LENT DEVOTIONS, Week 6

Written by Rev. Kazimiera I.H. Fraley and Rev. Christy Gunter Leppert for Mulvane Church of the Nazarene and Trinity Church of the Nazarene.

* * * *

Daily Meditation One

Isaiah 50: 4-9

What a wonderful way to live! To know God awakens you each and every morning so you might listen as God speaks and you might learn as God teaches; in order that you might be the person God is calling you to be.

God help you. God will not allow you to be disgraced. God is with you. God is walking alongside of you; journeying with you through each day, teaching you, guiding you, and instructing you. All you need to do is listen, learn, and allow yourself to be guided. Walk with Christ. Follow Christ as he makes the journey toward the cross. He walks close by as you walk the roads of your life.

Reflection Questions
In What ways is God with you today?

How is God teaching you and guiding you today?

Prayer
God, I turn my face to you. Teach me; I am listening.
Thank you for walking alongside of me.
I am completely dependent on you.

Weekly Action
Spend some time thinking and praying about one way which you can give Jesus the glory he alone deserves this week. Set time aside to do this, in this way you can wave your palm branch and sing to the one who brings you salvation.

* * * *

Daily Meditation Two

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Give thanks to God! God loves you and will always love you.

Do you ever really stop and thank God? Thank God for giving you life? Thank God that your belly is full and there is food in your pantry and cupboards? Thank God you do not have to worry about where you will sleep tonight or how you will stay warm?

Thank God because God loves you and has blessed you. God has blessed you and often times we do not pause to think about it. Thank God because God “saves” you. Thank God because God’s love fills your life and because that love blesses you and make you blessed.

Reflection Questions
How has God blessed you today?

How will you thank God for blessing you today?

Prayer
Thank you Lord for loving me; for food, for shelter, for your compassion, and for your salvation. Thank you for who you are—the God who loves boundlessly.

Weekly Action

Spend some time thinking and praying about one way which you can give Jesus the glory he alone deserves this week. Set time aside to do this, in this way you can wave your palm branch and sing to the one who brings you salvation.

* * * *

Daily Meditation Three

Philippians 2:5-11

Let the mind of Christ be in you. Think the thoughts of Christ. Out of those thoughts allow the actions of Christ to come forward. You would then be doing the actions of Christ in this world.

If we band together, a group of us, all with the mind of Christ, all of doing the action of Christ, then, then we would be the Church! We would be the church thinking like Christ, acting like Christ, so the world may see Christ in us, living in us, acting in us, so they may know Christ through us. Living this passage in Philippians is what it means to be called by Christ’s name, to be called Christian. This is what is means to be a church; to be the Church.

Reflection Questions
How can you be Christ in your daily routine? How would that change your life? How would that change your church? How would that change your world?

What unselfish thing is God asking you to do—even if it kills you?

Prayer
Lord God, grant us the endurance to be unselfish like you. To give ourselves up, even to death. To follow your call for our lives, even when we feel like nothing—and know we are nothing but ash.

Weekly Action
Spend some time thinking and praying about one way which you can give Jesus the glory he alone deserves this week. Set time aside to do this, in this way you can wave your palm branch and sing to the one who brings you salvation.

* * * *

Daily Meditation Four

Mark 11:1-11

Who was the crowd greeting that morning? To whom were they blessing and singing praise? Were they greeting a great military conqueror; who would save them from Roman rule with a mighty hand? Were they praising a man who came and did mighty works and spoke great wisdom?

NO this was not who rode the colt that day. Perhaps this was the one they thought they were singing and giving glory; but the one who walked in their midst, Jesus of Nazareth, was not the one they assumed he was.

Jesus was the God/man, journeying on his way to die, on his way to the cross, on his way to give it all up, so we might live.

Let us praise God for who God is and not praise God for who we think God should be.

Reflection Questions
How do you see Jesus?

Is it similar to the conquering hero the people saw in this passage?

