2017 Lenten Devotional Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church
Introduction Dear Friends, You may notice some differences in the outline and format of this year’s devotional guide through the season of Lent. In previous years, we have invited reflection on a different biblical text for each day. This year, with the longer encounters of Jesus in the Gospel of John serving as our primary reading, we decided to use one scriptural text for each week instead. This has allowed for multiple voices to speak to each text around the central theme of Encountering Jesus. For as in the gospels, we too meet Jesus in varied ways at different times and seasons in our lives. We are grateful to the writers and artists who have explored these themes of encountering Jesus in prayer, during times of trial and uncertainty, in community and our common work for justice, in sorrow and in joy, and moving through Holy Week to the foot of the cross. We give thanks to our church’s communication team for compiling such a lovely and meaningful work for our worship and prayer at home during this contemplative season of the year. We encourage you to reread the weekly story assigned every day prior to reading the daily reflection. By repeated study and reflection, these classic stories of scripture can come alive for us in new ways. A detail glossed over at one reading can stand out and unlock a spiritual encounter at the next. Like turning a prism in sunlight, a fresh reading can turn a familiar old text to reveal new interplay of color, depth of hue and new meaning. We pray that these readings and reflections will deepen your reflection of encountering Jesus in your life, particularly during this journey through Lent toward Easter’s bright and glorious dawn. Grace and Peace,
The Revs. Agnes W. Norfleet & Rebecca Kirkpatrick
Ash Wednesday
Wednesday, March 1 The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21 1‘Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 ‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5 ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 16‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19 ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew The Piety 6:1-6; That 16-21 God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Thursday, March 2 Verses 6:1-6 remind us that simply doing a spiritual practice, such as almsgiving, prayer or fasting does not assure spiritual fruit. If our motive is self-serving, this erodes the spiritual value of the practice, whether our motive is to “be seen by others” or any other self-serving intention. This fits with the basic psychological truth that if my real motivation is self-serving, then my focus cannot also be on God. And focusing our attention and intention on God, rather than on ourselves, is essential for a practice to bear spiritual fruit and deepen our relationship with God. For me, this is most evident in prayer. Simply reciting rote prayers while my mind wanders to other preoccupations feels worse than useless. But saying the same prayers from the heart and with attention focused on God creates a deeply meaningful experience and relationship. Of course, our minds and motivations are complex and often beyond our control. Sometimes, we can only honestly acknowledge the distractions and pray to be free of them. Verses 19-21 offer a powerful image that summarizes the truth outlined in the preceding verses. We should choose those actions that accumulate “treasure in heaven” (for which lasting peace and joy on earth may be our best guide), rather than “treasure on earth” (transitory pleasures that soon decay or otherwise dissipate). We know from experience that most self-centered activities yield only transitory pleasure, not the lasting joy of “treasure in heaven.” When we practice spiritual disciplines, focusing our intention on God, rather than on any self-centered benefit can help us realize the “treasure in heaven.” - Patricia Danzon
Today please pray for the Weekday school staff, teachers and students as they grow and learn together each day. 4
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew The Piety 6:1-6; That 16-21 God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Friday, March 3 This passage from Matthew causes me to reflect on the value of humility, which seems so lost in our modern world of social media and celebrity worship. It also causes me to reflect on how I react to those who seem to be lacking in humility. How tempting is it to react with anger and disgust, or even envy, rather than to turn my own thoughts to God, who is watching in secret, and to focus instead on my own behavior? In each example, rather than merely condemning the hypocrite, Jesus gives us the counter example for the faithful to follow. And as is often the case with Jesus, the example is not so easy to follow. Sure, I do not blow the trumpet when I give to charity, but I do let my name be listed among the donors, sometimes by category for the amount of the donation. Am I giving my alms in secret? I do not shout out my prayers in the church and on the street corners, but how much do I pray to God, even in secret? And fasting may not be a religious practice for modern Christians as it was for the faithful Jews in Jesus’ day, but how many times have I worn my suffering on my sleeve and complained about it to others? - Steve Udicious
Today please pray for the members of our Children and Family Ministry Council and their work to create classes, fellowship opportunities and community for all our children and their parents and grandparents. 5
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Saturday, March 4 The hypocrites in Jesus’ instructions depend on a trumpet to advertise their gifts. In our society, they would probably be given naming rights for the temple, or at least a plaque beside the main entrance. The rest of us receive unsolicited decals, name labels or tote bags to encourage or remind us to give generously. It’s all very impersonal and not very emotionally satisfying. A few years ago, however, when we were coming home from vacation, we pulled into a small rest stop. As we approached the entrance, I noticed a young woman holding a sign and crying, but she also seemed embarrassed and turned her sign away. We went inside, but I wanted to help so I squished up some bills, walked out to the girl and palmed the money into her hand, saying I hoped things would improve. I was rewarded by the most beautiful smile; the muscles in her whole face relaxed. I think this is the kind of giving of which Jesus would approve. - Pinkie Hamilton
Today please pray for the members of our Youth Ministry Council as they work together to lead our youth and their families in study, worship, service and fellowship. 6
First Sunday in Lent
Sunday, March 5 Temptation in the Wilderness - Matthew 4:1-11 4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ 4But he answered, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’ 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’ 7 Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ 10Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’ 11Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
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Temptation in the Wilderness - Matthew The Piety 4:1-11 That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Monday, March 6 For me, the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness is multi-layered and has meant different things to me at different times on my spiritual journey. Jesus was led into the wilderness, a name that suggests a place without God. There was a time many years ago when I questioned the presence of God. As a young adult entering the profession of social work, I witnessed a new depth of human suffering. How could there be a God who allowed so much suffering? Surely if God were real, I rationalized, God would turn these stones of suffering into the bread of life. Fortunately, even with my doubts, I could not stop praying, prayers that were full of sorrow and cries for help. In an unanticipated way, God answered those prayers, and I found my way back into a sense of God’s abiding presence. As the years have passed, my understanding of faith, of God, and of my relationship with God has evolved. I now know that I needed to see the suffering of many, and I also know that God did not abandon me during my time in the wilderness. A quote by Lady Julian of Norwich, a 14th Century Christian mystic, has helped me, “First there is the fall and then we recover from the fall. Both are the mercy of God.” All is Grace. - Karen Dunkman
Today please pray a prayer of thanksgiving for our Sunday School teachers, giving thanks for their commitment of time and energy as they fulfill the promises we all make at Baptism to teach the faith to our children. 8
The Piety That God Rewards - MatthewTemptation 6:1-6; 16-21in the Wilderness - Matthew 4:1-11
