Prepare to Listen. Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
Prayerfully Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Prayerfully Wonder What tugged at your heart as you read these words today? “There is a new creation.” This sentence can be read in two different ways. First way: There is a new creation. Not there will be. We’re not waiting for it to come. It’s here now, in this moment in time. In Christ you are a new creation with the ability to live a transformed life. Second way: There is a new creation. Not somewhere hidden and out of sight, but right there in front of you; open your eyes and you will see it. “If anyone is in Christ” that’s where to look for the new creation—in yourself, in your brothers and sisters in Christ. A new creation doesn’t mean we have a ticket to heaven and can forget about faithful living now. Neither does it mean we’ll be exempt from the troubles and sufferings in this world. We won’t look or feel any different. Being a new creation means seeing the world in a different light and responding to its troubles and sufferings in a different, more loving way. It means letting go the old to be open to receive the new, however unexpected and surprising; no longer needing to earn God’s approval because in Christ we become the righteousness of God, reconciled, restored back into fellowship with God. In Christ we have a new ministry, ambassadors for Christ, messengers of reconciliation, not alienation; of peace not discord; of love not hatred. This is what it means to be a new creation. Think about how you can live today as a new creation in Christ, as an ambassador of reconciliation, peace and love. Respond to Jesus Lord Jesus, help me live today in such a way that others look at me and say, ‘There is a new creation.’ Amen. Live obediently. Practice being a new creation today.
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Prepare to Listen. Repent and believe the good news.
Prayerfully Read Mark 1:14-20 14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’ 16As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect What comforts or shocks you about Jesus in this story? “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” Jesus’ first sermon has only 19 words in English, but enough to keep us pondering for a lifetime. It may be brief, but its demands are loaded—repent, believe, follow. [1] Repent, from the Greek metanoia, means change your mind, turn around and go in the opposite direction. Let’s be honest, we’re not good at that. We don’t like change and actively resist it. We struggle to admit we’re wrong, and give up the old for the unfamiliar. But here’s the thing, Jesus demands change, repentance all the time. We must change our minds about the kingdom of God and how to live as God’s kingdom people. And since we get it wrong so often, change is a daily challenge. Second, believe. Believe the good news, that is, “believe the kingdom of God has come near.” We’re not waiting for it to come after a future cataclysmic event, or for Israel, or any other nation, to get its act together. It has come near in Jesus, and we’re called to believe it is here, now. Third, follow. To four fishermen, Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” This wasn’t a call to ‘saving individual souls.’ The imagery is rooted in the ancient prophets, who used it as a symbol of judgment. Jesus invited ordinary folk “to join him in his struggle to overturn the existing order of power and privilege.”[2] They had to leave behind, change their minds about the old ways of doing things, and follow Jesus, helping him in the reordering of the social and economic structures of society. This wasn’t about Christians taking over all levels of government, but creating space for the poor, the marginalized, the excluded, the aliens to live and flourish. Now what comforts and/or shocks you? Prayerfully Respond Lord, I confess my reluctance to repent, to change my mind. Open my eyes and ears to see and hear where and how I need to change. Give me the courage to change and believe that you are in charge. Amen. Live obediently. Repent and believe. [1] Obviously Jesus said much more. Mark has merely summarized, highlighting Jesus theme. [2] Myers, C. Binding the Strong Man. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2015, p. 132. Prepare to Listen. You are my Son, the Beloved.
