winnetka covenant church lenten devotional...

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Winnetka Covenant Church

Lenten Devotional Guide2016

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INTRODUCTION

Lent is the period of forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays), begin-ning on Ash Wednesday and ending at sundown on Holy Saturday, the

evening before Easter. During Lent, we enter into a season of preparation, self-reflection, and repentance when we seek to literally “turn around” and realign our lives and focus toward God. It is a time to give up things, as well as take on new life-giving practices, helping us rid ourselves of distractions and our own selfish desires. By doing so, we seek to live and love as more faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Winnetka Covenant members and friends have created this devotional guide to aid us in deepening our devotion to Christ on our Lenten journey with a daily focus on Scripture and prayer.

We invite you to pray with us using the Project Blue Prayer Focuses throughout this booklet. These offer suggestions for how you might pray for specific people and concerns related to the need for clean water around the world. Throughout Lent, our congregation will be participating in Proj-ect Blue, which was launched at CHIC2015 in partnership with Covenant World Relief.

Through Project Blue, we will have the opportunity to do three things: 1) Become aware of the need for clean water and sanitation around the world. 2) Become engaged in the issues of injustice that exist in the world due to the lack of clean water and sanitation. 3) Work together to raise funds for the work that Covenant World Relief is doing to provide clean water and sanitation.

May God bless our congregation as we journey together in Lent, toward the cross of Christ, and toward resurrection.

—Andrea Johnson

Winnetka Covenant ChurchLenten Devotional Guide

2016

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FEBRUARY 10—Mark 9:30-37 (Ash Wednesday)

But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest (v. 34, NRSV).

My recent seminary graduation ceremony left me very aware of the desire to appear greater. For that evening, receiving a degree with

honors was important. It showed a measure of stature. However, a glitch in recording my grades was discovered too late to include “with honors” after my name. My diploma will indicate this, but who sees that? Standing with fellow graduates for this public event, like the disciples, I wanted to be a little better than the others. I wore the honors cords but was conflicted whether to bother. Nobody would have known.

Nobody in my ministry will ever ask my grade point and the cords will soon be tossed away. In this passage Jesus reminds us it’s not about achiev-ing but serving. It’s not about receiving recognition; it’s about recognizing how much we have yet to receive by welcoming the one who created us. It’s not about greatness that fades; it’s about sacrifice that redeems, like Christ’s death for our sin.

Loving God, during our Lenten journey, sharpen our desire to welcome and receive your Son. Point us to ways we can serve together in humility as your people and your church. Amen.

—Denise Johnson

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FEBRUARY 11—MARK 8:31-35

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things…Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me (vv. 31, 34, NRSV).

I am still learning. We are still being taught by Jesus, who tells his disciples about his impending journey into suffering, death, and resurrection, and

at the same time calls them along, into the same journey. This is Lent, the connecting of our story, our journey, with the story and journey of Jesus.

Very much like Peter, I am prone to tell Jesus it can’t be so, either for him or for me. The voice in my head starts to chatter: “It must be a mistake. Self-denying love does not go far in the real world. There seems to be no succeeding purpose.”

And in hearing these things, Jesus speaks right through me to Satan, who has control of my head and heart. I am still learning. We are still being taught by Jesus. God’s love shall not succeed through self-preservation. And self-sacrifice is a saving act in which mercy and grace make the dark-ness bright, shining, full of light.

Dear Lord Jesus, teach me again the power of love. Be patient with my preoc-cupation with worldly things. Send your Spirit to help me follow you, wherev-er you go. Amen.

—Peter Hawkinson

Project Blue Prayer Focus: The people of Bangladesh, where human waste flows into open waterways where people bathe and wash clothes

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FEBRUARY 12—MATTHEW 11:28-30

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (NIV).

These words have a special place in my heart and in my voice as they have been immortalized in a soprano aria of Handel’s Messiah. In these

words we are openly and lovingly encouraged to come to him, to leave all burdens, and to rest. What an invitation! Life’s challenges come in many different forms—burdens of guilt and shame, of stress and pain, burdens of fears and anxiety, loneliness, lack of meaning and purpose. They challenge us in relationships, work, finances, health, and even in faith. How can one find rest through all of life’s challenges?

