Thursday, March 31, 2011

Thursday in the Third Week of Lent.

"Keep watch over your Church, O Lord, with your unfailing love; and, since it is grounded in human weakness and cannot maintain itself without your aid, protect it from all danger, and keep it in the way of salvation; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 95:6-11Jeremiah 7:23-28, and Luke 11:14-23

I love the collect for today for a couple of reasons. Structurally, it's different from what we think a collect typically looks like. Secondly, there's a humble admittance that we as humans have been entrusted to care for something that we really have no business caring for. We're asking God to protect the Church from us and from our own desires to steer the Church in the direction we think it should go.

History shows us, too, that we are not the first to do this, and we won't be the last. The Church has, through the years, been broken and molded time and again for purposes that seem so human. Whether it's about how to worship or who can lead worship or who's in charge or where the person in charge should live, the Church has fought and fractured.

Jesus speaks in the Gospel for today about division and the weakness it causes. The weakness caused by division can lead to destruction. For Jesus it seems like that division is caused by a lack of faith and an unawareness of God's presence and actions. When we in the Church start to forget about God's presence and actions, and even God's call to us, we risk setting ourselves up for weakness and division.

The hope in the collect, though, comes in the portion of the petition that says of the Church, "...keep it in the way of Salvation." In other words, "Help us, Lord, to remember that our actions should point to you, showing the world your love for us all."

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wednesday in the Third Week of Lent.

"Give ear to our prayers, O Lord, and direct the way of your servants in safety under your protection, that, amid all the changes of our earthly pilgrimage, we may be guarded by your mighty aid; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."


Psalm 78:1-6Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 5-9, and Matthew 5:17-19

In our Tuesday morning Bible study for young adults we've been reading the letter to the Romans. The letter is, in many ways, one of the first works of theology that the Church has. In that letter Paul wrestles with the meaning of Jesus's death and resurrection, and he wrestles with the question of what all of that means to the covenant that was made between God and the people of Israel. His thoughts are incredibly interesting, and one can feel the struggle in his heart and mind as he works to make sense of it all.

One of my favorite arguments that he makes in the letter is the necessity of God's covenant with Israel for the actions of Christ. He states that because of the covenant that God has with Israel, God's Incarnation was possible. For that reason the Law remains valid even in a time of a new covenant. The gospel for today reminds of me this, and I'm always struck by the words from Jesus as he says in reference to the Law, "I have come not to abolish but to fulfill."

The covenant that God established with the people of Israel was intended to make them into a great people; if they would fulfill their end, God would fulfill his. Christ came to show us the fulness of that Law and what it means to be one of God's people: to love and serve each other as we love and serve God.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent.

"O Lord, we beseech you mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom you have given a fervent desire to pray, may, by your mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."


Psalm 25:3-10Song of the Three Young Men 2-4, 11-20a, and Matthew 18:21-35

The gospel appointed for today is one that I typically use when doing the lower school chapel when forgiveness is a topic. I enjoy using it for them because they live in a world where they can recognize when things are fair and when things are unfair. They are able to recognize an injustice that might have simply become a part of our lives as adults, and they seem to really enjoy putting out what's fair and unfair here.

This story tells of a king who forgives the debts of one of his servants, setting him free from an obligation to return payment. As the narrative goes on, the man who is set free does not extend the same gratitude to someone who owes him. An arrest ensues, and when the king discovers that the kindness he extended to his slave was not exhibited to others, he had no choice but to punish the slave he had originally forgiven.

This is a story about the mercy of God and the duty that we have to extend to others the same mercy that is extended to us, to forgive others as we have been forgiven, to love others as God loves us. As I'm sure I've mentioned already, forgiveness is a difficult thing. It means making ourselves vulnerable and risking further hurt or embarrassment. Sometimes, our actions will not even be acknowledged, and we'll feel like  it wasn't even worth our efforts to try. Hopefully, though, we're able to find some peace in the act of forgiveness, even if it's not reciprocated.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Monday in the Third Week of Lent.

"Look upon the heart-felt desires of your humble servants, Almighty God, and stretch forth the right hand of your majesty to be our defense against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 42:1-72 Kings 5:1-15b, and Luke 4:23-30

The readings from 2 Kings today reminds me of the joke about the guy in the flood who was waiting for help from God. You can find the joke here. (I can't vouch for what other kind of jokes you might find there, but hopefully they're all clean when you check it out!)

