Old
(Hebrew) Testament Deuteronomy 8:11-18 A Warning Not to Forget God in
Prosperity (*p. 227)
Israel
faced severe hardship in the desert during the forty years they wandered. They
had to depend daily on God for food, for water, for shelter, for life itself.
Now
they have crossed over into the land of milk and honey. The fertility of the
land is in marked contrast to the barrenness of the wilderness. “The plenty of
the land poses the threat that Israel will forget the Lord and exalt itself. “
(*p. 227)
“We
live as a blessed people, created in the image of a gracious and merciful God.
God calls us to a life of blessing, through love and obedience.
“For
Wesleyan Christians this is the call to a life of sanctification and holiness;
as we walk in the ways of the Lord, we are on the path that leads to life.
“Along
the way the roads will diverge and important decisions will loom before us. In
these moments, we pray for wisdom and courage to choose life, holding fast to
the disciplines that will keep us close to God’s purposes for us.” (*p.254)
Epistle
Hebrews 2:11-18 “Exaltation through Abasement”
“Christ’s
entrance into the heavenly realm announces the glorious destiny of all
disciples. But Christ is also the bridge, as it were, by which we cross over to
that goal.
“His
own experiences of pain and shame assure us that our path of discipleship,
though filled with experiences of loss and suffering, will also lead to
‘glory,’ and that our high priest knows from personal experience what we need
to arrive there securely….
“God
led Jesus through a path of hardest testing and deepest loss so that Christian
disciples would be confident of Jesus’ sympathy and help in their own trials.
“Wesley
observed that suffering incurred for the sake of obeying Christ helps ‘[to
wean] us from sin causing our affections to be set on things above.’
“When
people think that death is the final word, fear of death will keep them from
fully obeying God and seeking God’s justice. Fear of death diverts their
energies [from being obedient to God’s will] toward worldly achievement,
amassing wealth, and seeking pleasurable distractions to ‘make the most out of
life’ while they can.
“Because
Jesus faced death and emerged victorious from the grave, we can be freed from
this fear for joyful, unrestrained, undistracted obedience.” (*pp. 1485, 1486)
Gospel
John 2:1-12 The Wedding at Cana (*p. 1288)
“Jesus
is the bringer of God’s overflowing grace and end-time salvation, which the
prophets depicted as a wedding feast and a time of abundant wine. In Jesus,
God’s future salvation and abundant life are present now.” (*p.1288)
Abba,
Father
Keep
me humble. Let me feel my pain as a reminder of the barrenness of the
wilderness, as a reminder of the “path of hardest testing and deepest loss”
walked by your only begotten son. May my energy be freed from the distractions created by pain, and
turn to “joyful, unrestrained, undistracted obedience.” Amen.
If you have questions about Ash Wednesday or Lent from a Protestant perspective, check the links below. Ash Wednesday,February 13, 2013 Year 1, First Day of Lent
First part from Orlando di Lasso Psalm 143, Vocalia Consort
Uploaded on Nov 3, 2007
First part from Orlando di Lasso Psalm 143, Vocalia Consort, Conductor Maestro Francesco Corrias. Basilica San Giovanni in Porta Latina, Rome www.vocaliaconsort.it
Jonah 3:1 - 4:11 The central focus of the book of Jonah is not so much one of prophecy, but a narrative that reveals God's sovereign power and "remarkable" mercy through his interactions with a reluctant prophet. Jonah's chapter-by-chapter progression through flight, prayer, obedience and anger, exemplify John Wesley's description of a person who, in futility tries to serve both God and the world. "How uncomfortable a condition must he be in, who, having fear but not the love of God, who, serving him, but not with all his heart, has only the toils and not the joys of religion!" (Sermon 29 Paragraph 120) Responding to the unbelief of his opponents, Jesus declares that they will indeed be given a sign: the "sign" of Jonah (Matthew 12:38-42; Luke 11:29-32). Judgement is coming, but so is salvation, Jesus implies, referring to the significance of his upcoming death and resurrection. The book of Jonah, then summons us as believers to examine our own hearts. Are we celebrating (and modeling) the generosity of love for all of creation? (John Wesley Study Bible, 2009. Abingdon Press. Introduction to the Book of Jonah, page 1107.) Hebrews 12:1-14 Jesus is the capstone example of