2009

Lenten Devotional

Graphic by Greg Matusic

Members of the Congregation

FIRST REFORMED CHURCH

OF SCHENECTADY

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LENTEN SCHEDULE

Ash Wednesday

6:00 pm Supper in Assembly Hall 7:00 pm Service in Poling Chapel

Every Wednesday from March 4th through April 1st

6:00 pm Supper in Assembly Hall 7:00 pm Lenten Studies/Service in Various Locations

1.

“Judaism, Christianity, Islam: A Comparative Study” Dr. Peter Bedford, Chair of Religious Studies, Union College

2. “The Influence of New Netherlands on Our Faith and Values” Laura Linder and Additional Presenters

3. “Acts of Kindness”* Christine Daniels and Stacey Midge *This course of service begins at 5:30 and includes preparing and sharing a meal each week with residents of various shelters in our city.

Maundy Thursday - April 9 8 Pm – Contemplative Communion in Sanctuary Chancel

Good Friday - April 10 12 noon in Sanctuary

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

First Reformed is grateful for the many people who wrote this Devotional. We could have ordered a ready-made one. We could have simply suggested these passages for Lenten readings at the dinner table. But it’s so much more personal to read what our congregation thinks about these scripture passages that take us, day by day, through Lent. Attending the Lenten dinners and classes certainly prepares us for Easter, but not everyone can take part in these activities. Further, the daily readings provide a quiet time, a meditative time, to remember the Easter story and connect with the individuals writing about these passages. It’s not easy writing a devotional. We sometimes think that we need a minister beside us all the way. The Protestant tradition, however, allows us, urges us, to come to Scripture as we are, see how it calls us personally and forces us to think. Some of us will read these in the morning, before entering the busy day (sometimes the fray). Some of us will read them at the dinner table, engaging the family. Some will read them before bed. Whatever is your fashion is right for you. Read them, consider them, talk to the writers. Let this Devotional lead you to Easter day. We thank Heather Scribner, Office Administrator and Pat Krawczak, Administrative Assistant, for their work on this Devotional. Virginia Laumeister Linda Witkowski

February 25, 2009 Sarah Howes Ash Wednesday, 1st Day of Lent Joel 2:1-1, 12-17

Sackcloth? Repentance? Some say, “repent and be saved” but I was saved and then repented. I opened to God out of sheer desperation, not repentance. God gave me the gift of repentance after first giving me the gift of grace. So I have not experienced repentance outside of the experience of being loved and cherished by the very God whose amazing love pricked my conscience and provoked awareness of my many shortcomings in loving God, my neighbor and myself. We are preparing to commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion and celebrate his resurrection. Jesus was divine to me in the sense of coming to earth on a mission of love from God imbued with God’s infinite capacity for loving us and human enough to feel the frustration of dealing with our petty follies topped off by the terror of having to die a gruesome death on the cross to deliver us from the fear that separates us from God. This should take our breaths away. This should knock our socks off. This could make a person humble—repentant—for the silly things we let ourselves get absorbed by instead of focusing on how much God loves us and letting gratitude for that affect everything we do.

But our foibles in such matters aren’t news to God. God knew that before coming. Jesus left the church in our hands! Can you imagine being Jesus and going through all of the above and then leaving that amazing work in humanity’s hands? Physically anyway—the Spirit was sent, thank God, to guide the actions of our hands and the speech of our tongues if we would only let it. Putting on sackcloth is now an inward discipline—letting God’s Spirit rough up our consciousness to keep us in touch with God’s work of love in all its manifestations. When we let God’s love win in our lives, we experience resurrection and victory over the forces of deathly anxiety, vengeance and whatever else we are letting eat away at us. Ours is not a deeply penitent tradition. We tend to emphasize the good news. But what God has taught me is that the good news is that we can be honest about ourselves—both our goodness and badness— and still be held in God’s loving embrace. Thank you God, for coming into our lives, and always wanting to be accepted ever more deeply into our hearts, and minds, and actions. Open us up in this season of humble preparation to receive what you want to give. February 26, 2009 Gladys and Gordon DePree 2nd Day of Lent Psalm 119:96 “I have noticed limitations to all perfection, but your commandment has no limits at all.” Psalm 119:96 It is difficult to find something big enough to live for. For a few years once discipline may seem interesting, and then the shortcomings and flaws begin to appear. Our interest is drawn to another, thinking this will be big enough to contain life… but again, it ends in disillusionment. What is big enough for me to give my one precious life to, wholly and without reservation? There are words that echo again and again through the pages of the Bible: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart… and your neighbor as yourself. These words are so vast that we can never come to the end of them. In never reaching the end of the possibilities they present to us, we

can never become disillusioned. If they fail, it is because we have faltered… but always above us and ahead of us, for as far as we can see, these words challenge us and beckon to us. They are the only words in the world big enough to live for. February 27, 2009 Katherine Trimarco 3rd Day of Lent 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 In this scripture, Paul describes how a new life in Christ shows us that we will no longer view ourselves only from a human point of view as we no longer see Christ from only a human point of view. Because God’s grace gives us a new life, we are able to become messengers to others about the reconciliation to God that makes possible this new life. What is this new life like? Reconciliation with God means that the attitudes we hold about ourselves, our identity, and our attitudes about others will change. Instead of seeing ourselves as compared to others, we see ourselves as loved by God. God has made us with unique abilities and opportunities, the use of which only makes sense in the light of arrogance or the frustration and guilt of not measuring up. The relationship with God frees us from that trap. The love of God and the freedom to be oneself give us the courage to seek community in an authentic way. The freedom of the new life is great news! Who could not share such good news with others? Thus, we become messengers of the new life to others. Lord, help us to be always open to your guidance and make us willing messengers of your love in the world. Amen.

February 28,2009 Carol Troost 4th Day of Lent 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 Carol’s two views of this passage illustrate how full and frought with implication these selections are. The Good News translation of this passage, v. 10 reads… “although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.” Paul struggled and suffered much as an apostle but was faithful. A hymn written by James Edmeston in 1821 captures some of Paul’s attitude. “Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us.”

Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us O’er the world’s tempestuous sea; Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us, For we have no help but Thee, Yet possessing every blessing, If our God our Father be.

