It's Lent again, and we'll be sending out these daily Lenten devotions until Easter. They are geared to young adults, and will be written primarily by students and staff involved with the Lutheran Campus Ministries near DC, a variety of Lutheran Pastors in the DC Metro Synod, and some others as well. Feel free to share them with your friends!
Isaiah 58:1-12 (NRSV)
3 "Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?" Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. 4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. 5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. 11 The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. 12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.
THOUGHTS
In this passage, the prophet is very critical of what were understood to be proper religious observances at the time. These are people who "delight to draw near to God" (verse 2). They are fasting and laying in sackcloth and ashes. But they are doing it for themselves – and it is causing divisions within their communities (verses 3-5).
Lent is the season of the church year in which we focus on drawing closer to God – during which we talk about returning to God. Many times you hear of people fasting by giving up chocolate or swearing. Is this being turned inward to a time of general self-improvement or are these the fasts that God chooses? (See verses 6-7.)
If you are giving up something for Lent, take some time to really think about the spiritual component. How is it helping you grow closer to God? If you give up TV for Lent, think about how you can use that time to work for justice for the oppressed (verse 6). If you give up a particular type of food, think about how you can use the money you save to feed people who are hungry (verse 7). If you give up shopping, consider how you can use the money you save to clothe people in need of clothing (verse 7).
How will your Lenten practices help you grow closer to God and the things that God loves, such as the other people around you? How will you grow closer to your family? How will you share God's love with others this Lent? How will you repair breaches, restore streets, and heal communities?
PRAYER
Lord God, may this Lent be a time in which you lead us to walk in your ways. Help us to feed, forgive, heal, repair, and restore according to your will. In Jesus name, AMEN.
Lent is the season of the church year in which we focus on drawing closer to God – during which we talk about returning to God. Many times you hear of people fasting by giving up chocolate or swearing. Is this being turned inward to a time of general self-improvement or are these the fasts that God chooses? (See verses 6-7.)
If you are giving up something for Lent, take some time to really think about the spiritual component. How is it helping you grow closer to God? If you give up TV for Lent, think about how you can use that time to work for justice for the oppressed (verse 6). If you give up a particular type of food, think about how you can use the money you save to feed people who are hungry (verse 7). If you give up shopping, consider how you can use the money you save to clothe people in need of clothing (verse 7).
How will your Lenten practices help you grow closer to God and the things that God loves, such as the other people around you? How will you grow closer to your family? How will you share God's love with others this Lent? How will you repair breaches, restore streets, and heal communities?
PRAYER
Lord God, may this Lent be a time in which you lead us to walk in your ways. Help us to feed, forgive, heal, repair, and restore according to your will. In Jesus name, AMEN.
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Thoughts by Ben Buss, Lutheran Campus Minister at George Mason University
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These devotions for young adults are provided by:
Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran
Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/
DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/
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Feel free to share them with your friends!
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