Easter Sunday 2010 - The Smell of Something New

John 20:1-18 (NRSV)

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

THOUGHTS:

Spring is coming, I said.  No, said the cab driver, spring is here already, you just can't see it yet.   My allergies reminded me that he was right.  I had a runny nose for days because of flowers I could not yet see but my other senses were telling me were real.

It's often that way when we face challenges and disappointments.  A relationship ends and we see only faults and failings.  A job or internship we had hoped for fell through and we can't see anything else happening for us.  The world depresses us. Someone we love gets sick or even dies and we see pain and separation.

Easter is like God giving us a new way to sense life.   When Mary got to the garden, Jesus met her there but she could not recognize him.  It was only when he called out her name that she really saw who he was.   She was so excited to see him alive, she about jumped into his arms.    

That's the way it is when we see life the way God does.   We find gratitude even in relationships that have ended.   Failed job prospects lead to new opportunities we could not have otherwise imagined.   Even sickness and death are ultimately seen as temporary conditions.

Easter calls us to perceive life with more than just our eyes.   There is more to living than landing a good job and making enough money to pay the bills and raise a family.   The strength and will to change the world found in the power of love that makes everything seem vivid.

PRAYER: 

Dear Lord,  May your gracious love resurrect my senses.  Save me from the dead end of cynicism and help me to see things in a new way today.  Amen.

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Thoughts by Pastor Phil Hirsch, Assistant to the Bishop, Metro D.C. Synod of the ELCA

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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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Lent 2010 #39

John 19:16b-30

So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.  There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.  Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.  It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."  Many of the Jews read this inscription because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and In Greek.  Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do no write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'"  Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."  When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier.  They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top.  So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it."  This was to fulfill what the scripture says, "They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots."  And that is what the soldiers did.

     Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus saw his mother and disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son."  Then he said to the disciple, "here is your mother."  And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

     After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), "I am thirsty."  A jar full of sour wine was standing there.  So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.  When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished."  Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

THOUGHTS: 

Sometimes it's unexpected and they are missed all together.  Sometimes however, they are held dear because they are intentional words of love.  Sometimes they are words of forgiveness or redemption.  Sometimes they are words of thankfulness.  Sometimes, they are words of hope.  What I am writing about are the last words of a loved one who has passed on.

     As a pastor I have had opportunities to be with friends and families as they have watched their husband, parent, or friend breathe their last breath.  People hold onto every word spoken and move made.  A depth of emotion is shared.  It is perhaps one of the most intimate experiences to share with another.

     In many ways, Jesus' death on the cross was very different.  He died a prisoner's death.  He was hung on a cross for all to sneer and jeer at with cruel words and laughter.  His was not an intimate setting where loved ones gathered closely around singing gentle songs and praying prayers for peace.  Remember, most of his disciples had scattered.  Instead, Jesus was surrounded by soldiers who mocked him and made a game out of dividing up his garments and ironically placed a crown of thorns on his head and sign above Him that said "King of the Jews."

     Jesus spoke His final words from the cross, recorded in the gospels.  Though He suffered greatly and was treated so poorly, Jesus' last words expressed love and care – "Woman, behold your son and son behold your mother."  They too were words of forgiveness – "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."  They too were words of redemption – "Today, you will be with me in paradise."

     They also were words of hope - "It is finished."  Yes, Jesus, in His death, had accomplished what He came to do, to carry our sins to the cross.  "It is finished" is what He spoke on the cross and three days later, we learn "it is finished" has made the words "It has just begun" possible for us to say.

     Death is not the last word.  Life is because of Jesus' willingness to die for us.                  


PRAYER:

Dear Lord, as we reflect on the sacrifices you were willing to go through for us, help us to be truly thankful for your saving act of love on the cross.  Give us strength too to speak words of love, forgiveness, and hope to those whom we encounter each day.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

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Thoughts by Rev. Darcy Percy, Associate Pastor, Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Fairfax, VA)

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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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Lent 2010 #35

John 12:1-8 (and 9-11 also) (NRSV)

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 'Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?' 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, 'Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.'

THOUGHTS:

In the three other canonical gospels, a "nameless" woman anoints Jesus' feet with expensive perfume and is praised by Jesus for her act of love. This woman-- "Mary" in John's gospel-- is "nameless" only because those writers chose not to bother with recognizing her worth. Unlike Mary, whose actions communicated to Jesus in an intimate way that he mattered to her, that he was a beloved child of God who faced a certain and unjust death, these writers chose consciously or unconsciously not to extend love. Why does it matter? Because those choices, and others like them made by the gospel writers, come to bear on the decisions of others that echo into our future. Interpretations were formulated that colluded with negligence, erasure, and the destruction of others. The intention of these writers does not make the impact of these words any less real.