Savior, breathe forgiveness o’er us; All our weakness Thou doest know ; Thou didst tread this earth before us; Thou didst feel its keenest woe; Lone and dreary, faint and weary, Through the desert Thou didst go. Spirit of our God, descending, Fill our heart with heavenly joy; Love with every passion blending, Leisure that can never cloy;

Thus provided, pardoned, guided, Nothing can our peace destroy In this passage, Paul speaks of the hardships he has endured because of his faithfulness as an apostle. In The Message, the translation reads, “please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us….our work as God’s servants gets validated in the details. There’s a hymn, “O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee,” written by Washington Gladden just after the Civil War. It is a disciple’s prayer that we may be more like Christ in His character and His service to men, despite the cost. Like Paul, Rev. Gladden saw his calling in the “details.” He applied the gospel to the social, political and economic life of America and the world, and received bitter criticism for some of the things he advocated. He felt it was the duty of the Christian Church to “elevate the masses not only spiritually and morally, but to be concerned about their social and economic welfare as well.” Although this hymn is based on a passage in Matthew, I thought it fit very well with what Paul is saying. “O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee”

O Master, let me walk with Thee In lowly paths of service free; Tell me Thy secret – help me bear The strain of toil, the fret of care.

Help me the slow of hear to move By some clear, winning word of love; Teach me the wayward feet to stay And guide them in the homeward way. Teach me Thy patience still with Thee In closer, dearer company, In work that keeps faith sweet and strong, In trust that triumphs over wrong.

In hope that sends a shining ray

Far down the future’s broad’ning way, In peace that only Thou canst give, With Thee, O Master, let me live.

March 2, 2009 Len Vandenberg 5th Day of Lent Genesis 9:8-17

LIGHT

After a recent Kerygma class I accepted a challenge to relate the familiar biblical story of Noah to this Lenten season, a daunting task for a sort of technically inclined layman. I will begin at the beginning, the beginning of the Universe, the time of Creation.

Zero Time (14.7 Billion Years B.C.)

Modern science has determined that the moment of creation occurred about 14.7 billion years ago when a burst of light emanated from a point having essentially no dimensions from which, in time, there issued all the energy and material in the physical universe of today. The first three verses in Chapter 1 of Genesis give an account of the Creation ending similarly with the phrase, “and God said, ‘let there be light’, and there was light.” And God saw that the light was good.

2348 B.C.

At this time my Bible records the story of Noah. Previously humans had emerged from the created light with a knowledge of good and evil. The darkness of evil threatened to extinguish goodness’ light. The earth was then subjected to an extended period of cleansing rain. At the end of this period a rainbow appeared that embraced the cleansed earth with the goodness and

beauty of its light to seal God’s promise to never use such drastic means again to ensure the supremacy of goodness.

Zero B.C.

Again darkness suppressed the light of goodness; however the Divine promise of the rainbow was kept by the birth and life of Jesus often referred to as “The Light of the World,” and “Savior.” Jesus emphasized the power of goodness with his teaching and living examples, such as found in the Lord’s Prayer, with emphasis on the need to love one another with the sacrificial love of his example.

Zero to 2008 A.D.

The teachings of Jesus have infiltrated, knowingly or unknowingly, the conscience of a large fraction of the population of western civilization. His light overcame the darkness of medieval Europe with the enlightenment of the Renaissance and was tested many times subsequently to fulfill the promise of the rainbow.

December 16, 2008

Once again darkness seemed to be gaining the upper hand as a result of the activities of corrupt politicians, plus the self-interest, arrogance and greed of CEO’s, financiers and various organizations resulting in economic distress. Also severe problems relating to energy supplies and the environment have surfaced along with insecurity caused by increasing crime, terrorist activity, and war. All this produced a home-sickness in my wife, Margo, to relive the more tranquil childhood memories of better times by visiting her friends and relatives for Christmas in Germany near her hometown of Worms. So, off we went! The trip overseas was unexpectedly pleasant. We received all the help we needed cheerfully; even the problems with customs and

interconnecting flights were solved for us. Relatives and friends greeted us with reassuring love and affection with “Welcome” signs and American flags. The houses were decorated for Christmas including lighted Christmas trees. We traveled to a distant beautiful resort town in the mountains called, appropriate for me, “Bad Orb.” Again the lights of Christmas reigned supreme along with the hospitality. It was somehow reassuring to be over 3,000 miles from home but experiencing the same Christmas. The light then dawned on me, too, from several people around a cradle in a remote little village even further away and 2008 years ago. The goodness in the light of Christmas is now spread to encircle the earth and the Divine promise of the rainbow is being kept to ensure that inseparable goodness, beauty, love and mercy will continue to diminish the power of evil in answer to the pleas in the Lord’s Prayer “to deliver us from evil” and for His “will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” During Lent we pay homage to Jesus because His life is making this happen.

March 3, 2009 Rachael Cox 6th Day of Lent Psalm 25 Verses 1-11

Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD. Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. For me this one is a very moving and humbling passage. The writer seems to be asking to judge him differently from all others. I liked how the writer seemed to be so willing to give himself over to God’s ways. I don’t know if I would be so trusting, and willing to sacrifice my life. The writer seems to want God to remember him as he was in the present and asks God to forget everything from the past. I believe that God is not malicious, that He forgives everyone’s sins no matter how great, and I don’t think I need to be scared that God is holding against me all of my past sins. I especially liked, “Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, For they have been from of old.” It seems almost as though the writer is pleading and almost preparing for God’s decision. It seems as though the writer has a lot of guilt, and pleading with God to forgive him as though for some reason God would not forgive him. Dear God, please forgive me of all my wrong doings and help me learn to live according to your ways. Amen. March 4, 2009 Bill Clock 7th Day of Lent Poem

Go Forth! the final hymn

sung and over the melody and choral amens hanging still in the holy air while we faithful are charged “noevilforevil” and released, released to return back into our each his own private world from this lovely and holy familiar place prepared (hopefully) for yet one more week, seven days to try us reshape and wear our Sunday faith. we, resolute and fragile sister and brother christians.

Prayer: Lord, Jesus, we ask for your involved presence in our yearly Lenten focus to strengthen our faith and to become more deeply committed Christians in our year ahead. Amen.