Prayerfully Read Mark 1:9-13 9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ 12And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect What intrigued you as you read these familiar verses? It’s a very ordinary account of a baptism. Jesus waiting in line with ordinary people to be baptized by an anything but ordinary John the Baptizer. There’s no introduction to Jesus, or explanation of why he wanted baptism from John. He came down from Nazareth in Galilee for no other reason than to be baptized by John in the Jordan. What happened when he came up out of the water turned the scene into an extraordinary one. Jesus saw “the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.” Torn apart is an intriguing choice of words. They’re similar to the words the prophet Isaiah used, begging God, “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down” (Is 64:1-2). If John saw what Jesus did, and that’s not certain, I wonder whether he thought of Isaiah’s prayer. I wonder if he realized God was answering it. God had torn apart the heavens and come down in God’s Beloved Son, Jesus. Tearing apart happened again when Jesus died. The sanctuary curtain in the temple, preventing entrance into the presence of God, was torn in two (Mk 15:38). God came down and access to God and God’s throne is now possible for all peoples. In these troubled times, it’s good to remember and trust in the God who has come down, the God who will not be silent. Worship this God today. Prayerfully Respond O that you would once again tear open the heavens and come down into our troubled times. Help me live so that others know they too can have access to you today. Amen. Live obediently. Trust the God who came down. Prepare to Listen. Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Prayerfully Read John 1:29-34 29The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ 32And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’ Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect What was familiar and/or surprising for you in these verses?. “Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world,” the choir sings in Handel’s Messiah. The word behold invites us to pause and take a long thoughtful look. Who is this “Lamb of God” and why should we behold him? What did John and those around him see? The writer doesn’t tell us, giving little detail. An unknown Galilean man walked towards John who identified him, not with the familiar title of Messiah, nor as the one to save the nation, but as the Lamb of God. It’s not an attractive image and Jesus said and did nothing to draw people to him. But this is the Jesus we’re invited to behold and follow, a lamb, not a lion, but lamb who “takes away the sin of the world.” In Jewish thought the lamb of God was the Passover Lamb sacrificed, not for sin, “but to commemorate Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt,”[1] setting God’s people free. This Lamb takes away the sin (singular) of the world, not merely individuals or of one nation (not Israel, not the U.S.), but the world. Collectively, the world is alienated from the Creator God and Jesus’ sacrifice liberates the world, making possible a relationship with God. John believed this and thus could claim, “I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” Behold Jesus, not the Jesus who supports our patriotic ideologies to make our nation great again. But the Lamb of God who welcomes the world. This truth gives me hope. All human attempts to make Jesus the Savior of a nation will come to naught. What do you think? Prayerfully Respond Jesus, Lamb of God, you came for the world. Broaden my mind and heart to welcome the world, not just those like myself. Amen. Live obediently. Behold the Lamb of God. [1] O’Day, Gail and Hylen, Susan. John. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006, p. 30. Prepare to Listen. O my God, in you I trust.
Prayerfully Read Psalm 25:1-2a, 6-10 1To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. 2O my God, in you I trust. 6Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. 7Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O LORD! 8Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 9He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. 10All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect What caught your attention in today’s reading? The psalmist makes a positive and a negative demand. The positive: Be mindful of, that is remember your mercy, your steadfast love. The negative: Do not remember my sins. He pleads, Remember me, Lord! Lent is often the time to focus on our sins. The danger is to focus so much on our sins that we define ourselves by them and then struggle to receive forgiveness. It’s easy to wallow and think we’re not good enough. I’ve been there. I tried being more contrite, more sincere, more acceptable to God. But never felt good enough, never dared to demand of God: Do not remember my sins. The problem, I discovered, was failing to begin with the positive: Remember your steadfast love. Steadfast love is a favorite biblical description of God, used three times in these few verses. It translates the Hebrew word hesed, for which there is no adequate English term. Hesed includes steadfastness, faithfulness, compassion, tenacious solidarity. It has the sense of coming alongside, standing in loving solidarity with those in need, strengthening them so they can change. We see this kind of loving solidarity, steadfast love over and over in Jesus and it brought about transformation. If Jesus could do it then, he can do it today for me and for you today. When you confess your sin, begin, not with the negative, but with the positive: Remember your steadfast love. Remember me, O Lord! Prayerfully Respond Be mindful, O Lord, remember your steadfast love and help me live it in the world by standing in loving, tenacious solidarity with those in need today. Amen. Live obediently. Believe the Lord will remember you in love. Prepare to Listen. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