Prayer
Lord, I cry Hosanna in my heart. You are the blessed one—who brings the Kingdom of heaven on earth. Hosanna. Hosanna. God saves.

Weekly Action

Spend some time thinking and praying about one way which you can give Jesus the glory he alone deserves this week. Set time aside to do this, in this way you can wave your palm branch and sing to the one who brings you salvation.

* * * *

LENT DEVOTIONS Week 5, Covenant and Renewed Covenant: The Covenant of Our Hearts

Devotions written by Rev. Kazimera I.H. Fraley and Rev. Christy Gunter-Leppert for our congregations during the season of Lent.

* * * *

Daily Meditation One

Jeremiah 31:31-34

The heart of the covenant is, “I shall be their God and they shall be my people.”

God’s desire is for who we are to belong to God and for our belonging to God to define our lives. The covenant given to God’s people showed them what they would do if their belonging was lived out. Not only did they neglect and break this covenant but they allowed the guidelines of what covenant life looked like to define their lives.

God does not want people to simply live by a set of rules which can easily be broken but rather wants the covenant to be written on our hearts so our thoughts, words, and actions are born out of God being within us. God wants more than simply people being forced to conform to an outward standard. God wants us to be transformed.

Reflection Questions:
How is Christianity sometimes lived like an outward standard?

How can you allow God to write the covenant upon your heart?

How would this change the way you live?

Prayer:
God, I belong to you. And because I belong to you—you transform all of creation with who you are making me.
Write your promise to create me anew on my heart—so that I might be who you created me to be.

Weekly Action:
Write down the name of the first person you meet today, who is not a family member. Think about your interactions with that person. How did that person see God in you today? In what ways did they not see God? How can you change to be certain that people see more of God in you?

* * * *

Daily Meditation Two

Psalm 119:9-16

Hey you! Yes, you. Who else would I be talking to? Come here. I need to talk with you. I need to show you who I am. I need you to search for me, to seek after me, even when I seem to be hard to find. If you feel you cannot find me the first time, keep searching with your whole heart. I am always here. You will find me. And I will show you my love. I will teach you how to live like me; how to follow my ways and how to walk in my paths. Delight in my guidance, find joy in my teachings. Do not forget me. Do not forget what I have taught you.

With Love and Mercy,
God

Reflection Questions:
If God wrote you a letter what would write back?

What do you thing God would say to you?

What would be the important things you would want to tell God?

What would you want to ask God?

Prayer (Conversation with God):

God,
It’s me; the human. I am here. I am seeking you with my whole heart. I know you’re there. I love you and want to be like you.

Weekly Action:
Write down the name of the first person you meet today, who is not a family member. Think about your interactions with that person. How did that person see God in you today? In what ways did they not see God? How can you change to be certain that people see more of God in you?

* * * *

Daily Meditation Three

Hebrews 5:5-10

The God of creation came to the earth. Jesus Christ became one of us, and walked humbly through life, showing us how to live. He was of the order of Melchizedek; our passage here in Hebrews tells us. Christ is like Melchizedek, a priest who ministered to Abraham along his journey, in the fact that like Melchizedek, Christ has not earthly lineage. Nowhere in the Old Testament is Melchizedek’s lineage given. He is simply a priest of God. Christ who truly is not of this world is also a priest without a lineage; a priest who comes to this earth, ministers, changes everything, and then returns to the place form which he came leaving an everlasting impression. We are called to be like Christ, to leave an everlasting impression of God where ever we go.

Reflection Questions:
If you do not leave a Godly impression what kind of impression do you leave?

What can you do to leave a Godly impression everywhere you go today?

Prayer:
Jesus—thank you for becoming one of us, for suffering; for showing us how to live. May we be living reflections of you.

Weekly Action:
Write down the name of the first person you meet today, who is not a family member. Think about your interactions with that person. How did that person see God in you today? In what ways did they not see God? How can you change to be certain that people see more of God in you?

* * * *

Daily Meditation Four

John 12:20-33

Jesus said, “Whoever serves me must follow me,” and, “where I am, there will my servant also be.”

