Daily Lenten Devotionals 2010

Lenten Reflections 2010

Written by the members, staff and clergy of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

Special thanks to Chris and Allison Steilberg for coordinating this year’s Reflections and for her faithful service to St. Mark’s.

A Form for Daily Prayer From Psalm 51 Open my lips, O Lord

And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence

And take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Give me the joy of your saving help again

And sustain me with your bountiful spirit.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen A Reading If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighte‐ ousness. I John 1:8,9 The Lenten Devotional reading and reflections for each day may be used here.

Prayers, may be offered for ourselves and others; prayers of petition thanksgiving, for guidance, for healing, for awareness of God’s presence and love.

The Lord’s Prayer A Prayer for Mission O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples; of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people every‐ where may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; though Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Lenten Prayer Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imagi‐ nations, so control our wills, that we may by wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Note: If you wish to do a bit more, please look in the BCP on page 136ff (Daily Devotions), p. 75 (Morning Prayer), p. 103 (Noonday Prayer) p. 115 (Evening Prayer) and p. 127 (Compline). Find out what works well for you and your prayer life, and do it!

February 17‐Ash Wednesday

Collect of the Day Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 103:8‐14 Lessons Joel 2:1‐2,12‐17 Matthew 6:1‐6,16‐21

In our culture today the focus is on the immediate gratification of one’s wants. The Psalmist David redirects our attention to the Praise of our Almighty God for who He is and for His great love for each of us. When I turn to God and confess my sins, my compassionate God forgives me and completely removes my transgression and restores my oneness with Him.

To ensure that I am placing God first in my life, I ask the following: Do I forgive as Christ forgives me?

Am I slow to anger?

Am I loving and compassionate as Christ is loving and compassionate?

Do I fear the Lord? Am I fearful of disappointing Him? Do I praise God in all things?

Are my actions in accord with God’s?

Praise God, who knows us completely and assures us that we are made worthy through His mercy, healing grace and redemption in Jesus Christ. Amen

Dudley Grace

February 18‐Thursday after Ash Wednesday

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

Psalm 1 Lessons Deuteronomy 30:15‐20 Luke 9:18‐25

Moses said to the people of Israel, today I’m giving you a choice between good and evil, between life and death. If you obey the commands of the Lord your God, you will prosper. But if you dis‐ obey and refuse to listen, you will be destroyed.

We all want to live a life full of prosperity, goodness and happiness and avoid all the evil and misery we can. Moses is telling us how to do exactly that – Love the Lord your God and obey his laws. We can all live in the hope that if we follow Moses advice, we will have a life much greater blessed than if we do not. Moses knows he is giving good advice for he has seen first hand the blessing of being obedient and the ruin of being disobedient.

How do we know we are being obedient? The fact that we feel we are being true to God’s will for us does not mean that we are always actually doing so. But God is pleased with our desire to please him. As long as that desire is there, God will lead us down the right road even though we seem to be lost. When the desire to please God is not present and we seem to be lost, WE ARE LOST!

But disobedience brings God closer to us and that not only is a blessing to us individu‐ ally, but it allows us to be a blessing to others. And being a blessing to others is God’s desire and very pleasing to him. And the result is a life that just gets better and better.

Hank Haynes

February 19‐Friday after Ash Wednesday

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

Psalm 51:1‐10 Lessons Isaiah 58:1‐9a Matthew 9:10‐17

The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. Matt.

9:15a

Fasting has not been something I like to think about doing. Why do it? What is the point?

A few years back some of us were praying for a young gal who had cancer. As we were laying hands on the young lady and praying, one of my friends exclaimed: “The Lord is calling us to a 3 day fast”. I did fast and never got hungry. I believe it was be‐ cause God truly called us to a fast.

Fasting and prayer are often linked together. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God. Fasting from our ʺto doʺ list and sitting in si‐ lence makes prayer a way of being in His presence.

The strength, peace, wisdom and joy I receive when I stop and pray enables me to rely completely on God. In prayer I become aware of His presence and bask in His love. I ask for and receive His love and grace and that helps me to be available to those who might need His love. I can be His hands and feet.

ʺI can do all things through Him who strengthens meʺ Phillipians 4:13.

Catherine Buckingham

February 20‐Saturday after Ash Wednesday

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

Psalm 86:1‐11 Lessons Isaiah 58:9b‐14 Luke 5:27‐32

Train me in your ways, Lord, that I may follow in your path. The Message Bible, Ps.86:11

God has given us scripture to train us to walk in His ways. He has done his part and it’s now up to us to do ours. It is there for the reading, but we must make the decision to open the book and read, learn, and inwardly digest it.

Some 30 years ago, Barnum challenged us to read the daily lectionary during Lent, then write down our feelings about what this meant to us. I took him up on it and it was the best thing I have ever done for myself. Yes, I can assure you, there were many days I wrote down, “This means nothing to me”, but as I continued on this path it has changed my life through the years and I continue this exercise today.

As Jesus called Levi, a dishonest tax collector, He is calling us sinners. This is an invita‐ tion to a changed life‐ ‐ ‐ inside and out.

“Teach me your ways, Lord, that I may follow your path!”

Leesie Snell

February 21‐First Sunday in Lent

Collect of the Day Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weak‐ nesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm 91:1‐2, 9‐16 Lessons Deuteronomy 26:1‐11 Luke 4:1‐13 Romans 10:8b‐13

If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the Lord, who is my refuge— then no harm, will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concern‐ ing you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:9‐12

I don’t know about you, but I can barely watch the news anymore because the stories are so often depressing. I am grateful for Psalm 91 because when I read it, I am re‐ minded again that God is still in control!

He tells us that no harm will befall us and no disaster will come near us. What a power‐ ful promise God makes to believers.

The promise goes on, and God tells us that he will even command his angels to guard us in our ways. This knowledge overwhelms me as I picture angels all around my fam‐ ily as we travel through each day. I visualize them fending off harm and temptation.

I am so grateful that we have a God who loves us so intensely. He is the ultimate pro‐ tector, but we must actively seek a relationship with God. Verse nine directs us that “if we make the Most High our dwelling,” then we will experience the promise of God’s protection. He tells us that we need to be living in close proximity to God, for without this connection He cannot adequately protect us from harm. God is reaching out to us with this offering, but we need to reach out to Him in return.

Avery Williams

February 22‐Monday in the First Week of Lent

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

Psalm 19:7‐14 Lessons Leviticus 19:1‐2,11‐18 Matthew 25:31‐46

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:…You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbour. You shall not go around as a slanderer* among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood* of your neighbour: I am the Lord. You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbour, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord. Leviti‐ cus 19:1‐2,11‐18:

Initially this passage may appear to simply outline the Ten Commandments for Moses, but through the repetition of “I am the Lord” I found that this had a much more mean‐ ingful message for me. The Lord is not only declaring that the word is true and there‐ fore just law because He is the Lord, but He is also showing a steadfast commitment to us. In speaking to Moses, God is giving us a glimpse into His holiness and then is giv‐ ing us ways to become closer to Him rather than just limiting our actions. It is said that people tend to wear their religion like a headache. They are not willing to cut off their head to alleviate the annoyance and therefore must live with the pain in the form of limitation on their actions. The religion described in Leviticus 19 is not a monotonous, routine‐filled religion. It is a lifestyle focused around the idea of love.

This scripture allows man to attempt to overcome the disease that is sin to become holy. The Lord wanted His message spread, so He outlined this list of actions that fol‐ low moral inclinations ending with the most crucial idea. I used to find the idea of lov‐ ing everyone to be completely unattainable and a little silly. What about the murderers and rapists? How could I love them? By loving them am I approving of their actions?

Over the past few years through the outpouring of love present in my Christian com‐

munities, I have begun to realize it is not my place to judge. I just have to try to love everyone, regardless of if I disapprove of their actions, with the hope that this love will cause them to change. I will conclude with the John 4:16 “God is love.” He loves each of us so much and is here with the hope that we can obey Him for He is our Lord.

