Lent 2010 #38

Exodus 12:1-14 (NRSV)

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

THOUGHTS:

As Christians, we believe that is was not a mere coincidence that Jesus was crucified on the day before the Passover (see John 19:14,31), the same day that the Passover lambs were being slaughtered.  The blood of Jesus smeared on the cross on that hillside outside Jerusalem is effectively smeared on the doorposts of the universe.  Jesus is the sacrificial lamb, without blemish.  The blood of Jesus is the sign on our world that we are all God's people, God's beloved children.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, thank you for your mercy.  Today, and everyday, we remember your grace.  Help us to live out your grace and mercy, sharing your love with all those we meet.  In the holy name of Jesus the Christ we pray, 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!***

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

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Lent 2010 #5 - True faith

Matthew 15:21-28 (NRSV)

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.


THOUGHTS:

"Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly. (verse 28)

Often we are afraid to ask for help. We fear that we are undeserving or that the help will not be delivered. Yet the woman in this story is a striking example of how powerful our pleas to God can be. Despite not being an Israelite, one of God's chosen people, she had faith that even the "crumbs" of God's grace would be sufficient to cure her daughter.

PRAYER:

Awesome God, may be too have the faith to intently and expectantly make our pleas to you. Amen.

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Thoughts by participants in the Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland

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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 #21

Ephesians 1:7-12 

7 In [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.

THOUGHTS:

Here we see that God desires to gather all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.  God chose us as children, though Christ lavishing us (you / me / them / everybody) with forgiveness, wisdom, and an inheritance.  Why?  For God's own pleasure.  God delights in unifying humanity.  

How does this make you feel?  Can you wrap your brain around the creator of all that is loving you this much?  Can you comprehend God also loving your enemies this much?  

  

Is your hope on Christ?  Do you live for the praise of his glory?  What does that look like for you?

PRAYER:

Lord we praise you!  We lift our voice in song and we dance for joy before you.  We open ourselves to our destiny of serving the purposes of your will.  Our lord, our hope and trust is in you.  For the sake of your son Jesus Christ, AMEN.

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TONIGHT: Friday 3/20: GAME NIGHT in Johnson Center 3rd floor room B from 5pm-11pm.  Come for whatever portion you'd like to have a blast playing games and eating snacks.  What do you want to play?  Apples to Apples? Scrabble? Catan? Uno?  We'll have those and more!

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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 #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.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

It is Sunday and we once again celebrate the resurrection of the Christ. Sundays aren't part of Lent -- they are days when we recognize that the tomb is empty and we shout for joy! For more info on this, track back through past Sundays at http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com/
Some thoughts for the journey:

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To put away judgmentalism is to practice grace. It's the recognition that if you experienced your neighbor's situation as they experience it, that you, too, might sin as they sin. In terms of your religious practice, grace doesn't change the terms of sin. It does change, however, your response to sin. And isn't that what love is supposed to be about?
-- From http://treereach.blogspot.com/2008/02/judgmental.html

"Too often I looked at being relevant, popular, and powerful as ingredients of an effective ministry. The truth, however, is that these are not vocations but temptations. Jesus asks, "Do you love me?" Jesus sends us out to be shephers, and Jesus promises a life in which we increasingly have to stretch out our hands and be led to places where we would rather not go. He asks us to move from a concern for relevance to a life of prayer, from worries about popularity to communal and mutual ministry, and from a leadership built on power to a leadership in which we critically discern where God is leading us and our people."
-- Henri Nouwen "In the Name of Jesus", From http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/01/too-often-i-looked-at.html

A quote from the film "A Time for Burning":
"the gospel is not about an air-conditioned building and stained-glass, it is a place where men reach for justice, love, and understanding." - bill youngdahl, the white pastor who lost his job over this simple request.
-- From http://kathyescobar.com/2008/02/26/a-time-for-burning/


"To live, we must daily break the bread and shed the blood of creation. ... When we do this knowingly, lovingly, skillfully, reverently, it is a sacrament. When we do it ignorantly, greedily, clumsily, destructively, it is a desecration. ... In such desecration, we condemn ourselves to spiritual and moral loneliness and others to want." How can your life be a living sacrament to the wonders of creation?
-- Wendell Berry, "The Gift of Good Land", From the ELCA's "Living Earth: A 40-Day Reflection on
Our Relationship With God's Creation"

Lent Day #10

Luke 15:11-24 (ESV)
11 And [Jesus] said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate."

THOUGHTS:
Today is homecoming here at GMU, and this parable is about a different kind of homecoming. This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. And it needs a new name! It isn't about reckless extravagance of the younger son, but rather about the loving grace of the father.