Naaman went to the king of Israel seeking healing, and he was disappointed that he was passed off to a prophet and then to the messenger of a prophet. After all that, the messenger told him all he had to do was wash in the river, and then he'd be healed. After traveling so far to receive such news, Naaman thought he had been tricked and that the waters of his homeland should have been sufficient for his healing.

The truth in this story is that when we ask for something in prayer we're not always ready to accept what is given to us if it doesn't meet our expectations. The the man in the joke waited and waited for God to save him, and he stubbornly waited around too long, not seeing the offerings from others as offerings from God. For Naaman, he expected something complicated and extravagant to be asked of him, and he was ready to ignore Elisha's messenger until his own aide convinced him otherwise.

We can take from this story a reminder that sometimes God works in our life in ways that we don't expect. While Naaman's healing was life-changing, it didn't come about how he thought it would. For us this can be a call to see the ways God might be working in our in unexpected and subtle ways.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Saturday in the Second Week of Lent.

"Grant, most merciful Lord, to your faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."


Psalm 103:1-12Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, and Luke 15:11-32

As a firstborn child who has a terrible compulsion to be a rule-follower, I've always struggled with the story found in today's Gospel. I feel like I can relate to the anger and jealousy of the elder son, who always did what was expected of him. He dutifully tended the livestock and the fields of his father. He never missed a feeding for the animals, and he was always prepared when the time for the harvest arrived. If a son could be prepared to take over for his father at any moment, he was that son.

The second born child, though, is the one who did everything wrong, at least in the eyes of his brother. He took his inheritance early and spent it all on food, women, and material goods. He lost his whole fortune, a famine hit, and he was made to grovel for work. He thought he had brought shame upon himself and his father, and he went back to his father with his hat in his hand, prepared to ask for forgiveness and expected to receive a rebuke.

We know how this ends. The second-born is received back, and his arrival is celebrated. The firstborn child is jealous of his brother for being able to squander all that he was given and STILL be welcomed back into the arms of his father. Instead of sharing in his father's joy that his brother had returned home safely, the firstborn son was stuck with feelings of anger and bitterness. He was sure that all that he had ever done for his father was worth nothing if his brother could so easily be welcomed back.

What saddens me in this story is that the brother did all of his work so dutifully and out of a perceived obligation, and it was not until his brother came home that he realized how much his father appreciated all he had done. His needs to be right, dutiful, and dependable made it so that he was always unable to graciously receive the gifts that were already present in his life.

This story challenges our understandings of God and how we should live. If the person who spends and loses everything can be welcomed back into the arms of God just as easily as the person who has always done what is right and good, what's the point of living a right and good life if life lived otherwise can be excused with a simple, "I'm sorry"?

Not all of us are good at being like the prodigal son, and not all of us are good at being like the firstborn son. Either way we go, though, we can receive God's grace if we open ourselves up to it.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Friday in the Second Week of Lent.

"Grant, O Lord, that as your Son Jesus Christ prayed for his enemies on the cross, so we may have grace to forgive those who wrongfully or scornfully use us, that we ourselves may be able to receive your forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 105:16-22Genesis 37:3-4, 12-28, and Matthew 21:33-43

The idea of being used is a terrible one, and when we feel like we've been manipulated for someone else's motives we might fill up with anger and embarrassment: at ourselves, at others, and at the situation. Even if this happens just once we might be filled with an uncertainty of the motives and objectives of others, especially if we don't know the others very well.

As with most things that can happen in our lives, something like this isn't isolated to one part of our life. We can be manipulated at work, by our family, or even by strangers. Sadly, this can also happen in the Church. This happens when a gift or an overture turns into an ultimatum or a demand. Sometimes this can happen when someone asks for assistance from one of us here, and we find out later that this same person asked another one of us just a week or two prior. When the situation gets this far we realize we're in a tight spot, and we have trouble getting out. We want to be helpful, but we also don't want to be manipulated or enabling.

In this morning's Gospel Jesus tells the story of a vineyard tended by "wicked tenants." These tenants use the landlord, taking advantage of the landlord's absence and killing the landlord's servants when they come to collect the fruit for harvest. The tenants are so abusive that they end up killing the son of the landlord, the heir to the fortunes of the landlord. Jesus says, "The Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom."