Meredith Rowe

February 23‐Tuesday in the First Week of Lent

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

Psalm 34: 15‐22 Lessons Isaiah 55: 6‐11 Matthew 6: 7‐15

In times like today, things are so tough that we worry about our jobs, if we will be able to keep our homes, or maintain our lifestyles. Psalm 34 says “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.” We believe that, and find that reflection and prayer is what is needed to help make it through these times. This is making a commitment to the Lord because, in reality, there is so much to be thankful for. “The Lord hears and delivers them out of their trouble.” Every Sunday, we wor‐ ship at St. Mark’s where family and friends give us strength and courage. Of course, we pray for better times. But we always thank our Lord for all of the wonderful things that He has given us; like giving thanks for our children, friends, families; their health, safety and well being. Thanks for little minds with big ideas, and beautiful smiles and laughter. Thanks for gracefully aging, and in the process learning more every day about the unbelievable power of God and his influence on our daily lives. In Isaiah Chapter 55, he says “Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near.” It is not always easy to forget about or let go of our pains and focus on the ones we love, but there is so much goodness that we can receive by seeking the Lord through prayer, and we will pray for St. Marks through this Lenten time because, yes, we have so much to be thankful for.

Anonymous

February 24‐Wednesday in the First Week of Lent

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

Psalm 51:11‐18 Lessons Jonah 3:1‐10 Luke 11:29‐32

Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:11

One of the most comforting things about the sacrament of Holy Baptism is when the priest says to the newly baptized, “You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.” Every time I witness a baptism and hear those words I am so grateful that God’s love for us is forever. I am also reminded of this when the children since “Jesus Loves Me.” As a child I learned an additional verse of that song: “Jesus loves me when I’m good, when I do the things I should.

Jesus loves me when I’m bad, though it makes him very sad.

Yes, Jesus loves me , Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me.

The Bible tells me so.”

Yet despite hearing these words, I have to admit that there are times I have wondered how Jesus can love someone like me. Someone who is selfish, self‐centered, and who often gets “too busy” to pray or spend quiet time. Someone who has neglected those who needed her and let anger and pride get in the way of friendships. I cringe when I think of some of the ways I have disappointed God.

But that is the awesome thing about God’s love. It does not change on a whim. It is not dependent on our good works or our efforts to win God’s affection. It is a free gift of grace and all we have to do is accept it. I know I don’t deserve God’s love, but He gives it anyway. For this reason, the love of God and a personal relationship with Him is the most important thing in the world. The One who created the world loves us and wants us to live forever in His love, so much so that he sent Jesus to the world. Think of how amazing that is! Meditate on how great it is to be loved in spite of who you are and what you have done. Be restored to the joy of God’s salvation.

Margaret Cavin

February 25‐Thursday in the First Week of Lent

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

Psalm 138 Lessons Esther (Apocrypha) 14:1‐6,12‐14 Matthew 7:7‐12

Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? Matthew 7:9‐10

When I was in graduate school, a teaching assistant once criticized me because my writing style was too easy to read. He felt my theological papers should have a more “academic” style to them and that I should not try to explain theological concepts in simple terms. I suppose I could have been upset, or taken offense, but instead I really found the whole conversation very funny. It made me laugh to think that this man thought that to write about the teachings of Jesus, who spent his life trying to explain the goodness and mercy of God in simple terms his followers and the crowds to whom he spoke could understand, one needed to write using terms only those engaged in graduate theological studies could understand.

Matthew 7 is a wonderful example of the way Jesus made things clear for us about prayer. Here Jesus teaches clearly that we can have faith that God will always answer our prayers. We have simply to knock and door shall be opened. What simpler image could there be? Many times we might have wondered, “If I truly and completely turn over everything I am to God, will my life be better, or will I enjoy it as much?” But Je‐ sus reminds us that as a healthy parent, while I may not give my child everything he or she asks for, I am not going to injure my child or answer a request for something good, with something harmful. So too our Parent in heaven, while not granting every request with everything we want, will lovingly provide us with everything we need.

With that assurance, think prayerfully today about turning everything, even the small dark corners of our soul we are hesitant to share, over to the One who loves us so com‐ pletely. Amen.

Laura Magevney

February 26‐Friday in the First Week of Lent

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

Psalm 130 Lessons Ezekiel 18:21‐28 Matthew 5:20‐26

ʺTherefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23‐46 (NIV)

This New Testament passage is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells his lis‐ teners that he is not on earth to abolish the law; rather through him the law is fulfilled.

Then quoting commandments he reminds the people that the consequences of murder are judgment. Then he goes farther; anger against your brother is also subject to judg‐ ment thereby adding the requirement of reconciliation. He adds that you are to ap‐ proach the altar after you have reconciled with your brother.

This passage from Matthew is rich with wisdom. Today we live in a world full of dis‐ putes and anger. Whole careers are spent settling disputes between parties that cannot agree. Jesus says first reconcile with your brother then come to the altar, reminding us of the destructive power of unforgiveness and the walls that unforgiveness can build in our relationships here and with God.

Recently I came away from the alter rail wondering if my unforgiveness was a wall be‐ tween God and me? Am I willing in my heart to live fully into the words which tum‐ bled out of my mouth with such ease, “Most merciful Father I confess that I have sinned against you in thought word and deed…I have not loved my neighbor as my‐ self…I am truly sorry and I humbly repent.” Am I harboring some unforgiveness here, a slight transgression there? God is looking at my heart, not just hearing my words.

Beville and Greg Anderson

February 27‐Saturday in the First Week of Lent

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

Psalm 119:1‐8 Lessons Deuteronomy 26:16‐19 Matthew 5:43‐48

“You have heard that it was said, ’You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?

Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore, must be perfect, as you heavenly Father is perfect.”

You, therefore, must be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” Matthew 5:48

Of all the memorable sentences in the Bible, this teaching by Jesus surely must be, not only one of the most well known, but one of the most difficult, followed closely by His injunction only a few verses earlier to “Love your enemies”. Scholars join believers in puzzling over the radical nature of the entire Sermon on the Mount, of which our day’s verse is actually the last, and, therefore, summary sentence, but few years ago, I had an “ah ha” moment which made me actually love these verses!

In a particularly difficult time of my life, I was whining to God in my early morning prayers, and, in a moment of silence before Him, I “heard” a voice within my head say‐ ing something, which was so unexpected, and yet so life‐changingly perfect, that I knew exactly from Whom it had come! It was not the kindly assurance I was waiting for; it was simply this; “Grow up.” Now, this might seem a harsh word in the circum‐ stances, but it coincided with another “ah ha” that had come from a footnote in my Bi‐ ble, explaining that the word translated “perfect” in Matthew’s Gospel actually means “fully mature”– and when all this got put together in my head, I realized that Jesus’ disturbing summary of the Sermon on the Mount, was, in fact, the most loving invita‐

tion to “grow up” more and more each day into His radical love – a love that was so beyond our human standards as to be incomprehensible ‐ such as love for enemies ! It was an invitation to surrender each day another bit of childish self‐centeredness in ex‐ change for His amazing grace , which He would then use to bring one more bit of rec‐ onciliation to His hurting, waiting world. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Neely Towe

February 28‐Second Sunday in Lent

Collect: O God, whose glory it is always to have Mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to em‐ brace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, through Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen

Psalm 27 Lessons Genesis 15: 1‐12, 17‐18 Luke 13: 31‐35

“The Lord is My Light and My Salvation”

My grandmother was my rock. God was hers.

Above the bed in my grandmother’s bedroom hung a simple framed tea towel im‐ printed with pastel rose vines bordering the 27th Psalm. Keeping treasures close by is something we all do. The 27th Psalm was my grandmother’s treasure. As a child I thought it odd of my grandmother to frame a tea towel, and odder still to hang it over her bed. Because oddities hold a fascination for children, the tea towel became the fo‐ cus of my attention. I memorized it as the result of serendipity, my grandmother’s love of it, and my fascination with it. Over time I recognized the absolute trust and unfail‐ ing conviction that God was her strength, and its resonance came from the 27th Psalm.