The story begins with the younger son going and asking for his share of the inheritance. Now, I have a good relationship with my dad and he's been very generous to me my whole life, but if I walked up to him one day and said, "Hey pops, put your will into effect now because I have things I want to do with that money" ... well, you can guess how far that idea would fly...

Rather than calling out the ungrateful little twerp, dear old dad in the parable says "OK." This blows my mind, and the story has barely begun. He enacts his will. In a way, the father declares himself DEAD. Let that sink in for a moment...

So what happens next? The son takes what was probably one heck of a fun trip! Let's modernize this to say he went to Mardi Gras in N'Orleans, took a Caribbean cruise, and then headed off to Vegas where he partied with all the high rollers until his luck ran out and his funds ran dry. Sure, it was irresponsible at best, but it's OK to admit that he probably had a lot of fun.

Of course, he goes from the top of the world to the gutter. He ends up feeding the pigs and dreaming of eating their food. Remember, this is a story being told by a Jew to a Jewish crowd, so we have to assume that the connotations of caring for unclean animals and willingness to eat slop would have been noticed. He would certainly be considered unclean now. He wants to go home, but he knows he burned that bridge, so he starts rationalizing ways to make it work. He says, "I'll be a servant -- I'll live at home, but not as part of the family...the scraps on the margins there are good enough for me now." So he makes his way home, a broken shell of his former self.

He plans out this nice apology to try to win his father over, but while he is still a long way off, his father saw him. Why do you think the father saw him a long way off? Maybe he was looking down the driveway hoping and waiting for his son to come home...and if so, it probably wasn't the first time he was there. I get the sense that the father had a great longing for his son to return. The son probably looks like a tattered beggar on his way up the lane, so his wastefulness is probably rather apparent to the father. So when the father sees the son, he RUNS to meet him, EMBRACES him, and KISSES him. This all happens before the son apologizes, confesses, seeks forgiveness, or even says "hello". When the son tries to apologize, the father shrugs it off and throws a party.

In the midst of that embrace, I think it probably sets in on the son that he had also died. He had thrown his former life away, and any life he had now was due to being resurrected by his father. What a homecoming! If the father is a stand in for God, does he act the way you expect God to act? During Lent, we seek to return to God the way the son returned to the father. We acknowledge that we are dead in our sins. We trust, hope, and pray that God is as loving and merciful as Jesus portrays him in this parable.

The loving grace of the father is what the story is all about, so let's call it "The Parable of the Loving Father". We'll finish this parable on Monday when we look at the dialogue between the father and the elder brother.

PRAYER:
Dear God, we trust that you are a loving parent to us all. We thank you for giving us all that we have, even though we know we don't deserve it. We ask your forgiveness for using so much of it for our own purposes, rather than to do your work in the world. We ask that you daily renew our hearts to your will and help us to know and serve you. We trust that your grace really is sufficient for us. All this and more we pray. Amen.

Lent Day #6

Yesterday, we started looking at the story of Abram / Abraham, which covers Genesis chapters 12-25. We started at the beginning, but now we'll skip ahead a bit. Abram is now known as Abraham and Sarai is now known as Sarah. Lot has separated from Abraham to settle in the more fertile plains near Sodom. Abraham has a son, Ishmael, who is the daughter of Sarah's maidservant Hagar (yes, this is a cause for dramatic conflicts in the family). In Genesis chapter 18, God announces to Abraham and Sarah that even though she is past menopause, they will have a child of their own. Picking up immediately after that story...

GENESIS 18:17-21 (NJPS)
17 Now the Lord had said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham is to become a great an populous nation and all the nations of the earth are to bless themselves by him? 19 For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right, in order that the lord may bring about for Abraham what He has promised him." 20 Then the Lord said, "The outrage of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave! 21 I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according to the outcry that has reached Me; if not, I will take note."

This passage portrays God's internal dialogue -- God is debating if Abraham needs to know about the planned destruction of Sodom for being violently inhospitable to foreigners visiting the city. God has just visited Abraham and now they are walking toward Sodom in the fashion of Abraham walking his guest to the curb to say goodbye. It appears that God is making a last minute decision about whether his plans should be shared, or remain secret. It is evident that God opts to treat his chosen one with respect by sharing the plan, and the conversation continues...

GENESIS 18:22-32 (NJPS)
22 The men went on from there to Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Abraham came forward and said, "Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? 24 What if there should be fifty innocent within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" 26 And the Lord answered, "If i find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake." 27 Abraham spoke up, saying, "Here I venture to speak to my Lord, I who am but dust and ashes: 28 What if the fifty innocent should lack five? Will you destroy the whole city for want of the five?" And He answered, "I will not destroy if I find forty-five there." 29 But he spoke to Him again, and said, "What if forty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not do it for the sake of forty." 30 And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I go on: What if thirty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31 And he said, "I venture again to speak to my Lord: What if twenty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not destroy, for the sake of the twenty." 32 And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not destroy, for the sake of the ten."