A group of outsiders asked to see Jesus. Instead of simply taking the people to Jesus, two of them discuss whether or not these people should get to see Jesus and then go and ask Jesus. Jesus does not give them a straight answer but tells them his servants are where he is and those who serve him follow him.

These people want to be where Jesus is; we might assume they want to follow Jesus. However because they do not fit these two disciples mold or understanding of who is worthy to be with Jesus, they are kept away.

Reflection Questions:
Are there people in your life, who if they asked you about coming to church with you, you would be hesitant about inviting them?

In what ways do you keep some people away from knowing and following Christ?

Prayer:
God, I want to serve you and follow you. I want to walk alongside others who serve and follow you—no matter how different they are from me.
May the grain of my heart die and bear much loving fruit for you.
I give up my life for you.

Weekly Action:
Write down the name of the first person you meet today, who is not a family member. Think about your interactions with that person. How did that person see God in you today? In what ways did they not see God? How can you change to be certain that people see more of God in you?

* * * *

John 2:13-16, Idolatry in the Church, Building our own Kingdom; Reflecting Ourselves

This is the sermon for Trinity Church of the Nazarene, delivered March 15, 2009-- Christy Gunter Leppert.

* * * *

On March 11, 2008, in a town in India, a little baby girl was born with two faces.

Yes. Two faces.

She has a rare condition where a single head has two faces. She has two noses, two lips, and four eyes. She can drink from both of her mouths and opens and shuts all her eyes at the same time, like we would with our two eyes.

Her names is Lali.

According to the news, this little girl was “swarmed by villagers” in a poor little town in India to be worshipped.

Yes, I said worshipped. They are even building a temple for her.


When was the last time, in America, you saw anyone worshipped as a god?

Never.
That stuff does not happen in America.

We do not build temples to children born differently.
We do not worship people in America.
We do not make people idols in America (except in singing TV shows)
We are good church people who do not worship idols!


In Exodus, chapter 20—we find a covenant of God for the people of Israel.
We often call it “the ten commandments.”

Verses 1-3 reads as follows: “Then God spoke all these words: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt where you were slaves. You must not have any other gods except me.”

Well, no problem- right?
We are good Christians who don’t do that sort of thing!
We do not have any idols before God.
Those people in India need those verses—but I don’t have an idol and I certainly don’t plan on having an idol.


When cultures around the world idolize a small baby girl because they think she is a goddess, they make her an idol.

But what does this have to do with us?We don’t go around idolizing small baby girls.
We do not need this scripture passage telling us not to have idols, to not have any other gods before Yahweh God.

We do not need this passage.
We are good Christian people, the good sheep, who don’t make other people idols.

OR DO WE?

Our scripture passage for this week comes from John chapter 2. Jesus is at a wedding in Cana where the wine runs out; what a tragedy.

And so the mother says to Jesus “we have no more wine!”
And Jesus takes these jars (or pots) used for purification and fills them with water and turns it into wine.

And then we come to our passage for today; John 2:13-16

Basically we have Jesus cleansing the temple.
We’ve all heard this story.

Every passion play and TV movie shows Jesus swinging around a whip, turning over cages, and chasing out greedy people from the temple.

We love it. There’s something so human about seeing Jesus angry.

But sometimes we miss what is going on here because we’re so excited about Jesus.
We miss that Jesus is cleaning the temple and shouting out with his actions—“this system of religion will not do.”

This system of religion will not do!

Jesus just turned the water into wine in the purification jars or pots.
PURIFICATION POTS.
Purification.
The temple is supposed to be the place that is pure and holy…

Do you see the huge irony?
Do you feel the massive amount of play on words here?
Jesus is becoming the purification pot for the temple.

The temple is supposed to be clean.
The pots are supposed to cleanse.

But the temple has space that is not clean.
This system of religion will not do anymore.

The kingdom they built and the system they’ve created there in the temple—will not do.
And Jesus came to cleanse it; to purify it.