We tend to forget through the hectic schedules of our daily lives that rest is simply indispensable. When we allow ourselves to learn and live by God’s intentions, letting go of all of our burdens, we then can find rest in his presence. Take a moment and listen to Handel’s aria. Hear how he even uses the notes and phrases to emphasize Jesus’s words. I always appreciated how he gives the soprano time to rest.

Lord, there are times in our lives when we might feel weary and our burdens heavy; you speak to us in the silence of our hearts giving us peace in your presence. May we hear your voice and have humility to ask for your help. May we also share in your work, to open our hearts to those who face darkness alone.

—Nadia Jimenez

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FEBRUARY 13—MARK 1:35-39

It had been a busy Sabbath day. Jesus and his new friends went to Caper-naum and worshiped at the synagogue. There he taught and amazed

everyone with his authority, even the evil spirit who had to let go of one of the listeners. Straightaway the company went to Simon and Andrew’s house where Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with fever—until she too found release. Soon their whole town was at the door with others who needed spirit-cleansing and body-healing. Sabbath rest? Forget about it!

You might think that Jesus would sleep in the next day, but no, he got up before sunrise and found a quiet place to pray. When Simon and the others finally woke up, they went out to find their missing guest. “We’re all looking for you!” they said. What did they want, and why did that move them to barge in on his solitude?

We can’t be sure, but we have a guess, something to do with keeping this breakout of kingdom goodness close at hand. We do know that Jesus had already moved on: “Let’s go to your neighbor towns so I can teach this way for them too—it’s why I have come.”

Lord Jesus, we want your best, and when we think about it, we want it for others as much as we want it for ourselves. Forgive us when we choose action without prayer and prayer without compassion.

—Paul Koptak

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FEBRUARY 14—MARK 10:17-31 (1st Sunday of Lent)

A wealthy young man asked the all-important question of Jesus: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “You know all the commandments,”

Jesus responds, and the young man acknowledges his faithful compliance with the law. But there’s one more thing lacking: he must sell his worldly goods and give the money to the poor. That’s not the answer the young man was looking for! When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving. His emotional attachment to his wealth and status overruled his willingness to heed the words of Jesus.

Do our possessions and privilege make us insensitive to the great needs of those around us? “Those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires…for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6: 9-10).

To love God above all else is also to open our eyes to the dire needs of people around us and serve them in Christ’s name. The two are inextricably bound together.

Eternal God, you call us from the vain world’s golden store,From each idol that would keep us, saying, “Christian, love me more.”May we give our hearts to your obedience, serve and love you best of all.Amen. (“Jesus Calls Us o’er the Tumult,” The Covenant Hymnal, #379)

—Royce Eckhardt

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FEBRUARY 15—HEBREWS 12:2-3

Looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart (NRSV).

This passage is telling us how the Lenten story ends. Christ has “endured the cross, disregarding its shame,” but here we get to peek ahead and

see that it all turns out okay! He has “taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” Whew, that’s a relief!

I am so often afraid. I’m afraid of change, of loss, of pain, of death. I’m afraid of the evil in this world, with all its pain and anger and unfairness. I’m afraid of being wrong and afraid of being rejected. I want to know how it all turns out. I want to jump ahead, past all the pain of my life and focus on the “joy that is set before (me).” But it’s Lent, and I am called to walk with Christ, who provides me with the faith and endurance needed to get to the end of the journey. Christ, who endured so much so that I “may not grow weary or lose heart,” always with me. And he gives me the ultimate promise of never-ending joy.

“Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal” (“Come Ye Disconsolate,” Thomas Moore and Thomas Hastings). Bring us fearful yet trusting to the foot of your cross, dearest Christ, and thereby lead us into eternal joy. Amen.

—Julie Bromley

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FEBRUARY 16—LUKE 5:27-28

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left every-thing and followed him (NIV).

