to know God hears you? Is it not comforting to know that God will wrap God’s arms around you when hardship comes? Turn to God during Lent, for God was with Jesus throughout the temptations he went through, and in turn God will also walk with you, too.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: When is a time when you have cried out to God?

Afternoon: When has God given you comfort in a time of crisis?

Evening: How have you comforted others when they have endured great difficulty?

Prayer: Merciful God, I pray that you would help guide me through whatever struggles I encounter this Lenten season. I pray for strength, resilience, courage, and your spirit to help give me support. I know you will be there for me whatever struggle I may go through. In Christ name I pray. Amen

Monday, February 23, 2015

Feb. 23, 2015: Mark 1:9-15

Mark 1:9-15

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, ¹⁵and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’

Key Verses: vv. 9-11 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."

Reflection:

These are "meat and potatoes" (a southern saying for VERY important) verses in our Christian tradition. So important, that we recognize Baptism as a sacrament, set aside as something Holy and specifically quintessential for the Christian life of faith. It was clearly important to Jesus to be baptized. With this being said, it has troubled many who ask "Why would a sinless Jesus, the Son of God, even need to be baptized in the first place?" That is a fair theological question. However, I don't think it is a key question to our reading for today. They key question is "What and did God respond to Jesus being baptized?" God was "pleased". I want my life and my actions to "please" God. Every time I have the privilege of baptizing someone I cannot help but imagine God with a huge grin, smiling down on us all and celebrating with us. If you have been baptized, what do you remember about your baptism? If you were an infant, what did your parents have to say about the day you were baptized? If you have not been baptized or you have friends who have not been baptized, consider these verses and the example of Jesus along with the response of God and see where that might lead you.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: Where, in your life, do you think you bring God pleasure? How can you improve the way you respond, through faith, in the world today?

Noon: How might you explain baptism to someone that has expressed an interest in being baptized?

Evening: How do you think God responds when people are baptized? how might you choices and the situations of the have brought God pleasure?

Prayer: O God, I pray my life will bring you pleasure today, Purify my heart and let me claim the reality that you love me and accept me as one of your children. Help me to live in this reality. Allow this truth to seep into my decisions and direction.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Feb. 22, 2015: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
   sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
   for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near—
² a day of darkness and gloom,
   a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness spread upon the mountains
   a great and powerful army comes;
their like has never been from of old,
   nor will be again after them
   in ages to come.

¹² Yet even now, says the Lord,
   return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
¹³   rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord, your God,
   for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
   and relents from punishing.
¹⁴ Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
   and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain-offering and a drink-offering
   for the Lord, your God?

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet in Zion;
   sanctify a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
¹⁶   gather the people.
Sanctify the congregation;
   assemble the aged;
gather the children,
   even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
   and the bride her canopy.

¹⁷ Between the vestibule and the altar
   let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.
Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord,
   and do not make your heritage a mockery,
   a byword among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
   “Where is their God?” ’

Reflection:

I read Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “letters from a Birmingham jail” in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. day in January. Dr. King was reflecting on his current struggle and discussed the prophets of the Old Testament, prophets like Joel. Joel left his village in Israel almost three thousand years ago to call his people to repentance. To admonish them for their sins and inviting them to reconcile with God. Dr. King left his home in Atlanta and travel the South trying to right a wrong, and calling people to racial reconciliation. There is one line from the prophet Joel that jumps off the page at me, “rend your hearts and not your clothing.” True change comes from our hearts, and it is much more difficult to change our hearts than our clothing or our actions. It is much easier for us to do a few things for God: give an offering, attend a church service or in Joel’s era offer a sacrifice than it is to change our hearts to the ways of God. It is easier to attend church than to let God penetrate our lives each day. I pray that these devotionals and your spiritual practices will lead you to a changed heart.
Reflection Questions:

Morning: How can I give God time and space to change my heart?

Noon: I would encourage you to take two minutes in silences and reflect on the ways God is working in your life

Evening: Is there anything I need to remove from my life to make more time for God to work in my heart? Is there anything I need to start doing to give God more opportunities to change my heart?