The lines, “What if I had not believed that I should see the Goodness of the Lord in the land of the living?” had a response. My grandmother saw His goodness every day. She lived in faith, and it carried her along on an even keel. She in turn offered me God’s love, and she taught me to seek his face. He is everywhere in His creation. However, it was in my grandmother’s face that I first recognized the face of God. Enshrouded by porcelain wrinkles were soft blue eyes that twinkled as the sunbeams pierced lace cur‐ tains and lit wisps of her white hair. In memory, the light framing her face is always from the kitchen window, for it was in her kitchen I learned to know God’s love.

In all these years since our time in her kitchen, I still hear her voice. “The Lord will take care of it.” Rather than this being a cast away phrase, it was the expression of an im‐ plicit trust in the Lord our God.

God loves us. There is nothing you have done or ever will do that can separate you from that love. Jesus has prepared a place in eternity for you. And when it is your time, just as God came for my grandmother, so He will come for each of us.

Alan Bartlett

March 1‐Monday in the Second Week of Lent

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

Psalm 79:1‐9 Lessons Daniel 9:3‐10 Luke 6:27‐38

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

As I read this passage, it spoke clearly of forgiveness and love. How quick I am to dole out the wrath to those who don’t do things my way, or to those who wrong me. God tells us to love our enemies and pray for them. It isn’t always our enemies we get angry at. It could be a friend that hurt my feelings, a family member, or even the person who cut me off in traffic. I think of Christ hanging on the cross asking God to forgive the Roman soldiers who beat him and the Jewish leaders who persecuted him. My forgive‐ ness should run that deep.

God wants us to live in harmony with each other. I think as we get back to the basics of life and we simplify our lives, we realize the important things aren’t things but the rela‐ tionships we have with the people God has placed in our lives. It is important to show love to all people whether they are friend or foe, a family member or a stranger in need.

When we forgive someone, we are living as God wants us to, and He will truly give us abundant blessings in return.

Leslie Fraleigh

March 2‐ Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent

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

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

ʺAll who exalt themselves will be humbled, and who humble themselves will be exalted.ʺ

Humble comes from the Latin humus, as in earth. Humble people are literally those who are ʺdown to earth.ʺ But what do we really mean when we say those words? I think we are saying that the humble are acutely aware of human limitations, beginning with our mortality. They donʹt take anything, especially life, for granted. Each day is to be lived into faithfully.

Iʹve been blessed to know many humble people, but Iʹm thinking of one couple in par‐ ticular. Letʹs call them Ray and Stephanie, members of the first parish that I served after seminary. Both were successful architects. Soon after I met them, Ray contracted a life‐ threatening illness from which he eventually recovered. The couple was humble even before Rayʹs illness, but afterwards, they were even more so. They volunteered to help with our small Sunday School program as craft leaders, and week after week I was amazed by the thought that they put into the crafts. They never missed a Sunday, and you could tell that they had carefully read the Scripture lesson and then designed the project around it. We had a miniscule budget for supplies, but they made up for this by donating whatever was needed. The fruit of their ministry was obvious: the children loved coming to class because they knew that Ray and Stephanie had something spe‐ cial planned for them.

Lent is a time for us to be clear about our limitations as human beings, beginning with the fact that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. Whether we are the C.E.O or the mail room worker, the Bishop or the Sunday School craft leader, we will return to the humus from which God shaped us. But this fact doesnʹt need to be depressing. Know‐

ing our limits helps us to joyously and creatively live into the time given to us by God. Ray and Stephanieʹs humility extended to their marriage, family life, careers and to their wonderfully over‐the‐top craft projects that brought many a child closer to God.

Father Dave Killeen

March 3‐Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent

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

Psalm 31:9‐16 Lessons Jeremiah 18:1‐11,18‐20 Matthew 20:17‐28

In Psalm 31:9‐16 Jesus talks about broken pottery. But what exactly does broken pottery symbolize? In my eyes the broken pottery symbolizes a broken community. If a com‐ munity is whole, we are one and can work together to make progress.

But what happens if we are broken? We do not work together and therefore do not work in the same ways as we used to.

Take a coffee cup for example. A coffee cup is used to safely drink and enjoy coffee.

But what happens if the cup breaks? You may get burned. The cup also will not hold all the coffee and it no longer works in the same way.

So, in a way, Jesus created us as the coffee cup. When we work together, we can do the thing He made us to do, hold coffee, but when we are broken we cannot work together to hold the burdens of the world or in this case the coffee. We will get burned.

Joe Steilberg, 8th grade

When I read Psalm 31, verse 9, the part where it says ʺBe merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguishʺ makes me think of the people in Haiti and how terrible they must feel because of the earthquake. Their house might have been destroyed, their brother or sister killed, or their parents might have even been killed. They might have even lost faith in God and wonder why he let all of these terrible things happen to them.

The Psalm also asks the Lord to ʺdeliver me from my enemies and from those who pur‐ sue meʺ and I think about how sometimes kids can be really mean to other kids.

We are supposed to have complete trust in the Lord and love our enemies and some‐ times that can be hard.

Charlotte Steilberg, 5th grade

March 4‐Thursday in the Second Week of Lent Collect of the Day O Lord, strong and mighty, Lord of hosts and King of glory: Cleanse our hearts from sin, keep our hands pure, and turn our minds from what is passing away; so that at the last we may stand in your holy place and receive your blessing; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Psalm 1 Lessons Jeremiah 17:5‐10 Luke 16:19‐31

This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. Hey are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. “But blesses are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve”. Jeremiah 17:5‐10

In our very busy daily lives, it is so easy to be caught up in all of our “obligations” that we can often overlook the wisdom of trusting in the Lord. Most people like to feel like they are completely in control of their lives and all the “things” around them. Unfortu‐ nately, it is often in times of trouble that we realize that we are not in control and learn the importance of giving all of our heart to the Lord.

During this season of Lent, I look with hope that we can take some quiet time each day to turn over our trust to the Lord, as He will bring the strength we all need in times of struggle as well as our moments of joy and contentment.

Linda Hale

March 5‐Friday in the Second Week of Lent

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

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

IT IS WRITTEN THAT THESE ARE THE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST WHEN HE AP‐ PEARED TO HIS DISCIPLES AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, ACCORDING TO JOHN.

ʺ Peace be with you, as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.ʹ And when He said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ʺReceive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.ʹ John: 21‐23

Unforgiveness can be detrimental to our physical and spiritual well being. Unforgiveness can manifest itself as depression, anger, control, oppression, resentment, fear, addictions and worst of all severe illness, all of which rob us of the abundant life that our Lord promises us! Forgiveness like repentance is not a onetime thing, it is to be ongoing if we are to walk in freedom and joy

Suggestion: Make a list of all the people who caused you to experience hurt, pain, rejection, anger, resentment, jealousy, guilt ,shame, dishonor, loneliness. Donʹt forget to put God and yourself at the top of the list. Sounds crazy, but so often we have become angry with God because of the untimely death of a loved one or a friend, or perhaps we felt He didnʹt show up when we needed Him most Once a very devout friend suggested that I get angry with God, then forgive Him. What a fabulous experience that was!!

Now pray:

Lord I lift to you__________, I forgive them for_____________( ask the Lord to reveal to you .....)(forgiveness)

Lord I ask YOU to forgive __________for causing me such pain.

Lord I ask YOU to forgive ME for holding a judgment against them,. In the name of Jesus Christ (repentance).

Then He opened their minds so they could understand scripture.

He told them ʹThus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Luke 24:46‐47 This is Jesusʹ commission to the Church You are the Church!!

Joy Lamb

March 6‐Saturday in the Second Week of Lent

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

Amen.

Psalm 103:1‐4(5‐8)9‐12 Lessons Micah 7:14‐15, 18‐20 Luke 15:11‐32

At dinner recently, my 7 year old daughter made this remark, “I don’t want to sin against God because He would not be my friend and I would not like that. But, He would forgive me if I asked Him to.” The clearest understandings often come from the mouths of children. After hearing her comment, I was immediately reminded of the scripture today and just how amazing God’s forgiveness is. How often have you held a grudge after an argument with a spouse or loved one? Or become disgruntled when something did not go your way? Harbored hateful feelings from an ugly event of the past? How long do we carry that anger and bitterness around with us? Minutes. Days.