March 5, 2009 Cathy Lewis 8th Day of Lent Mark 1:9-15 These seven verses tell of the baptism of Jesus and his temptation in the wilderness---both acts of preparation for the beginning of his ministry. At his baptism Jesus sees the Spirit descending upon him like a dove and he hears God speak directly to him, “You are my son, the beloved. With you I am well pleased.” But the Spirit that affirms and assures Jesus also drives him into the wilderness. There he is tempted by Satan and he is with wild beasts, but he is also waited upon by angels. He is not alone, but is tempered and made strong by the experience---he is ready for his ministry. “The time is fulfilled…”

We should note that “Jesus came” (verses 9 and 14) and with these two words we can expect significant and dramatic change. This is the particular call of Lent. We need to know that God is near and trust the good news of Jesus. Prayer: Thank you, heavenly Father, for the good news that Jesus came preaching. Help us to believe him, to believe in the gospel, and to rely upon it. Help us to live and act accordingly. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

March 6, 2009 Look to Your Good Shepherd 9th Day of Lent I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11) Upon hearing [Jesus’ teaching about laying dow his life in order to walk in the perfect will of the Father], many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” … For this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. Jesus asked the Twelve, “You do not want to leave me, too, do you?” John 6:60, 66-67 Fix the eyes of your soul on the One who is our good shepherd. He is the perfectly obedient One, who endured terrible sufferings on the cross to save His sheep. The true sheep of our Lord are the ones who continue to follow Him as He leads them through struggles, or mistreatment by others, or when He allows insults to be hurled, or through times of extreme dissatisfaction. They will continue with Him even when He leads through bodily illness, or spiritual temptation – enduring all things to the end (Romans 15:5-6). By walking with Him continually, they receive everlasting life from the Lord.

It is a great shame, to many of us who are known as servants of God, that while the apostles and early saints actually walked with Him through every kind of trial, we think we are deserving of heavenly glory and honor merely because we know their deeds from Scripture and can easily recount all that they said and did (James 1:22). March 7, 2009 Brad Lewis 10th Day of Lent Matthew 6:16-21 The Easter season offers a rich array of rituals, gatherings, and emotions. On Ash Wednesday many of us will share a meal together—maybe even one with first-century food—and wear a small cross of ashes on our foreheads. In the Lenten season we gather to eat and study together on Wednesday nights. On Palm Sunday, we let our emotions loose, waving the palm fronds in joy . . . and then end the service with a hymn of sober realization: Christ is going to the cross, not the earthly throne his contemporaries hoped for. On Maundy Thursday we will take communion together, and then comes the moving Tenebrae service: the choir sings in Latin, the lights dim as we read passages of betrayal, and we exit in silence. Good Friday brings collective songs and prayer as we remember the vigil of the disciples, relatives, and other followers of Jesus. On Easter Sunday the music is upbeat and boisterous, the scripture readings chronicle the resurrection, we let out our emotions: “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!” And, oh yes, there’s one thing more to be done during this season: to look into our hearts as at no other time. How scary is that? This passage is a reminder to us that as much as we participate in the incredible collective drama of the Easter season, this is also the time when we are called to face the wilderness inside us. In this passage in Matthew, Jesus aims his words at a group that felt itself among the most holy people around and wanted the world to know it. For whom are you performing, asks Jesus? All of us or your Father in heaven? He was asking them. And he asks us. Lent asks us to spend some serious time in private, answering that question for ourselves. Will we have the courage to do it?

Prayer: Lord, you know what is in our hearts. Help us in this Lenten season to risk going into the wilderness as Jesus had to do. Help us to seek our treasure in following you. We pray this in the name of him we follow, Jesus Christ. Amen. March 8, 2009 Wales Brown 11th Day of Lent Genesis 17:1-17

Caring through Covenants The Book of Genesis is full of covenants between God and God’s people. Our first covenant with God was to understand the majesty and immensity of creation and our role in caring for the World and all of its life. Other covenants told of in Genesis are about reconciliation and caring for us, as God’s people, when we fall short for caring for creation (the flood). Promises are important for us as people as they help us to understand what is expected and sometimes agreements help us to better understand how to deal with the unexpected. The expectations for caring for God’s creation change throughout time and often our humanness causes us to set aside our beliefs or agreements for caring. In the life of a clinician working in foster care, promises or agreements made by parents at conception, to love and care for their children are often disregarded later as selfish personal needs are first fulfilled. God knows this is a part of who we are and provided us with other stories of covenant making to help care for children who are not cared for. The story of Genesis Chapter 17 is God’s way of helping us to understand how to care for those children in the world that are yet to come or have been left behind. It is a story of the people that are forgotten or have had the promise of caring broken with them. You may be asking yourself, “how can a story about circumcision be a story of adoption”? I believe it is! It is a story

given to us to show how God made a covenant to care for God’s people, not just biological children but including slaves and servants. It is a story of God saying that the promise should be made visible. It is a story of our commitment, our promise, to care for creation and to make visible this promise in a way that others can see. God has made a promise to us and we have a commitment to God. My son and I were blessed to be made a family through God on April 19, 2005. In that adoption hearing, I signed a document, a promise to care for him. I also made a spiritual promise to love him as God has loved me. Justin Meyers helped us to make our covenant with each other visible, by blessing 2 rings that we agreed to wear throughout our life to symbolize the promise that I made to him and that God has made with us. In the Opening Sentences, Justin said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in theheavenly places, just as He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him in love. We were destined for adoption, as His children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

Continuing in the Statement of Purpose, he proposed, “We gather here today to witness and celebrate the making of a family. Before there was time, we were adopted by Christ, destined to receive His love. Adoption is an act of love, a making of a bond, and a model of Christ’s love for us. Today we celebrate what God has done in the lives of Alden and Wales, bringing two people together to be father and son, destined to love each other as father and son.” In our symbol of being made a family, we choose to show this by exchanging rings. Alden has long since outgrown his ring but continues to wear it around his neck. I bet the ancient people might have preferred this to circumcision! Justin again read,

“Adoption is a way of saying I belong to you and you belong to me, and we belong together. Where there were two people alone, they are now a family. Alden you are loved by God, and by Wales. God has always been your Father, and now Wales joins him in that joy and responsibility. Wales, you have always been God’s son, and loved by God, now you have a son, to love as God loves you.”

As a symbol of being made a family, Wales and Alden will wear rings on their right hands. In our Blessing, Justin prayed, “Wales and Alden, may God bless you as father and son. May God bless your family, may God keep you and you grow together, into what God intends for all families, to be a place of love, safety, and nurture.”