Jesus tells this story to show that God does not punish all of humanity because of the actions of a few. If we are to be "perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect", we, too, are called to not punish those around us for the actions of a few. This is a call to be trusting of others and trying not to be cynical about the needs and actions of people just because we've been tricked before. This is about not falling out of relationship with the world around us because of the actions of a few. Hopefully this can also help us to be aware of the way we are with the world around us and be aware of those times when our actions and overtures are not completely pure.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Thursday in the Second Week of Lent.

"O Lord, strong and mighty, Lord of hosts and King of Glory: Cleanse our hearts from sin, keep our hands pure, and turn our minds from what is passing away; so that at the last we may stand in your holy place and receive your blessing; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 1Jeremiah 17:5-10, and Luke 16:19-31

Growing up as an acolyte in the Church, I was always intrigued by the actions that took place around the table. The priest at my church while I was growing up was always very precise and exact in his manual actions during the prayers. He was so precise and exact that he appeared to be in the midst of a well-choreographer liturgical prayer. Helping him set the table for communion was so easy because we always knew how he prepared the table, and to this day I think I could serve with him and not miss a beat because of his exactness and my familiarity with his way of celebrating the Eucharist.

As he began to prepare the table he would wash his hands with the water provided. As the alter server poured water over his fingertips, Fr. Gene would always pray a prayer that went like this (if my memory is serving me correctly): "Lord, wash me of my sins and cleanse me of my iniquities so that I may be made whiter than snow." He said this prayer as he set the table for communion, and part of me wouldn't be surprised if he said this prayer every time he washed his hands. An adaptation of Psalm 51, this was a beautiful prayer to hear as he whispered it to himself in preparation for communion.

I think of this in light of today's collect. I'm reminded again that as Christians all things that we do should be for good and to glorify God. We can all get caught up in things that are "passing away", and maybe we could find a way to make even these things into something that can reveal God's grace.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent.

"O God, you so loved the world that you gave your only-begotten Son to reconcile earth with heaven: Grant that we, loving you above all things, may love our friends in you, and our enemies for your sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."


Psalm 31:9-16Jeremiah 18:1-11, 18-20, and Matthew 20:17-28

One of the many aspects that gives me joy out of the Gospels are the accounts involving the disciples. They are ordinary men of deep faith, and they are very human. Because it was a group of disciples, we can be sure that the twelve of them (or however many there may have been at a given time) did not always get along well. I'm sure there was grumbling and disagreement and maybe even some resentment amongst them. God bless them all; those disciples are so much like us. The passage for today takes this grumbling to another level with the meddling of the mother of James and John.

Naturally, the disciples become frustrated at them and their mother for assuming that Jesus would elevate them to either side of him in place of the others. I imagine, though, that the Zebedee boys were as embarrassed as their companions were frustrated. As a result of this Jesus reminds them all that their places in the kingdom will be places of service, and their honor will come in their service.

Sometimes we might find ourselves in groups where we don't always mesh well with the folks around us: at work, at school, or in other organizations. Whether it's a personality conflict or past struggles, putting aside differences for the sake of the whole isn't always easy. As we pray in our collect for today, though, we see that when we put aside our differences and can love those with whom we struggle, we don't do it for ourselves. Instead, though, we do it because of our love of God. This won't make the task any easier, but hopefully it helps us to find a way to make peace with difficult relatinships.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent.

"O God, you willed to redeem us from all iniquity by your Son: Deliver us when we are tempted to regard sin without abhorrence, and let the virtue of his passion come between us and our mortal enemy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 50:7-15, 22-24Isaiah 1:2-4, 16-20Matthew 23:1-12

A book was released last week by pastor and author Rob Bell. The book, entitled Love Wins, is an exploration of the ideas of Heaven and Hell. It's on backorder right now, so I haven't read it and can't weigh in on it. A friend of mine from seminary, though, had this to say about his initial impressions of the book. That doesn't really surprise me to hear, either, since Bell strikes me as someone who sees God as being full of overwhelming grace and mercy and always willing to receive us back when we realize that we've strayed from His will.