Can you imagine Jesus visiting the Internal Revenue Service and calling an IRS agent to walk out of his office and follow him? As incredible

as that scenario might be, that’s exactly what Jesus did when he called Levi—who is likely the disciple we know as Matthew from the gospels of Matthew and Mark. Levi probably collected taxes from his fellow Jews for Herod Antipas. And while nobody likes the tax man, in that culture Levi and those like him were viewed with particular contempt because they not only colluded with the enemy, they profited from it. According to rabbin-ical teaching, tax collectors were the most sinful of sinners and Levi was the worst kind because he didn’t just collect general taxes, he was a cus-tomhouse official who had unlimited opportunities to line his own pockets while he did the bidding of the hated Romans.

But what did Levi do when he heard Jesus call? He didn’t think about how he had spent his life up to that point or what had gone before. He got up, left everything, and followed him.

Where are you and what are you doing right now? In the season of Lent 2016, do you hear Jesus call anew on your life? Will you hear him and follow?

Lord, please grant us the grace to listen for your call—and when we hear it to get up leave everything we are doing and follow you. Amen.

—Karen Larsen

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Matthew 4:1-4 is a short but sweet passage because in roughly seventy words we are taught what it really means to have faith. After fasting

for forty days and forty nights, Jesus was hungry. I can only imagine how he felt, as I am starving by the time lunch rolls around on a school day. When the devil came to him in a time of weakness and asked him to turn the stones into bread—something he could easily do and something that would benefit him—he denied. He didn’t feel the need to prove himself when it wasn’t necessary. He was confident in who he was and who his God was. He then goes on to make the request sound meaningless as he compares it to God’s word, saying that is what we should be living on. That is a powerful message—material objects pale in comparison to what God’s word has to offer us.

Dear God, please help us to have the same confidence in your ability during our weakest times as Jesus did when tempted in the desert. Please give us the strength to say no to the devil and instead turn to and you and your word for guidance and comfort. Amen.

—Grace Brunzell

Project Blue Prayer Focus: Hindustani Covenant Church in India, where 900,000 people die each year from drink-ing contaminated water and breathing polluted air

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Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying 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’” (NRSV).

After the end of forty days a famished and tired Jesus is vulnerable to almost any relief, or so the devil assumes. And, to be sure, Jesus

isn’t seeing any arriving doves, no food in a raven’s mouth, no angel body guards. The devil keeps saying, “If you are the Son of God....” implying that for Jesus, and for me (maybe you?), shouldn’t things be going a little smoother for me, God-lover that I am? A little healthier, happier, richer, safer?

This is a story, among other things, not about seizing power, but rather about turning it down. It is not about counting on anything less or more than what the real treasure in all circumstances is, that in spite of rigorous tests of our human challenges, sorrows, and endurances, even super human risks, what we have for sure is a relentless relationship with a wounded and suffering, all-sufficient God. If we can manage that as what we need in routines and emergencies, chances are good that we may hear him say to us, “You are my beloved child. I am very pleased with you.”

—Art Nelson

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Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him (NRSV).

Presented with everything from bread for his famished body to “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor,” Jesus repeatedly rebukes

Satan’s temptations over the course of his forty days in the desert.“All these I will give you,” Satan says as he presents Jesus with the king-

doms of our broken world, “if you will fall down and worship me.”But are they even Satan’s to give away? After all, as the psalmist writes,

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1). From where does Satan derive such authority and audacity?

Satan exploits Jesus’s humanity, trivializing and distorting even the most basic of human needs. Jesus, the bread of life, is starving. Jesus, the only Son of the one true God, is tempted by worldly power.

This is Jesus at his most human, at his most raw. And he does for us what we cannot do for ourselves: he steps into our broken souls, our broken lives, and our broken world, and he sets them on the path to wholeness.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your redeeming, all-encompassing love which follows me now, through this season of Lent, and always.

—Hannah Hawkinson

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FEBRUARY 20—JAMES 2:14-17

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? (v. 14, NRSV).

Merely talking about something is no substitute for actually doing it. That notion is woven into our culture. We see it evident in expres-

sions like “Put your money where your mouth is,” “Pay lip service to some-thing,” “Fine words butter no parsnips,” and “All talk and no action.” Does our faith require more than this from us?