This covenant and blessing on our family have carried me through many difficult and hard times and reminded me that we were all destined to be adopted by God, through God’s love for us. In my own thanks to God, I will love creation as I have been loved. In this Lenten season, let us not forget God’s covenants with us and God’s intention, that as people of faith: we are loved, safe and nurtured through God’s love, even in our shortcomings. March 10, 2009 Madelyn Young 12th Day of Lent Luke 18:31-34 There are two kinds of courage. There is the courage of the person who, when suddenly confronted with a crisis and without thinking, flings himself

into it. Then there is the person who sees a terrible situation looming ahead and knows that nothing can avoid it. Yet he goes steadfastly on. There is no question who has the greater courage. Many of us are capable of action on the spur of the moment but it takes great courage to keep going and face something horrible for days ahead especially when he could have turned back. With Jesus it was the grim truth that there was something waiting for him. He had seen a crucifixion and he knew what it was like – waiting for him – yet he went on. The disciples were shocked at what Jesus was telling them but, like so many of us they heard only what they wanted to hear. They couldn’t believe what he was telling them. They truly believed Jesus was a conquering king and could blast His enemies off the face of the earth. But we know that Jesus told them that shame lay before Him, but so did glory. He knew and told them what the power of God could do. And He never foretold the cross without foretelling the resurrection. It was His ultimate victory that He faced the defeat of the cross. He knew that without a cross there would never be a crown. March 11, 2009 Carol De La Marter 13th Day of Lent Romans 4:13-25

Lately it’s been hard not to think about differences among people. We have only to look at the news and realize there are different sides and views in world events and wonder whether our way is always right. In Romans Paul speaks to us about inclusion of people with different views and history through his discussion of Abraham. Many Jews questioned Paul’s acceptance of the Gentiles into the Jewish-Christian world because they did not follow all the rituals and traditions of Jewish law and practice. Jews saw themselves as superior. Paul recognized that Abraham had faith in God’s promise and that was the reason Abraham was made the father of many nations. Even when the odds were against Abraham, “no distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.” Another promise of forgiveness has been given to all of us through the death and resurrection of his son Jesus. Regardless of our differences and imperfection there is much that will be given to us if we trust in God’s promise. Dear God, Help us each day to recognize not our differences but what we have in common with our world neighbors. Help us to respond through our words and actions and faith in God’s promise to be more inclusive. Amen. March 12, 2009 Johnny Willis 14th Day of Lent Mark 8:31-38 I chose this selection – before reading it - from Mark because I like this gospel. No other reason. But unfortunately this passage didn’t grab me, except perhaps Mark 8:36 which says, “For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” But I didn’t really know what to say about this verse. So I Googled it. I didn’t find anything inspiring in an initial search but instead quickly came upon an opportunity to purchase a Mark 8:36 mouse pad for $15.99! Here is the link in the unlikely case you want to buy one (http://gifts.cafepress.com/item/mark-836-mousepad/33296465). How crass, I thought, to put a Bible verse on a mouse pad.

I spend a lot of time on the computer for work, and also just goofing off. With the mouse I can look at the New York Times, search for Bob Dylan lyrics, look up the definition of “peripatetic,” check the weather, make a micro loan through Kiva.org, or buy something that I don’t really need. It’s a powerful thing, this mouse. So maybe it is not so crazy to have Mark 8:36 on a mouse pad. It could remind me to try to understand what is most important when I am on the computer. And when I can act on that understanding with mouse do it. Prayer: Lord, guide my mouse. Amen. March 13, 2009 Barbara Draffen 15th Day of Lent Mark 9:2-9 Those who assembled the New Testament obviously felt that the story of the “transfiguration” was of great importance. It appears in all three of the synoptic gospels and the accounts are almost identical. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up into a high mountain, and while they are there his clothing becomes a dazzling white, and Moses and Elijah are seen talking to Him. Peter, who doesn’t know what to say because they are so terrified, offers to build three “dwellings” for them. Then a voice from a cloud says, “This is my Beloved Son; hear him!” and the vision ends. Sometimes I try to imagine myself in the events in the Bible and wonder what my reactions would be. Mark says they were terrified – I agree! I have read that to understand this story we need to place it in the context of what preceded it. Jesus had called a crowd together with his disciples and

told them that to be His followers they must “deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Are there challenges, “crosses,” that we should be willing to take up to follow Jesus? What should we “deny” ourselves to better do his will? Prayer: Lord, help me to be ready and willing to answer the calls that you send me. March 14, 2009 Karl R. Horstmann 16th Day of Lent Isaiah 58:1-12 The cited reading, from the book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament), epitomizes the biblical prophetic tradition. Throughout the prophets there is a dichotomy between false worship and true worship of the Divine, as well as between the hypocrisy of the people and the reality of their situation as created beings. The present reading shows this clearly. Though we should decry the rebellion of God’s people against the divine commandments, instead we engage in petitionary “fasting,” as it were, to seek God’s favor, but the prophet’s words make the unambiguous claim that acting against injustice, freeing the oppressed, and providing for those who have nothing is the most appropriate sort of “fasting” in the eyes of the Divine. Succor the poor if you would have your light “rise in the darkness.” In verse 2 the people ask “righteous judgments” of God “as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness.” But, as the great Jewish scholar Abraham Joshua Heschel has said, righteousness involves a burning compassion for the poor. I also recall Father James Groppi of Milwaukee, who said during a demonstration during the 1960’s, “To preach pie-in-the-sky and ignore the knife in a man’s back is hardly Christianity.” So even though we in the “middle class” may say “Lord, Lord,” follow the letter of the law, and grudgingly pay our taxes, we are not necessarily righteous.

The profound ethical seriousness of our text is shown in its capacity to raise disturbing thoughts: precisely the effect of true prophetic utterance. To the Divine author of the Universe, Open our hearts to the words of the prophets and help us to apprehend the seriousness of their message of righteousness as true worship. Spur us to act in its light. Amen. March 16, 2009 Linda Witkowski 17th Day of Lent Exodus 20:1-17

The Ten Commandments comprise these verses. We know them; we hope to abide by them; we sometimes break them. But of these ten, one in particular doesn’t get much play or adherence these days. That one is to keep the Sabbath and it shows the extent to which we should comply: we, our family, our servants (if we have any), or a stranger stopping by, even our cattle should not labor. Today, throughout the world, the Sabbath has been turned into just another day. Neither snow nor sleet nor dark of night or even Washington’s birthday will call a halt to the “bold incessant scream of commerce ringing clear.” While we do realize that crucial work must be done, Sabbath or not, and we believe that God will understand the need for medical procedures or responses to emergencies, we would be better off if we (I mean everybody) had one day to simply relax, clear our minds of deadlines, consider our actions and relationships during the past six days, breathe a little slower,

raise our eyes to a horizon (ophthalmologists say that’s good for us), think beyond our quotidian cares… The busy rush, the lack of time for reflection, the remove from loved ones – all these would not be missed. This one-day rest would help rejuvenate our private or family or even business lives. God knew and God knows our needs. Let’s heed this Commandment, and even if we cannot totally recede from this busyness, understand its necessity. Prayer: We thank you Lord, for allowing us to take and make time to pay homage to this Commandment, for it serves our well-being. March 17, 2009 Linda Ward 18th Day of Lent Exodus 20:18-21 God was speaking to the Israelites in the midst of thunder, lightening, and loud noise. The people were terrified and turned to Moses for help. Moses explained the reasons for God’s accompaniments and told them not to be afraid. There are many instances in our lives that are scary and/or unsettling. At these times, our belief and trust in ourselves and God may be challenged or seem elusive. We are reminded, by this passage, that that which seems frightening may be a challenge for us to trust in God – to be in awe of God’s presence yet to know that God is there for us. Dear Lord, Help us to know that you are there for us, even when we are frightened or feel separated from you. Amen.