To wipe away the idolatry… even in the temple.

To purify the tendency towards idolatry—towards the people in the temple building their own systems—their own kingdoms… putting themselves before God.


Ahh… so perhaps there are a whole lot of tendencies towards idolatry… even in America.

All too often, I’m afraid.

When we try to make our own systems and kingdoms within God’s church—This is idolatry.

If you want an example on what I mean… since the church and the temple are obviously good and holy places...
Take for example donuts.
Donuts are great. Donuts are awesome actually.
I love donuts.
Who does not love donuts?

Safely, I think we can establish donuts are not bad.

However, if I clothe myself in glaze, try to roll around like a donut, and try to BE a donut, then that is bad. I’ve made the donut an idol by trying to BE the donut and REFLECT the donut.
This is idolatry.

It is same for the Church of Jesus Christ.
If we try to clothe ourselves like we want, try to REFLECT ourselves and our own little kingdoms, and try to BE our own system… then we become an idol that merely reflects ourselves.


Jesus, in the temple that day, saw the dirty, rotten reflection of men and women using God’s house to raise themselves up.

The temple was supposed to be the one place where the nature of God was reflected to the people.

All the things of the temple were pure; the sacrifices were unblemished.
Everything inside the temple should reflect the holiness and purity of God.

But instead, Jesus found people trying to reflect themselves; people who created a system within the temple that did anything but reflect the beauty of God.

Jesus saw sin reflected in the Father’s house.
He saw the reflection of people’s selfishness.

The problem was not just money. The problem was not just buying and selling.

The problem was that the people were set up there in the place where God was—to further themselves and their own interest.

They were lifting themselves up next to God and putting their desire and interests before those of the one, true God.

They became an idol that merely reflects itself- like a mirror.

And we do the same thing, today in the Church of Jesus Christ.


So… if we don’t want to be an idol
By being a mere REFLECTION of ourselves in the Church—a reflection of what we want over what God wants….
Then what do we want to be?

What do we want to be if we do not want to be idols?


We want to be like icons.


What is an icon?
An icon is something that points beyond itself, to something that cannot be mastered.

I know this is really hard to understand so let me show you an icon (see the picture above).

Jonathan, our missionary, showed us a whole lot of icons from Romania last week.

In this icon:
I do not see anything about what I wish I was in someone or something on earth.
I do not see anything about myself reflected in this icon (like a mirror of what I see great about myself).

What I see in this icon…
Is it points beyond itself to God, something I can’t master or tell you what it is.

When I look at this icon
I see the nimbus around Jesus’ head (this circle thing) that points beyond itself as a symbol of his divinity.
I see Jesus’ fingers put together to separate them in a 2 and 3 pattern to point beyond itself and symbolize the trinity (the 3, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and the two natures of Christ (divine and human).
I see colors that point to something beyond itself in royalty. The gold symbolizes the holiness and purity of God.

This whole picture icon here, points beyond itself to something that cannot be mastered.

It does not reflect me as a mirror would; it reflects the Creator God.


Jesus, himself, was the perfect Icon.

Jesus was a reflection of the Father in his very life.
He did not reflect himself as if in a mirror but He reflected his Creator God (pointing to something beyond himself), as an icon attempts to do.

Jesus knew the will of the Father
And was ready to lay down his life (or what He wanted) for what God wanted.

Jesus was the perfect Icon.


REVIEW:

We are often quick to point out other cultures around the world who take part in idolatry. It’s so obvious they are making others idols.

We often skip over the fact we also have idols. We build our own kingdoms and systems in the Church—reflecting ourselves and what we want over God’s Kingdom and what God wants.

An idol is something that
a) Reflects what we wish we were
b) Reflects what we see of ourselves that we want to make great—what we want others to see about ourselves

When we participate in this type of idolatry we look a whole lot like an idol ourselves.
Idolatry is wrong. Exodus tells us, “have no other gods before me.”

We want to strive to be an Icon. An Icon does not reflect what we wish we were or reflect what we see of ourselves.