This has been on my mind lately, especially  when I encountered the rest of the verses that are included in this selection from the "revised" "common" lectionary. John 12:9-11 reads thus:

9 When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

Rife with anti-Judaism, these verse portray Jewish leaders as petty and clannish representatives who would rather turn to murder than face the supposedly "obvious" insufficiencies of their religious practices and beliefs when compared to those of Jesus. No matter what one might argue about why these verses were written, this is how they are heard, and they justify the false dichotomy of good, grace-lovin' Christians and bad/confused law-keeping Jews. I was pissed to hear them read aloud last Sunday in the progressive Lutheran church I attend, by the warm-hearted and intelligent pastor no less. I became enraged when this pastor at no point addressed these verses in his sermon about God's love reflected in Mary's acts. He could have pointed out their dissonance with this love that God gives and inspires. He could have chosen to not give them any air-time. Instead, he consciously or unconsciously chose to read them and participate in approximately two thousand years of Christian anti-Semitism.

Mary's love is a concrete action, and so is Jesus' in this instance. Jesus defends Mary's dignity, safeguarding her well-being under Judas' attack (who has his own shit to examine). This is what love does: it builds up other people in their humanness (and respects all other living creatures and life-giving systems) and resists the forces, ideologies, and conscious and unconscious choices that lead to wanton destruction. And let's be clear: we don't love because we're innocent of these destructive ways. Hell no. We love because we've a encountered a Love that has has showed us that life is better for all when we, for example, reside in religious identities that do not affirm their value by badmouthing people of different faiths. Love affirms us in our inherent worth, and, if we allow it to work through us, uproots the violence of oppression in our souls and in our societies. Love enables us to call out these forces that mindlessly enslave others (or ourselves) for our own (or other people's) social, economic, and political gain. Love does this and, as another John wrote, love comes from God.

PRAYER:

Holy One, during Lent you teach us your love again and again. May our hearts grasp hold of this wisdom. Lead us to repentance, Lead us to action, and give us hope for a new creation, where love reigns and no one or nothing is ever crucified again. May it be so. Amen.

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Thoughts by Ben Masters, a graduate of George Mason University and an alum of Lutheran Campus Ministry at GMU. He is currently working at Open Arms of Minnesota in Minneapolis, through Lutheran Volunteers Corps and is a proud member of the Wellstone House, who also says: "P.S. For folks on college campuses, folks in diversity and multicultural services often have some good resources for resisting oppression. Go look them up. A shout out to the folks at George Mason, who have some kickass opportunities to resist heterosexism and transphobia for LGBTQ Pride Week this week. Blessings and peace, y'all."

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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!***

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

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Lent 2010 #4 - Walk while you have the light

John 12:27-36 ("The New Testament and Psalms: An Inclusive Version")

²⁷"Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—'Mother-Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. ²⁸Mother-Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." ²⁹The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." ³⁰Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." ³³He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. ³⁴The crowd answered him, "We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Human One must be lifted up? Who is this Human One?" ³⁵Jesus said to them, "The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light." After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.


THOUGHTS:
"Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you," Jesus says. And then, as if to prove his point, the lights in my bedroom wink out. A fuse is blown, so down three flights of stairs I go to check the circuit breakers in this old house where I live with five other Lutheran Volunteer Corps volunteers. Every LVC house has a name, and my housemates and I named our home the Wellstone House in honor of Shelia and Senator Paul Wellstone, progressive politicians in Minnesota who died in a plane crash in 2003 and who reflected the kind of light that Jesus speaks of in this passage-- as much as they could have, at least.
I'm relieved to see that Jesus also has trouble in his soul; its often difficult, especially in this sunshine-scarce Minnesota winter, for me to remember that I am not the only one who struggles. Jesus, a few verses before these, made the connection between a life of service and a life of sacrifice-- even to the point of death. But will that upcoming hour of sacrifice, that last witness to love in the midst of violence, do any good? And I wonder, too, about whether the joys that accompany living in intentional community are worth the painful pieces or whether the draining work I do to lighten the burdensome loads of other makes any difference. Does any of this glorfiy God's name, to use Jesus' phrase?
God's reply to Jesus resonates like thunder: I have glorified my name, and I will glorify it again. God, who has in the past stood in solidarity with those who labor for justice in love, also stands with us. Our actions matter, our lives matter, our sacrifices matter.
So for now I will try to walk in whatever light comes my way, relfecting the love of God and illuminating the way of shalom. During this Lenten season, I hope to get an inkling about what it might mean to be a child of this light-- to live as God's own beloved, whose name is glorified and whose light is reflected by my life.