Tuesday, March 7 One evening when I was visiting a friend in a hospital, I met a woman who had just lost her husband to cancer. After we had talked for a while, she reached out her hand and touched mine. She said, “Sometimes I’m tempted to believe God has forgotten me. Then I think about the promise of baptism. I remember that I’m part of a community that affirms God’s love for me, even when I can’t.” It is no coincidence that Matthew’s Gospel places the narrative of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness right after his baptism in the Jordan River. Only a few verses earlier, the divine voice had proclaimed, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” (3:17) God makes a declaration of love, and the deceitful forces of the world immediately issue a rebuttal. Jesus is tempted to forget God’s love for him. He is enticed by the all-too-human hunger for the false hope, fleeting fulfillment, and illusory security that worldly power offers. Despite the allure of these things, Jesus’ response to the tempter’s injunctions offers instructive hope. In being baptized, he had taken part in a communal affirmation of God’s promised love in the face of temptation’s challenge. His faith brought him assurance during his wilderness journey. Christians don’t get a free pass on temptation, but we, like Jesus, do approach it with the memory of God’s promise, even if we can’t recall our baptism. There will be moments when you are tempted to settle for material comfort, physical safety, wealth and power instead of resting in God’s love. There will be times when you feel that God has forgotten you. When these moments come and you find yourself in the wilderness, remember baptism’s promise. Remember that you are part of a community that affirms God’s love for you, even when you are tempted to believe otherwise. - David B. Smith
Today please pray for our youngest children at BMPC - infants, preschoolers and Kindergarteners as they take their first steps of faith, learn the language of faith and experience their first moments of Christian community. 9
Temptation in the Wilderness - Matthew The Piety 4:1-11 That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Wednesday, March 8 We are living in a time of unprecedented temptations. In just the time it took to write this reflection, I was “tempted” by email offers from Gap, Costco, Amazon, American Airlines, Comcast, Nikon, Chase, and Hilton Honors. The language of these offers was filled with words like “share,” “reward,” “escape,” “exclusive,” and “deals.” All I have to do to gain happiness and satisfaction is succumb to these offers. The tempter’s offers to Jesus aren’t so different from these email offers; Jesus is urged to turn stones into bread so that his famine from fasting could end. He is challenged to prove himself by jumping off a temple. Jesus is promised the most splendid kingdoms of the world if only he would worship the tempter – the devil. The word “tempter” comes from the Greek word “diabolous,” which means to split apart. The devil’s goal in our scripture was to split Jesus apart from God. That is the devil’s intent for each of us. Our every hour is filled with temptations that take time away from church activities. Finding time for prayer or spiritual studies becomes more challenging. Sadly, time with friends and family grows ever more elusive. How can we meet these temptations as followers of Christ? I believe the key thing for us to do is to be alert. A single temptation will likely not ruin us. But over time, temptations have a way of adding up and turning into a world of trouble. Remember that God is not the tempter; God is the answer to temptation. Turn from temptation and toward God, and you might find yourself surrounded by angels. - Jeffrey Brillhart
Today please pray for our elementary school children, that they may be safe at school and at home, and that they may continue to grow in their faith. 10
The Piety That God Rewards - MatthewTemptation 6:1-6; 16-21in the Wilderness - Matthew 4:1-11
Art by Suzanne DuPlantis
Thursday, March 9
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Temptation in the Wilderness - Matthew The Piety 4:1-11 That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Friday, March 10 Who begins a ministry by emptying oneself of self-importance and coming face-to-face with the bare-bones version of himself? Left to choice alone, not many recent seminary graduates or newly commissioned mission co-workers would choose this path. As church members who previously supported me as Lilly pastoral resident, and now in this venture as a mission co-worker, many of you might not know that I am still tempted to take the Cathy-led path and forsake the Spirit-led path. Filled up with the right pedigree, right degrees, right demographics, everything seems to go my way. Filled up with all the right things, but not being led by the Spirit, still leaves me empty. During these earliest months of living in the Philippines, we have met people and experienced our surroundings and tried not to judge the cultural context from our outsiders’ perspectives. Lacking a full command of the culture or the language leaves me feeling incomplete. Still, this is where I begin each day, emptying myself and trying to follow the Spirit’s leading. Each day during personal prayers, each Sunday during the prayer of confession, and during this Lenten season, the Spirit is leading us through the wilderness. What do I do with my empty, incomplete self? Have I filled up my life with self-importance? Will I heed the voice saying that there is another way to lead my life? May these questions and answers lead you through paths that are both self-emptying and fulfilled-with-God. - The Rev. Cathy Chang, Mission Co-Worker in the Philippines
Today please pray for our youth in middle school and high school as they encounter more and more of the world around them, may they have courage, imagination, and love. 12
The Piety That God Rewards - MatthewTemptation 6:1-6; 16-21in the Wilderness - Matthew 4:1-11
Saturday, March 11 The holy Bible is full of stories in which it is left up to the reader to interpret a message. Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, chronicled in the Synoptic Gospels including Matthew 4:1-11, is one such story. It is left up to us to determine if Jesus really went for forty days and forty nights without food, and what meaning this story might have. In the narrative, Jesus is tempted by the devil with food, unlimited riches, and prosperous kingdoms. However, Jesus keeps his faith and withstands the devil’s coaxing. This story spoke to me as a reminder that we should carry God with us through all of life’s trials. Life is full of temptations, even though the ones we will face are not as great as the ones Jesus did. As a student in high school, I’m constantly faced with issues of honor and integrity. It can be difficult not to cheat on a test or take shortcuts on assignments. In our lives, personal relationships can involve ethical dilemmas. Oftentimes, lying can seem like the easy way out. I sometimes catch myself exaggerating to make a story sound more interesting. We all encounter this type of temptation on a daily basis. Keeping God in our hearts, we can resist these temptations. But when we fail, our merciful God will forgive us for our sins. - David Niedzwicki
Today please pray for our Confirmation Students as they spend these days of Lent in their final weeks of classes leading up to their reaffirmation of baptism and becoming adult members of our congregation. 13
Second Sunday in Lent
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Sunday, March 12 Jesus and Nicodemus - John 3:1-17 3 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ 3Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ 4Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ 9Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ 10Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11 ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
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The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21Jesus and Nicodemus - John 1:3-17
Monday, March 13 I call it the Honors Chem stare. After 15 years, I know it well. At the end of a difficult lecture, I’ll ask “Any questions?” and get the look: eyes straight ahead, expressionless faces. These 10th graders could be contemplating paint drying. It’s a façade. They want to yell, “I have no clue. Help!” It took me years to figure out they don’t fear me; it’s their classmates. Showing ignorance in a high-level class is the ultimate academic taboo. These students came to mind as I contemplated Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night. It’s after school. None of his colleagues can know of his ignorance. I hear plaintiveness in his question, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” He’s genuinely confused at a “teachable moment.” Jesus lays the truth on him. Nicodemus listens hard, but you hear his incredulity and confusion. “How can these things be?” I picture Jesus smiling, gently chiding him. “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?” and then giving the real teaching. Would Nicodemus have heard and learned so deeply, had he asked the questions in the daylight with others around? Scripture does not record how Nicodemus responded, but perhaps, like Mary at the Annunciation, he left his 5-minute encounter with Jesus pondering these things in his heart, because later in John 19:39, we read how he helped Joseph of Arimathea prepare Jesus’ crucified body for burial. - Paul Burgmayer