Jesus was the perfect Icon. His reflection was not of himself but of the Creator God. We know this because He was ready to give up what he wanted for what God wanted… even to the point of death.

Therefore:
We should not reflect ourselves. We don’t want to simply be mirrors.
We should strive to be like the perfect Icon, Jesus. We should try to live iconically. We should follow the example of Jesus and continue to give up what we want for what God wants… even to the point of death.

We need to be like the picture of an icon- where we point to something beyond ourselves in our daily lives, wherever we go, whomever we talk to… we point to our Creator God, whom we cannot master.

So let’s go from this place today, being icons of the Divine Creator God.


Let’s pray:
Dear Lord,
Forgive us for the times we become idols or make others idols.
When we build our own kingdoms, create our own systems, and chose what we want.
Forgive us for the times we participate in idolatry.
Change us.
Help us to become Icons for you, like Jesus.
Help us to not merely reflect ourselves or what we wish we were.
But help us to reflect you only, our Creator God; every day.
Thank you Lord.
Amen.

LENT DEVOTIONS Week 4, Covenant and Renewed Covenant:

Written by: Rev. Kazimiera I.H. Fraley and Rev. Christy Gunter-Leppert for Mulvane Church of the Nazarene and Trinity Church of the Nazarene.

* * * *

Daily Meditation One

Numbers 21:4-9

During this passage the people of Israel are still in the desert. God miraculously provided for them by sending food, daily, in the form of manna and quail. At first this amazed them but as time went by God’s daily miracles of provision became commonplace.

As time passed the miracles of God became the object of their hatred and they grumbled to God and to Moses; the leader God had provided for them. They went so far as to say there is “no food and no water,” and declared their food to be disgusting and inedible.

God sent the people a wake-up call to remind them who is in control. God was providing for them and God’s provision is always enough.


Reflection Questions:
What are three ways that God provides for you on a daily basis? Are there any moments in your life where God is not present and active?

Are there ways God blesses you by; putting different thing and/or people in your life?

Is it easy to overlook God’s commonplace miracle?

Do you ever resent the way God works in your life?


Prayer:
Lord God, you bless me daily by providing for me and taking care of me. I thank you for all the daily miracles that you provide for me. Help me to never begin to resent your actions in my life and to always be thankful that you love me and care for me. Help me to see you are present and working in every moment. Amen

Weekly Action:

Pick one day this week. Have a pen and paper handy with you all day long and write down all the ways that God provides for, takes care of, gives you joy, brings you happiness and blesses you today. Before you go to bed, look at that list carefully read it over. Think about al the ways that God has touched your life just today. Take time to thank God for all the things that God did for you just today. Ask God how you can learn to be more thankful for all the things God does for you.

* * * *

Daily Meditation Two

Psalm 107:1-3; 17-22

God is good. This is a basic understanding of the Bible. Because God is good we give God thanks and praise. We are the redeemed, those who love God, and those whom God gathered together. We are gathered in and from the places we wandered. We are the ones who were sick from our own sinful ways and God came to us and healed us. We are called to be delivered from our destructive ways. God redeems us, heals us, hears us. For all these things, we need to thank God and sing praise to God alone.

Reflection Questions:
What would YOUR song of thanksgiving and praise say? What words would you use? What things are you thankful for today?

Thank God for being a good God.

Prayer:
Lord God I praise you and thank you for who you are. I thank you for loving me and caring for me. I thank you for accepting me even when I fail and for forgiving me when I do wrong. I thank you for always being there to listen to me and to hear me when I speak. You truly are a great and mighty God and you alone are worthy of my thanks and praise. You are God and I am not. Amen

Weekly Action:
Pick one day this week. Have a pen and paper handy with you all day long and write down all the ways that God provides for, takes care of, gives you joy, brings you happiness and blesses you today. Before you go to bed, look at that list carefully read it over. Think about al the ways that God has touched your life just today. Take time to thank God for all the things that God did for you just today. Ask God how you can learn to be more thankful for all the things God does for you.


