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 - 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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***Feel free to share them with your friends!***

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Lent 2010 #19

Psalm 39 (NRSV)

I said, "I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue;
       I will keep a muzzle on my mouth
               As long as the wicked are in my presence."

I was silent and still; I held my peace to no avail;
       My distress grew worse, my heart became hot within me.
               While I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:

"Lord, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days;
       Let me know how fleeting my life is.
               You have made my days a few handbreadths,
                       And my lifetime is as nothing in your sight.

Surely everyone stands as a mere breath.
       Surely everyone goes about like a shadow.
               Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
                       They heap up, and do not know who will gather.

And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.

Deliver me from all my transgressions.
       Do not make me the scorn of the fool.
               I am silent; I do not open my mouth,
                       Or it is you who have done it.

Remove your stroke from me; I am worn down by the blows of your hand.

You chastise mortals in punishment for sin,
       Consuming like a moth what is dear to them;
               Surely everyone is a mere breath.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry;
       Do not hold your peace at my tears.
               For I am your passing guest, an alien, like all my forebears.

Turn your gaze away from me, that I may smile again,
       Before I depart and am no more."

THOUGHTS:

I have from time to time been inspired by the third chapter of James to try to "tame my tongue."  So I aim for wit that is less sharp, less directed at others, less likely to incite anger or shame in others.  Invariably these efforts fall short:  Just when I think I've got things under control, I let my guard down, open my mouth, and something comes out that I REALLY regret.

Though the Psalmist bites his tongue for a different reason, I recognize the same tension building the longer I keep my mouth shut: A strong sense of mortality and sinfulness, as I am left alone with nothing but my own thoughts rattling around my head.  And just as the Psalmist concludes, I want God to turn away from me and my guilt and shame.

Only one thing turns the gaze away, of course, and the price is unimaginably high.  On the cross, Jesus turns our mortality and sinfulness upon himself.  Beholding that sight, we might want to try to do it for ourselves instead.  Step in and save him the trouble—it's our fault, after all, not his.  But to no avail.  Only the cross is enough; only the Son's sacrifice is enough.

So like the Psalmist, we do finally keep silence before the awesome majesty of God.  And then we cannot keep our mouths shut any longer, so we open our hearts and mouths and cry, "Deliver us!"  We wait for our Lord and place our hope solely in him.

PRAYER: 

Let us pray:  God, our Creator and Redeemer, we cannot tame our worst habits by our own power, but by your power you blot out our offenses, and strengthen us to overcome them.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  Amen

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Thoughts by Jon Myers, ELCA seminarian at Princeton Theological Seminary

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These devotions for young adults are provided by:

Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran

Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/

DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/

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Feel free to share them with your friends!

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Lent 2009 #18

Psalm 42 
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. 
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and behold the face of God? 
My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, "Where is your God?"

These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: 
how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, 
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. 

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God: for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.

My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billow have gone over me.
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God, my rock, "Why have you forgotten me?"
Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?"
As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, "Where is your God?"

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.

THOUGHTS (by Pastor Lisa Hufford):

When I lived in Mexico, I met many young people in their twenties who were thirsting for God. While many of them went to church, they had difficulty connecting with the church. They experienced the church as judgmental and most of the sermons seemed irrelevant to their lives. However, they wanted God's help and guidance as they navigated through the challenges of discovering their life's vocation and looking for the right partner to share their life. These young people's work never paid very well. None of them could afford cars or apartments on their meager salaries. They also shed many tears over love relationships that did not work out as they planned. Yet, they were always praying that God would help them find the right path to fulfill their hopes and dreams.

On the weekends, my young friends and I would often climb the mountains around Oaxaca where we lived. Typically we followed the path of the mountain streams that fed the aqueducts that ran down through the center of the city. On our walks, we would talk about their hopes and dreams as we gazed at the beautiful countryside stretching out below us. There on the mountainsides next to the stream of running water, I was often able to find connections with their own life stories and the stories found in the scriptures. On the mountain, we often prayed together, thanking God for the beauty around us and asking God for guidance as they returned to their complicated lives in the valley below. Fed by the streams of living water running down the mountain, they were much more able to hope in God help for the days ahead.

PRAYER:

Let us pray:

God help us to find those streams of living water to refresh our hope in you. Nurture and guide us as we continue our journey through Lent. Amen.

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Today's devotion is written by Pastor Lisa Hufford.  If you'd like to discuss topics of faith with her, come to our Faith Discussion Group on Wednesday (3/18 or 3/25) in SUB I Patriot's Lounge.

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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