Sometimes years. How does this feel? This negativity can fester – dragging us down, affecting our relationships and those around us. Where does it end?

Today’s Psalm reminds us that God does not treat us as our sins deserve and there is nothing he will not forgive – we only have to ask. This Lenten season, I invite you to join me in the conscious intention of letting go of anger and bitterness and forgiving those who may have wronged you in some way. A heart filled with love and forgive‐ ness is God’s grace on earth. My daughter added at the end, “And then He will be my friend again.” Now doesn’t that feel better?

Amy Grant

March 7‐Third Sunday in Lent

Collect of the Day Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 63:1‐8 Lessons Isaiah 55:1‐9 Luke 13:1‐9

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, and my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and be‐ held your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be sat‐ isfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I re‐ member you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:1‐8

A Psalm of David. when he was in the Desert of Judah “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”

Hands are one of the first things that we extend toward a person. They speak without words. The same holds true of a smile and a loving heart. The recipient knows, be‐ yond the shadow of a doubt, exactly what you mean. They can feel it and even retain that feeling for a long time. In fact, it is something they will never forget Most things are long forgotten, but being touched by someone is everlasting.

The phrase, “it takes so little to give so much” is an absolute truth. Opportunities often knock when you least expect them, but the dividends are too numerous to count.

Someone’s smile of appreciation blesses you in turn and completes the circle. Reaching out and touching lives make a difference.

Not long ago, I walked up to the tennis court to speak to my son, Richard. He was just finishing up his game and getting ready to go to work. Often, we hit volleys and I said, “Hit a few before my match?” Without thinking, he replied, “Oh, I’ve got to get to

work” but as he turned around he said to himself, “Why wouldn’t I!’ He picked up his racquet, smiled and said, “Let’s hit those volleys”…a priceless gift between a mother and son. Later he told me that he and his brother, John Adams, came up with a new motto, “Why wouldn’t you!” and they use it every day. It’s contagious. Try it out. I find myself doing things I never thought I had time to do because “Why wouldn’t I!”.

God not only presents the opportunity, but provides the time to do it.

It is Our Lord that holds you in the palm of his hand, keeps you tucked under his wing, and invites you to pass on that blessing of his loving touch to others…a gift that is ever‐ lasting.

Flo Adams Rubel

March 8‐Monday in the Third Week of Lent

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

Psalm 42:1‐7 Lessons 2 Kings 5:1‐15b Luke 4:23‐30

Jesus said to them, ʺSurely you will quote this proverb to me: ʹPhysician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.ʹ ʺʺI tell you the truth,ʺ he continued, ʺno prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijahʹs time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zare‐ phath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy[f] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.ʺAll the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

It sure is difficult to be taken seriously by those who remember what you looked like in diapers, those who witnessed the first time you skinned your knee, your first date, and other events in your lifetime. Jesus is facing a crowd, a crowd that has known him as ʺJosephʹs boyʺ for years. While his works were spreading outward, those at home would never believe. They wanted to see this power they heard about but never be‐ lieved could be accomplished by this young man, their young man. ʺHeal our sick, fix your problems, let us see why everyone is talking about you.ʺ Jesus knew no matter what he did, who he helped, or what he preached, he would not be believed in his hometown. He could never satisfy their thirst for a parlor trick.

I wonder if they believed when, after marching him to the cliffs to throw him off, he walked right through them, saving himself? Was he still ʺJosephʹs boyʺ when he passed beside those who were filled with anger? Was he still the little boy with the skinned knee or the fulfillment of Scripture so many had come to know outside of his

home? As we will continue to see in the Gospels, this was another opportunity to enter into Godʹs rich blessings lost on those just not willing to receive.

Gene Nichols

March 9‐Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent

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

Psalm 25:3‐10 Lessons Matthew 18:21‐35

At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, ʺMaster, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?ʺ Jesus replied, ʺSeven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.”

Today’s parable is centered on forgiveness, but as I read it over again, I realize that this story is also about taking your faith to the next level. Too often, I am willing to accept a lukewarm faith—just a ho‐hum, average relationship with God. I try not to “rock the boat” by being too zealous or passionate, and I try to fit in to what others expect my faith to be. But in this Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, Jesus demands more than that—He wants our whole lives, offered to Him and His glory.

Can you imagine what the disciples must have thought when Jesus told this parable?

In the disciples’ eyes, the servant in the parable was probably justified in demanding that his small sum (the Message translation describes it as $10) be repaid, regardless of what debt the servant himself had been forgiven. But Jesus has a higher standard. Just as we have all been forgiven, we must forgive others.

The servant could have easily forgiven his fellow servant’s debt, but he refused to give up his control. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? It is so hard for me to let go of control, and truly trust God for everything. Recently, I’ve been reading the book Crazy Love, by Francis Chan, as a daily devotional. Chan talks about giving God our “life leftovers” instead of our best. Chan says, ”For years I gave God leftovers and felt no shame. God gets a scrap or two only because we feel guilty for giving Him nothing. A mumbled three minute prayer at the end of the day, when we are already half asleep. Two crum‐ pled up dollar bills thrown as an afterthought into the church’s fund for the poor.

Fetch, God!”

How many times have we asked God to “fetch” our lesser offerings? I pray that today we can all acknowledge God’s amazing grace and mercy in our lives, and that that will transform our decisions and actions in life. May we forgive others as God has forgiven us.

Ayana Grady

March 10‐Wednesday in the Third Week of Lent

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

Psalm 78:1‐6 Lessons Deuteronomy 4:1‐2,5‐9 Matthew 5:17‐19

This was written to Israel, a nation chosen by God. But it is also written to America, a nation who actually chose God. IN GOD WE TRUST Easier said than done. I expect our forefathers had as many control issues as we do, but they were wise enough to understand that God was their rock of safety. They trusted Him with their young nation. Today Christian Americans are called to do the same, trust in God, live according to his precepts and most importantly believe Him, trust Him. That’s not always easy when our nation is filled with ungodly influences, gov‐ erned in an increasingly partisan and mean‐spirited manner and we are burdened with the fear of random violence.

But our national heritage is IN GOD WE TRUST and as Christian Americans our job is simple. There is no line between church and state for us. We are to call on the Lord. We are to pray for our nation, pray for our leaders, pray for our soldiers and all in com‐ mand. Pray that our nation will repent and return to the Lord and pray that God will use America to glorify Himself.

It’s difficult not to fret about the future of our country, but we are clearly told not to worry and to …TRUST IN GOD

Biba Olsen

March 11‐Thursday in the Third Week of Lent

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

Amen.

Psalm 95:6‐11 Lessons Jeremiah 7:23‐28 Luke 11:14‐23

ʺNow he was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled. But, some of them said, ʺHe casts out demons by Be‐el‐zebul, the prince of demons, while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, ʺEvery kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Saten also is diveded against himself, how will his kingdom stand?For you say that I cast out demons bu Be‐elʹzebul by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of Gods has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. Luke 11:14‐23

ʺEvery kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.ʺ This really stood out to me and made me think about the sad state that our wonderful country is in. I feel as if we are very divided right now. Our many generations have different values and priorities and it is difficult to be united on many issues. We need to pray more and let God be our protector and find hope. With the more unity we have with God, the more unity we will have with each other and our country. We will all be stronger, as great strength comes from the unity of God.

Beverley Brooke

March 12‐Friday in the Third Week of Lent

Collect of the Day Grant us, O Lord our Strength, a true love of your holy Name; so that, trusting in your grace, we may fear no earthly evil, nor fix our hearts on earthly goods, but may rejoice in your full salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 81:8‐14 Lessons Hosea 14:1‐9 Mark 12:28‐34

I think of Mark 12:28‐34 as a How‐To for life. Thank you, Lord, for boiling it down for me! The scripture says the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

What is it to love this way? I think we all know a lot already about loving with heart, soul, mind and strength. Don’t we feel this way about our children, our spouses, our parents? When we invest the time, are passionate about the effort, thoughtful in our words and deeds, honest about our failings, and thankful for all that is done and what may come, a relationship builds. There is faith and trust.