March 18, 2009 Rachel Hewitt 19th Day of Lent Psalm 19 We are so familiar with this psalm of praise to God for His glorious handiwork that we may seldom stop to consider the depth of its meaning for us. It expresses our praise for the incredible world God has made for us as well as affirming His wisdom and the joy of living by His law. Vs. 14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you. O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” Lord, thank you for your sustaining presence which is sufficient for every hour of every day. Strengthen us to do all that is required of us. May we live our lives in ways acceptable to you. Amen. March 19, 2009 Audrey H. Bain 20th Day of Lent 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are the perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the discernment

of the discerning I will thwart”. I have always admired the many colors used in academic hoods that signify the various fields of study.

Agriculture / Maize; Arts, Letters, Humanities / White Business (accountancy, commerce) / Drab Communications (includes Journalism) / Crimson Dentistry / Lilac Economics / Copper Education / Light Blue Engineering / Orange Fine Arts (including Architecture) I Brown Forestry / Russet Journalism - Communications / Crimson Law / Purple Library Science / Lemon Yellow

Medicine / Hunter Green Music / Pink Nursing / Apricot Oratory (Speech) / Silver - Gray Pharmacy / Olive Green Philosophy/PhD / Rich Royal Blue

Physical Education / Sage Green

Public Administration (includes Foreign, Service Public Health / Salmon Pink Science / Gold Social Work / Citron Theology (Divinity, Ministry, Religion) / Scarlet

Veterinary Science / Gray

How proud and dignified the scholars looked as they marched to the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance”. They were supposedly the repository of great knowledge and deemed to be wise in their respective fields. Doubtless some of those academicians are Christians and speak of God, Jesus and His death and resurrection to friends and in their fields of expertise. There are also those who think of the life of Jesus in historical terms and the practice of religion as foolishness for the masses, calling it weakness and superstitious nonsense.

Lord, help me to show my “true colors” and be willing to speak of the cross and the power of God in all my affairs.

Graphic by Greg Matusic March 20, 2009 Leah Kidwell-Fernandes 21st Day of Lent 1 Corinthians 1:20-25 “But we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block…” I was sitting in a college art-history survey course when the professor, deep into his lecture on medieval religious art, stated that he considered it to be a grotesque, barbaric notion that God became man and died a gruesome death as a means of redeeming humanity. A few years later, an acquaintance of mine in graduate school remarked to me that she turned her head away

whenever she walked past the sculpture of the crucifix on display in the library. She felt that Christians ought to focus solely on the empty tomb and the joy of Easter Sunday. Putting a crucifix on display was too negative. These days there are some mega churches in which no cross is to be found because its display is not considered to be seeker-friendly—better to go for something more appealing, like an upbeat service with a message focused on personal success and prosperity. It does seem more palatable, doesn’t it? Christ crucified. God nailed to a cross, dying an agonizing, torturous death—a criminal’s death. It is a scandal, a stumbling block. There are times I would rather turn my head away from that scene, as I do sometimes from the evening news. There is a terrible shock and awe about it. And yet the cross is one of the mysteries at the heart of the Christian faith. We worship the God who died—the God who took upon himself suffering and pain—the God who allowed himself to be wounded so that he might heal all wounds. It is this same One—and perhaps this is the biggest stumbling block of all—who calls us to take up our own cross—to take it up and follow Him. Prayer: Jesus, may your resurrection power be at work within us. By the power of your Spirit, give us the grace to cooperate with your work of healing in our lives this day. Amen. March 21, 2009 Sally Mills 22nd Day of Lent

The Lesson of Lent

I struggle with Lent, particularly Holy Week; it’s uncomfortable and disturbing. I’d much rather anticipate Christmas; it’s joyful and celebratory. Lent represents negativity: anger, frustration, betrayal, abandonment, extreme heartache. I don’t like experiencing negativity because it gets in the way of serving God and helping others enthusiastically.

Advent/Christmas represents positivism. There’s a song that describes a sliver of my life’s philosophy: I’d be happy if no lives were torn apart, no wars would ever start, that everyone would have a friend, and that love would never end. But I’m learning that God’s interaction changes when I’m out of my comfort zone…when I temporarily let go of Christmas and begin to embrace Lent. Secretly, this makes me annoyed because I’m married to comfort and security. I’d like to think God finds great joy in the results of the seeds I’ve planted, watered, grown, and harvested according to a structured set of guidelines. After all, He gave me these special skills. So why is it necessary to embrace Lent? I think it has something to do with trust. I am adept at trusting my own judgment, and less skilled at trusting God’s guidance. Holy Week symbolizes blind faith. From Palm Sunday to Easter, Jesus’ life spins out of control. All of it horrifies me…the anger in the temple, the unmerciful flogging, the betrayal in the garden, the pleading question of why God has forsaken Him. Yet there has to be a positive lesson somewhere. I’m wondering if faithfully living through the discomfort of Lent enables God to communicate with us in extraordinary ways. Could it be that choosing to struggle with our Savior during the darkest moments brings joy far greater that watching my structured seeds grow? March 23, 2009 Mary Jewett 23rd Day of Lent Numbers 21:4-9

The Bronze Snake

This account of the Israelites’ journey in the desert is both familiar and enigmatic. The people are tired and impatient. There seems to be no end to this odyssey, and the joy and excitement of the beginning of the journey have turned to anger, disappointment and frustration. They complain about both Moses and God. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food.” Remember this “miserable food” is the manna from heaven – the gift from God. The Lord, out of patience, “sends venomous snakes among them; they bite the people and many Israelites died.” The people then went to Moses and confessed they had sinned against the Lord and Moses and begged Moses to pray that the Lord would take the snakes away. God directed Moses to “make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” Moses makes a bronze snake and puts it on a pole. The Israelites have a symbol of God’s love and forgiveness and hopefully have learned that if they sin against God, they will be punished. This, however, is not the end of the bronze snake story. In II Kings 18:4 we read that the young King Hezekiah destroyed the bronze snake and smashed other sacred symbols. “He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehustan).” The Israelites seem to have lost the truth behind the symbol and revered the symbol. The bronze snake is gone. End of story? Not so. In John 3 we have a reference which brings the snake symbol closer to our times and lives. In John 3: 14-15 Jesus says, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Moses lifted up the symbolic snake to give the Israelites life after being bitten by snakes. Jesus promises eternal life if we believe in him. Jesus is the truth, the Son of God; no symbol is needed.