faith. The Greek reads "Jesus is the pioneer and perfecter of faith," not "of our faith." Jesus' endurance on behalf of the disciples should fuel their endurance as well. The author encourages the followers of the Messiah embrace any hardships they endure on account of their obedience as exercises by which God shapes them to their advantage. "Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather healed." (Ibid, page1495) Here we see our lives through the lens of the Passion of Jesus, that comes in Passion Week beginning with the Hosanna's of Palm Sunday, the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, the betrayal, the trial, the cross. All those things that must be born until the "sign of Jonah" is fulfilled, until through obedience Jesus is healed. Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector who went up to the temple to pray. Good works are good, but the heart of the true servant recognizes that even in our best deeds "we have done only that we ought to have done! "(17:10 True humility keeps no track of good works and focuses on confession and repentance. It is traditional in the Church to humble oneself throughout the season of Lent by intensifying the disciplines of faith: prayer, fasting, Bible study, repentance, confession, simplicity, solitude, journaling... anything that brings one closer to God. The most common discipline practiced during Lent is fasting. Eating fish instead of meat on Friday. Giving up chocolate. Things that should remind you to spend time with God. More recently people have sought ways of "adding to" rather than "taking away." There is good habit-building that can happen in forty days (not counting Sundays) since psychologists tell us it only takes three weeks to break or establish a habit. A typical Ash Wednesday service will contain something similar to the following:
Minister: Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Minister: People of God, come now in the spirit of penitence, and receive on your head in ashes the sign of the cross, the symbol of our mortality, a symbol of the cost of sin, and yet the sign of our salvation and promise of eternal life.
Action: The minister places ashes on the forehead of worshippers in the shape of a cross; this can be done in silence or with the following words. If two ministers are imposing ashes, they can alternate the following phrases, without speaking at the same time.
Minister: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.
In the moments following penitents are asked to meditate. It is during this time that one shares only with God what one will do or not do during Lent to bring oneself closer to God so that through obedience we might follow Christ through His teaching, passion, and resurrection in communion with him. No one is asked to sign up on a white-board, share with their neighbor, instead maintaining the humility of the taxpayer - seeking the healing of the cross.
Psalms of ASCENT: 120, 121, 122, 123, 124 125, 126
Zechariah (THE PROPHET OF THE LONG VISION) 11:4-17
1 Corinthians 3:10-23
Luke 18: 15-30
Dear God, it is cold outside. Even if, I managed to put on enough
clothes, it will not change the temperature. Let me cocoon myself in the
stillness of a childlike spirit.
Remind me to sing as my feet trudge, but my heart runs up the
mountain toward the quietness of your presence and protection. Help me twirl
with outstretched arms as you raise me out of the broken snare that is my body,
into your high and holy city of absolute freedom.
Turn my supply of useless emptiness
into tears of overflowing joy, according to your promises. Jesus, touch me with
your cleansing, quieting, illuminating, reassuring and liberating hands. Help
me find that place of humility and understanding necessary to seeing, hearing
and feeling your arms of mercy.
Make me responsive and teachable, so that in being weighed and measured,
I may be found understanding, forgiving, peaceable, considerate, submissive,
and merciful. For those are the ways I want to be; even when it is hardest to
be among others.
I know that I am not only
expected to learn, but to educate as your collaborator, even if I never say a
word. Let others see only you. May my spirit be only a window throughwhich others
see beyond me to you. Amen.
Imagine
there is a 20-ton meteorite buried on a 300-foot deep ice shelf.
Imagine
that the core samples have produced fossils.
What
do you know about the characteristics of meteors?
Where
do they come from how do they get here?
What
would fossils inside a meteorite mean?