PRAYER:
God who is faithful to all times, Christ who draws all people to yourself, Spirit who moves all the earth: accompany me on this journey towards justice and peace. May your light and love make the path visible to me, and to others through me by your unfathomable grace. Thank you. Amen.

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Ben Masters is a graduate of George Mason University and an alum of Lutheran Campus Ministry at GMU. He is currently working at Open Arms of Minnesota in Minneapolis, through Lutheran Volunteers Corps and is a proud member of the Wellstone House.

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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!

View or subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com
Also available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7958874287

Lent 2009 #38: Maundy Thursday

John 13:5-10,14-15  5 Then [Jesus] poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7 Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." 8 Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." 9 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" 10 Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you. 14 [If] I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you."

THOUGHTS:

Jesus, shortly before his crucifixion, chose to wash the feet of his disciples. Peter doesn't want Jesus to wash his feet. Maybe it seems demeaning to allow his Lord to do something so lowly. This is something Peter could do for himself, or someone of lower stature maybe -- but not a task for his master. It's not Godly work! Right?

Do you identify with Peter here? We like to be self sufficient, and we tend to think of servant's work as being demeaning. We want to be independent! Yet, as disciples, we need to allow God to serve us through others when we can't make it on our own. We also need to be willing to be servants to others, giving of our time to do work we might even consider demeaning. Like Jesus, we may need to lower ourselves to show others how much they are loved.

PRAYER:

Lord God, you have given us the very air we breathe. Teach us when to rely on our communities and guide us to serve the world around us in your abounding love. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.

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REMINDER: Carpool to worship with us during HOLY WEEK (meet at SUB 1 room 207).  Email lutheran@gmu.edu if you have questions.

TODAY (4/9) - MAUNDY THURSDAY:  Meet at 6:50pm and we'll head to services at a local Lutheran congregation.

4/10 - GOOD FRIDAY:  Stations of the Cross in mixed media -- The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death.  We'll meet at 6:15pm to check out this mixed media experience created through the collaboration of 4 faith communities.

4/12 - EASTER: Meet at 10:25am to carpool to a local Lutheran congregation for Easter worship!

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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 #35

John 12:12-16 
12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!" 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: 15 "Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!"  16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him.

THOUGHTS:
This is sometimes called the triumphal entry of Jesus.  It's likely more of a protest.  Based on the historical timing, we know that Romain officials would have been riding into the other side of Jerusalem to great fanfare and praise.  People would have been throwing the coats off their backs for the horses to tread upon.

Over time, it seems that "hosanna" has become synonymous with praise -- probably largely due to these Gospel passages putting it next to "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord."  However, "hosanna" means "to save" or "please save" or "save, now!" -- it's a desperate plea for healing and wholeness.  In this passage, it is almost used as a counterpoint to the praises: Please save us, we have faith and praise you.  Save us now!

Jesus entry is less triumphant, and more of a satire of the Roman entry.  It makes a mockery of the pomp and circumstance on the other side of town.  Yes, it also fulfills prophecies, but in it's time, this parody was probably a statement about seeking justice and healing in the face of Roman imperialism.

How do we seek justice and wholeness in our world?

PRAYER:

Lord God, praise be to your name, and blessed be those who humbly serve you.  Please save us!  For the sake of Jesus the Christ, 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 #22

John 3:1-13 

¹Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ² He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." ³ Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" ⁵ Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶ What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' ⁸ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." ⁹ Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" ¹⁰ Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man."

THOUGHTS from Ben Masters, senior at GMU:
I feel for Nicodemus. He's a smart guy, and even though John's gospel doesn't paint a very nice picture of the Pharisees, my scant knowledge of history reminds me that at their best they helped people interpret the right way to live according to the Torah. But he's going to Jesus at night, undercover so to speak, presumably so that the people who see him during the day won't be scandalized by his association with such a questionable character. Who knows? Maybe during the day, hanging out with some other Pharisees, Nicodemus plays along with their dismissal of Jesus as crazy, or a threat, or a simple-minded peasant. Maybe it's only at night when he can approach Jesus with his questions: I know you're from God, so what's going on here? Who are you? What does this mean?