Today please pray for all those involved in our Upward Basketball ministry including participants and youth and adult volunteers as they come together to create a space of hospitality and welcome for our greater community. 15
Jesus and Nicodemus - John 1:3-17The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Tuesday, March 14 The two passages in John 3:1-17 which are most recounted are, of course, those at the very end, John 3:16-17. Quite honestly for me, Nicodemus was just the lead-up and was overshadowed by 3:16. His was a nice story of yet another Pharisee set straight by Jesus. So, given this assignment, just how does Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus bear any resemblance to mine? Nicodemus was, after all, “religious,” pious and certain in his beliefs. He knew the law to a T. Yet, despite all his knowledge and convictions, uncertainty and confusion began to creep in as he tried to grapple with the things Jesus was telling him about being born again of water and the Spirit. When it comes to my faith, I, unlike Nicodemus, am comfortable with shades of grey. Never have I had to put it all in a neat box. I do, however, share, at times, the darkness in which Nicodemus walked, as well as his uncertainty. I grapple with what scripture tells me, but through it all, I rely on the assurance that Christ, through the power and mystery of the Holy Spirit, continues to feed me, guide me and draw me ever closer to him. I’m not a biblical scholar. I don’t have all the answers, but I accept this gift of the Spirit with profound gratitude and, borrowing the closing words from the Rev. Dr. Gene Bay’s sermon, On Caring and Dying, “trust, trust, trust.” - Peggy Gregg
Today please pray for those engaged in the work of Presbyterian Women at BMPC, providing opportunities for service, study and fellowship for all women of our congregation. 16
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21Jesus and Nicodemus - John 1:3-17
Wednesday, March 15 My first doctoral class in philosophy of education. I’m prepared. I’ve read the textbook. So when the professor asks a question, up shoots my hand. I’ve got this one. But he doesn’t even let me finish my run-on answer. “That’s too textbook—think for yourself, see what you come up with,” he growls. Obviously, my paraphrase is immaterial. For the rest of class, I struggle to make sense of his philosophizing. He bobs and weaves, touching on John Dewey, Michael Polanyi, the Triune God, three types of knowledge-episteme, techne, doxa. I don’t get it. He might as well be talking about where wind comes from. Resisting the urge to traipse into the bursar’s office and demand my tuition back, I return to class the following week. Someone informs me Professor Willers is degreed not only in Philosophy and Greek but also Divinity. Which explains his lecture on the distinction between pisteuo (to believe) and processive faith. Faith that grows from baby stepping to puddle hopping to chasm leaping. Then he takes a leap of his own by tying belief in God to teaching and learning, with some Maurice Merleau-Ponty thrown in to break his fall. And voila, he makes faith the springboard for action. I leave class grousing about the futility of the philosophic endeavor. How can these things be - these heavenly things mixed with earth. I’m baffled. On the edge, teetering. If only I weren’t lugging this backpack jammed with absolutes and certainties. - Joyce Munro
Today please pray for our Adult Education Council and all those who help to maintain our Library and their work to help us all continue to grow and even be stretched in our faith throughout our entire lives. 17
Jesus and Nicodemus - John 1:3-17The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Art by Patti Hallowell
Thursday, March 16
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The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21Jesus and Nicodemus - John 1:3-17
Friday, March 17 In college, I was part of a multi-faith dialogue group that connected student leaders from each of the religious traditions represented on campus. After a year of serious and difficult conversations, we decided to plan something fun. The multi-faith lock-in was supposed to be an easy retreat where students from different traditions shared their favorite youth group activities, pizza and a funny movie. The evening changed as the movie ended and someone asked, “What does it mean to be “born again”? Even with the six Christians in the room, we couldn’t agree on a definition. One woman described the intense moment when she accepted Christ at a revival. Another remembered being told that his faith wasn’t “real,” because he didn’t have that “born again” experience. What started as a Christian conversation began to grow. Jewish and Muslim students shared the unofficial measures that were used to judge another’s faith. The Buddhist, Unitarian, Hindu and even the Druid students continued the conversation, sharing their own stories. While there was laughter, there was also an unnamed fear that somehow our practices, even our faith, fell short. We asked each other, “What is enough?” A quiet senior shrugged, “Isn’t that between you and God?” I read the story of Nicodemus and am reminded of that long night sitting with friends in honest conversations about faith. Sometimes we need the cover of night and a conversation partner that avoids predetermined answers in order to face the hard questions and be reminded of grace. - The Rev. Rachel Pedersen
Today please pray for our Outreach Committee and the work they are doing to support our mission partners in Greater Philadelphia as they advocate for children and communities. 19
Jesus and Nicodemus - John 1:3-17The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Saturday, March 18 So we need to be “born again”? That reminds me of an experience I once had on an airplane. The man next to me noticed my book about faith and expressed delight that I was also a Christian. He asked about my “birth” date: the day I was born again. When I said I didn’t have one, I was told I wasn’t REALLY a Christian (and he tried to “save” me in the next hour). It was frustrating that I couldn’t successfully defend my faith to him. My life had been a journey of seeking, finding, and continually rediscovering the love of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I was a believer! As a teenager, I had prayed for that belief. It took a decade and the birth of a child for me to find it, but I never stopped wanting a relationship with God. What made the difference? Finding a church… and then joining others (including BMPC) as we relocated. Attending worship, listening to sermons, and being part of discussion groups and Bible studies helped me understand who God is, as revealed by Christ’s teachings, and who God wants us to be. I showed up and I worked at it, and my questions turned into trust, and my doubt turned into joy. Now, I know God is with me. Christ restores my soul and blessed assurance is within easy reach – all I have to do is pay attention and “listen to the wind.” “So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Amen! - Donna Barrickman
Today please pray for our Peacemaking Committee and their work to bring awareness around gun violence, mass incarceration and income inequality in our communities and around the world. 20
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Third Sunday in Lent
Sunday, March 19 Jesus and the Woman at the Well - John 4:5-30; 39-42 5 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. 8(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ 11The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ 13 Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ 15The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’ 16 Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come back.’ 17The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, “I have no husband”; 18for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!’ 19The woman said to him, ‘Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.’ 21Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
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Jesus and the Woman at the Well -The JohnPiety 4:5-30; That39-42 God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ 25The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ 26Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one who is speaking to you.’ 27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ 28Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ 30They left the city and were on their way to him. 39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.’