* * * *

Daily Meditation Three

Ephesians 2:1-10

You were dead. You were ashes; nothing but the burnt remains of something that once was. You followed the air. It did not take you anywhere. It blew you one way and then another. You lived in death; out the decaying passions leading only to ashes.

BUT even in your death and even in your ashes Christ, through his immeasurable love and undeserved favor toward you, reached from his place of Glory and raised you up out of the ashes. He dusted you off and placed you at his side. He wiped you clean and made you pure.

He did this not because of anything you did or anything you could do, but because he loves you. He adores you. He makes you good as he is good and recreates you into a new being.

Reflection Questions:
How do you live in death?

How does Christ make your new?


Prayer:
God, I am nothing but ashes—blowing in the wind. Breathe life into me, oh Lord. I am dead in so many ways. I need life. I need your life. Touch me with your immeasurable love. Give to me your undeserved favor. Look to me in my distress and I will look to you. Make me clean. Make me pure. Give me your light, so I may shine your brightness in this dark and dead world.
Amen.

Weekly Action:
Pick one day this week. Have a pen and paper handy with you all day long and write down all the ways that God provides for, takes care of, gives you joy, brings you happiness and blesses you today. Before you go to bed, look at that list carefully read it over. Think about al the ways that God has touched your life just today. Take time to thank God for all the things that God did for you just today. Ask God how you can learn to be more thankful for all the things God does for you.

* * * *

Daily Meditation Four

John 3:14-21

We all desire to be the people God wants us to be. We all desire to be “good Christians.” We want to be viewed as “good Christians.” We never want people to look at us and see our failings and imperfections. So sometimes we hide parts of who we are. We lurk in the shadows- only revealing the best, the good, and the prettiest parts of ourselves.

Jesus says, people who truly follow God, who truly love our Savior will stand fully in the light and allow God to illuminate ALL of who they really are. God wishes to cleanse all of who we are; not just the best parts, not just the good or pretty parts. God desires to cleanse the dirty parts; the parts we keep hidden in the shadows, so we can step into the light and be illuminated by the radiance of God so Christ can be illuminated in us.

Reflection Questions:
What parts of your life do you hide? Why do you hide parts of your life and who you are from others?

Why do you hide them from God?

Stop and tell God about these things.

Prayer:
Lord God, there are so many parts of my life, which I wish I could hide from you and the rest of the world. I fail you in so many ways. There is so much which I wish I could hide in the shadows away from the light of day. Forgive me for the times I fake I am better than I am.
Shine your light on me and help me to bring myself into your light and allow you to see all of me and illuminate the good parts as well as the bad parts of who I am. Reveal to me who I really am—imperfections and all.
Help me to listen to you and allow you to guide me and change me into a person that can stand in the light pure and clean, reflecting your love and grace to this world. Make me more than I can pretend. Amen

Weekly Action:
Pick one day this week. Have a pen and paper handy with you all day long and write down all the ways that God provides for, takes care of, gives you joy, brings you happiness and blesses you today. Before you go to bed, look at that list carefully read it over. Think about al the ways that God has touched your life just today. Take time to thank God for all the things that God did for you just today. Ask God how you can learn to be more thankful for all the things God does for you.

* * * *

LENT DEVOTIONS Week 3, Covenant and Renewed Covenant: Living the Love of God

Lent Devotions written by Rev. Kazimera I.H. Fraley and Rev. Christy Gunter Leppert for March 8-15.

Daily Meditation One

Exodus 20:1-17

“Hey look the Ten Commandments! I’ve got that covered. I’ve got it: Don’t worship other gods, love my parents, don’t do mean things to other people, or desire to take their wives, donkeys or maid-servants. Don’t smoke, don’t chew and don’t go with those that do. Got that covered. This is God’s Big list of the Ten Big things for which I could burn for eternity.”