I'm thinking about this especially because of the today's reading from the prophet Isaiah. The prophet speaks on behalf of the Lord, telling the people of all the wrong they've done. They are called a sinful and corrupt nation who have forsaken the Lord. Their actions have separated them from God, and the prophet speaks to them on behalf of God. Their transgressions are named and laid out before them.

Their separation from God, though, does not have to last forever. Their time away from the Lord need not be an eternal state. The prophet tells the people how they can return to the Lord, and what will happen then. If the people follow the commands, their sins can be washed clean. They will turn from scarlet into snow and from crimson into wool.

This is good news for all of us because it's about being given another opportunity. We've all done things in our life that separate us from the love that God has for us. When we do that it's so easy, and we're dealing with the fallout of our actions, we can easily begin to think that God has pulled away from us and that we must do something to earn God back. We see here, though, that God is bigger than all of that. We see that what it takes is us being willing to turn around and make ourselves available to the grace that is already awaiting us.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Monday in the Second Week of Lent.

"Let your Spirit, O Lord, come into the midst of us to wash us with the pure water of repentance, and prepare us to be always a living sacrifice to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 79:1-9Daniel 9:3-10, and Luke 6:27-36

Fortunately for us, God no longer requires the gift of a burnt offering of sacrifice from us. We're not expected to go out to buy a piece of livestock to offer up to God whenever we need to make a confession or supplication to God. That practice went away a long time ago, and I'm sure you're as grateful as I am that we don't have to do sacrifice cows or doves to the Almighty.

That doesn't mean, though, that we don't make offerings to God. We know about the offerings of time and treasure, the typical things asked of us in stewardship campaigns. Our collect today speaks of another way of giving to God when it asks God to "prepare us to be always a living sacrifice" washed with the "water of repentance."

To be a living sacrifice is to live a life holy to God. This can be an incredibly difficult thing to do, especially when we can think, "What about my offering? Isn't that ample?" or "I've already given my time to the church this week. Shouldn't that be enough?" Finding the strength and ability to be a "living sacrifice" to God can be a great challenge. It's about giving up more of ourselves than we can comfortably give, offering more of ourselves than we normally would.

The opportunity to be a "living sacrifice" changes everyday. Hopefully we're all aware enough to seize the opportunity when we can.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Saturday in the First Week of Lent.

"O God, by your Word you marvelously carry out the work of reconciliation: Grant that in our Lenten fast we may be devoted to you with all our hearts, and united with one another in prayer and holy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."


Psalm 119:1-8Deuteronomy 26:16-19, and Matthew 5:43-48

As I've already mentioned at least a few times, keeping a fast is difficult. Refraining from temptation or maintaining a discipline can be tough. Sometimes the feelings we're trying to suppress boil over unexpectedly, like when a craving takes over or we lose our temper. Or maybe it's a conscious decision, like when we tell ourselves that we'll get back to our discipline after taking a little break. Either way, though, we might end up feeling a tinge of guilt for the decision we made, wondering if we let ourselves down or if we let someone else down or if we let God down.

The reading from Deuteronomy today is all about God and Israel agreeing to the terms of the covenant that exists between them. The covenant agreement says, "I'll be your God if you'll be my people." If the Israelites follows the agreements, God will place them above all other nations. When the Israelites fail to follow the covenant, prophets come to try to set them straight. The Lord honors them, and the Lord expects honor in return.

This is a good reminder for us, too, especially tied in with the collect for today. We're about ten days into our Lenten journey and roughly a quarter of the way through the season. We ask God to help us stay devoted to Him in our Lenten fast, and this reminds us that even if we fall short during this fast we can and should return to God.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Friday in the First Week of Lent.

"Lord Christ, our eternal Redeemer, grant us such fellowship in your sufferings, that, filled with your Holy Spirit, we may subdue the flesh to the spirit, and the spirit to you, and at the last attain to the glory of your resurrection; who live and reign with the Father and Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."


Psalm 130Ezekiel 18:21-28, and Matthew 5:20-26


One of my greatest weaknesses is an inability to easily forgive folks who have hurt me or who have hurt my loved ones. Specifically, I have an incredibly difficult time initiating such forgiveness. I guess this also plays into some twisted sense of pride in that I don't want to initiate the act of forgiving someone if I don't believe that they see the wrong that I feel like they have committed. This can be a terrible burden to carry, and I know that I should find a way to loose the ties of such burdens, but what then will I gnash my teeth about?