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The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew Jesus and 6:1-6; the16-21 Woman at the Well - John 4:5-30; 39-42
Monday, March 20 What would it be like to talk with Jesus alone, away from the disciples, away from the crowds? An unnamed woman from Samaria had the experience. She told her friends. Now she tells us. As she was drawing water from the town well, she was addressed by a Jewish man traveling through the area. She was completely surprised. She responded, and they had the most important conversation of her life. He proved to be a light-hearted, intelligent, insightful, wise and compassionate religious man. He seemed to be a prophet like Elijah or Elisha or Jeremiah. It started off with misunderstandings. He spoke about the water of eternal life. She thought he meant the water in her jar. He asked to meet her husband. She said she had no husband. His answer shocked her to her core. Yes, he was a prophet. Flustered, she asked where it is proper to worship. He replied, “God is Spirit” that is everywhere to be worshiped in “spirit and truth.” They continued to talk until his friends arrived. Forgetting her precious water jar, she hurried home, told her friends, and they followed her back to the well. Are you afraid to meet Jesus, who knows all about the real you? Fear not! You will find a man who was ahead of his time then and who is also ahead of our times right now. Perfect love casts out fear. As we cast out our fears, we can love God, our neighbors and ourselves. - The Rev. Dr. Paul C. MacMurray
Today please pray for our Environmental Justice Committee and their work to educate our community on issues of stewardship, Earth care, and our place as creatures in God’s creation. 23
Jesus and the Woman at the Well -The JohnPiety 4:5-30; That39-42 God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Tuesday, March 21 Through my spiritual direction, I have learned about a technique called the “prayer of imagination,” which encourages reading stories in the Bible and putting oneself in the position of the stories’ characters. I have found this to deepen my appreciation of how the stories resonate with me and where I am in my life. Reading this story of the woman at the well, I put myself in her place. What immediately came to me was the incredible gift of being seen, known and accepted by Christ. I read recently that love is like prayer; it flows through us. I imagine that the look from Jesus toward the woman at the well that day was just that. From his gaze, she was known, accepted despite her status and difficulties, and completely loved. When I put myself in her place, I can feel that profound love for me. I can sink into it and rest there. “Letting in”-being fully accepted and known is not always easy for me. Like the woman at the well, I wonder how it is that such a powerful love is for me. Yet, when I do rest in it, I am flooded with gratitude and peace. - Sue Milbourne
Today please pray for our Hunger Committee as they work to reach out to those in immediate need in our community and Greater Philadelphia and all those who struggle with food insecurity. 24
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew Jesus and 6:1-6; the16-21 Woman at the Well - John 4:5-30; 39-42
Wednesday, March 22 The story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well makes me expect that Jesus might approach me at any time when I least suspect it. Do I question why this stranger is talking to me? Do I dwell upon the differences between myself and them? Do I recognize Jesus even as he begins to tell me my own life story? In being convinced that I have met Jesus, do I feel the need to go and tell my family and friends? Through the grace of faith, stories like this remind me to look for the living water in every soul I encounter. This becomes especially important when I meet someone who is strikingly different than me. If one’s race, religion, background, sexual orientation, politics, age, or attitude runs significantly counter to that which I am accustomed, I try to imagine that, in meeting this person, I am encountering Jesus at the well. Am I able to listen intently enough to hear the other person’s point of view? Can we learn to appreciate our differences? Can we practice tolerance? What can I say, or do, that will promote community? As the woman approached Jesus at the well, Jesus’ directive was simply, “Give me a drink.” I think we owe it to each other to find the things that draw us together. Lord Jesus, help us to remember that in providing living water to others, we, ourselves, will never thirst. - Jeff Swarr
Today please pray for the Worldwide Ministries Committee and all our national and international mission partners who seek to strengthen families, schools, hospitals, churches, and community organizations. 25
Wednesday, Jesus and theMarch Woman 1 ||atAsh theWednesday Well -The JohnPiety 4:5-30; That39-42 God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Art by Mary Hodgkinson
Thursday, March 23
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The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew Jesus and 6:1-6; the16-21 Woman at the Well - John 4:5-30; 39-42
Friday, March 24 Jesus desires to meet each of us, like the Samaritan woman, where we are and as we are. To me, meeting Jesus in community starts with a personal one-onone relationship with Him. He is there holding out His hand to each of us. All we have to do is take it! Much of my life, I did not take the time to develop this relationship. I did not spend much “alone time” with the Lord. After beginning Bible study with friends, I was inspired to read the Bible daily, reflect and pray. Each morning I come to God in prayer with adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. My day (usually) starts joyfully and worries are lifted! I am strengthened by meeting God and our Lord Jesus Christ in community through prayer and the word. I have noticed that this one-on-one relationship with Jesus has a ripple effect. Like the Samaritan woman who believed and spread the good news about Jesus, each of us can share our faith with the wider community. Even small gestures of love can bring a multitude of blessings. Last year I made a little book filled with favorite passages of scripture for a beloved friend who was dying. We loved reading it together. My husband and I have been mentoring a boy from our BMPC tutoring program for ten years. His name is Donavan, and we always end our conversations with “I love you!” God’s grace is at work wherever and whenever we meet Him in community. - Susan Thorkelson
Today, please pray a prayer of thanksgiving for all the volunteers who give their time and energy each week with our BMPC tutoring program. We pray as well for the children and families of the William Dick Elementary School. 27
Jesus and the Woman at the Well -The JohnPiety 4:5-30; That39-42 God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Saturday, March 25 Growing up, I always believed that everything happened for a reason. Growing older, I learned that these events not only happened for a reason, but in God’s time. As my faith deepened, I realized that God puts people in place to strengthen and guide me as I navigate the everyday moments as well as the challenging and difficult times. As a woman, wife and mother, it is not easy for me to ask for help or know that I am not in control of all situations. I am supposed to be superhuman and take care of it all, on time and within budget, no less. But cancer either does not agree with this or blatantly disregards it. During my battle with breast cancer, I learned quickly that I was going to need help and that I was going to meet Jesus at the well every day. Like the Samaritan woman, I had my faith, and was about to really know my experience with Jesus in community. I began to see the faces in my community. These faithful supporters, among many things, organized meals, constantly encouraged me and diligently prayed with and for me. They laughed with me when there was no other choice but to laugh, and they loved me through every day. These were my prayer warriors. Above all, they taught me, “God’s got this!” Simply stated, God provides. I am thankful to live in this community with Jesus and all the believers, knowing that others may see my face at the well, too. - Anne Montgomery Schmid
Today please pray for our Refugee Response Team who are preparing to welcome refugees to our community. May their generosity of spirit inspire our attitude of welcome and hospitality. 28
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Fourth Sunday in Lent
Sunday, March 26 Jesus and the Man Born Blind - John 9:1-41 9As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ 3Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ 9Some were saying, ‘It is he.’ Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ 10But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ 11He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.’ 12They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’ 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.’ 16Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided. 17So they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’ 18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19and asked them, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ 20His parents answered, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he
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Jesus and the Man Born Blind - John The9:1-41 Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21 was born blind; 21but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.’ 22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’ 24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.’ 25He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’ 26They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ 27He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’ 28Then they reviled him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ 30The man answered, ‘Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’ 34They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ 36He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ 37Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ 38He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped him. 39Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ 40Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ 41Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains.