At least that is what many of us see when we look at this particular passage of scripture. But this is not a list. This is not the “rules of the house.” This is about love. It is about a God who loved us so much that that God was willing to bring us up our of our slavery, bring us up out of the deepest darkest places of our lives and desires to be in relationship with us. This relationship is a relationship of love. We are to love God and to love each other. It is about putting the First One first and the last one last. God is first, God is above all. God is alone to be worshipped. Then we are to put our neighbors before ourselves. We are to love the Lord God with all our hearts.

Reflection Questions:
Do you ever feel like your relationship with God is like a check list? Are there any other relationship where you feel you need to follow a checklist in order to be apart of that relationship?

What would it look like to have a relationship with God built on love? How would it be different than the relationship you have with God right now?

Prayer:
Dear Lord God, may we never look at our relationship with you and others as a check list. Save us from ourselves. May we look at the law as love from now on, a gift of God for the people of God-- to teach us, to love us, to love through us!

Weekly Action:
Go for a walk three times this week - take note of the things that are going on around you. Think about how they reflect who God is and God's decrees for you. List specific things (i.e. a Sunset, the beauty of trees beginning to bud, the laughter of the neighbors children, the sound of two people having a conversation) in which you can see the holiness of God reflected in the world around you.

* * * *

Daily Meditation Two

Psalm 19

When reading the beginning of this passage the words of the hymn writer Michael Mills could easily ring in your head, “This is my Father’s world. And to my listening ears, all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world. I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees, of skies and seas- His hand the wonders wrought.”

There is great joy in walking; going for a walk, to simply look at this magnificent world all around. The season’s change, the birds build nests, the worms in my garden turn the soil and make it rich. Everything in creation seems to shout of the magnificence of its Creator. It is not hard to be silenced by the wonder and beauty of it all, how it all works together and is connected. All of creation is dancing together, moving in time with each other, reflecting the very nature of God.

The psalmist does not stop with simply the beauty of the created world but then goes on to describe the beauty and wonder of God’s decrees, God’s ordinances, and God’s commandments. Everything God created is filled with wonder and awe and this includes the commandments by which God calls people to live. The Palmist does not see the law as a burden but glories in the love it proclaims. It is through the ordinances and decrees of God the psalmist sees how God loves and calls people to live lives that reflect that love.

The psalm ends with a cry to this God who created the beauty of all creation including the wonder of a law of love. He asks God to detect his errors and clear him of his faults. When we look at the world around us—are we brought our knees in prayer? Does God’s creation cause us to desire to also reflect the nature of God’s being? When we see the wonder and beauty of creation we should always be reminded of the perfection, beauty, and love of our creator. It should stop us in our tracks and bring us to our knees, asking God that we might be cleansed; that we might reflect the love of God to those around us.

Reflection Questions:
What in God's creation do you find the most fascinating? The most beautiful? The hardest thing to understand? How do you view creation? How do you view the law?
Could the Psalmist teach you anything about how God's love is reflected in creation and the law?

Prayer:
Lord God, magnificent Creator, we come before you full of awe. When we encounter you & see how you connect things, our eyes widen in adoration. You are truly amazing.

Weekly Action:
Go for a walk three times this week - take note of the things that are going on around you. Think about how they reflect who God is and God's decrees for you. List specific things (i.e. a Sunset, the beauty of trees beginning to bud, the laughter of the neighbors children, the sound of two people having a conversation) in which you can see the holiness of God reflected in the world around you.

* * * *

Daily Meditation Three

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

It seems completely logical that everyone upon reading scripture should understand its message. It seems entirely comprehensible that each person as they encounter the Word should fully discern its meaning. We like to think that the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is logical; that it just makes sense. We do not understand why so many people have a hard time just believing, or why they do not understand the plain logic that put forth in the Bible. It is written there in plain English, why can the world not just read it, accept it and believe it? Scripture, the stories of the Old Testament, the teaching of Jesus, his life, death and resurrection just make sense. Thus, it only makes sense then that people should see the truth in it all and come to believe in Jesus Christ, invite him into their lives and begin to live the way God calls us all to live.

But it does not make sense! Paul tells us, "the cross is foolishness.” He tells us the cross is a "stumbling block." The fact of the matter is this thing (that makes sense to us, the only thing which is truly truth) is so hard for us to wrap our minds around, it seems to be utter foolishness and is a stumbling block.

God calls us to embrace the foolishness that we see in scriptures for the true wisdom that it is. God calls us to give up what we see as logical, to give up what we feel is right, and accept God's righteousness. We are fools for God, and it is our calling to bring God's foolish wisdom to a world that has a hard time seeing and understanding. We need to have compassion on them and help them to see the truth that we see and the wisdom that we know.

Reflection Questions:
What about the gospel seems to make perfect sense to you? What about the gospel would seem to be foolish? Are you ready to be a fool for Jesus?
Is there anyone in your life who sees the thoughts and ideas expressed in parts of the gospel or part of scripture as a stumbling block to being able to believe? What would it be like to be looking at Christianity from their point of view?

Prayer:
God, we want to be fools for you. When things do not make sense to the world, remind us of how your cross is foolish to the world and living as reflections of your life make us appear foolish too. God, make us fools for you.

Weekly Action:
Go for a walk three times this week - take note of the things that are going on around you. Think about how they reflect who God is and God's decrees for you. List specific things (i.e. a Sunset, the beauty of trees beginning to bud, the laughter of the neighbors children, the sound of two people having a conversation) in which you can see the holiness of God reflected in the world around you.

* * * *

Daily Meditation Four

John 2:13-22

No Easter Passion Play would be complete without a scene where Jesus is swinging a whip, turning over cages, chasing out pudgy, greedy looking men, and setting live tame birds free. We like the very human picture of Jesus in all his fury. It is a great image though perhaps Jesus’ fury is not the point here.

We began our journey this week in the commandments and we end here in the temple; the very place where the one true living God (besides whom we are to have no other gods and will not allow any false idols) resides. The temple was supposed to be the one place where the nature of God was reflected to the people. All the items of the temple were pure, the sacrifices were unblemished; everything inside the temple reflected the holiness and purity of God.

When Jesus stepped into the temple that day he did not see a reflection of the Father, he saw the dirty, rotten reflection of men and women using God’s house to raise themselves up. He saw the reflection of men and women who were using God’s house to get ahead. He saw the reflection of their selfishness, their greed and their sin. He saw sin reflected in the Father’s house, in the place were the very presence of God was suppose to be seen in the world.

The problem was not the money; the problem was not the buying and selling. The problem was that the people were set up there in the place where God was, and they were there only to further themselves and their own interests. They were there, in the place where God’s desires and God’s interests should be presiding, and they were lifting themselves us next to God and putting their desires and their interests before those of the one true God.

They were making themselves idols; they were sitting next to God in God’s holy temple among God’s holy things.

Whenever we bring our interests and our desires into the Church and set them up next to the interests and desires of God we are doing the same thing.

The Church is to be a mirror which is held up in front of God reflecting the very nature of God to this world. When we put our interests and desires forward instead of allowing ourselves to be a reflection of God, we are taking the mirror in our own hands and holding it up in front of ourselves. So instead of being the reflection we are making ourselves the one who is reflected.

Reflection Questions:
In what ways are we like the money changes in the temple?

How do we reflect our own interests and desires in the church?

How can we better reflect God to our world?

Prayer:
Dear Lord God, forgive us for the times we turn your Church from all about you to all about us. Forgive us for the times we seek ways to use the holy things of God to benefit ourselves. Forgive us for needing you to come turn over the tables in our lives. But we invite you to come in the temple of our hearts and show us how we might be reflections of you.

Weekly Action:
Go for a walk three times this week - take note of the things that are going on around you. Think about how they reflect who God is and God's decrees for you. List specific things (i.e. a Sunset, the beauty of trees beginning to bud, the laughter of the neighbors children, the sound of two people having a conversation) in which you can see the holiness of God reflected in the world around you.

* * * *