We all know that forgiveness is one of the basic tenets of our faith. There is plenty of Scripture pointing to the necessity of forgiveness in order to have a whole body, both individually and as a community, and seeking forgiveness is at the liturgical middle of our celebration of the Holy Eucharist at the offering of the Peace.

Our Scripture today points to the need for forgiveness, the need to clear the air between folks who experience tension of any kind, especially as we prepare to offer our gifts back to God. Worshipping with a heavy heart keeps us all attaining the peace God wants us to have. Also, though, worshipping allows us to recognize that there are people in our lives with whom we are not reconciled.

Hopefully, though, we can find the strength and courage necessary to offer forgiveness to those people in our lives who have hurt us. Even more so, hopefully we can find it in ourselves to ask for forgiveness from people we may have hurt. 

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Thursday in the First Week of Lent.

"Strengthen us, O Lord, by your grace, that in your might we may overcome all spirtual enemies, and with pure hearts serve you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."


Psalm 138Esther 14:1-6, 12-14, and Matthew 7:7-12

Being a parent has, in many ways, changed the way that I think about God. I've found that I'm drawn to parenting books and articles about parenting and how to have a holy household. I’ve thought a lot about how to talk to our children about God and have tried to be aware of their spiritual life while hoping that those tough questions that they’ll have about God will stay away for just a little bit longer. More importantly, though, I've begun to wonder about what my relationship with my children will say about their own understanding of God both now and in the future.

Snack time around our house comes pretty reliably every day, and when it hits, the kiddos are ready for it. Sometimes they want a graham cracker, and sometimes they want a cookie. On a good day (for us) they'll want a banana or something with peanut butter on it. They don't get it, though, if they yell and scream for it. Of course, we want to give them a snack because we know they both want it and need it, but we don't want to give them something because they are demanding it forcefully. We want to give them what they need, and we want them to understand how to ask for what it is that they need.

Like Jesus says here about bread and a rock and a fish and a snake, I'm not going to give them something they don't want just as a punishment and in a vindictive manner, and that's because I do love them. In the midst of an epic tantrum, they might not realize it, but we really want what is best for them.

The same is true about God. God wants what is best for us; God does not want us to suffer or be punished. God wants to provide for us and to care for us; we only need to know how to ask and how to be open to the blessings that God wants us to receive.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Wednesday in the First Week of Lent.

"Bless us, O God, in this holy season, in which our hearts seek your help and healing; and so purify us by your discipline that we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."


Psalm 51:11-18Jonah 3:1-10, and Luke 11:29-32

We all know the story of Jonah denying God, and Jonah ending up in the belly of a fish or a whale or some kind of sea creature. The story tells us this happened to Jonah because he refused to do the work that God wanted him to do, and yet God found a way to make Jonah do his work, to go to Nineveh and pronounce judgement on people who who didn't always get to hear from God's prophets.

So Jonah does God's work, and to his surprise the people of Nineveh repent well within the forty day timespan given to them by God through Jonah.

Jesus's uses this story in his preaching for today. The crowds are asking for a sign that he is legitimate, asking for a sign that he is really the son of God and that his teachings should be heeded. Jesus uses the example of Jonah to say, "Why are you always asking for a sign? Why are you always demanding something from me, from God?"

In other words, "Why is it so difficult to just do what is asked of you by God?"

I don't have an answer, but I know that we're all, myself included, always a little bit selfish. By testing God or asking for a sign (when there might already be one), we are only stalling for time on our own end, looking for a reason to do what we want to do ourselves instead of what God wants us to do.

If God is truly calling us to something, though, we can't hide from it forever. Jonah couldn't run from God, and we can't run from God, either.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Tuesday in the First Week of Lent.

"Grant to your people, Lord, grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow, the only true God; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 34:15-22Isaiah 55:6-11, and Matthew 6:7-15

A few weeks ago at our EYC Bible Study we got into a conversation about one of the lines from the Lord's Prayer, which is found in today's Gospel passage. I don't recall the whole conversation, but I think the question was, "Why do we ask God not to lead us into temptation? Doesn't it make sense that God wouldn't lead us into temptation to begin with?"