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The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; Jesus 16-21 and the Man Born Blind - John 9:1-41
Thursday, March 27 I find biblical stories where Jesus speaks to one person to be inspiring. Although this passage begins with the miraculous healing of a physically blind man, the verses are more meaningful to me as a metaphor for spiritual healing. We arrive on earth with, at best, a limited knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. It is only through exposure to others of faith, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit that our own faith and love begin to grow. This growth requires risk-taking receptivity, and it takes courage to be led by that love rather than by fear. And that’s where trust comes in. Here the Pharisees were persons who chose to follow the accepted law rather than open themselves to new possibilities, and it is easy to find modern day equivalents. Rather than celebrate the healing, they chose to discount the act by finding fault with its timing. As a result, they missed out on the opportunity to learn. This formerly blind man had a surreal experience, first by speaking with Jesus in real time, then by being physically healed, and finally by simply acknowledging, “I believe.” We are invited to do the same: to speak with Jesus in prayer and song while having our eyes opened that we might see. A favorite hymn captures this, “Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me.” I am grateful for my faith and would not choose to live any other way. I realize that I have much farther to grow, and I believe the promise that I will be guided along the way. - Anna May Charrington
Today please pray for the staff and counselors of the Middleton Center. We give thanks for their daily acts of compassion and kindness, their ability to walk side by side with those in need, and their vision of wholeness and healing for a world and individuals in need. 31
Jesus and the Man Born Blind - John The9:1-41 Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Tuesday, March 28 When I was five years old, my parents realized that I was very near-sighted. They noticed that I was not seeing what other people were seeing. Then I got glasses, and the world came into much sharper focus. I have long believed that the Impressionist painters must have been nearsighted, because their beautiful, fuzzy landscapes looked like what I saw without my glasses. I also think that artist El Greco had an astigmatism, since he painted such elongated figures. Those examples underscore my conviction that good vision is more than good eyesight. Vision is what we see in our mind’s eye and what enables us to imagine the possibilities. Then, if we act on that vision, possibilities can become realities. My vision is of a nation where the promise of our democracy is fulfilled and “We, the People” are all equal. That’s why I named the national initiative I’m leading Vision 2020: Equality in Sight, with a focus on the year 2020, when we commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s voting rights. I have faith that shared leadership, economic security and increased civic engagement can bring America closer to the just and humane society Jesus envisioned and acted to achieve. When Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so those who do not see may see,” I think he meant that we must not only have faith, but act upon it, because some things must be believed to be seen. - Lynn H. Yeakel
Today please pray for the Senior Adult Council and their work to care for our older members. We pray for encouragement and joy, for fellowship and friendship in our relationships throughout our congregation. 32
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; Jesus 16-21 and the Man Born Blind - John 9:1-41
Wednesday, March 29 It is hard to imagine being born blind. It is equally difficult to envision suddenly receiving sight. As humans, our tendency is to believe in cause and effect. As our Gospel passage indicates, the prevailing view of the ancient culture held that a physical illness or limitation was due to the sins of the previous generation. The sins of a parent caused the suffering of a child, which was a fixed condition. Jesus offers a new perspective. Simply put, God can work miracles through mistakes. The miracle of sight given to the man born blind was a free gift. The gift he received operates much the same way that God’s grace does in our lives. We cannot earn God’s grace; we can only receive it. Our current circumstances are not permanent; grace can change our status. When receiving a gift, we typically express our appreciation. What can we do in response to the free gift of grace? We learn from the man who received sight that we can demonstrate gratitude through our testimony. We all have opportunities to testify to what God has done for us. Like the man who was given sight, we might never know everything about Jesus, but we can trust that he has the power to transform our future. May we each find opportunities to testify to the miracles in our lives. How have you experienced the gift of grace? Lord, may your grace transform our lives. Help us to see and celebrate what you do for us. Amen. - The Rev. Kellen A. Smith
Today please pray for our Membership Council and their work to provide welcome, hospitality and community to those who are new to our community of faith. 33
Jesus and the Man Born Blind - John The9:1-41 Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Art by Larry Arney
Thursday, March 30
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The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; Jesus 16-21 and the Man Born Blind - John 9:1-41
Friday, March 31 I’m struck by how invested the crowd and the Pharisees are in this man born blind not actually having been healed. The crowd discusses what has happened around him, as if he is not there. All the while, he keeps repeating that it is really him, the one they have walked by every day, giving him alms or not. He is truly healed. No one is pleased by this information. No one celebrates him. Even his parents are afraid to tell the story of their son’s restoration. The man born blind has been discounted from birth and blamed for his troubles. And there is nothing more disquieting than someone you discounted, someone you treated as invisible, someone who was a total nonfactor suddenly being recognized and respected, claiming a right to polite society. The formerly blind man tells his story and the Pharisees tell him that precisely because he had something to be healed from — precisely because his story begins with isolation and pain, he has no right to teach them anything. He is driven out. Once an outcast, always an outcast, healed or not. But Jesus comes to find him, and the man born blind hears the good news and believes it. The Pharisees, meanwhile, stand by refusing to consider that they have ever been blind, insisting on the divide — that they see and the man born blind is forever blind, wrong, and worthy of rejection. And, as is so often true, scripture allows the irony to stand for itself. - The Rev. Karen Rohrer, The Beacon Church
Today please pray for the elected leaders of our congregation our Elders, Deacons and Trustees. We ask God to give them wisdom and counsel, imagination and vision, and a sense of the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all of their work. 35