And for me, so it is with God. To love the Lord with heart, soul, mind and strength is a commitment. It is thoughtful and done with purpose. It is more than a feeling. It is doing! Loving God in this way begins with making time for Him through prayer and reflection. In prayer, I am so thankful for His greatness and for the mercy and grace He bestows upon me and my family every day. I seek more than my fair share of forgive‐ ness, but I go ahead and get specific about how I have fallen short because I know He loves me unconditionally and can heal my shortcomings. Hosea 14 tells us that repen‐ tance brings blessings. Indeed, God has blessed me greatly.

When I follow this greatest commandment, really putting God first, my days are more purposeful, life’s many blessings more apparent, its challenges more manageable, and the opportunities more attainable. And those are some of the greatest blessings of all.

Ruth Whitner

March 13‐Saturday in the Third Week of Lent

Collect of the Day O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by rea‐ son of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 51:15‐20 Lessons Hosea 6:1‐6 Luke 18:9‐14

As I read this devotional, the worst blizzard in years has blanketed the east coast with 3 feet of snow. I not sure those digging out of the snow can believe that spring will come?

Yet Hosea speaks that the Lord will surely come as the sun will rise and the coming of the spring rains. I am starting a vegetable garden from seeds and the small seeds hav‐ ing green slivers poke from the soil is also a sign of the Lord’s presents and he is with us. It also shows how fragile the life of these plants or our life can be. Just as I will be covering these plants from the cold snaps here in Jacksonville, the Lord is present in our life to protect us.

From Psalm 51 David tells us that we need to open our lips and declare our praise to the Lord. Hosea says to acknowledge the Lord and to show mercy. Jesus says to be humble before the Lord and to show mercy. So as my Lent renewal continues, I will be looking for that Son to rise on Easter knowing the Lord is with me and I will join in praise for our Lord. I will humbly come to the Lord asking for mercy.

Mike Davenport

March 14‐Fourth Sunday in Lent

Collect of the Day Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm 32 Lessons Joshua 5:9‐12 Luke 15:1‐3, 11b‐32 ” But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 When I try to imagine the younger son, I imagine desperate poverty. For a Jewish man to eat from the trough of pigs which were considered unclean, he must have been truly destitute. I imagine he probably was dirty, and likely lumbered toward home with his eyes downcast, ashamed and repentant.

And yet, in this parable, the father immediately recognizes his son and is overwhelmed by joy, rushing to his with open arms, kissing him, and dressing him in his finest clothes. He doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t rebuke him for profligate living, doesn’t seek an explanation, he simply opens his arms with joy.

As I contemplate this parable, I wonder about all of the characters. It is easy enough to imagine myself as the prodigal son. I also can identify with the older brother. But what about the father in this story?

Looking at the context of this parable, Luke tells us that Jesus was speaking to a crowd of sinners and Pharisees. The Pharisees were questioning Jesus, asking why he would consort with tax collectors and sinners. While the parable clearly describes God’s open arms and joy in reconciliation with us, I wonder if the parable also speaks to the way we are to treat each other.

For me, it is one thing to forgive my family and friends. But what about the nebulous crowd of “sinners”? How readily do I embrace those that our world casts aside? When I see a homeless person, is my first reaction to open my arms with compassion, as the father does? Or am I more likely to ask questions, feel judgmental, and turn away?

Seeing, through this parable, God’s unconditional, open‐armed acceptance of us, de‐ spite whatever sins we have committed, I feel challenged to strive to open my arms to others without judgment, to strive to rejoice when I am given the opportunity to for‐ give as I have been so freely forgiven.

Caroline Nichols

March 15‐Monday in the Fourth Week of Lent

Collect of the Day O Lord our God, in your holy Sacraments you have given us a foretaste of the good things of your kingdom: Direct us, we pray, in the way that leads to eternal life, that we may come to appear before you in that place of light where you dwell for ever with your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 30:1‐6, 11‐12 Lessons Isaiah 65:17‐25 John 4:43‐54

Jesus said to him,” Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke and started on his way. John 4:50

Today, the readings are about our faith and Jesus’ healing. In John, we see the story of Jesus healing the official’s son simply by saying that he “will live”. The man believed and his son was healed at the very moment that Jesus spoke the words. In the Psalm, the speaker says “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.”

When faced with an illness, either our own or someone else’s, we pray for Jesus to per‐ form a healing miracle. When my younger sister’s cancer returned, she was told that she had less than six months to live. We prayed daily for full healing. The miracle we re‐ ceived was that she lived several years more than expected. During that extra time we laughed and cried together and we reconnected on a much closer and meaningful level.

I will be eternally grateful to Sandy for helping me see that God gave me a different miracle than the one requested. That experience helps me to listen more carefully for God’s answer to my prayers and not necessarily to expect the exact answer I seek.

Flavel Godfrey

One of Sandy’s favorite prayers has also become mine (BCP, page 461): “This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do to it gal‐ lantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen”

March 16‐Tuesday in the Fourth Week of Lent Collect of the Day O God, with you is the well of life, and in your light we see light: Quench our thirst with living water, and flood our darkened minds with heavenly light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 46:1‐8 Lessons Ezekiel 47:1‐9,12 John 5:1‐18

“The Lord of hosts is with us…” Psalm 46:7

God is in the prepositions. This theological insight came to me one evening a decade or more ago when I was sitting in a darkened chapel during Holy Week contemplating a moonlit stained glass window of Jesus with the word Immanuel inscribed over his head.

I was deep into seminary studies by this time and my thoughts went to the translation of the word immanu “with us” in Hebrew and suddenly I realized what the window meant. Jesus is God with Us. Jesus is God and God is with us, among us, as one of us.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me” says the familiar phrase of Psalm 23. God is with me, personally and in the preposition there is great peace. “The Lord of hosts is with us” we read in today’s appointed Psalm and hear an affirmation of the oneness of God with the community of faith. Jesus’ last promise to his disciples in Matthew, “I am with you always” is God making a lasting promise to all generations. Psalm 46 declares that despite the natural disasters and threats of enemies (mountains fall, seas roar, earth trembles and enemies threaten, kingdoms totter, nations fall) God can be trusted because God is with us, in the midst of us, walking among us as one of us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Immanuel!

The Reverend Sandy Moyle

March 17‐Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Lent

Collect of the Day O Lord our God, you sustained your ancient people in the wilderness with bread from heaven: Feed now your pilgrim flock with the food that endures to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 145:8‐19 Lessons Isaiah 49:8‐15 John 5:19‐29

Jesus replied, “I assure you, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and tells him everything he is doing…. John 5:19‐20 I will praise you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever…Great is the Lord!

Psalm 145:1‐3 When Jesus lived on earth over two thousand years ago, he lived as God wanted him to live. As our personal relationship with Jesus gets deeper we realize that we want to live our lives as Jesus would have us live them. We are not really living unless we’re in relationship with Jesus. We’re blessed to have the Holy Spirit live inside of us. The Holy Spirit gives us a sense of peace when we’re doing the ‘right’ thing and a knowl‐ edge when we’re doing the ‘wrong’ thing. As a friend of mine says, “How does your Peacemeter feel? “ Is it straight up? Or is it wobbling and veering off to the right?

These verses remind me of the “What Would Jesus Do” bracelets that were popular a few years ago. I try to think about this phrase when I’m going about the busy‐ness of day to day life. We all fall short and sins are abundant, but the wonderful news is that our sins are forgiven because Jesus died on the cross for each one of us. We can be “right with God” and start with a fresh clean slate every day!

Let’s not remember these blessings only during Lent or on Easter morning…let’s praise God and try to live as Jesus would want us to live for as long as we’re on earth!

Thanks be to God! Susan and Rick Brodeur

March 18‐Thursday in the Fourth Week of Lent

Collect: Almighty and most merciful God, drive from us all weakness of body, mind, and spirit; that, being restored to wholeness, we may with free hearts become what you intend us to be and accomplish what you want us to do; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Psalm 106: 6‐7, 19‐23 Lessons Exodus 32: 7‐14 John 5: 30‐47

We tend to tailor our thoughts to the words of others whether parents, friends or strangers whom we trust. Our actions are governed accordingly. It is important to real‐ ize that we would be better to trust our feelings of love for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Despite all of the wondrous acts of our Lord, Jesus, His detractors were swayed by the words and thoughts of others who had not properly received the message. Why is it human nature to love, hurt and then to love again? John 5:30‐47 gives repeated exam‐ ples of the middle phase of this process. In the case of Jesus (and many saints) love re‐ appeared but not until after His magnificent sacrifice.