The translation we have here, though, is from the NRSV. In this translation we ask God to "save us from the time of trial", which is markedly different from our understanding of the two words today. Thought of as a "trial" in terms of our daily life we're asking God to keep us from those times in our life that might make us stray from God's will. Thought of at an eschatological level, we're asking God to be with us on that great last day. We're asking God to remember us so that we might be granted entrance into the heavenly kingdom. In both instances we're admitting our weaknesses and inabilities to God, asking God to be with us at times when we are most vulnerable.

Saying the Lord's Prayer every day or every week, it's easy to become rote in our recitation. Saying it slowly or meditatively, though, helps us to experience it in a new way, a way that can open us up to a new understanding of a familiar prayer and recognize that this prayer is another way to let God into our lives.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Monday in the First Week of Lent.

"Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully increase in us your gifts of holy discipline, in almsgiving, prayer, and fasting; that our lives may be directed to the fulfilling of your most gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 19:7-14Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18, and Matthew 25:31-46

Today marks the first day of our church's mission trip to the Dominican Republic. I'm not sure yet how that'll affect these postings, but I think I've got a way around here. Keep checking back here, and we'll see what happens.

Our readings for today are about God's commandments to us and how our natural response to God's love should be to serve others for by serving others we serve God.

The Gospel reading for today takes off on the idea of serving, and it comes in the form of Jesus speaking of the judgement at the time of the Son of Man's arrival. As the Son of Man looks out from his throne at the assembled masses, the people are separated "as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." The king will say to one group that the kingdom is prepared to be inherited by them, and to the other group the king will cast them out into the eternal fire. The ones who receive the kingdom served the king, and those who are cast out ignored the king. Each of them met the king at the time when they encountered the "least of these."

Jesus speaks of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. This week we'll be in the DR serving those who need help with construction at a schoolhouse, helping get the school up to code so that it can receive funds from the government there. Your gifts to our church help enable such efforts, but we must remember that the "least of these" are not just those in far off places. We work with them; we worship with them; and we live with them.

Serving and loving one another, no matter whether we outwardly appear to be one of the "least of these," allows us to serve God, too. As we enter into the first full week of Lent, may God give us the ability to recognize those people who we are always called to serve.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Saturday after Ash Wednesday.

"Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth your right hand to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 86:1-11Isaiah 58:9b-14, and Luke 5:27-32

The Gospel for today is another version of yesterday's passage from Matthew. Here, though, we've got a couple of things that stand out. First of all is the naming of the person who Jesus calls, and second is Jesus's words to the Pharisees at the end.

Levi was a tax collector, and Jesus called him away from this life. Upon being called we're told that Levi "got up, left everything, and followed [Jesus]." Rejoicing in his new life, Levi held a "great banquet" for Jesus and his friends. With Levi we see a man who left everything he had behind and gave what was left to Jesus as they shared a great meal together along with whomever else might have dropped by for that great feast.

While dining with Levi and these other tax collectors, Jesus's actions are again questioned by the Pharisees. As in the other accounts of the same story, Jesus answers the questions and accusations of them. Luke's narrative, though, adds a twist. Jesus says, "I have come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." This last part of "to repentance" appears only in Luke's version, and it's an interesting piece to have alongside the naming of Levi and the great feast that he offered.

Naming Levi and showing Levi's work and calling "sinners to repentance" underscores Luke's message that a life spent following Jesus is a changed life, one in which we are called to do more than simply follow. Instead, we are called to follow AND do.

Just a few days into our Lenten journey, the first Saturday of the long season, we might already be wondering, "Why'd I opt for this?!" We follow the ritual of Lent because of the tradition around it, and that's kind of the easy part. A Lenten fast or discipline, though, is the "doing" part, the piece that requires change and effort on our part, more than simply remembering not to say the "A" word during worship.

Change is difficult, and change comes slowly and deliberately. May we be open to God's grace as we continue to hope to be changed this season.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Friday after Ash Wednesday.

"Support us, O Lord, with your gracious favor through the fast we have begun; that as we observe it by bodily self-denial, so we may fulfill it with inner sincerity of heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 51:1-10Isaiah 58:1-9a, and Matthew 9:10-17

Today's reading from the prophet Isaiah asks a couple of questions. The first one comes from the Israelites when they ask, "Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?" And the second is God's response to them: "Do you think that's the kind of fast I expect? No, the fast I expect is to see you feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, and not to shelter yourself from your own kin."

