Lenten Prayer - Grieving

Lord,

Everywhere we turn we find stories of people plunged into grief from violence, tragedy, and life. It is painful, personal, and universal. It touches us all.

There is so much grief to be found that it overwhelms one’s ability to comprehend it. There is more grief than any of us can understand or address. And no matter how much we want to make it better for those who suffer, there is little we are able to do.

Grief is a process, not a state. Help us to be the comforters for those who grieve – a shoulder, an ear, an empathetic countenance. Give us the wisdom to accept our limits to ending grief, but also expand our compassion. Grant us patience. Build in us attention. Remind us that you are there with us when it surpasses our human capacities.

For grief and the grieving, Lord, we ask your comfort and your peace. And we seek your guidance.

Amen

Advent - Week 2 - Peace

Scriptures

Isaiah 11:1-10

Romans 15:4-13

Matthew 3:1-12

A few weeks ago, one of the passages (Nov. 24, Colossians 1:11-20) gave one of the most complete descriptions of who Christ was in the human form for his ministry on earth. This second week of Advent we get another thorough description of Christ and who he is when his kingdom is established.

The Romans passage continues the lesson from the first week concerning living differently than the rest of the world. Specifically it deals with the welcoming of Gentiles; however, we can understand it to mean that we are to welcome people of all backgrounds. Just as Christ transcended traditions and rules of that time, he expects us to look beyond our culture and comfort zone in cooperation with others. God expects us to seek peace with all people. As the Prince of Peace he desires that we live in peace.

Isaiah 11 gives us the description of Christ. Recounting his human lineage which gave him all the physical nature of humankind. Describing God’s characteristics in Christ, we see the complete nature of God in him. In his kingdom natural harmony prevails. Christ judges all humankind and peace so prevails that even animals we know to be predator and prey coexist side by side. The harmony intended for the creation finally comes to fruition.

This week as we celebrate the peace of Christ, we are challenged to imagine just what that peace means. When we truly embrace God’s direction to welcome all people, we approach the vision from our imagination.  Advent guides us through anticipation of the Lord’s return, but even as we work through the anticipation, we are reminded that until that day comes, we are charged with providing an example of that coming kingdom in our lives.

Third Sunday in Lent

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Isaiah 55:1-9 Psalm 63 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Luke 13:1-9

Today’s Reflection: The Lenten season coincides with the start of gardening season - at least in my part of Texas. In recent months fruit trees have been pruned and garden beds readied for planting. Part of that preparation requires clearing out last year’s dead plants and fertilizing the ones that remain from previous years. The garden simply does not function well without this care. The passages today consider preparation we have to do in order to be faithful followers of Christ. One of the most familiar passages in Isaiah, 55:1-9, has always comforted me in times of trouble and troubled me in times of comfort. Verses eight and nine provide a pathway to peace when we are overwhelmed by the nature of a circumstance and desperately seek answers. Any other time I read the passage I wonder if it is not just God’s trump card keeping us submissive pawns as he plays with his creation. His ways and thoughts are so much higher we will never understand. Many other passages that attempt to explain God’s actions offer us a chance to understand at some point in the future: these verses withhold such hope. Fortunately these verses in Isaiah are not the only ones in the Bible that address the rationale for God’s actions. The passage in 1 Corinthians cites numerous instances when people (mis)behaved and God smote. We are encouraged to pay close attention to God’s actions in our lives because in even the most troubling time for us, God offers salvation from the trial. Much like the passage in Isaiah, we commonly turn to verse thirteen when we face overwhelming situations, and fortunately, it gives us the sustaining comfort we need. The closer we draw to him in his actions, the better chance we have. Jesus was often surrounded by seekers - people with theological questions attempting to get the answers. In the passage in Luke they asked about the sins of some who had been executed by Pilate. Contemporary teaching informed that those who suffered suffered in response to the sin and their degree of suffering reflected the degree of sin. Jesus refutes this with several other examples and a parable. In an era of sustenance farming, the farmer [famer = God] could not afford to have a fruitless tree [tree = sinful humanity] in his orchard and ordered such a tree be cut down, but the gardener (gardener = Jesus) intervened and asked for a chance to work the soil [work the soil = Christ’s ministry] and fertilize [fertilizer = knowledge] to see if it would turn fruitful. We do not know the outcome for the tree. The outcome for us remains undetermined as well. As we have been loved by Christ and learned about his ways and expectations, our fruitfulness still varies. Some have born plentiful fruit and others have remained barren. Many passages in the Bible offer comfort and create concern as they lead us to reflect on our relationship with God. The passages today, appropriate for the Lenten season, insist that we examine our relationship with God and determine what we need to do to make it the relationship God desires.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org

Holy Week - Maundy Thursday

Today’s Scriptures: Psalm 102, 142, 143 Lamentations 2:10-18 1 Corinthians 10:14-17, 11:27-32 Mark 14:12-25

Today’s Question: How can I find peace when everything around me is going wrong?

Today’s Reflection: The past week has been one of the most challenging weeks of my life. Due to state testing requirements, I worked fourteen or more hours most days to make sure everything was best for the testing environment. On top of it, one of my students, a classmate to those being tested passed away. Added to that, my childhood next-door neighbor and father to my childhood best friend suffered a massive stroke that will likely lead to his death in the next few day. My emotions are torn in more directions than I can begin to manage. As I read today’s passages, I wept uncontrollably at times, but came away with such an overwhelming sense of peace and holding a faith deeper than it was yesterday. In the Psalms, David requests demands God’s protection for himself as persecutors surround him. He is one of my favorite Bible personas because as much as I endeavor to do good, I fail. David’s flaws, and the challenges he faces because of them, are presented in the Scripture – no whitewashing there.   I try.   But I fail.   The theme fills today’s passages.   And then God is there to pull me from the abyss. It happens in Psalms, Lamentations, Corinthians, and Mark. No matter my trouble. No matter my grief. No matter my despair. No matter my sin. God is there for me. That is the message for this Maundy Thursday. Despite knowing the torture he would shortly face, Jesus continued his lessons with the disciples, demonstrating how real the love of God is for all who believe in him. Weeks like this week reinforce every part of my faith and deepen it. I am thankful these weeks do not happen very often, but can accept them, with a degree of grace when they do.

Today’s Prayer: Let us be comforted with your ever-present strength and assurance.