The antithesis of love is fear. Jesus presented an option so wondrous that people re‐ fused to believe it. Instead they succumbed to their fears and vilified the Son of God. Love is the answer and that lesson should not be lost on us.

Bob McAfee

March 19‐Friday in the Fourth Week of Lent

Collect of the Day O God, you have given us the Good News of your abounding love in your Son Jesus Christ: So fill our hearts with thankfulness that we may rejoice to proclaim the good tidings we have received; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm Lessons 34:15‐22 Wisdom 2:1a,12‐24 John 7:1‐2,10,25‐30

One thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Jesus Christ. Phillipians 3:4b‐14

Paul wrote his letter to the Phillipians of Macedonia around 60AD from a Roman prison as he, chained to a Roman guard, awaited his trial and probable execution. As he thanks one of his favorite churches for all they had done for him, he couldn’t help but offer some fatherly advice encouraging them to rejoice “in the Lord”.

As I meditated on today’s scripture, I was reminded of reading somewhere that for all of us, including Paul, every wrong choice, mistake, and painful moment is a step in our journeys as life takes its toll. Thankfully I then remembered that conversely good choices, successes, and good moments are steps in life’s journey too.

Paul wants us to let go of the memories that would haunt us and pull us down or would have us sit on our laurels. For those memories can be a spiritual disaster that keeps us from striving towards the goal of every believer, the joyful satisfaction of knowing Christ Jesus. We come to know him more and more by continuing day by day to repent and humbly confess our sins, let go of those bad memories ad go forward in His love sharing through our called ministries, the Good News of Christ Jesus.

Dale Beardsly

March 20‐Saturday in the Fourth Week of Lent

Collect of the Day Mercifully hear our prayers, O Lord, and spare all those who confess their sins to you; that those whose consciences are accused by sin may by your merciful pardon be ab‐ solved; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 7:6‐11 Lessons Jeremiah 11:18‐20 John 7:37‐52

As I read today’s passage from the Gospel according to John I found it hard not to over analyze the text, to pick it apart for Old Testament references, to search for the themes that John threads through his writing, or to scour the words for Messianic allusions.

This Gospel reading makes reference to the Hebrew scripture, “As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” “Has not the scrip‐ ture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” Should I go back and find these Old Testament refer‐ ences?

This Semester at Episcopal I am enrolled in Theology II. Every night our homework includes reading chapters from the Bible. I quickly caught on to the type of reading that was required, reading in search of themes such as social justice. Themes are very im‐ portant, but I realized recently that this is just one way to approach reading my Bible.

Reading my Bible isn’t just a class assignment, reading to pass a quiz on Thursday. I should be reading my Bible with an open mind and ready heart. I should read the Bible to learn more about my Lord and Savior. The crowd hearing Jesus in this passage struggled to decide who He was. The temple police realized that “Never has anyone spoken like this!” Jesus cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.” Reading and studying the Bible is one way to come to Jesus, to hear him, to walk his path. I am thirsty and reading God’s word is one way that I can come to Jesus, believe and drink.

Thank you heavenly father for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and for allowing me to come closer to you through the words of your Son. Open my ears to hear your word,

my mind to understand, and my heart to embrace your gift. Let me be the voice in the crowd who stands up and says “This is the Messiah.”

Brooks Dame

March 21‐Fifth Sunday in Lent

Collect of the Day Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Psalm 126 Lessons Isaiah 43:16‐21 John 12:1‐8

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair....

Jesus said......ʺlet her keep it for the day of my burial.ʺ John 12: 1 ‐ 8

Little is known of the next‐to‐last week of Jesusʹ life. From the anointing at Bethany to the triumphal entry to Jerusalem, the gospels are generally silent. It was a time of waiting. Only Mary (and Jesus) seemed to have had a premonition of what lay ahead.

For me, it also is a time of waiting. I know what lies ahead, from the first hosanna to the empty tomb. This penultimate week used to seem empty and meaningless to me. The nov‐ elty had worn off my Lenten commitment and the prayers and meditation which I had pledged sincerely and enthusiastically on Ash Wednesday had become casual and even care‐ less‐‐a matter more of convenience than commitment.

I asked a wise, holy man about this. What was I to DO this week? His reply was short and simple: ʺRedouble your spiritual discipline!ʺ Not the prayer and meditation as it had become but as it was when I committed to it‐‐‐in the spirit of Mary, who loved Jesus so much.....

Now I wait in blessed anticipation. After the last hosanna dies away, things move very rap‐ idly. I need to be spiritually fit to keep up.

With Godʹs help, I will.

Steve Stevenson

March 22‐Monday in the Fifth Week of Lent

Collect of the Day Be gracious to your people, we entreat you, O Lord, that they, repenting day by day of the things that displease you, may be more and more filled with love of you and of your commandments; and, being supported by your grace in this life, may come to the full enjoyment of eternal life in your everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Psalm 23 Lessons John 8:1‐11

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses com‐ manded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them: “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? “ No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:1‐11

The hearts of the angry Pharisees and teachers of the law were hardened with their de‐ termination to trap Jesus. They did not see their sin: pride, arrogance, greed, a lying tongue, and evil thoughts of murder.

Jesus stood in humility before them with His heart open.

The adulteress woman who was brought to Him, stood there paralyzed with fear. Je‐ sus speaks to all humanity: “You who are without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone.”

In that moment, as one stone after another was dropped, the chains on the woman be‐ gan to break. When Jesus says: “Neither do I condemn you.” Go now and leave your life of sin,” He frees her from her bondage to become a new creation, filling her heart with overwhelming love for Jesus, who gave her unconditional love. Don’t we all de‐ sire what she was given?

Anonymous

March 23‐Tuesday in the Fifth Week of Lent

Collect of the Day Almighty God, through the incarnate Word you have caused us to be born anew of an imperishable and eternal seed: Look with compassion upon those who are being pre‐ pared for Holy Baptism, and grant that they may be built as living stones into a spiri‐ tual temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 102:15‐22 Lessons Numbers 21:4‐9 John 8:21‐30 So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he,* and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him. John 8:28‐30 I kept reading the passage in Numbers over and over trying to imagine serpents in the desert and then a serpent on a pole (visualize a cross). The thought was frightening to me as I am not one that adores snakes. As I kept reading and praying that I would un‐ derstand I realized that this story touches me on two levels. The serpents represent to me how easy it is to lose your focus on Christ and allow sin into your life or barriers we place in our path to God. On the second level the bronze serpent that God commanded Moses to make represented the Son to come and that He died for my sins (serpents).

In Johnʹs verses Jesus tells us He is the Son of God and that he does what is pleasing to his Father. He tells us to look to the Son for salvation. Jesus is the path to ridding us of the serpents in our own lives. It is so awesome that we have a God that loves and pro‐ tects us in our darkest moments. When I catch myself not being happy with all that God has given me or not being the person I should be I just have to remember to lift my heart and soul up to Jesus and ask for guidance, forgiveness and grace.

Susan Morgan

March 24‐Wednesday in the Fifth Week of Lent

Collect of the Day Almighty God our heavenly Father, renew in us the gifts of your mercy; increase our faith, strengthen our hope, enlighten our understanding, widen our charity, and make us ready to serve you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm Canticle 2 Lessons Daniel 3:14‐20,24‐28 John 8:31‐42

...ʺAnd you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.ʺ... John 8:31‐42

When I was in seventh grade, a classmate spilled ink onto the floor without being seen.

Our teacher tried unsuccessfully to discover the culprit and as punishment, he confined the entire class to our desks until the guilty party came forward.

I remember vividly the frustration of being confined for something of which I was to‐ tally innocent. As the days of missed recesses multiplied, I began to appreciate the bur‐ den my guilty classmate must have been carrying.