Jesus and the Man Born Blind - John The9:1-41 Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Saturday, April 1 In this story I am almost as fascinated with the meetings between Jesus and the man he heals as I am with the encounters between the man and the Pharisees. I can maybe count on one hand the moments when I have experienced a true encounter with Christ. In moments of hearing a call, or in moments of worship, or even in moments of spiritual epiphany, I have encountered and experienced the presence of Christ. But what is harder to handle is how I try to explain or justify my experiences of Christ to others - especially others who are as skeptical as the Pharisees. How can I articulate something that I myself am not sure I understand? How can I speak in universalities, when my faith is so deeply rooted in my own experience? How can I speak with confidence, when others have only experienced doubt? And yet as Christians, we are all called to witness not only to the good news as we read it in scripture, but to the ways our own lives have been transformed through an experience of Jesus Christ. I am not sure in the face of the Pharisees’ grilling and arguing that I myself could have been so confident and so articulate, but he is the kind of Christian and the kind of evangelist that I would like to be. In the end, I strive not to be caught up in the technicalities of God’s grace, but I try to witness to the fact that I have experienced it for myself. It is so beyond my understanding that in the end, my own response can be the same as this man’s: “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” - The Rev. Rebecca Kirkpatrick
Today please pray for the members of our Property, Technology and Communications Committees in their work to care for and tend the daily work of the church, caring for the legacy to which we have been entrusted, and helping us to share our ministry with the community. 36
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Sunday, April 2 Jesus and the Raising of Lazarus - John 11:1-15 1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ 4But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ 5Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ 8The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?’ 9Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.’ 11After saying this, he told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.’ 12The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.’ 13Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. 15For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ 16Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’ 17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ 23Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ 24Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ 25Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the
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Sunday, Jesus andApril the Raising 2 of Lazarus Jesus - The JohnPiety and 11:1-15 Jesus the That Woman and Godthe Rewards atMan the Well Born - Matthew -Blind John 4:5-30; - 6:1-6; John 9:1-41 16-21 39-42 life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ 27She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’ 28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, ‘The Teacher is here and is calling for you.’ 29And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ 35Jesus began to weep. 36So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ 37But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ 38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ 40Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ 43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’ 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
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The Piety That God Rewards - MatthewJesus 6:1-6;and 16-21 the Raising of Lazarus - John 11:1-15
Monday, April 3 I can relate to the story of Lazarus in a somewhat unusual way. When I was 19 years old, I worked in a “sheltered workplace” called Lebenshilfe as part of the then-compulsory service for men in Germany. It was a place where adults with various disabilities could do work fitting their abilities in a safe and supportive environment. There was Michael, who delighted in giving me a handshake every time he saw me, squeezing as hard as he could. I obliged, always wincing, as if in pain. But Michael was losing his battle with muscular dystrophy, and his handshake was getting weaker and weaker. There was also Regina, who could not say many words correctly but liked nothing more than hugging me. Former BMPC pastor Margaret-Ann Fohl once proposed that Lazarus might have been a man with special needs. After all, he lived with his sisters, yet was not the head of the household. He is not recorded to have ever said a word. And his name was Lazarus, “God is my help.” I like the idea, because I can so easily imagine Lazarus running to Jesus to give him a hug or squeezing his hand. And because it is so clear that Jesus loved him. I can imagine Jesus working his last and greatest sign with someone most humble and needy. I learned it when I was 19 and still learn it now as I age, that men and women with special needs are not so very different from me and I from them. Abilities and disabilities are often a matter of degree or a matter of age. My fear of losing abilities that I once had is met in this story by a Jesus who has compassion for the weak, love for the mute, and charity for the powerless, a Jesus who promises to raise us up, regardless of our own strength and deserving. - Klaus Volpert
Today please pray for all those in our community who are home bound. Help up to reach out to them in love and fellowship that they may be reminded of their vital role in our community. 39
Sunday, Jesus andApril the Raising 2 of Lazarus Jesus - The JohnPiety and 11:1-15 Jesus the That Woman and Godthe Rewards atMan the Well Born - Matthew -Blind John 4:5-30; - 6:1-6; John 9:1-41 16-21 39-42
Tuesday, April 4 Many times we are faced with hardship, illness, insurmountable pain and ask for help. Sometimes the help is apparent and right at our side. Sometimes we wonder if we are alone. Where is Jesus - as Mary and Martha tend to Lazarus, watch him die, grieve, mourn, and bury their brother? Broken-hearted, they know things could have been different. If only... if only Jesus were there, if only Lazarus wasn’t ill, if only he could have been saved, if only he hadn’t died. Jesus, too, is struck by the sadness of the loss – he weeps and feels the pain with us. In this passage, he also knows that this is all for the glory of God. When Lazarus comes out of the tomb, when Jesus makes Lazarus alive again, the crowd sees, knows, and believes. As the story ends, the plot comes into being to kill Jesus. Soon friends and followers will again be heartbroken, wondering “why” or “if only.” Again they will be amazed at the side of a tomb. Again they will know that death is not the final victor in Jesus, but part of an event that will glorify God. When we are at the hard places in our lives, the heartbreaks, the losses, the deepest moments of despair, sometimes we wonder if anyone is there with us. Has Jesus heard our pleas, has he come, will he come too late? We have all needed to learn that Jesus is there, weeping with us, and helping us to bear all that this human life sometimes heaps upon us. Jesus is there. - Kiki McKendrick
Today please pray for the ministry of the Main Line Adult Day Center. We pray for its staff as they provide care and companionship for their clients. 40
The Piety That God Rewards - MatthewJesus 6:1-6;and 16-21 the Raising of Lazarus - John 11:1-15