James is taking us beyond our built-in cultural motivation to help others. He reminds us that we show our faith best by deeds that come from the heart and not as a religious obligation or for show. We long to live and practice our faith with the guidance of loving hearts. When our hearts lead us to respond to the needs of others out of compassion, caring, and respect, we are directing the flow of God’s grace through ourselves to other people.

Will people experience the peace of God’s grace because of my faith? What can I do to create a more loving heart in myself? What do I

require to motivate me to do good works?

Lord, instill in me a wholeness of heart, and let my heart nurture compassion, caring, and respect.Lord, make me a channel of Thy grace and an instrument of Thy peace. Amen.

—Richard Spears

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FEBRUARY 21—MARK 10:42-45 (2nd Sunday of Lent)

You might think, if you looked at my packed calendar, that I’m doing just fine putting others first, as Jesus says.But I know better.The truth is, between my iPad, laptop, cell phone, and car, I have so

much autonomy and freedom—and so many opportunities for distrac-tion—that it’s just not easy to discern who or what I am genuinely serving. My busy schedule may not tell the whole truth.

What can I learn from Jesus about how to really live as a servant in my on-the-go world?

I need to start by taking an honest look at what I am a slave to. (Help-ing others? My Facebook friends? My checking account? Being “seen” as a contributor in my community?)

This Lenten season, I need a fresh reminder that Jesus gave his life to show me real servanthood. I need to detach from the extraneous noise and false gods that constantly tempt me so subtly and deviously. I want to reclaim within myself the true spirit of serving others—and life—that Jesus promised.

Lord, our world is so full of deception and confusion over what it means to find true happiness and contentment. Help us strip down in this season of Lent to become free from every untrue or unreal thing we are slaves to. Allow us to find, as we authentically serve others the way you taught us to, a rekin-dling of your true life within us.

—Mary Rhodes

Project Blue Prayer Focus: The people of Honduras, where 1.1 million people have no access to clean water

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FEBRUARY 22—MATTHEW 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (NRSV).

From the Sermon on the Mount, we are given concise guidelines for a Christian attitude. For my confirmation, I memorized the Beatitudes,

but it wasn’t till I was in my fifties that I began to truly comprehend their meaning. I am thankful for excellent Bible study materials, wise leadership, and deep sharing. I have come to understand that to be poor in spirit is to be not boastful. Nor may I rest with smugness in my Christianity. My best attitude must be to completely humble myself in order to receive the gifts of God: grace, mercy, salvation. On my own merits, I can never achieve these.

Thank you, Lord, for the promise of eternity with you. Please keep me mind-ful of my need for you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

—Kitti Steiner

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Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted (NRSV).

I memorized the Beatitudes for confirmation, but full comprehension was not required. While studying the Sermon on the Mount nearly twenty

years ago, I came to more deeply understand what Jesus meant. Of course, we are comforted during human grief following a death. But the mourning to which Jesus is referring is that which we suffer over our own failings. We mourn our sin, we have deep regrets in our lives. Deeper than that is the mourning we suffer over the condition of our world. Surely there are many reasons to despair. It is a comfort to know that God covers all that sorrow with his love and mercy and justice. We can lean on him in prayer, and we can ask him to direct our actions to be comforters in his name.

Thank you, Lord, for the assurance of your love and mercy. Help me to know it and pass it on in your holy name, amen.

—Kitti Steiner

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Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth (NRSV).

The first key word here is “meek,” which is also defined as kind, gentle, tenderhearted—one who can take direction as opposed to one who is

arrogant, self-centered, etc. It does not mean weak, wimpy, or unfocused. “Earth” refers to our planet, but relates to its physical aspects and natural resources—whereas “world” generally includes all the people.

I believe that “inherit” is used in its normal sense, as in a situation in which one would inherit a business, company, or corporation, and would have some managerial or caretaking responsibility but would also reap the benefits therefrom.

The Message translates this verse, “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are…the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.”

So Jesus is telling us to just be ourselves, with the gifts and abilities we have been given, and to live the life he has set before us on the earth, which is ours. See John 10:10, in which Jesus says, “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

I praise you as the God of creation and thank you that I am part of it, created by your own hand; help me to be the person I was created to be, and to do what I have been created to do.

—Peter Milbratz

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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (NRSV).

When I first discovered the church year, my favorite season was Lent. I loved the invitation to self-examination, to exploring what aspects

of my life might be hindering my encounters with God. Where could I clear away space for Jesus to enter in?

So each year I gave up something to make that room—TV, dessert, alcohol, coffee. The first couple weeks the pain of that mini-sacrifice was sharp, clear. I’d remember to pray when I felt the cravings. I paid attention. I looked for God.

But after a couple of weeks I was just hungry. The novelty had worn off and I just needed my coffee already! I’d wake up thinking about what I couldn’t have and go to bed irritable. In between, I snapped at the people I lived with. I was impatient and ill-tempered.

Even in the midst of pursuing God, I struggle to remain hungry for righteousness. My self too often gets in the way. Thank God for the wild grace, the unending love, the deep acceptance he promises. For of course only God can fill that hunger.

God, open me up to be hungry for you.

—Cathy Norman Peterson

Project Blue Prayer Focus: The people of Ethiopia, where one out of ten children die before their fifth birthday.

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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (NRSV).

The dictionary contains two primary definitions of mercy: first, kind or forgiving treatment of someone who could be treated harshly; second,

kindness or help given to people who are in a very bad or desperate situ-ation. The first definition implies a leniency on the part of someone in pow-er (for example, a judge or a landlord), and so can be tied to the concept of justice. The second definition could apply to anyone and does not require that the mercy-granter seek an outcome which is just, but only an outcome that is more beneficial to the person in a bad situation.

Our act of mercy might make a bad situation worse, so we shouldn’t dispense mercy frivolously. When mercy potentially collides with justice—mercy for a perpetrator versus justice for a victim—we are required to account for both sides of a conflict.

Dear Lord, help me to dispense mercy with compassion, with an acknowledg-ment of justice, and always with generosity. Help me so that I obtain mercy.

—Steve Sudhoff

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Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (NRSV).

Jesus stood and during the Sermon on the Mount, he delivered those words. Just twelve words, but they burst with expectation and challenge

and gift. The multitudes heard a blessing, a promise and a calling from Christ.

Like those people of ancient days, his words call out to us. Individually, we must endeavor to live in peace. That is the start. But to attain the goal set out for us, to be children of God on earth, he asks for more. If friends are in conflict, we seek to restore relationship. If we, or someone we know, is separated from God, we seek to let the Spirit work through us to close the gap.

Christ calls us to a difficult task—to imitate God’s love of humans in our own lives. And for our striving and failing and striving again, he gives us the chance to truly be his heirs.

O gracious God, praise and thanks to you for your gift of Spirit, and for the blessing of your peace within us. Amen.

—Gary Isaacson

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FEBRUARY 28—MARK 12:1-12 (3rd Sunday of Lent)

It’s easy to focus on the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders in this parable. After all, they were so wrongheaded when they rejected

Jesus. Why didn’t they understand that he was sent to provide light and life to the world?

Yet when I put the focus back on myself during Lent, I wonder if I am any different. If Jesus came today, would I reject him too? Would I kill him?

I’d like to think not. I’d like to think I don’t reject the cornerstone. But what he asks is not easy. I have a hard time giving back some of the fruit his vineyard has provided. I struggle to love my neighbor as myself. And do I really have to love my enemies—even those who hold different views from me? Even those who terrorize us?

I’d like to think I wouldn’t reject him, but when I’m not doing what he asks of me, am I already?

I think I’d rather focus on the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

Dear God, grant us the courage to reflect on where we reject you. Forgive us. Thanks. Now strengthen us to manage your vineyard well and to welcome you when you show up. Amen.

—Brian Madvig

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FEBRUARY 29—1 PETER 3:8-9

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing (NIV).

Having raised three sons I know that Peter is not talking about the day-to-day relationship between brothers when he says, “Live in harmo-

ny with one another, love like brothers.” Siblings have a way of handling normal conflict in a variety of unharmonious ways! No, I think Peter is talking about the deep bond that holds brothers to each other despite the differences that occur.

Underlying those differences is a cord of love so strong that it makes it possible to live in harmony with each other, to be sympathetic, compas-sionate, and humble, not repaying evil with evil or insult with insult—de-spite their momentary, normal sibling rivalries and conflicts. Peter, of all the disciples, knows about imperfection in his day-to-day relationships when three times he denies his “brother” Jesus. He is also, however, the rock on which Christ builds his church. I find this comforting when watch-ing my grandchildren act and react to each other—knowing that despite their momentary sibling differences there is a deep, strong love that holds them together as family.

Lord, help us remember that underlying our imperfection in loving each other is the recognition of your perfect love for us.

—Judi Geake

Project Blue Prayer Focus: American schoolchildren. Each year, thousands of American kids make water their only beverage for two weeks and give what they save to provide water. Their impact is real. Pray God gives them joy.

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MARCH 1—LAMENTATIONS 3:19-24

Whenever I suffer physically, emotionally, socially, or spiritually, I feel all alone and distressed. I wonder if anyone understands what I’m

going through. Does anyone care? Is God aware of my distress and despair? What about the promise of his continued presence in all walks of my life? I feel abandoned.

In poetic form, today’s text summarizes similar conditions experi-enced by the Israelites—God’s own people—who express despondency and despair. The Babylonians destroyed their homeland and forced them into exile and bondage. They felt brutally attacked from enemies on all sides. They questioned the promises about a secure land of “milk and honey” and also the prophetic announcements about a good and abundant life. Now they experience grief, outrage, resentment, and hopelessness.

However, later in this poem they reverse themselves quickly when they recall and focus upon the steadfast love and mercies of God. Now the cap-tive Israelites confidently switch from despair to hope saying, “They (God’s mercies) are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness …. Therefore I will hope in him.”

Jesus experienced some of the despair and loneliness when he asked God, “Why have you forsaken me?” Yet several days later he conquered death and comforted and challenged his followers. Now we too can face adversity with hope and be revived.

Dear Lord, as you suffered and died for me and decisively overcame death into a new, enhanced life, so let me hopefully move from all adversity to be-come a committed follower of you. So be it!

—Sam Paravonian

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MARCH 2—PSALM 51:1-9

I ThirstSavior, when from your swollen lips you cried“I Thirst,” body bathed in perspiration,Nails in your limbs, a sword to pierce your side,Tortured by your renegade creation,Your anguished thirst could not be satisfiedWith wine as you hung dying on the Tree—Unquenchable your God-love thirst for me!Nor could the parchedness of my desert-soulBe watered till I drank of you alone.My thirst assuaged, my spirit cleansed and whole,Your Calv’ry cry has claimed me for your own! (M.M.C.)

Our response to the Savior, who thirsts for our souls to the point of giving his life in an anguished death upon the cross, must be that of

the psalmist: “I earnestly search for you.My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched

and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 65:1).His gracious reply: “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ Let the thirsty

ones come, anyone who wants to. Let them come and drink the water of life without charge” (Revelation 22:17). Jesus says, “The water I give takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within, giving eternal life” (John 4:14).

During this season of Lent, may we drink deeply of the crucified One who thirsts for our souls and is the living water of eternal life.

—Marti McCartney Crow

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Growing up, I never heard the word Lent mentioned in our non-liturgi-cal church. School classmates, however, talked about giving up comic

books, gum, or candy for Lent. But we did celebrate Good Friday. In our town of Ludington, Mich-

igan, all the stores closed from 2:00 to 5:00 so that people could attend Good Friday services. Our Baptist church and the Free church joined the large Methodist church for a meaningful, well-attended service, with the participating churches sharing the speaking and music.

At Winnetka Covenant Church, we observe Lent in very meaningful ways, but how are we doing personally? Do we have a “clean heart” and a “right spirit” that today’s Scripture emphasizes?