What
would the possible treasure be?
Would
it be worth extracting? Why?
Ice
shelves are over open water; they are fragile; you couldn’t use heavy
machinery.
Sometimes
we have to be creative and find new ways to dig or to dig deeper.
How
would you extract the meteorite?
Read
Psalm 51:10-12
Micah 6:8
Proverbs 2:4&5
Brother
Lawrence was a 17th century soldier turned monk whose lifelong
endeavor was to dwell completely in the presence of God. “He sought God in the simplicity and the
sincerity of his heart….[ He said] ‘…People seek for methods of learning to
love God. They hope to arrive at it by I
know not how many different practices; they take much trouble to remain in the
presence of God in a quantity of ways. Is
it not much shorter and more direct to do everything for the love of God, to
make use of all the labors of one’s state in life to show Him that love, and to
maintain His presence within us by this communion of our hearts with His? There is no finesse about it; one has only to
do it generously and simply…. During my work I would always continue to speak
to the Lord as though He were right there with me, offering Him my services and
thanking Him for His assistance.’…Brother Lawrence called the practice of the
presence of God the easiest and shortest way to attain Christian perfection and
to be protected from sin.”
From
the beginning of time, God has asked for our tithe, our first fruits, our first
born all to be set-aside for God. We have been given many gifts (Matt 25:14-15), God asks us to be good stewards of those
gifts (Luke 19:13, 1 Corinthians 4:12).
Accountability is connected to stewardship. (Luke 12:48) Remember that
we are God’s treasured possession if we obey Him fully and keep his covenants
(Ex 19:5).
Jaime
Rickert wrote a song.
Push
out into deeper water; Bigger fish are swimming there.
Forgive
again; forgive forever.
Blessings
are the pearls that only empty hands can hold.
I
encourage you to push out into deeper water.
Let go of those things that keep you from digging for the treasures that God has in
store for you. He has told you that you
are his treasure, he expects you to give, to forgive, and to be good stewards
of the gifts he has given you. And
remember that as you live in the presence of God you will continue empty your
hands, so that you can hold the Blessings He has for you.
My friend Karen says: "Yes, our sons have been told they either write thank you notes or the gifts are returned for not being thankful....we may be some of the last of a dying breed!"
Luke 17:11-19 Ten lepers call out for mercy as Jesus passes by. Jesus said "Go show yourself to the priest" And as they went they were cleansed. One, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus feet and thanked him - he was a Samaritan.
Jesus said, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was their no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in me.
Exodus 5:1-14, 22 - end Moses and Aaron return to Egypt and met first with the elders of the Israelites, then Pharaoh, showing signs and wonders. The elders rejoiced, the king revoked his orders and the Israelites were expected to gather their own straw and make the same number of bricks as before. The elders retracted their praise. Moses recoiled, despondent and murmuring.
You have given your people knowledge of salvation, O God, by the forgiveness of their sins.
Hebrews 11:17-22 The faith of the patriarchs comes from sacrifice and spiritual tests.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart.
Jeremiah 40:7 - end Gedaliah was appointed as governor of the remnant of Judah after Nebuchadnezzar took the Israelites into captivity. Though viewed as a Babylonian collaborator, he restored order and prosperity based on his faith that God, not man, had placed him in this position to protect the remnant.
Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he may be near.
With faith and love and in union with Christ, let us offer our prayer before the throne of grace.
Have mercy on your people, for whom your Son laid down his life.
Bring healing and wholeness to people and nations, and have pity on those torn apart by division.
Strengthen all who are persecuted for your name's sake.
and deliver them from evil.
Look in mercy upon all who suffer,
and hear those who cry out in pain and desolation.
Bring comfort to the dying,
and gladden their hearts with the power of your glory.
Give rest to the departed and bring them, with your saints, to glory everlasting.
As we rejoice in the triumph of the cross,
we pray that the whole creation may find fulfillment
in the eternal kingdom of God.
May Christ the King give us his blessing of peace. Amen.