Prayerfully Read Isaiah 58:5-9a 5Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? 6Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? 8Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rearguard. 9Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect What do you think it would mean for you to fast God’s way as described here in Isaiah? Fasting can be a serious act of faith and worship or a self-serving sham with nothing to do with faith or worship. Isaiah accused Israel of self-serving sham. Their fast embodied a distortion of Yahweh, resulting in a distortion of social relationships.[1] They turned worship into self-indulgence and one-upmanship and then complained because God ignored their efforts and the fast of their choosing (v. 4). They urgently needed the lesson the prophet gives on the meaning of a true fast, one acceptable to God. The fast God desires isn’t a false piety of individualistic self-discipline. God’s fast has to do with “neighborly attentiveness.”[2] The prophet spells it out in verse 7. The fast God desires: a) shares bread with the hungry, b) shares home with the poor, c) shares clothing with the naked. We share with the hungry, the poor, the naked, that is, those most needing our attention, because they are, says the Lord, “your own kin,” that is your own family, one of your own. Remember, even Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves, that is, if they were ourselves. Sharing with those in need mitigates against self-indulgence and individualism so evident in our affluent American society. This neighborly fast is the fast most urgently needed today. When we choose this difficult fast then, and only then, will our light shine and God’s healing touch and presence be experienced. How can you practice the kind of fast that God desires this Lent? Prayerfully Respond Lord, you generously offer to hear us when we turn from self-indulgence to our neighbors, the hungry, the poor, the naked. Help me practice a true fast during this season of Lent. Live obediently. Practice a social fast that benefits neighbor. [1] Brueggemann, Walter. Isaiah 40-66. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. 1998, p. 188. [2] Brueggemann 1998, p. 191. Prepare to Listen. Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart.
Prayerfully Read Joel 2:1-2, 12-13 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming, it is near-- 2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come. 12Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect What comforted and/or disturbed you in this Amos passage? Think about it and then read the meditation. “Blow the trumpet in Zion.” Not as a signal to begin a joyous festival, like Easter, but as a warning of danger. Not from an enemy, or pestilence, or defeat, but from the LORD, “for the day of the LORD is coming, it is near.” It will be a day of judgment, not in some distant future, for a people yet unborn. But, according to Joel, it was for the people of his day; and it’s also for us today. Blow the trumpet in your church, your city, your country for the day of the LORD is coming, is indeed here. In every generation some believe they are God’s trumpet-blowers warning of imminent judgment. Many are false prophets, and should be ignored. A few are true messengers of God. But how do we tell the difference between the true and false? The first clue is true prophets are always in the minority with few followers. A second clue is that, like Joel, they ground their message of repentance in the Lord’s generous grace and mercy. They provide proof of this in the ancient traditions found in Scripture. Joel’s basis for repentance came in the classic Jewish creed: “Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing” (see Ex. 34:6.) Lent is a time to deliberately repent, that is, learn where we’re wrong and change our minds. Let Joel’s words of assurance of the Lord’s steadfast love encourage you to return to the Lord with all your heart. Prayerfully Respond Remind me today, O Lord that you are gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love so that I keep returning to you to live in truth and righteousness. Live obediently. Return to the Lord with all your heart. (Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, February 14.)
“Behold the Lamb of God.” The choir in Handel’s Messiah sings these words from John 1:29 reminding us to take time for a long look at the Jesus, Lamb of God. We’re so familiar with the image of lamb for Jesus that we often fail to reflect again on it, and thus never learning more, and there’s always more to learn. We’re in constant need of correcting our distortions of Jesus so that we worship him truly, for who he is and not for the image we created. Only then will we live in ways that reflect the true Jesus of the Gospels, the Jesus who is like a lamb, meek and humble and lowly of heart, and who calls us to be like him. Join me in a Lenten discipline of daily beholding the Lamb of God as he is revealed in Scripture. These Lenten meditations will reflect on Bible verses in parts 2 and 3 of Handel’s Messiah, adding other passages of Scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary. Read your Bible and become more intimate with Jesus, the Lamb of God. Daily a different Scripture with suggestions to reflect more deeply will be posted right here. Book mark this page and keep returning, practicing a daily discipline of prayerful reflection on Scripture. The format for these devotions is rooted in the ancient discipline of lectio divina. It’s a discipline that requires patience, silence, prayerfulness, openness. There are five movements to each day:
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