Lent 2009 #10

Mark 8:27-30 
27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" 28 And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

THOUGHTS:

Who do we say that Jesus is?  
The world hears about Jesus by observing how Christians act and live.

When we judge people, we are telling them that Jesus is judgmental.

When we retaliate, we are telling those around us that Jesus is vengeful.

When we say one thing and do another, we are telling the world that Jesus can't be trusted.

When we heal the sick, we are telling people that Jesus cares about them.

When we comfort the suffering, we are telling them that Jesus is compassionate.
When we act out of love, we are telling the world that Jesus is loving.

So really, who do you say that Jesus is?

PRAYER (A Four-fold Franciscan Blessing):

     May God bless you with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships, so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.
     May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.

     May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.

     May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you really CAN make a difference in this world, so that you are able, with God's grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

     And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator, Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word who is our brother and Saviour, and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, be with you and remain with you, this day and forevermore. AMEN.

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These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University.  Feel free to share them with your friends!  For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran  

You can subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Lent 2009 #9

Genesis 16:1-6 

1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar, 2 and Sarai said to Abram, "You see that the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my slave-girl to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!" 6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Your slave-girl is in your power; do to her as you please." Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she ran away from her. 

THOUGHTS:

Um...whoa.  This is one of those stories that I don't get at first.  Let's start with some quick background info:

1. Back in Genesis 12 , God basically told Abram at age 75: "Trust me.  Leave your family and the only home you've ever known behind and follow me, I'll tell you when you reach your destination, and you'll have more descendants than you can possibly imagine or count."

2. Abram followed, and he and Sarai have now been in Canaan for 10 years.  He's now 85 and he and Sarai are pretty old to be having kids.  

My Bible commentaries also tell me:

3. In the ancient middle east, it was an acceptable practice for a wife who could not conceive to give her slave-girl to her husband as a concubine.  Any offspring of this union were legally children of the wife.  In this case, that means that the child that Hagar bears will belong to Sarai after birth.  

4. Motherhood is highly respected at the time.

     So looking back to the passage above, we see that Sarai got impatient waiting for God to deliver on the promises that caused them to uproot and leave everything behind.  Sarai takes their destiny into her own hands and has her husband sleep with Hagar.  Her plan works, but it somehow backfires, too.  Hagar's loses respect for Sarai (because Sarai couldn't conceive) and this led to the slave-girl usurping the rightful place of the wife.  To combat this role reversal, Sarai complains to Abram that her slave-girl is getting uppity.  Abram effectively responds: "Not my problem, this was all your idea."  

     Phew, that's a lot of back story to explain that this brief passage may be saying: Trust God.  Don't try to take destiny into your own hands.  This doesn't mean to be complacent or apathetic: God works through people like you.  I think it means that we should always be listening for God's direction before we act.  It's OK if you never feel like you hear any direction, just keep doing what you think is right.  I think God communicates subtly and we don't always know when we are hearing.  It's when we stop listening that we tend to wander into traps of our own making...  

 

PRAYER:

God, thank you for your subtle whispers, and for your spirit moving in our community as we journey together.  Keep our hearts and minds firmly focused on you, and guide us in humble service of all those that we meet.  Use us in ways that we might not even notice to do your will on earth.  For the sake of Christ Jesus, AMEN.

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These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University.  Feel free to share them with your friends!  For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran  

You can subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Lent 2009 #8

Romans 3:21-28 

21 But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. 

     27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.

THOUGHTS:

What becomes of boasting, bragging, arrogance, pride, and showing off?  It is excluded.  Why?

Well, what could we possibly have to brag about?  We aren't perfect.  We all screw up sometimes.  Yet we've been redeemed in the suffering death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.  We don't get any of the credit for receiving this free gift, because we didn't have to do anything to get it!  God sees us as righteous because we have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

What do you do with this amazing gift?

PRAYER:

O Lord, thank you for clothing is with righteousness we could never earn.  Help us to live lives of thankfulness, that we might always remember that all we have is yours.  For the sake of Jesus the Christ, AMEN.

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Last call: YOU still have the opportunity to leave the cold behind by joining our spring break mission trip to Jacksonville, Florida.  For info/application: http://gmu747.org/spbr09.php

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These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University.  Feel free to share them with your friends!  For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran  

You can subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Lent 2009 #7

Psalm 77 

1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah

4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" Selah

10 And I say, "It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed."
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.

15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.

17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

THOUGHTS:

What is the place of doubt in our faith?  Some see doubt as a lack of faith, but I think God sometimes meets us in our doubts.  Sometimes, times of skepticism are when we are most open to sensing God's presence.

Here, the psalmist laments how far away God seems.  The questions in verses 7-9 are heartbreaking as they mourns how a feeling of being abandoned by God.  Yet the psalm continues by remembering the wonders God did years before, how God redeemed his ancestors from slavery.  The psalmist proceeds here from doubt to faith, remembering that God uses human hands to lead and care for God's people.

Together, we share our doubts and faith with each other, and sometimes our questions are more helpful than the answers.  

What makes God seem far away from you?

What makes you feel like God is close?

What are your questions?    

PRAYER:

O Lord, thank you for our existence and for all the blessings in our lives.  Help us to draw close to you, and to find a way to live in the tension of our questions.  We seek to follow Jesus together.  Help us. AMEN.