Wednesday, April 5 Lazarus is sick and dies before Jesus arrives in Bethany. Martha and Mary are confused and distraught that Jesus did not arrive in time to help their brother heal from his sickness. We have all had similar thoughts and emotions – why must a loved one suffer when we spend so much time in thought and prayer, asking for health and strength through difficult times? Being so incredibly moved by the trust Martha and Mary had in him, Jesus too is moved to tears and outwardly mourns the death of his dear friend, Lazarus. We have all shed tears and needed our grief or loss to be comforted – it is so poignant to see Jesus react in the same way. This story was the gospel reading at my grandmother’s memorial service almost five years ago; though not the most commonly read gospel passage at a memorial service, it is quite suitable for the occasion. The most wonderful event in this story happens when Jesus asks for the stone to be rolled from the tomb. Martha is skeptical, but when Lazarus emerges and is alive, her faith is restored. When I was struggling with the death of my grandmother after she spent three years suffering intensely, this story helped me come to terms with her death, knowing that she died truly believing in the resurrection. Even when we feel as though we have suffered a loss we might never get past, there is always a stone to roll away that will expose the example and life of faith Jesus lived for us. - Edward Landin
Today please pray for our Ushers, parking lot attendants, and Helping Hands Volunteers as they provide welcome and hospitality for the community every Sunday morning. 41
Sunday, Jesus andApril the Raising 2 of Lazarus Jesus - The JohnPiety and 11:1-15 Jesus the That Woman and Godthe Rewards atMan the Well Born - Matthew -Blind John 4:5-30; - 6:1-6; John 9:1-41 16-21 39-42
Art by Mary French
Thursday, April 6
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The Piety That God Rewards - MatthewJesus 6:1-6;and 16-21 the Raising of Lazarus - John 11:1-15
Friday, April 7 In this story, Jesus says to Martha while at Lazarus’ gravesite, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” We all have heard and subscribe to the truth that seeing is believing, but it is quite true for us as people of faith that believing is seeing. How is this true? The more we enter the life of faith, the more we can see God at its center and us as his beloved children. We become sensitized and aware of life’s deepest reality. A flower no longer is just pretty but is seen as the handiwork of God. A child is not just cute but a gift from God made in his image. A marriage is not mere human love but a union inextricably bound in God. Philip Newell, in his book A New Harmony, says we can live in the midst of a new consciousness, a way of seeing life’s basic oneness and interrelatedness. Despite an often apparent disconnect, we are one people sharing life experiences, joys, difficulties and brokenness. Like Martha, the deeper we believe, the more we will see this glory of God. - Barbie and David Heaton
Today please pray for our Sanctuary Choir. We give thanks for their dedicated work to lead us in worship each Sunday through voice and song. 43
Sunday, Jesus andApril the Raising 2 of Lazarus Jesus - The JohnPiety and 11:1-15 Jesus the That Woman and Godthe Rewards atMan the Well Born - Matthew -Blind John 4:5-30; - 6:1-6; John 9:1-41 16-21 39-42
Saturday, April 8 Upon arriving in La Oroya for the first time, my eyes immediately began to burn, and I could taste the metal on my lips. In this small Andean town long considered one of the ten most contaminated cities in the world, sits a smelter that emits up to 2 million pounds of toxins into the air every single day, leaving 99 percent of the children with lead flowing through their veins. The scorched earth scenes alone, due to years of acid rains, are enough to convince me that the people rest in a cavern of death. The oppressive tactics of the smelter´s billionaire owner and the cowardly inaction of the State are also enough to convince many of the residents to accept their inevitable fate. It was a funeral that Jesus attended that day in Bethany, but I often wonder if his tears were not so much out of sadness as perhaps frustration. After all, he had preached, taught and healed; his followers still did not understand. Jesus did not come to bow down to death, rather to stand up for new life! Remove the stone, he says. Confront the stench. Come out of the tomb. Set yourself free! Eight years later in La Oroya, I joined with a group of mothers at the local cemetery. We gathered not only to remember those who had passed away but to unite our voices in shouts for justice. Unafraid to stand up to the powers of death, they proclaimed new life. At the tombs of their loved ones, they had been set free. - The Rev. Jed Koball, Mission Co-Worker in Peru
Today please pray for our Children’s Choir, our Youth Chorale, and youth Bell Choir. We give thanks for their spirit and their joy. We pray that their voices will continue to grow strong. 44
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Palm Sunday
Sunday, April 9 The Triumphal Entry - Matthew 21:1-11 21 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ 4This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 5 ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ 10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ 11The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’
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Sunday, Holy Week April - Matthew 2 21:1-11
Jesus The Piety andJesus the That Woman and Godthe Rewards atMan the Well Born - Matthew -Blind John 4:5-30; - 6:1-6; John 9:1-41 16-21 39-42
Monday, April 10 What would we have done on the first Palm Sunday? Let’s put ourselves in the Disciples’ shoes… We have the advantage of hindsight and can be guided by the knowledge of 2,000 years and the entire cadre of events during Holy Week. Would we have had the conviction of faith to remain with Jesus, staying awake in prayer with him in the Garden of Gethsemane? Would we have run away for our own safety at the moment of his arrest? Would we have remained his disciple after the crushing desolation of Good Friday, and with the silence and stillness of Saturday? Would we have been among those to celebrate the joy and triumph of Easter morning? And to discover the certainty of his promise at the empty tomb? Jesus calls us to follow his path all the time and in all respects - through joyous triumphs and happy shared fellowship via new ministry relationships to challenging moments dealing with details and circumstances of today’s realities. While ministering to our brothers and sisters in Christ can indeed be challenging, there are few things more rewarding than doing Christ’s work in our world, working together in faith and the common bond of God’s grace. While ministering to God’s people can take us over rough roads or smooth, and from the hosannas of Palm Sunday to sometimes, while comforting others and sharing their pain, the lows of Good Friday, Jesus is always with us. We never work or walk alone. And if he walks with us, who can stand against us? - Morris Kay
Today please pray for our Stewardship and Nominating Committees. We give thanks for their work to remind us as individuals and as a congregation of the work to which we have all been called: to give of ourselves to God through our time, talents and treasures. 46
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Holy Week - Matthew 21:1-11
Tuesday, April 11 The culture we live in highly values individual achievements. We praise hard work and overcoming personal struggles, but often at the expense of asking for help when we need it. We can be too proud or competitive to ask for help, and sometimes even view needing help as a sign of weakness. In Matthew 21:1-11, however, when Jesus needed something, He simply asked for it. Jesus, the King of kings, was not too proud to make His needs known. Instead, Jesus called upon His disciples to fetch him a donkey when he needed one and found no weakness in asking for help. And though it is not always easy, we must remind ourselves to ask for help and call upon Jesus in our times of need. Do not be too proud; make your struggles known. God will always help you. - Anna Daley-Gibson