These are my questions, too. But Jesus evades the kinds of easy answers that I got in Sunday school. Instead, he replies with ambiguous statements about being "born again", "water and the Spirit", and "the wind blows where it chooses." That last one gets me: the wind blows where it chooses, and even though I can feel it I can't predict it, I can't control it. Jesus says that people born of the Spirit are like this: they can't be controlled.

Jesus won't let me control him; he won't speak the words I tell him to say or put his stamp of approval on my conclusions about him. And even though Jesus gives Nicodemus a hard time, maybe he wants the questions to be asked so that we can wrestle with them and not try to manipulate cheap answers from him. Perhaps part of Jesus' challenge to Nicodemus is that he ask these questions in broad daylight, where people try to control the Spirit. It's risky business, sure, but if that's what being free entails maybe it's worth it.

PRAYER:
Liberating God, you sent Jesus into the world not to condemn it but to save it. Send Jesus to me now, under the cover of night, so that he might help me walk freely in the day, living in right relationship and asking my questions. AMEN

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Ben Masters is a senior at GMU involved with LCM.  He plans to spend the year after graduation with Lutheran Volunteer Corps, and he blogs at http://letusbebread.blogspot.com/

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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 #19

Mark 11:15-19  15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; 16 and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 He was teaching and saying, "Is it not written,

'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers."

18 And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. 19 And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

THOUGHTS:

All 4 gospel writers describe Jesus walking into the temple and getting not just angry, but table-flipping furious when he sees people using its courts as a marketplace.  These passages depict our savior, who is usually so composed and compassionate, as being in need of some serious anger management counseling.  Think about it.  He walks into what is functioning as a market and goes on a rampage flipping over display tables and driving everyone out even as their coins were probably still rolling across the floor!  In John's version, Jesus even take the time to make a whip to drive them out!  

I'm sure the disciples were absolutely mortified.  It can also be a bit embarrassing for us.  I mean, isn't this the same Jesus who seems to effortlessly absorb interruptions by children and the untouchable?  What could have possibly made him lose his cool?

It appears the culprit is the commercialization of religion.  People were selling animals for sacrifice in the temple, essentially selling forgiveness!  Martin Luther called out the church for a similar crime against God in the selling of indulgences 1500 years later.  The "Christian entertainment" market is now valued at over $5 billion annually...

How do we see the commercialization of religion around us?  Where do we draw the line?

PRAYER:

Lord God, enlighten the sometimes dark recesses of our minds.  Fill us with faith, root us in hope, and enable us to work in humble service to you in all that we do.  May your will be done, and may we do our part in illuminating your kingdom on earth.  In Jesus name, AMEN.

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TODAY:

+ discuss faith in SUB I Patriot's Lounge at 4:30pm with Pastor Lisa Hufford.

+ worship with us at 7:47pm in SUB I room B (3rd floor).

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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 #13

John 12:36-37,42-43 

36 "While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light." After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them. 37 Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. 42 Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.

THOUGHTS:

Do we love human glory more than the glory that comes from God?  I expect we all struggle with this a little.  

Someone says they "like" your Facebook note, status, picture, etc....

You sink a sweet 3-pointer in a game of pick-up basketball and your team gives you a high-five...

You get a bunch of compliments about how you are dressed...

You finish a concert and receive a boisterous round of applause...

You get some raving comments on your blog...

Your name is called for an award and every eye in the room turns to you...

These things give you a boost -- an odd burst of pride -- it makes you feel good!  And then it fades.

I'm not saying to avoid compliments or applause.  We all occasionally do things that others appreciate, and it's great when people share their appreciation with others!  The issue is when we spend our time and energy fishing for compliments, seeking adoration, or hungering for applause.  

Love of human glory is about allowing other people to determine our value and worth in the world.  When we focus on our own gratification, then we lose sight of the glory of God.

The point: Have you ever been embarrassed to share your faith?  Do you worry that if people know what you believe, then they'll lose respect for you?  Have you let human opinions control you ... even when you think God may be calling you down a different path?  (I know I have!)

Take some time today to think about whether you love human glory more than the glory that comes from God ...