How easy is it to get caught up in the idea of doing something for recognition and accolades? I find that I sometimes want a pat on the back for something as simple as emptying the dishwasher as if emptying the dishwasher isn't something I should do just because it needs to be done. I'm afraid I can be just as bad as the Israelites here in wanting praise for my work. This is true for other parts of life, too, right? When we feel like we are responsible for something good, it's common to want to be recognized for it. If we think like this, are we doing these acts for ourself and our own glory, or are we doing them with a selfless spirit and to help others?

Again, the collect for today helps us get a handle on the purpose of a fast or a new discipline. We're reminded again that it's with the grace of God that we can do such things and that we take on these challenges as a way to make room for God in our hearts. If we can allow the hole that's left to be filled with God, we might be on our way to giving God the kind of fast expected of us instead of the kind of fast we are tempted to give.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Thursday after Ash Wednesday.

"Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, by your mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Psalm 1Deuteronomy 30:15-20, and Luke 9:18-25

This being the first day after Ash Wednesday, after being invited to the observation of a holy Lent, we shouldn't be surprised to have these readings greet us today.

  • "Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked." Psalm 1:1
  • "Choose life so that you and your descendants may live." Deuteronomy 30:19b
  • "Then he said to them all, 'If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'" Luke 19:23
Each of these passages calls out to us with words of warning and words of encouragement, and don't we need both in healthy doses? Too much of either leads to an imbalance, and we wonder if we'll ever measure up or begin to think that we can never falter.

The Israelites here in Deuteronomy needed to be reminded of the stakes in their covenant with God: that God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt and that God could lead them to prosperity. They could choose life and prosperity or death and adversity. That shouldn't be a difficult choice, especially since they had already faltered at least once before in their trust of God.  Now, though, their charge was to love God, obey God, and worship only God.

As Christians we believe this opportunity is extended to us, too, in the person of Jesus Christ, who Peter proclaims in today's gospel as "the Messiah of God." As God challenged the Israelites, Jesus also challenges those who wish to follow him. He says that in order to be a follower, one must "deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

Observing a fast or keeping a discipline for the season of Lent is so challenging because of the many distractions around us. Simply in writing this post, I was distracted countless times to check email, get coffee, or something else. In life, when the stakes are so much higher, it's still very easy to be distracted, to lose focus, or to falter. All of this is why I find the collect for today so wonderful and reassuring and humbling. The words remind us to seek God in all our works, and that in doing so we can glorify God, and those are great words to remember as we look to the long journey ahead.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

So, what will happen here?

For a long time the Episcopal Church had a book called Lesser Feasts and Fasts that would be updated as needed at General Convention with information about Christians who the Church wanted to remember with a feast day. Along with these people there were also options for celebrations of the Holy Eucharist on the weekdays of our Church seasons. In recent years there has been some concern that the book LFF might be seen as minimizing (because of the term 'lesser') the work of those observed, and so there has been a title change to Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints. The idea is still the same, but it's a different name.

Within this book there are prescribed readings for each weekday during the season of Lent. There's a special collect, or prayer, along with a Psalm, an Old Testament reading, and a passage from one of the Gospels. What I hope to do here is give a brief reflection or a few thoughts on those readings each day throughout the season. I hope this will give you an opportunity to respond or at least make this part of your daily routine. I can't promise what shape this will take over the next couple of months, but hopefully we'll find out together. Thanks again for tagging along and holding me accountable here!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

What's this all about?

Each year around this time I start wondering, "So what'll it be this year? Coke, caffeine, meat, chocolate? Or maybe I'll take something on, something that requires effort and discipline, like a reading schedule or something physical." And each year, these Lenten disciplines become very much like the resolutions I stubbornly made for the new year, forgotten or missed within days of setting them or making them. Discouraged, it's always easier, for me at least, to simply forget them and act like I never made them.

When I realized recently that Lent was fast approaching, I started to think about about what I might do this time around to observe Lent personally and also what I might be able to offer our church here at St. Paul's this season.

In the coming days I'll talk a little bit about what I hope to do here and how this space can hopefully be helpful to you, too. I know my intentions, but that's not always what comes out when life gets going. I hope you can make some time during your day to check in over here and join me.