After a week, the perpetrator finally came forward and to the teacherʹs credit, we never learned who it was. I certainly enjoyed the freedom of recesses once again, but I can only imagine the relief of my guilty classmate and his freedom from the agony of in‐ creasing guilt due to withholding the truth.

Iʹm not sure Jesus had an episode like this in mind when he made his famous quote in John 8:32, but it sure carries a special meaning to me. I feel God gives us the ability to know the truth and by living our lives truthfully and honestly we can truly be free, es‐ pecially from guilt. Just as the sin of dishonesty can enslave us, truthfulness can cer‐ tainly break the shackles of this bondage and free us. What a terrific message of hope.

Randy Thornton

March 25‐Thursday in the Fifth Week of Lent,

Collect of the Day O God, you have called us to be your children, and have promised that those who suf‐ fer with Christ will be heirs with him of your glory: Arm us with such trust in him that we may ask no rest from his demands and have no fear in his service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 105:4‐11 Lessons Genesis 17:1‐8 John 8:51‐59

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and judgments he has uttered.” Ps 105: 4‐5

What is the difference in the way we treat our friends and loved ones, versus those with whom we have only a passing friendship? Many, but one that stands out in light of the Psalm is that our relationship and history with our friends colors our reactions to their behavior. We tend to take the little slights in stride, or give them “the benefit of the doubt” instead of judging their faults in the harshest light. We seek them out in times of great joy, and great need.

Would that we constantly remembered God and His covenant with us in all that we do.

The readings for today remind us that we, the children of Abraham, are the chosen people and whatever may fall into our life, the sickness, the health, the pain, the joy, it is to us he gave His son. In the midst of all that life throws at us we should seek His presence continually. Like a child seeking the warm lap of a parent for no other reason than “ I just want to be near you.” So climb into the lap, the warm embrace of a loving God who has promised us the land of Canaan, whose covenant lasts a thousand gen‐ erations, and find rest.

Anonymous

March 26‐Friday in the Fifth Week of Lent

Collect of the Day O Lord, you relieve our necessity out of the abundance of your great riches: Grant that we may accept with joy the salvation you bestow, and manifest it to all the world by the quality of our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm 18:1‐7 Lessons Jeremiah 20:7‐13 John 10:31‐42

The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?’ The Jews answered, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a hu‐ man being, are making yourself God.’ Jesus answered, ‘Is it not written in your law, “I said, you are gods”? If those to whom the word of God came were called “gods”—and the scripture cannot be annulled—can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, “I am God’s Son”? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’ Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they were saying, ‘John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.’ And many believed in him there. John 10:31‐42

“Then they tried to arrest him again.”

This is one of the many times in the Gospels that Jesus is rejected. In addition to those who simply don’t believe him, there are those who want to arrest him or even kill him in spite of (or perhaps because of) the many wonderful miracles he performs. He is re‐ jected at various times by Jewish officials, the people of his own hometown, his own brothers, and even his own disciples!

Just as we rehearse the stories of Christ’s birth each Christmas, we rehearse these sto‐ ries of Christ being rejected throughout Lent until when we hear again at Easter of the

ultimate rejection (the cross) and his resulting triumph of resurrection. Sometimes I get caught up in it all and think, “How could they do it? What is going on? How could all these people demand Jesus’ death? How could they do this to someone so amazing?”

And then there’s Peter’s denial of Jesus. How could even Peter reject Jesus when he had heard his teachings and had seen so many of his miracles first hand?

Then I remember all the times I have rejected Jesus. This is one of the good things about Lent. While it may not be the most fun exercise in the world, we are not just rehearing how “they” rejected Jesus. Rather, we are reexamining how we all reject Jesus in our own ways, big and small. We focus on our persistent turning away from God and try to right ourselves and turn back again. And then Easter comes, when we can be glad that no matter how often we have rejected him, Christ does not reject us!

James Holyer

March 27‐Saturday in the Fifth Week of Lent

Collect of the Day O Lord, in your goodness you bestow abundant graces on your elect: Look with favor, we entreat you, upon those who in these Lenten days are being prepared for Holy Bap‐ tism, and grant them the help of your protection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Psalm 85:1‐7 Lessons Ezekiel 37:21‐28 John 11:45‐53

“Jesus was about to die for the nation, 52and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God.” John 11: 51‐52

When reading this passage, these verses hit me. The sheer magnitude of this statement reminds me why I am a Christian. I feel that these words are the foundation for Chris‐ tianity. If I ever doubt God’s role in my life, I know that I can look back to this scrip‐ ture and see how much he loves me.

These verses though, did not just re‐establish my relationship with God and his role in my life, it also showed me the value of the people around me: my brothers and sisters in Christ. In God, all people are connected, and the words “dispersed children of God “ makes me see this. We as sinners cast ourselves away from our community of sib‐ lings. I know that I have abandoned others simply because it was more convenient, and I know I will still struggle with this, but if I can keep in mind that those people I forget are children of God, then maybe I can help bring us together. It is God’s goal to bring together his “dispersed children”, so we should not further this problem, and love each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Andrew Chafin

March 28‐Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday

Collect of the Day Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Psalm 118:1‐2, 19‐29 Lessons Isaiah 50:4‐9a Luke 23:1‐49

Isaiah 50:4‐9a Tongue, Ear and Face

Hebrew is a language that does not know abstraction. Any idea, concept, value or thought that is not rooted in concrete life is unknown. So it is that as the prophet con‐ templates the mystery of suffering, he draws upon the physical organs of sensation, tongue and ears, as well as the back and cheeks, and finally the face to dig out the truth.

The enlistment of tongue and ears is to speak of the great gift of mentoring and disci‐ pleship. Isaiah indicates that his speaking and his hearing have been transformed by the master/disciple relationship, and that he finds himself not only motivated but in some ways guided by the fact that he has apprenticed himself. Apprenticeship is neces‐ sary in the learning of any new skill. The idea that we can learn something simply on‐ line, or out of a book or from a story is itself a fiction. In the end we must learn from another. We can process information from various sources, but the wisdom and insight of application is simply impossible to learn except from another who has mastered the skill, and through the process of trial and error.

So it is with the spiritual life. Who has guided your tongue in speaking, and who has taught you the ancient and highly contemporary skill of listening? And how has your speech and hearing led you to encounter the great mystery of suffering? How we han‐ dle suffering is one of the most significant indicators of quality of life. Indeed, Quality

of Life is our capacity to engage, undergo and ultimately move through and beyond pain and loss in such a way that life is amplified, not debased, strengthened, not weak‐ ened, affirmed and not denied.

How and when and where are you experiencing sadness, disappointment and loss in this time? And how does your speech, your hearing, your posture of heart and hand contribute to the amplification rather than the reduction of life?

And what will you say, and to whom will you listen as you bear witness to the truth as you now know it? Your face will tell your story.

Father Coffey

March 29‐Monday in Holy Week

Collect of the Day Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 36:5‐10 Lessons Isaiah 42:1‐9, John 12:1‐11, or Mark 11:15‐19

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness. I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you. I will appoint you as a covenant to the people. As a light to the nations. Isaiah 42: 1‐9

Although I am not a covenant to the people or a light to the nations, I fully believe our Lord has called me to bring His Glorious Kingdom to unbelievers, those whom he has picked. I believe he has picked them and through my friend Adrian Travis, who has written a beautiful tract telling them how to get to Heaven, leads him to these people.

In other words, I fully believe that each egg I make brings that special person into the kingdom. The Lord is my inspiration for this art. He gives me the inspirations for this art. He gives me the inspirations to create many different kinds of eggs. He gave me this lovely gift when my youngest son died of cancer at age twenty. Since then, I have lost my husband and my daughter. Our Lord has certainly held my hand through all of this and has watched over me in so many circumstances that there is not enough space to enumerate them. I now believe, also, that now is the time to put some on the market in hopes of reaching larger groups.