It seems to be a human trait to seek some concrete, visible proof that the “truth” is real. There are many religious symbols associated with Lent and Easter; but we must not allow the symbols to become the focus of our attention. As with so many of our holidays the religious symbols often become secularized, trivialized and commercialized The crude cross on which Jesus died for our sins is now recreated as a cake piled high with pastel icing and decorated with candy flowers, and as chocolate crosses in various sizes and flavors. For a more permanent symbol we can purchase a plastic cross decorated with artificial flowers. Can these cheap, crass objects ever reflect the eternal truth of God’s great gift? In this season of Lent let us seek the truth behind the symbols and strengthen our belief in the truth we can neither see nor touch. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Help us to know and accept the truth which no sign or symbol can ever express that You so loved the world and gave your only Son that we might have eternal life. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. March 24, 2009 Ann Gotwals 24th Day of Lent Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble… And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices, and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.” If you’re gone to your Bible to read these passages, you soon realize that I’ve left out many lines of scripture from the above paragraph. The language-

“some were sick through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities endured affliction.” sounds so heavy, so serious. I could not relate to it. But as I read and reread the passages, I got beyond the language. I reflected on my own times of tribulation- health concerns of family and good friends for example, and I did cry out to the Lord. I was blessed with his love, and I did give thanks. Many readings later, I think I finally got it. These passages are about thanksgiving , no matter the situation, large or small. We may not deserve this forgiveness but He loves us and quiets our soul. Okay, the big troubles usually get our attention . But the little gifts of daily life, a smile from a child, a kind word from a friends, (you know what I mean), are ones I often just accept. I’ll try and do better acknowledging the many small gifts of love and life and say, Thank you for all that you do. Prayer: Creator God, thank you for this day. Thank you for all the ways you bless me and my life. May I continue to remember who gives me this love . Anita Mewherter Poem Waiting… Winter Solstice 2008 Only four thirty but already twilight sifts between leafless trees their dark branches pointing skyward

Goldfinches in their winter drab cling hungrily to the feeder shouldering each other

for the last meal of the day

I take my nightly ride to the ocean.

It is that quiet moment between tides the sea sighs…then draws back. One lone harrier glides low over the frozen marsh grass.

Now fine droplets of mist blow in. I shiver in the waiting…in the cold silence Suddenly there is a tenderness…a longing The first star appears a tiny light a hope an expectation A promise of that improbable gift of a Babe in a stable Dear God, help me to see the wonders in your world and to be open to receive all your unexpected gifts. Amen. March 25, 2009 Andy Chestnut 25th Day of Lent Ephesians 2:1-10 You were dead through the trespasses and sins 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. All of us once lived among them in the passions of the flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness

toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that none may boast. 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. Such a rich passage! These ten verses contain in miniature the entire Good News of the New Testament. Paul uses the metaphor of Life and Death to symbolize each believer’s previous existence as a person who followed the desires of the flesh and of the senses, contrasting that with the life God makes available to us through His grace – not through our own doing. The connection to Jesus’ own life, death and resurrection is implicit but clear. The scripture notes that as sinners, we were not alone. We followed the “ruler of the power of the air” and its spirit “now at work among those who are disobedient.” We had leadership in our trespasses – in a country which this Lent converts to digital TV, is it a stretch to imagine that the “power of the air” here represents the forces which dominate the priceless communication media which technologists have created? These forces, as we understand them today, can appear to us as economic forces, rather than purely evil forces. But this passage reminds us that when we followed the desires of flesh and of the senses “we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.” The pursuit of tangible and sensory pleasures which are for sale puts us in competition with each other for what economists call “scarce resources” and we cannot ever accumulate enough to be satisfied – instead, our frustrating struggles lead only to wrath within and among ourselves. How petty and pointless does such squabbling over scarcity seem when contrasted with the richness of God’s mercy – the “immeasurable riches of his grace?” We have been saved, because of God’s desire to raise us up and his kindness, rather than by our “own doing.” We are told “none may boast” of this gift which we are unable to earn thorough anything we might do. Yet we are reminded that we have been “created in Christ Jesus for good works” not because these works earn us our place seated by Jesus, but because God intended that this “be our way of life.”

In one paragraph, we are swept up out of our misguided habit of chasing after pleasures of the flesh and our senses, and raised up to be seated next to Jesus. We receive God’s grace and are reminded we were created to do good works – not because that saves us but because that is the task God has prepared beforehand for us. May we all in this Lenten season learn how to tune out the “ruler of the power of the air” and switch over to the channel featuring the “immeasurable riches of his grace.”

Begin the Day with God

Every morning lean thine arms awhile upon the window sill of heaven

and gaze upon the Lord. Then with vision in thy heart,

turn strong to meet the day.

Anon March 26, 2009 Ronnie Bartholic 26th Day of Lent John 3:14-15 Jesus descended from heaven to bring eternal life through being lifted up on the cross. For me, this passage gives me comfort through faith, and focuses my faith in God. Hebrew 11:1 O, Lord, whose way is perfect, help us, we pray Thee, always to trust in Thy goodness so that walking with Thee and following Thee in all simplicity, we may possess quiet and contented minds, and may cast all our care upon Thee, for Thou carest for us, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christina G. Rossetti

Prayer on a Hospital Wall

A man prayed for strength that he might achieve, He was made weak that he might obey. He prayed for wealth that he might do greater things, He was given meager store that he might do better things, He prayed for power that he might have the praise of men, He was given infirmity that he might feel the need of God. He prayed for all things that he might enjoy life, He was given life that he might enjoy all things. He received nothing that he asked for… And all that he hoped for. His prayer was answered!

March 27, 2009 Linnea D’Andrea Author Unknown 27th Day of Lent John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Remember when you learned this verse a long time ago as a child. It’s probably the most popular verse in the Bible because of its transparency and inspiration. It answered your childhood questions about what happens to you when you die. The gift of language combined with the gift of song provides a tune sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford with slightly different words: “For God so

loved the world, he gave his only Son, to die on Calvary’s tree, from sin to set us free.” The medley would often continue with “Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling.” President John F. Kennedy spoke at a prayer-breakfast about a more powerful force. “It is an ironic fact that in this nuclear age, when the horizon of human knowledge and human experience has passed far beyond any that any age has ever known, we turn back at this time to the older source of wisdom and strength, to the words of the prophets and the saints, who tell us that faith is more powerful than doubt, that hope is more potent than despair, and that only through love that is sometimes called charity can we conquer those forces within ourselves and throughout all the world that threaten the very existence of mankind.” So with the truth and innocence of childhood, the creativity of song, and the philosophy of the ages, we are again reminded of how we should spend our lives to gain eternal life. Dear God, bring meaning to our days, purpose to our lives, and destiny to our futures. Let us share our abundance with others; bring love where there is loneliness, justice where there is inequity, and peace where there is discord. We ask this all in Thy Name. Amen. March 28, 2009 Art Hudak 28th Day of Lent Matthew 6:5-6 “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to God who is in secret.” My life as a Missioner at First Reformed Church is awesome. I am grateful for my work: in the city, with the poor, with those who have been chronically homeless, and with the business community. My life has lots of meetings and sometimes I feel scattered, not gathered. The writing of May Sarton helps me to cope and understand my situation.