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Feb. 21, 2015: Psalm 97:1-9

Hebrew 2:14-18

14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. ¹⁶For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. ¹⁷Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Reflection:

I can reflect back through the years and can recall certain times where I was envious of someone else. The green envy bug had bitten me. I believed that their life was so together. They were funny, pretty, nice, etc. Everyone liked them. I wanted to be more like them. Maybe even them. The truth is no one has everything together. This scripture shares how Jesus even experienced suffering. Through these real life experiences, we can learn sympathy, compassion, mercy and many other things. Is it not amazing to think about how our savior wanted to be like us in order to comfort and lead us better!? Remember that through these real life experiences, Jesus is there to comfort, lead, and walk with you because Jesus knows hurt and suffering. So let us avoid desiring to be someone else, because God created us in God’s image.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: How do you feel knowing that Jesus wanted to be like you?

Noon: When have you felt suffering?

Evening: How have you seen Jesus in your life?

Friday, February 20, 2015

Feb. 20, 2015: Luke 2:21-40

21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), ²⁴and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.²⁷Guided by the Spirit, Simeonj came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
²⁹ ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
   according to your word;
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹   which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles
   and for glory to your people Israel.’

33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, ³⁷then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

Key Verses: vv 22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

Reflection:

Today’s Scripture lesson is the story of Mary and Joseph presenting the baby Jesus to the temple for a sacred ritual called redemption of the firstborn that was required by the law of Moses. Rituals are important but the observance of religious rituals has fallen on hard times. For most of us today, religious rituals are reduced to some sporadic holidays or church holy days. This story reminds us that ritual was an important part of Jesus’ early life. The Jews in the time of Jesus expected to encounter God every day. They were challenged to find the sacredness of every moment. And one day, God showed in the flesh in the form of a little baby in the arms of Mary and Joseph. Could it be that we don’t expect to encounter God anymore? The challenge for modern Christians is to see the presence of God in the ordinary moments of every day. We are invited to look for the wonders that show us that God is still at work in our world.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: Do you practice religious rituals? Are they important to you? Why or why not?

Noon: How can you transform your everyday routines into more meaningful moments?

Evening: How does the routine of sleeping and waking remind you of God’s presence in your life?

Prayer: Holy God, help me to encounter You today in a new and surprising way. Open my eyes to see You clearly and experience You more fully. Forgive the cynic in me. Enlighten me to the routines and practices that will remind me of You. Amen.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Feb. 19, 2015: Mark 9:2-9

Mark 9:2-9

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, ³and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. ⁴And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ ⁶He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ ⁸Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Key Verse: vv.7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him."

Reflection:

This is a passage that solidifies the title of Jesus as the Son of God. It is a mountaintop experience- literally and figuratively. I churchy language, we often talk about our mountain-top experiences and our valley experiences- meaning to outsiders our highs and lows in life. I want to focus in specifically on the last part of seven because I think it holds for each of us a specific command for Christians. Most of us are really not that good at listening. I am reminded of this, all too often by my wife. However, in this passage God tells the three on the mountain with Jesus that they need to listen. I read somewhere that our lives are too often so loud that we fail to hear the whisper of the Divine in our lives. I have found that to be painfully true. We have lots of excellent excuses for not hearing or following God- time, commitments, work, stress, and financial burdens. However, they are indeed excuses. The longer I live in relationship with God, the more I realize that God is indeed a God of provision. That doesn't mean we just sit back and wait for God to take care of everything. Faith is only authentic if it moves us to action. With that being said, we must remember to listen for God and then be wise enough to trust in the Divine direction offered. If we can do that, I believe our lives will be transformed.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: How good are you at listening? What is the biggest thing (loudest thing) in your life that prevents you from hearing God?

Noon: What is one area of your day that has become clear you need to work on at listening?

Evening: Where has God clarified the places you need to work on listening? How are you going to do better?

Prayer: Clean out my ears. I want to hear your voice. I need to know that you are speaking to me and I desperately need your direction. Help me hear you and then give me enough will to act on your direction. Whether in the good or in the difficult season of my life, help me to seek you and then live for you.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Feb. 18, 2015: Psalm 51:1-17

Psalm 51:1-17

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
   blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
   and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is ever before me.
⁴ Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
   and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
   and blameless when you pass judgement.
⁵ Indeed, I was born guilty,
   a sinner when my mother conceived me.

⁶ You desire truth in the inward being;
   therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
   wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins,
   and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and put a new and right spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me away from your presence,
   and do not take your holy spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
   and sustain in me a willing spirit.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
   and sinners will return to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
   O God of my salvation,
   and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
   and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ For you have no delight in sacrifice;
   if I were to give a burnt-offering, you would not be pleased.
¹⁷ The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
   a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

This is the Ash Wednesday Psalm many churches are using this year. It is likely that some of you will hear or have heard this Psalm read today. It is a beautiful Psalm that captures the heart of Lent and our faith. We come to God when we are dirty, broken, and sinful. We ask God to have mercy, to cleanse us, to restore us, and God does. Lent is a season of remembering what God did for us, what we could never do for ourselves. It is a season to celebrate God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness. It is also a season to reflect on our own lives and see where we can move forward. The psalmist asks God to purge him and clean him. Is there anything in your life that needs to be purged for Lent? Do you have dirty spots that need to be cleaned? How can you move closer to God this season?