In this season focusing on Christ’s suffering and death, we might chal-lenge ourselves to give up some things thinking too much about ourselves, how we look, what we wear, where we’re going. Are we critical, impatient, judgmental, or uncaring of others?

In our struggle to give up self-centeredness, we might find that Christ will restore to us “the joy of our salvation” and sustain in us “a willing spirit.”

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord, and renew a right spirit within me.

—Eloise Nelson

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To know we have sinned is a devastating feeling. Remorse can have deadly effects on one’s spiritual life. Where can we find a sure reme-

dy? Psalmist David turned only to God, and pleaded desperately for God’s intervention. He cried, “Have mercy,” “cleanse me,” “wash me,” “create in me,” renew me”—all phrases of deepest contrition. David longed for a new heart, clean and free from stains of guilt.

He pleaded not to be cast out of God’s presence. He longed to stay in God’s favor, and not to have the Holy Spirit taken from him.

Do you and I have that same contrite petition, to be restored in mind, spirit, and human ways?

David wanted the joy of living for and serving God to be restored to him. Joy is a noun, and also a verb—“joy” in me, i.e., feel, walk, be with me. David implores God to make his spirit—henceforth—more willing.

The depth of pain from my known sinIs hard to understandBut God, in mercy, shows the wayAnd guides me with his hand. (D.B.)

O God, this day, this Lenten season, may we feel thy cleansing, renewing power, and equip each of us anew to have a willing spirit to live totally for thee. Amen.

—Dorothy Balch

Project Blue Prayer Focus: Responsible consumption by developed nations: general overconsumption stresses water sources and disrupt watersheds and ecosystems. Irrigation practices in agriculture often add stress and deplete and contaminate rivers, lakes, and aquifers.

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MARCH 5—JOEL 2:12-14

Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? (NRSV).

Many churches read these words from the prophet Joel on Ash Wednesday. They have the hallmark of a Lenten text—a call to

repentance in both mind and body. But before we arrive at verse 12, we hear that the “day of the Lord” is coming. The days are dark, desolate, and dangerous—a locust plague threatens. What are the trembling people to do? What are we to do?

In the middle of this passage, we find an ancient creed repeated again and again to the people of God. “Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” Within the call to repent is an assurance of who God is. Our God acts with grace and mercy. God is slow to anger and full of love for God’s people. This is the God that Joel calls the people to turn to. And the call is also for us. So in these dark days, be of good courage, the God of grace and love is calling to us.

God of grace, help us hear your call through the prophet Joel once again. Move us—in both mind and body—to return to you. Even in days which may feel dark and dangerous, we can do this with confidence knowing you love us. Amen.

—Christy Bouris

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MARCH 6—MARK 12:28-44 (4th Sunday of Lent)

I began my day with these words from Jesus: Beware the scribes “who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect, and who

like to have the best seats and places of honor. For the sake of appearance they say long prayers.” Jesus continues, “This poor widow has put in all she had.”

Here’s the thing: I like my stuff. I like to be greeted with respect, to get good seats, and to be honored. I don’t give as much as I could. I treasure my place, my safety, my things. In a not-so-subtle way, the Lord Christ is speaking from the pages of Scripture to let me know that I have missed the point and forgotten what is essential in life.

So I turn to the simple Jesus prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner… and teach me to give generously, to count others as more important than myself, and to be secure in who I am as a child of God.” May it be so, for me and for you this day.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. Teach me to give generously, to count others as more important than myself, and to be secure in my identity as a child of God.

—Kurt Peterson

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MARCH 7—MARK 11:20-26

In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain,‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (NIV).

In the parable of the fig tree Jesus responded, “Have faith in God,” to Peter’s observation. Peter observed that the fig tree withered and would

not bear fruit again. In my reflection of what keeps me from having faith in God, I recog-

nize when praying, there are times of doubts, rationalizations, and fears that interfere with trusting God. Acknowledging and understanding these doubts, rationalizations, and fears eases their interference. Which allows me to access that place of my inner beliefs and to stand solidly in them, praying then with the belief and expectation of receiving. It is in this inner place that I know the Holy Spirit is enabling me to experience the gift of faith. This call to have faith in God is ongoing and a very active process.