Whoa! The man who we saw obeying God without a recorded peep yesterday in Genesis 12 is today questioning God with questions that border on manipulative. Look at the language: "Far be it from You to do such a thing ... Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly!" He's basically telling God, "No, no, no -- you don't want to do that. Let me tell you what you want to do." Granted, he does it all very politely, but his pleading keeps going, bargaining God all the way down to agreeing to spare the entire city if a mere 10 innocent people can be found!

Look at the first half of verse 25 more closely: "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike." Abraham appears to be setting up to ask for the innocent to be spared, but look at the solution he seeks as the passage goes on. Abraham is asking God to show mercy, sparing *ALL* the inhabitants of the city "for the sake of the innocent". Doesn't it seem like Abraham starts off saying that God should punish justly, and then follows that up by begging for God to bestow grace universally?

How far do you hope that God's grace reaches?
Do you hope that there are a chosen few who are saved?
Do you hope that people get what we deserve based on our innocence or guilt?
Do you hope that those who believe exactly as you do are saved while those who think differently are left out of the party?
Do you hope that God's grace extends to all of humanity?
Do you hope that God's grace envelopes all of creation without limit?

Do you, like Abraham, pray for God's grace to extend farther than individuals ... beyond "fair" ... exceeding mere justice?

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, we thank you for all the blessings that you bestow upon your creation. We don't presume to understand your ways, or to have a better plan than you do. We plea today that your grace extends farther than our own. We know that we are as undeserving as everyone else and we humbly hope that your will is so gracious and merciful that it shocks us. Strengthen our faith and continue to bless us in work and service for You, through Christ. Amen.

NOTES:
1. These devotions are sponsored by GMU Lutheran Campus Ministry, which is is part of Northern Virginia Lutheran Campus Ministries. Our ministry is focused on students attending George Mason University or other colleges in northern Virginia -- and we don't just mean Lutherans ... we welcome everyone! For more information, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran
2. Please feel free to share these devotions with your friends. They are accessible from the "Lenten Devotions" Facebook group at http://gmu.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7958874287, or you can subscribe to the RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LentenDevotions

Lent Day #2

Ephesians 2:1-10
2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in 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 coming ages 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 a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.


THOUGHTS:
I realize more and more that I am no better than anyone else. I know that I don't measure up. I know that I'm a sinner. But I also know that God meets us in our brokenness -- God always comes down to meet us where we are. In the Hebrew scriptures, God came down to Noah, Abraham, and Moses. God met them in the midst of their lives and used them for God's purposes. Later, God clothes himself in skin and comes down to earth in the form of Jesus to hang out with the destitute and those on the margins...to suffer and die in one of the most humiliating and degrading ways that humankind has ever devised...and in doing so created a bridge from our sinful world to God. This all happens while we are still undeserving sinners! At church last night, the pastor told of a time he offered someone communion, and the person looked down saying "I'm not a good enough person for that." He explained that that's exactly right, and that's the point. None of us are ever "good enough". It's not something we could ever "earn". We are saved by the grace of God reconciling world through the death of Jesus the Christ.

Father Robert Farrar Capon describes this as something like "propping open the gates to heaven with the corpse of Jesus". The result is that we are made righteous through the work of Jesus the Christ. We don't earn it, but through God's grace, we are clothed with the Christ's righteousness. So even though we are still sinners, God views us through the same lens as Jesus -- God sees the righteousness of Jesus when looking at us! In the Lutheran tradition, this gets summed up in saying that we are always both Sinner and Saint at the same time. Somehow, even the faith we need is a gift of God. This may open another can of worms and questions -- and that's OK. Part of this journey is living amidst our questions.

God loved you so much that even though you are a sinner, it was God's will that Jesus the Christ should die to reconcile you to God -- through no work of your own whatsoever! Therefore, as Martin Luther wrote "Sin boldly, but believe and rejoice more boldly still." In more detail, "God does not save those who are only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world." (Martin Luther writing to Philipp Melachthon in 1521.)


PRAYER:
Lord God, we offer our thanks for your awesome mercy, knowing full well that we don't deserve it. We ask that you continue to sustain us when we are faltering. We trust in you to provide the nourishment we need to live. We plead for help in forgiving those in our lives in the way that you have forgiven us. We pray this in the name of Jesus the Christ, who suffered for our sake. Amen.


NOTES:
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