Reflection Questions:

Morning: I am inviting you to come up with a new breath pray that reflects the changes you want to experience during Lent and to use it today. For example: “God, cleanse my soul” or “God, purge me of….” Be creative and say this prayer all day

Noon: Take two minutes in silence to reflect on how God can cleanse your soul

Evening: I invite you to prayerfully consider if God is calling you to purge anything from your life. If so, how can you remove it during Lent? Will you allow God to cleanse your soul and restore you?

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Feb. 17, 2015: 2 Kings 2:1-12

2 Kings 2:1-12

Key Verses: vv. 1-3 Now when the LORD was about to take Eli'jah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Eli'jah and Eli'sha were on their way from Gilgal. And Eli'jah said to Eli'sha, "Tarry here, I pray you; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Eli'sha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Eli'sha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?" And he said, "Yes, I know it; hold your peace."

Reflection:

This is the goodbye passage between Elijah and Elisha. Both of whom were godly men and spiritual leaders of their people. I struggle with goodbyes, especially when they are forever goodbyes. As a pastor, a large part of my job is walking with people as they say their final goodbye to a loved one. It is both a privilege and a burden. I have learned so much along the way as I have journeyed with those who have been in the midst of final goodbye's. I have cried with them and laughed with them. I have celebrated with them and mourned with them. I have seen deep spirituality and hollow faith. Crisis reveals character. In our text today, Elijah is on his way and trying to prepare Elisha for his departure. Elisha, like most of us, doesn't want to say goodbye. However, he offers us an important lesson as he replies to the others around him. He says "hold your peace." I have seen this posture, in the midst of the storm death brings, lived out with vivid color. Indeed, with God all things are possible. Maybe you are in a "goodbye season" right now. If so, learn from the example Elisha gives us- claim the peace and be steady. If not, you will, soon enough, find yourself in a goodbye season. Don't forget this example. For all of us, remember God is with us in every situation- urges us on and granting us the strength to endure. May this become truth and light in your life.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: Who do you know that is currently going through a "season of goodbye's"?- say a quick prayer them What is one thing that you have learned from the Bible or from someone else about how to respond during a "goodbye season" of life?

Noon: As you have thought about the scripture and reflection this morning, what has risen to the surface and how is God speaking to you about those things?

Evening: What goodbye season of your life has been the toughest? Who offered the most light and hope in your darkest hours?

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit come. Fill me with your divine presence and consecrate me as a child of God. Strengthen me with a spirit that will withstand the trials of life, especially in times of tragedy and loss. Help me be a beacon of light in the dark days that others might be experiencing. Help me be a refuge and strength in times of weakness. Make me an instrument of your peace. Come Holy Spirit Come.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Feb. 16, 2015: 1 Peter 3:18-22

1 Peter 3:18-22

¹⁸For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water. ²¹And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

Reflection:

We are often left thinking about baptism as being cleansed. We focus so heavily on being made clean. However, it is through God’s love that we are forgiven and made clean. Sacraments, baptism and communion, are an outward sign of an inward grace. In other words, sacraments are our response to God’s love. In verse 21, “²¹And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” we can understand this to mean that we are responding to God in saying “help us to be more like You.” This means that we need to start living out our baptism daily. Through baptism, we are all called to be ministers. This might sound scary. No worries, you aren’t going to have to get up on Sunday to preach (unless you are a pastor), but you are to minister to all you meet and share the good news. This can be done in many ways. Again, this is a way of responding to God’s love.

Reflection Questions:

Morning: What is your understanding of baptism?

Noon: How can you minister to those around you?

Evening: How are you responding to God’s love through your baptism?

Prayer: Help us Lord to remember Your mighty acts of creation, the water that came in the flood, the Exodus, and the greatest of all, the coming of Jesus Christ and all of those before us who You were with. Let us remember that You are with us always. Guide us to be Your ministers to the world. Amen.

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Friday, February 27, 2015

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Monday, February 23, 2015

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Friday, February 20, 2015

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Monday, February 16, 2015

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