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TODAY: faith discussion group meets at 4:30pm in SUB 1 Patriot's Lounge.  Join us for worship at 7:47pm in the JC Bistro.

Last call: There are still TWO open spaces for our spring break mission trip to Jacksonville, Florida.  For info/application: http://gmu747.org/spbr09.php

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These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University.  Feel free to share them with your friends!  For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran  

You can subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Lent 2009 #6

1 Peter 3:8-18   

8 Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing. 

10 For "Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; 11 let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." 

13 Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God's will, than to suffer for doing evil. 18 For 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.

THOUGHTS:

"Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing" (verse 9). This is not an easy message. When someone hurts us, our nature is to want revenge...to "get them back". Think about popular TV shows and movies: the maligned hero goes out and does whatever is necessary to take down the villain...to bring the villain to justice.

Our calling as Christians is different. We are called to repay evil and abuse with a blessing. Will it be easy? No way! Will blessing those who hurt us turn everyone we encounter into friends? Probably not. Will our lives be without suffering if we do this? Nope. Yet we are told that "even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed" (verse 14).

Likewise, Jesus tells us to "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt" (Luke 6:27-29). Yet few Christians actually model these types of behaviors. Maybe we've decided these practices are antiquated or impractical ... or maybe we have let our self-preservation instincts rule our actions.  

Consider the reaction of the Amish community in Pennsylvania after a man murders many of their children before taking his own life: they visited with the killer's family and attended his funeral, invited the killer's widow to the funeral for their children, and set up a charitable fund for the family of the man who took the lives of their children. They were heard saying things like: "We must not think evil of this man."  I encourage you to read this short section on their forgiving response, and think and pray about how you might learn to be more forgiving: http://is.gd/lAaa 

PRAYER:

Lord God, you have forgiven so much that we have done.  Help us to forgive others...to see them through your eyes.  We desire to seek your way in this world, yet we struggle.  Be here in this struggle among us, and help us to grow closer to you.  We pray this in the name of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

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PS:  If you want to discuss theology -- to talk about questions you have reading the above -- in a safe, open environment, then join us at Brion's Grille on TONIGHT (3/3) at 5:15pm .  Contact lutheran@gmu.edu for details/rides. 

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These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University.  Feel free to share them with your friends!  For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran  

You can subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Lent 2009 #5

Ephesians 2:1-10
     1 You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast.10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

THOUGHTS:

Let me repeat verse 8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." Our salvation is not based on what we do, say, think, or set out to do in life. Our salvation is solely a gift of God. To put it simply, it comes for FREE, merely because God wants us to have it.

     To put it another way:  "And if by grace [that God is motivated], then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. Because if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work" (Romans 11:6).  In other words, if you try to combine grace and works, then grace is lost in the process.  Put simply, if you have to "do something" to acquire salvation, then salvation isn't through grace.

     Back to Ephesians, verse 10: "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." Good works aren't about earning salvation. We were made for good works to be our way of life.

     Write this down someplace you'll see it numerous times in the next few days: "I was made for good works to be my way of life."  Spend some time thinking and praying about what this simple statement might mean in your daily life.

PRAYER:

Lord God, you have been so gracious to us.  We frequently try to make everything about ourselves, and have trouble understanding our salvation is for your sake.  Help us to live the way of life that you have prepared for us, to do good in the world as a way of life.  In Christ Jesus we pray, AMEN.

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PS:  If you want to discuss theology -- to talk about questions you have reading the above -- in a safe, open environment, then join us at Brion's Grille on Tues 3/3 at 5:15pm .  Contact lutheran@gmu.edu for details/rides. 

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These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University.  Feel free to share them with your friends!  For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran  

You can subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Lent 2009: First Sunday

It might surprise you, but Sundays are not part of Lent.  There are "Sundays in Lent" not "Sundays of Lent".  The reason for this is that EVERY Sunday is a joyful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.  Sundays during Lent should be even more special and celebratory because Sundays are "Feast Days" when fasts are to be broken.  In other words, if you give something up for Lent, it technically shouldn't affect Sunday, since every Sunday, we celebrate the fact that we know the tomb is empty!

How you choose to observe the Sundays in Lent is up to you.  Remember that the purpose of Lenten fasting is to help us grow closer God.  

Anyway, my Lenten devotions won't appear in the same way on the Sundays in Lent.  Instead, I'll just offer at least one quote or link to things I read or heard recently that I found interesting...

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"Our knowledge and theology are important only so long as they are used to serve and honor the poor." -- Jean Vanier (Founder of L'Arche ) in From Brokenness to Community 

"[We need] to embrace a "new bottom line" in which corporations, social practices, government policies andindividual behaviors are judged rational, efficient or productive not only if they maximize money or power, but also to the extent that they maximize love andcaring, kindness and generosity, ethical and ecological sensitivity, enhance our capacity to treat others as embodiments of the sacred and to respond with awe, wonder, and radical amazement at the grandeur of the universe." -- Rabbi Michael Lerner, Sojourners Voice of the Day 1/30/2009 

"Church offers an alternative liturgical space to turn us into the people we want to be." -- Peter Rollins 2/26/2009

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NOTE: There are still TWO open spaces for our spring break mission trip to Jacksonville, Florida.  For info/application: http://gmu747.org/spbr09.php

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These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University.  Feel free to share them with your friends!  For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran  

You can subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com