“I lose my center. I feel dispersed, scattered in pieces.

I must have time alone in which to mull over any encounter, and to extract its juice, to understand what has really happened to me as a consequence of it.”

Lent is a good time to continue to be productive and hard at work; yet, a time to be more intentional about developing space for solitude. No, not laziness, but good down-time… listening, and learning to listen. Solitude is the empty space that we deliberately choose in order to be with the Beloved. In solitude we can savor this goodness and give ourselves space to really listen. Solitude can help us disengage and detach. Often I discover that God speaks only when I am disciplined in my quietness. When uninterrupted, and single-minded, the Lord helps me to grow spiritually. I don’t run away; I sit with my tears. I sit with my smiles of joy. I listen in my pain. I prepare to make an action plan. My solitude helps me to “be” with God. It awakens me to the presence of God in every aspect of my life. Give yourself to solitude. God awaits you there. March 30, 2009 Rev. Stacey Midge 29th Day of Lent Jeremiah 31:31-34 Jeremiah 31:31-34 "The more things change, the more they stay the same." As much as the world has changed in the past couple of decades, a quick review of history shows that the essential nature of human beings has remained fairly constant. We do some good, we do some bad, scientific progress is made,

but the state of the world seems perpetually to be in some sort of mess. The economy is worrisome, we're still at war, natural disasters have left people around the world without homes or jobs, and poverty and disease abound. When the problems of the world abound, can we really believe that God can do a new thing? Long ago, Jeremiah spoke God's promises to a people afflicted with their own set of troubles. They found themselves in exile, without their own land or leadership, subject to the will and whim of Babylon. And yet, just when hope hovered on the brink of collapse, just when they must have wondered if God had utterly abandoned them, God spoke of a new thing. A new covenant would infuse the world, a covenant not of judgment but of grace, a covenant in which the knowledge of God would be as natural as breath and as innate as love. This covenant would be possible because God would do whatever it takes to embrace humankind. Lent reminds us that God did and continues to do whatever it takes to embrace us as well. The question for us is, can we look past the problems to believe that God can do a new thing in us, and through us? Loving God, thank you for coming among us and becoming one of us, so that we might have hope in what you are doing in this world. Help us to be open to your 'new thing,' so that we might live your good news even amidst trouble. Amen. March 31, 2009 Maria Greskovich 30th Day of Lent Psalm 119:9-16

Obedience to the Law of the Lord As we enter this time of Lent I am reminded of all my shortcomings.

Oh Lord, how do I keep my life pure when there are so many distractions? There are so many things to buy, to do, money to make, things to get angry about. My head is filled with ideas of what I want. “I praise you, O Lord; teach me your ways.” Help me to be a better person, to live a life of love and service. Help me to think of others and forget my selfish ways. Help me to keep your laws in my heart. Oh God, you have given us so much in this life: The darkness of night with the beauty of the stars, The brilliance of the sun and the colors of the sunset, The complexity and beauty of flowers, The music of the birds.

Lord, you have created so much that is good in the world, except man.

Your steadfast love is my salvation. Please God, help me to be good and to live by your standards. Help me to bring your Heaven to this Earth. Help me to live as you taught us through the life of your Son. Amen. April 1, 2009 Anne Middleton 31st Day of Lent Poem

The Pianist* by Carolyn J. Fairweather Hughes Gnarled fingers of hands

that were once beautiful fondle the yellow keys. When no one is listening, she randomly strikes a few dissonant notes. Sometimes, I have to turn away to keep from weeping at her altered state. But then, I see the grey, wrinkled face smile as chords, precise and graceful, drop from her hands like ripened plums. Dear God, please help us to be more considerate and aware of the older ones among us, who try to keep up with us, but sometimes fail. Amen. *From the book: When I Am An Old Woman I shall Wear Purple, edited by Sandra Martz April 2, 2009 Virginia Laumeister 32nd Day of Lent Poem

The Clock of the Years William Carlos Williams

Every man is his own clock

tic toc he may rise with the sun and go to sleep by the stars

tic toc but if he take stock and come to knock at fate’s door

he may find that he himself has sprung the lock against himself. tic toc

Useless to know now, the door will not open – save only at the shock of love,

to deliver him from that block, unlock his heart and set it beating again:

tic toc

Oh, may we each carry the key that we may use it to unlock our own and each others’ hearts! Amen.

April 3, 2009 Nancy Wainwright 33rd Day of Lent John 12:27-33 Jesus knew his crucifixion lay ahead and because he was human, he dreaded it. He knew He would have to take the sins of the world on Himself. He wanted to be delivered from this horrible death, but He knew that God had sent Him into the world to die for our sins, in our place. Jesus said no to His human desires in order to obey His father and glorify Him! Although we will never have to face such a difficult and awesome task, we are still called to obedience. Prayer: God of all truth, teach us through your Word how to be obedient to your will. Amen.

From Father Timothy when he advised people searching

for help…These words are in Jan Karon’s series about an Episcopal priest. We have all of these (7) in our library.

“Thank you God, for loving me and for sending your Son to die for my sins. I sincerely repent of my sins and receive Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. Now as your child I turn my entire life over to you.” Amen. April 5, 2009 Dan Butterworth 34th Day of Lent Isaiah 50:1-10 How vast is God’s power? How trusting must we be that God will provide? In this passage from Isaiah, written to an oppressed people, these questions are not merely themes of philosophical exploration. They address an immediate need among God’s people—a need to remain faithful in times of hardship. “When I called, was there no one to answer?” With both warning and reassurance, Isaiah shows us that we cannot forget the importance of God’s presence in our lives. Maintaining our faith during crisis can be hard; verses 1-3 reflects the result of our presumption to think ourselves self-sufficient and not in need of God. By remaining faithful, however, God’s strength is passed on to us. Faith in God’s strength can provide the resolve necessary to see us through times of crisis and turmoil, to “set our faces like flint” and move forward knowing God moves with us. “Let them who walk in the dark, who have no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God.”