Betty Leatherbury

March 30‐Tuesday in Holy Week

Collect of the Day O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 71: 1‐12 Lessons Isaiah 49:1‐6, John 12:37‐38, 42‐50 or Mark 11:15‐19

“The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me”. Ps. 49:1b

What is it about Jesus that triggered such extreme reactions? He performed many signs and miracles and had crowds who followed him anywhere, yet the crowds did not be‐ lieve. And many of those who saw the signs and did believe, the Pharisees and temple leaders “loved human glory more than the glory of God” and so called for his death rather than embrace him in life. And while the masses might have seen the miracles as the show, a traveling magician act, a way to create belief, that was never the reason be‐ hind them.

When I face my own fears and doubts, and I am ashamed to admit I often do, I try and remember that Jesus knew us, before we were born he knew us inside and out, down to the names we would choose for our children. And because he knew and knows us he knew he would not be believed. He performed the healings and miracles because he knew us and had compassion for a sick, lame, blind, crazy, hungry people who could have the Lord in their midst and still not see, feel, touch or taste Him. The Lord has called us. Before we were born, before we were a winkle in our parents’ eyes He has called our name. Will we answer?

Anonymous

March 31‐ Wednesday in Holy Week

Collect of the Day Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confi‐ dent of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 69:7‐15, 22‐23 Lessons Isaiah 50:4‐9a, John 13:21‐35 or Matthew 26:1‐5, 14‐ 25

Psalm 69, verses 7‐15 are about asking God save us from the mockery and scorn we may endure for professing our love and devotion to God. The first thing that jumps to my mind when I read this is how lucky we are NOT to have to endure mockery or scorn for professing our love for God in this community of St. Mark’s Church, school and in Ortega.

In this community, like few I’ve ever lived in before, there is such a STRONG sense of faith and it’s “cool” to love God. People openly talk about God and about what an inte‐ gral role loving and serving God plays in their lives.

Maybe it’s my age, but I tend to get more and more God focused with each passing day and feel incredibly blessed to be part of a community where it’s obvious that so many are so deeply faithful. I feel God everywhere. I feel God with my new friends who have been so welcoming to me, I feel God when my friends share their personal experiences of faith and share spiritual books with me, I feel God at the wonderful St. Mark’s church services, I feel God at the Bible Study I attend and I feel that my children are experiencing God at their schools.

We are richly supported in our Love for God in this community and that enables and inspires us to push further and harder for a deeper understanding of and relationship with God. Aren’t we lucky that we don’t have to “endure scorn” and be “mocked” for this?

Unfortunately, we sometimes take for granted those things that we don’t have to fight for. If we did have to fight to express our faith, we might just work a little harder at it or it might mean just a little more to us.

So, in this season of Lent, I want to remember to be appreciative that loving God hap‐ pens so easily in this wonderful community and that we do not get persecuted for this.

I’m grateful to have “landed” in a community where God is a primary focus for so many and I look forward to many years of a richer and deeper relationship with the Lord. Amen.

Allison Steilberg

April 1‐Maundy Thursday

Collect of the Day Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacra‐ ment of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in re‐ membrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 78:14‐20, 23‐25 Lessons Exodus 12:1‐14a, John 13:1‐15 or Luke 22:14‐30

Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; he rained down manna for the people to eat he gave them the grain of heaven. Psalms 78:23‐25

Manna from heaven, the Holy Eucharist is a remembrance yes, of God and Jesus gifts in food and beverage. However, it is so much more. Although this is a Maundy Thurs‐ day meditation it looks to Easter Sunday. God is alive and working, tangibly in the 21st century just as he did centuries ago. We fragile humans need food, water and guid‐ ance. Last summer my husband and I got lost while hiking in the remote desert can‐ yons of Canyonlands National Park. Twentyone hours into our “desert experience” we had been without water for 4 hours and our throats we too dry to eat our trail mix (dried fruits and nuts). We sat down in the shade of a cottonwood tree. We had left a note with medical information if we were found unconscious. We had left a note with contact information if we were found too late and we had said goodbye to our children.

Then we rested and waited for late afternoon and our hope of self‐rescue when it got cooler. As my husband slept and I drifted in and out of consciousness, I heard a small sound. I looked to my right thinking I would see a scrub jay because we had seen them the day before. Instead I saw an artist with his easel set up about 400 yards away. He had seen us but respected our privacy and did not intend to bother us. We had to ask for help. He immediately lopped up the slope to us and generously shared his own supply of water and pears. He guided our walking as far as we had strength to go, then he put us in the crack of a rock where he could find us and where we would be safe. He jogged 1.5 miles up 500 feet to the plateau above, got water and fresh fruit from our car, and called the Park Rangers.

Manna from heaven. God alive and working today in our everyday, ordinary lives.

We had to ask for help. We had prayed. We had song the old gospel songs of faith and comfort. We repeated scripture we had memorized as children. And when our guide appeared, we had to make our need known. We have to be active participants in our own rescue/salvation. God gave the children of Israel real, tangible substance in their desert experience and he continues to work directly in our personal lives. Manna and water, fruit and water, Body and Blood.

Martye Groble

April 2‐ Good Friday .

Collect of the Day Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suf‐ fer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 22:1‐21 Lessons Genesis 22:1‐18, John 19:1‐37

In each of the scriptures appointed for Good Friday God the Father is in close commun‐ ion with his chosen ones.

David prays to God asking, ʺMy God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?ʺ He trusts in God to answer him, to help him, to deliver him and to save him. Psalm 22:1‐21

Abraham, in obedience, follows Godʹs call to him to take his son, Isaac, to the moun‐ tain as a sacrifice. As Abraham and Isaac climb the mountain Abraham answers Isaac’s question, “Where is the sacrifice?” with the assurance, “God will provide the sacrifice, my Son”. Genesis 22: 1‐18

Inseparable from God the Father, Jesus follows God’s call. Through his actions and words he reveals the heart of God and God’s will. His strength as he approaches then endures the excruciating pain of the cross expresses the depth and the breadth of his love, trust, and faithfulness to the fulfillment of God’s purpose. Jesus’ last words re‐ corded by John in his gospel are “It is finished”. John 19:1‐37

God often speaks to us in subtle ways. It takes practice to hear the nuances of his words. To those who commit themselves to discovering His purpose and His calling for their lives God points the way with clarity and creates relationships grounded in love and truth. May we be quiet enough to hear His call and trust in Him to guide us.

“Speak to Him. Thou, for He hears, and Spirit with Spirit can meet—

Closer is He than breathing, And nearer than hands and feet”

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Cynthia Seagraves

April 3‐ Holy Saturday

Collect of the Day O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 130 Lessons Job 14:1‐14, Matthew 27:57‐66, John 19:38‐42

Psalm 130 Lord, I cry to you because I’m suffering so deeply.

Lord, listen to me.

Pay attention to my cry for your favor.

Lord, suppose you kept a record of sins.

Lord, then who wouldn’t be found guilty?

But you forgive.

So people will have respect for you.

With all my heart I wait for the Lord to help me.

I put my hope in his word.

I wait for the Lord to help me.

I wait with more longing than those on guard duty wait for the morning.

I’ll say it again.

I wait with more longing than those on guard duty wait for the morning.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord, because the Lord’s love never fails.

He sets his people completely free.

He himself will set Israel free from all their sins.

NIrV Kids’ Study Bible

Sometimes it’s hard to do the right thing at school. One day in P.E. I was supposed to run 2 laps, but I only ran 1. My teacher was surprised when I told her that I had fin‐ ished my 2 laps so quickly. I didn’t tell the truth and I had lied to my teacher. This

made me feel so guilty! I prayed and asked God to forgive me for lying. It’s such a re‐ lief to know that God will forgive me if I admit my mistakes and ask for his help.

Marlo Morales, 4th grade

It’s so easy to use the wrong words to hurt someone else’s feelings. You think that by calling someone by a hurtful name it’s going to make you feel better, but it really does‐ n’t. It only makes you feel worse because deep down inside you know you’ve done the wrong thing. As Christians, we need to stop, take a deep breath, and ask God for help under pressure. Admitting that we have sinned and asking for forgiveness can be really hard. However, it is only through his love and mercy that God can help us per‐ severe and make the right choices.

Ry Morales, 6th grade

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 4129 Oxford Avenue Jacksonville, FL 32210 www.stmarksjacksonville.org