 

PRAYER:

God, thank you for loving us as we are.  We are sorry for the times that we allow ourselves to be controlled by our hunger of glory from others.  We humbly offer ourselves to your service.  For the sake of your son Jesus the Christ. 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  

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Lent Day #38 - Maundy Thursday

John 13:3-17 (ESV)
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" 7 Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand." 8 Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." 9 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" 10 Jesus said to him, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you." 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "Not all of you are clean."

12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

THOUGHTS:
Today is "Maundy Thursday" or "Holy Thursday". Today the Church remembers:

• The Last Supper
• The Institution of the Eucharist (communion)
• Jesus washing the feet of the disciples
• Judas betraying Jesus
• Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane
• The arrest of Jesus
• etc.

The Gospels are jam packed with the events of Jesus life corresponding to today and tomorrow.

I'm looking at the message accompanying the foot-washing. We, as disciples of the Christ, are called to service. Foot-washing is foreign to our context -- we don't walk around every day on dusty ground in sandals. Some churches still do it to commemorate the event, and it can be a powerful reminder of both our call to service, and our call not to prevent ourselves from being served.

The first part of this seems easier. When we are able to knock down the walls of selfishness around us, we see the needs of others. Helping them feels good. It can be "cool" to serve others. Feeding the homeless, giving money to charity, we like these things. It makes me feel generous and philanthropic. No matter how small, service to others feels good and right -- maybe even natural.

Jesus points out that serving and caring for others doesn't make us better than them. We care for them because we are like them. Sure, there may be differences, but we are all human. We all struggle. Sometimes the situations we find ourselves in get the best of us.

We aren't as good at accepting the service of others. We like to feel independent. "I don't need your help -- I can do it on my own. I can take care of myself. I can dig myself out of this hole." This is selfish pride. Like Simon Peter, we arrogantly assert that we don't need the body of Christ (our communities) to dote on us. Instead of feeling entitled to be cared for, we feel entitled to be independent. We don't want to feel like a charity case.

The "Maundy" in "Maundy Thursday" is derived from the first word of the Latin version of John 13:34 (ESV):

34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."

Compare verse 34 to verses 14-15. These are mutual relationships. We are all to love one another. We are all to serve one another. Are there times that we try to prevent others from loving and serving us? Are there ways that we can be more open to allowing others to support us, even as we work to better support them?

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, today we pray that you give us the strength to love and serve those around us, while giving us a humble heart open to allowing others to meet our needs as well. For Jesus sake. AMEN.

Lent Day #37

John 12:31-33 (NRSV)
³¹"Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." ³³He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

THOUGHTS:
These words were spoken by Jesus in the days before his crucifixion. John tells us that he said them to indicate the nature of his death -- lifted up from the earth upon a cross.

Think about it. Jesus says that the world was judged crucifixion. He says that when he is lifted up upon a cross, he will draw all people to himself. A few days later on the cross, in Luke 23:34 (ESV):

34 And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.

The judgement of Jesus is one of grace and forgiveness. The judgement of Jesus is mercy for all people. This is certainly good news!

PRAYER:
Holy God, we thank for you your grace and forgiveness, which we know we could never earn. Help us to accept the knowledge that we are so dearly beloved. Help us to share this good news with all people through our lives. Allow us the privilege of serving you. AMEN.

Lent Day #36

James 2:14-18 (NET)
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and eat well," but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works.

THOUGHTS:
Martin Luther didn't like James, dismissing it as "an epistle of straw" at odds with the "good news" found in the Pauline doctrine of justification by grace through faith. Compare the verses above to Ephesians 2:8-9 (CEV):

8 You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9 It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.

James pulls from Hebrew history and the teachings of Jesus to make the point that faith is active. It isn't merely a profession from our mind and lips. It isn't just a feeling resting in our hearts. Faith manifests itself in how we live our lives.

I admit that I am sometimes intoxicated with God's grace. My faith finds a home in this message of grace that comes out of the Gospels and Paul's letters. I struggle with judgement that isn't coated with grace. Yet I value James as an important reminder that our faith is lived out. If you have an extra half-hour this week, read all of James (it's quite short).

Remember that we cannot earn salvation with our works, but also pray about how your actions represent your faith. Is our faith alive -- moving us to act, or is it just a collection of inanimate thoughts? Jesus says those who believe do his work (AKA "God's will"). See John 14:12, (ESV):

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."

Do you live like you believe?


PRAYER:
Oh God, we know that our actions fall short, and we praise you for loving and accepting us anyway. Fill us with your love for all people, so that our faith bubbles out of us into our actions -- so that we live our faith. May we always do your will. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN.