Lent 2010 - Sixth Sunday

Luke 19:28-40 (NRSV)

 After [Jesus] had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, 'Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, "Why are you untying it?" just say this: "The Lord needs it." ' So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, 'Why are you untying the colt?' They said, 'The Lord needs it.' Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,

'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!' 

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, order your disciples to stop.' 

He answered, 'I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.'

THOUGHTS:

Jesus was probably not the only one entering Jerusalem that day.  Millions of Jews would have been walking into Jerusalem on pilgrimage to the holy city for the observances of Passover.

On the west side of Jerusalem, opposite from Jesus' entry, historians tell us that there would have been a magnificent military procession as Pontius Pilate and other Roman officials would have been riding horses amidst an entourage of imperial soldiers wearing armor and carrying weapons.  They came to town for most Jewish festivals to beef up security in case the crowds got restless and started causing trouble.  It was intentionally a visible depiction of the oppression of the empire.

Back on the east side of town, Jesus enters on an animal that has never been ridden -- a practice denoting kingship, but it is a donkey.  It was a parody of the grandness of the Roman procession, and it carried the opposite message as well: hope for the downtrodden, liberation for captives, and freedom from oppression. 

As we continue through Holy Week, remember that God is concerned with the here and now in the world we live in.  As we live our our faith, how do we continue to proclaim and work for hope, freedom, and liberation?

PRAYER:

Lord God, you give us hope in times of suffering and darkness.  Guide our lives in faithful service to you.  In all we do, we are yours!  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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Lent 2010 #18

Romans 2:12-16 (NRSV)


All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God's sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all.

THOUGHTS:

God's judgement is pervasive, reaching both those who are "apart from the law" (the Gentiles), and those who are "under the law" (the Jews). Death and judgement will come their way, no matter who they are. This is a terribly humbling thought, especially for those of us who grew up watching Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society climb on desk tops, let out barbaric yalps, and dramatically implore his students to carpe diem, to seize the day. Seize the day and let out barbaric yalps all you like, Paul might say, but God's judgement remains.

Notice that in this text Paul speaks of judgment in a future context - all who have sinned will also perish ... will be judged ... will be justified ... on the day when Jesus Christ will judge. The Christian tradition has understood the Day of Judgment as that day when Jesus returns "to judge the living and the dead," (the Nicene Creed) and to fully inaugurate his reign, a kingdom that will have no end.

Judgment, then, is the final reordering of all creation to conform to and to truly become his holy Kingdom. Judgment is the eve of eternity for a renewed creation, for the Kingdom of God.

In baptism we receive the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life, for Jesus - whose life, death, and resurrection is the first flowering of the New Creation (1 Corinthians 15:20) - grafts us to him and takes us into his own self. We are his, and nothing is going to shake that (Romans 8:38-39). Do we sin? Do we merit judgment? Yes, and yes. But on that Day of Judgment we are promised that Christ will hold us close to him (1 John 2:1-2), perfect us in love (Colossians 1:22, 28), and make us new creations in him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Is this an escape of judgment? A cop-out? No. Instead it is the renewal that takes place as part of God's judgment, slaying our sin (Romans 6:1-11) and birthing in us new hearts (Psalm 51:10) for a new kingdom.

PRAYER:

Gracious God, you judge the world with justice and mercy. Forgive us our sins, and grant us in this world the strength to live according to your love. Hold us in your embrace, so that on the last day we might be remade to stand with Christ at the dawning of a glorious and holy kingdom. Through your Son Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray.

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Thoughts by the Rev. Chris T. K. Duckworth, Associate Pastor, Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church, Arlington, 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 #17

Romans 2:1-11 (NRSV)
Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. You say,* 'We know that God's judgement on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.' Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will
escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous
judgment will be revealed. For he will repay according to each one's deeds: to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honour and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.


THOUGHTS:
You might have seen the article in last week's Washington Post about the juror who failed to show up for his second day of jury duty. (Check it out at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/05/AR2010030504193.html?sub=AR) Apparently the man was summoned for jury duty, seated on a jury and then participated in the first day of the trial. On the second day of the trial, however, he failed to show up. By day three the roles had been reversed. The juror suddenly found himself in the courtroom standing before the judge as a defendant who was charged with contempt of court. The one who had been called to judge was now being judged himself.

In many ways, this was kind of role reversal is what the apostle Paul was writing about to the Romans in our text for today. Paul makes clear that "God shows no partiality". Everyone, including the Gentiles, was subject not only to God's judgment, but also to God's "glory and honor and peace". This was quite a reversal in roles. The Jews were experiencing things from the eyes of the Gentiles and the Gentiles from the eyes of the Jews.

Paul suggests that God sees both groups equally. Ancestry alone was not going to give anyone a place of honor before God. All people would be judged accordingly. All people would be in equal need of God's grace and, through Christ's death and resurrection on the cross, all people would receive that gift. Thanks be to God for God's gift of grace to all!

PRAYER:
Loving God, we give you thanks that we all come before you equally as your children. We are in need of your grace and ask that you would freely bestow it upon us. Amen.

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Thoughts by Rev. Meredith Keseley, pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Abiding Presence.

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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 #29

Romans 12:10 

10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

THOUGHTS by Chris Bergtholdt, junior at GMU:

First off, I suggest you read the whole section this is from (Romans 12:9-21).  These thoughts, however, are just on this single verse.  At times I feel Christianity can be boiled this single line.  It is simple, yet so complicated.  Now a lot has been said about putting this principle into practice.  This is an important idea for us to reflect on during Lent, and for those of you who are a part of the GMU community, isn't this what Pride Week is all about.

 PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the complexity that simple ideas can contain.  Keep us mind of love as we reflect on our spiritual practices this season.  Help us rejoice in the diversity of life and the power love. AMEN

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JOIN US this Wendesday at 7:47pm in the BISTRO for our PRIDE WEEK themed worship service. http://GMU747.org 

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=64244846540&ref=ts  

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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 #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 Day #25

Romans 8:1-2 (ESV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

THOUGHTS:
In Jesus the Christ we have been set free from the law of sin and death. What does this mean to you?

Do you live any differently because of this knowledge? Do you think this frees us to do whatever we want with no consequences? Probably not. We all know that there are consequences for our actions. We can hurt those around us. We know that we should love God and neighbor...

Maybe this "law of the Spirit of life" has set us free to love neighbor even when the law doesn't require it.

How does this impact your life?

PRAYER:
God, we ask that you are with us each day -- that every day you help us to set our hearts and minds on your ways -- that you help us to use this freedom we find in Jesus for doing your work here and now. Please lead us and guide us all the days of our lives. AMEN.