April 6, 2009 Betty Kleiber 35th Day of Lent Poem My choice for a devotional would be a favorite poem of mine, “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. The last lines are: “Poems are made by fools like me but only God can make a tree.” I think those lines clearly state the wonders of nature and the beauty that surrounds us, even in the darkest days of winter. Thank you, God, for the beauty of nature and may we help to preserve it for our grandchildren and theirs to come.

April 7, 2009 Janet Crandell 36th Day of Lent John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Imagine! Imagine caring about the “world” (which must mean ‘us’) so much that God would give his only child as a sacrifice so that we would have eternal life! Our children are our greatest treasure. I can’t envision giving one of mine to any cause, for any reason. What a gift! God GAVE us Christ to be a role-model and guide. This familiar verse, which seems simple and straightforward, is really profound. What shall I do with this gift? Do I treat it with respect and gratitude that it deserves? How does God’s gift influence my daily behavior? Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for giving Christ to the world – to me. Help me to be more alert and aware of Christ’s presence in my life. Help me to be more worthy of your gift, and to try to follow Christ’s example every day. Amen.

April 8, 2009 Joe Doolittle 37th Day of Lent Philippians 2:5-11 These verses hold essential keys to a meaningful life. They are encouraging words. “Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others.” These verses suggest that to be effective as a Christian,

in living and leading in God’s world, we must see ourselves as “giving,” in effect as “servants.” Over the years, as an administrator, teacher, management consultant, and yes, storyteller, I’ve often reflected on what kind of contemporary leader Jesus would be? One of the most provocative works on this subject is Servant Leadership* by Robert K. Greenleaf. Greenleaf was a retired Human Resources Director at AT&T, who went on to establish a renowned management practice based on this thinking. Published in 1977 and born out of the campus turmoil of the late 1960’s and 70’s, the work can be summarized as this generation. “These followers will be responsive only to able servants who lead them. He also notes that from time to time, leaders and followers, may each be in the role of servant. Paul’s letter and Jesus’ life are words of encouragement to early Christians and to us, to look beyond ourselves for meaning and purpose. In an ever more-interconnected world, the message is reinforced that in caring for others, in the world, we do in fact care for ourselves; we are made better, stronger, and more able. God’s blessing and love are not intended to be solo presents. They are the stuff of community, and shared joy and pain, of serving each other. In effect the “servant role” is the way of “working out our salvation, in faith, and hope knowing that God is at work in us, (and in this world). * Servant Leadership, Robert K. Greenleaf, 1977, Paulist Press, New York. April 9, 2009 Jeanne Shoulder Maundy Thursday, 38th Day of Lent 1 Corinthians 4:6-7 Jeanne Shoulder “I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brethren, that you may learn by us to live according to scripture, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against the other. For who sees in you anything different in you? What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?”

Lord, let us be humble, knowing that who we are and what we have are gifts. Open our hearts to receive your spirit that we may in turn share the love and blessings that you have bestowed upon us.

“Cross and the Grove”

Illustration provided by Walter Clark April 10, 2009 Therese McCarty Good Friday, 39th Day of Lent Genesis 1:1-5

The Difficulty of Dividing Day from Night The night before the bombs fell on Iraq we stood in silence

darkly to hold a slender candle white as peace in our hands. The cool wind was slight. Our flame shivered against it But cupped hands kept it alight. Black dots of burned wick swam in its wax pool like floaters in an aging eye. A few spread into worms or water snakes. Back home we blew the candle out, switched on the porch light. Early next morning---first day of spring---our porch light bulb dangled from its socket on filament threads, its protective casing shattered by a heavy human blow. Wedges of glass lay scattered on ground barely readying itself for life. We felt we’d returned to that first darkness on the face of the deep. No hovering spirit was in sight, no one calling for light. We felt we’d fallen into an unformed void darker even than the one that now separates wrong from right.

- James McCord, Professor of English, Union College

- Lord, we long to feel your hovering spirit and to see your light in the darkness. April 11, 2009 Rev. Dr. Bill Levering Holy Saturday, 40th Day of Lent 1 Peter 4:1-8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another. In this booklet you have seen many messages that can be applied to many situations. On Holy Saturday, we remember the darkness and emptiness of the absence of God. In the Roman Catholic tradition, no masses are said on this day and the sacraments are to be administered only to the dying. In common tradition, the holy signs of God are either removed or covered for this day. Even in the presence of the suffering of Jesus on the cross, he was still with us. We are able to see our misery in his. But the emptiness of Holy Saturday is perhaps the lowest point of the Christian year. It is the day we search for the face of God and do not find it. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken us?" There will be moments when life seems empty and God distant. In the Bible, these times were days in the wilderness, hours outside the tomb, temptations in the desert, praying alone in the garden of Gethsemane. For us they may be late at night in the living room, midday alone with only the drone of the television, or in the tedious hours of desperation in a tiresome job. Emptiness is worse than pain and this is the day we say that. Our hope when God seems distant and life an empty drudge is to remember the principles of Jesus that show us a God that reaches out. Loving others, especially in our

dark times, turns out to be a saving virtue. This passage from the first letter of Peter begins with "The end of all things is near." What are we to do in the darkest times? Above all, maintain constant love for one another. What are we to do when we feel no love? Give love. Have faith. A new dawning is close at hand. April 12, 2009 Excerpt from Easter Day The Complete Book of Christian Prayer O Lord God, our Father. You are the light that can never be put out; and now you give us a light that shall drive away all darkness. You are love without coldness, and you have given us such warmth in our hearts that we can love all when we meet. You are the life that defies death, and you have opened for us the way that leads to eternal life. None of us is a great Christian; we are all humble and ordinary. But your grace is enough for us. Arouse in us that small degree of joy and thankfulness of which we are capable, to the timid faith which we can muster, to the cautious obedience which we cannot refuse, and thus to the wholeness of life which you have prepared for all of us through the death and resurrection of your Son. Do not allow any of us to remain apathetic or indifferent to the wondruous glory of Easter, but let the light of our risen Lord reach every corner of our dull hearts. Karl Barth, 1886-1968 Christ is now risen again From his death and all his pain: Therefore will we merry be,

And rejoice with him gladly. Kyrieleison. Had he not risen again, We had been lost, this is plain: But since he is risen in deed, Let us love him all with speed. Kyrieleison. Now is a time of gladness, To sing of the Lord’s goodness: Therefore glad now will we be, And rejoice in him only. Kyrieleison. Miles Coverdale, 1488-1568