Today please prayer our Worship, Music and Fine Arts Council and their work to provide meaningful worship and help bring glory to God through art and music. We give thanks for their creativity and imagination. 47
Sunday, Holy Week April - Matthew 2 21:1-11
Jesus The Piety andJesus the That Woman and Godthe Rewards atMan the Well Born - Matthew -Blind John 4:5-30; - 6:1-6; John 9:1-41 16-21 39-42
Wednesday, April 12 When I read scripture, there are points in the story where all is going so well between humankind and God and I think, now is the time to stop, stop and not to continue on, because I know the wheels are going to come off. I remember the hopeful times — in the Garden of Eden before the serpent, King David’s rule before Bathsheba, and Jesus before Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, I celebrate Jesus’ entry through Jerusalem’s gates with loud hosannas, waving palms while All Glory Laud and Honor booms from the organ. If only the story ended here, because Holy Week is packed with journeys into dark places, but I know not to skip from Palm Sunday to Easter without spending time in the difficult and dark in-between. Often it is in the darkness that we learn what we need to know. We see dark places during Holy Week. We watch the disciples and see how demanding it was to follow Jesus. We see the actions of both Judas and Peter as they betray Christ; Caiaphas and Pilate, who succumb to power and corruption; Barabbas and Simon, the Cyrene, cross dodger and cross bearer; the two bandits who hope for redemption; the centurion and women who see and speak the truth, pointing to Jesus as son of God; and Jesus’ resurrection which is heralded, intentionally or not, by Joseph of Arimathea and the Roman guards. The dark in-between includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Saturday or the Last Supper, the crucifixion and the resurrection. In this week, we must navigate the darkness. But think of all that happens in the dark: a seed germinates, a baby grows in the womb, and Jesus is resurrected. The dark inbetween can be a life-giving way to spend our time. - M. Courtenay Willcox Today please pray for the members of the BMPC Foundation Board. We give thanks for their work to be good stewards of the gifts t which they have been entrusted, given to further the ministry of our congregation today and into the future. 48
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Holy Week - Matthew 21:1-11
Art by Mimi Johnson
Maundy Thursday, April 13
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Sunday, Holy Week April - Matthew 2 21:1-11
Jesus The Piety andJesus the That Woman and Godthe Rewards atMan the Well Born - Matthew -Blind John 4:5-30; - 6:1-6; John 9:1-41 16-21 39-42
Good Friday, April 14 How is it that we have come to call this day of days, good?! One of my friends in the church I last served was an orthopedic surgeon who had retired after a long and distinguished career. He was a member of a group of local physicians who gathered for a monthly lunch to read and discuss new research or some common interest in the wide range of medical science, and sometimes they shared their own papers on a particular topic. My friend was asked to lead the discussion during Holy Week, and he decided to research what happens to a person’s body during crucifixion. So excruciatingly painful was crucifixion that this old seasoned doctor could neither present the paper to his colleagues nor talk about the topic with me, his pastor, without weeping. The crucifixion of Jesus and any other who met that shameful, public execution was pure evil. The amazing thing is that in the face of Judas’ betrayal, the disciples’ denial, the religious leaders scheming, and the Romans’ execution by crucifixion, God does not turn a back on any of them. God’s saving act in human history, to break the bonds of sin and death, bears significance that transcends our understanding. That is how we have come to call this day, Good Friday. Easter Day will be here soon enough. Today is the day to listen to the echoes of last Sunday’s hosannas, to reflect on the suffering love of Christ to save us, and to ponder what great love endured the cross and grave, that we would never be alone in ours. - The Rev. Agnes W. Norfleet
Today please pray for our Personnel Committee and their work to manage and care for our entire staff. We give thanks for their good counsel and fare for the BMPC staff. 50
The Piety That God Rewards - Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Holy Week - Matthew 21:1-11
Saturday, April 15 And while we try to fly to heaven, to seek out God and learn the riddles of Creation, God holds a cross and lets it stand to point the way to Love and not so very far away, the answer to all mystery, is an empty tomb. - Dolores (Dodie) Martell
Today please pray for the staff of BMPC, and the varied work they do from administration to pastoral care, from caring for our facilities to caring for our souls. We give thanks for all the work that takes place each week both seen and unseen that helps us to be engaged in the work of the church every day. 51
Enrich Your Experience of Lent and Easter Ash Wednesday
Wednesday, March 1 • 5:30 p.m. Family Service in the Chapel with Imposition of Ashes. • 6:00-7:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Dinner served in Congregational Hall. Cost: $8/adults, $5/students and children. All welcome. • 7:30 p.m. Service in the Chapel with Imposition of Ashes.
Wednesday Vesper Worship
Wednesdays, March 8, 15, 22, & 29 Gather in the Chapel at 7:00 p.m. for a simple service of music, prayer, scripture and silence led by the pastors.
Sunday Lenten Study Fullerton Bible Study: Sun., March 5 through 26, 11:15 a.m.. Encounters with Jesus led by David Smith, who will lead us in a study of the stories from the Gospel of John that have shaped our Lenten Devotional and which will be the focus of our worship through the season of Lent.
Concerts & Recitals • Sun., March 5: Nathan Laube Organ Recital, 2:00 p.m., Sanctuary • Tuesdays, March 7, 14, 21 & 28. organ recitals in Lent, 12:00 p.m., Sanctuary
Holy Week Services
Palm Sunday, April 9 • 8:00 a.m. Worship with Communion, Chapel • 10:00 a.m. Worship with Children’s Palm Procession, Sanctuary. • 11:00 a.m., Breakfast, Congregational Hall, Egg Hunt, Gymnasium Maundy Thursday, April 13 • 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Labyrinth Walk, Gym • 5:30 p.m. Family Service with Communion, Chapel • 6:00 p.m. Simple Supper in Congregational Hall. Free will offering. • 7:30 p.m. Worship with Communion, Sanctuary Good Friday, April 14 • 8:00 a.m. - noon. Labyrinth Walk, Gym • 12:00 noon. Worship led by BMPC Youth, Sanctuary • 7:30 p.m. Jeffrey Brillhart performs Marcel Dupre’s The Stations of the Cross with poetry by Paul Claudel read by the Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet, Sanctuary Easter Sunday, April 16 • 6:30 a.m. Sunrise Service on the Front Lawn • 7:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast, Ed. Bldg. Lobby • 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 a.m. Worship with Choir and Easter Brass in the Sanctuary. The Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet preaching.
BRYN MAWR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 625 Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 | 610-525-2821 | www.bmpc.org