Dear God, Emanuel, Counselor,Thank you for creating us with such complexity,Let your Holy Spirit guide us in acknowledging of our feelings and

thoughts that keep us from trusting,Help us make space in our inner world to listen, Allowing us to live in faith with you.Amen.

—Inger Eiesland-Schultz

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MARCH 8—MATTHEW 23:11-12

The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted (NRSV).

Jesus shows us the way to the Father…the way of peace, joy, holiness, and happiness. He showed us the way by making himself a servant for our

sake. He humbled himself, even to death on a cross, that we might be raised up to the Father’s right hand in heaven.

What is true Christ-like humility? Humility is self-knowledge, regard-ing oneself as God sees us. The humble trust not in themselves, but rather in God and his love and saving grace. True humility is a servant-like quality which enables us to place ourselves at the service of God and others. What a gift it would be to know the joy of Christ-like humility and simplicity of heart!

Lord, teach us your way of humility and servanthood that we may walk in love as you have loved. Fill us with the joy of servanthood that we may inspire others to walk in your way of happiness and holiness. Amen.

—Reed Brunzell

Project Blue Prayer Focus: Hospital staff. Half the world’s hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from waterborne illness.

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MARCH 9—EPHESIANS 6:10-12

During this Lenten season you and I are in a spiritual warfare. We are like Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy in the Narnia tales, all in our

special battle positions, fighting. We are like the GIs pouring out of the landing crafts onto the beaches of Normandy in 1945 facing a formidable foe.

You and I face, first of all, a foe within—the flesh. In our thought life the flesh strives against the spirit. We are also at odds with the world. To the church triumphant has been given the task of standing for truth in an age ruled by relativity, materialism, false spirituality, and rampant inclusiv-ism. Behind all this stands our arch-enemy, the devil. Martin Luther said this about our formidable foe: “his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal” (“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” The Covenant Hymnal, #464).

How shall we overcome? In this Lenten season we must put on the armor of God. We have truth. We must ask about everything, Is it true? We have a helmet of salvation. We also have “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” Lent is a great time to establish again the habits of study-ing, memorizing, and meditating on the Bible.

God, keep us strong in you and in your mighty power.

—Walter Gast

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MARCH 10—EPHESIANS 6:18

O Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.”So begins the chorus of the well-known Mac Davis song. Often

it seems as if humility is a commodity in short supply these days—we certainly can’t find it on the political campaign trails (and they’ve only just begun!) or even in our every day social media outlets, not to mention the “look at me” selfies that just have to be shared. Sometimes it feels as if we have become a “look at me” society where we’re perfect in every way, or at least we strive for that perception. Lord, it is so hard to be humble!

So thank goodness for the season of Lent, which invites us—perhaps implores us—to put aside self for a few cold, gray days in February and March, to unplug the cacophony of our electronic connections, and to reflect on the honor, and even perhaps the joy, of humility. Thank goodness that in Christ, we have the perfect role model to act humbly before our God. So, to borrow from another well know lyric, “Let it be.”

Lord, we thank you for this season of Lent, and for the opportunity to ac-knowledge our imperfections. Help us in our reflection to better appreciate and then to serve others with gratitude and humility.

—Jon Heintzelman

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MARCH 11—JAMES 5:15-16

The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective (NRSV).

Does prayer work? According to James, yes! What a wonderful promise! As we live as those with faith in God, we participate in God’s power-

ful healing and forgiveness through our prayers for others. That’s no small thing.

But here’s the hard part: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.” This isn’t easy for most of us today. We like our privacy. We don’t like people “getting all up in our business.” And to let on that we have struggles or to ask for help feels very vulnerable. It’s often harder to ask for or receive help than it is to give it. But James shows that this is an essential aspect of the Christian commu-nity—that we be involved in each other’s lives, helping each other in our physical and spiritual journeys. It does require vulnerability, and it requires us to be caring and non-judgmental, so that others can trust us with their stories. The benefit is that the power of healing is unleashed as the commu-nity prays in faith.

God, give me the courage to confess my sins and share my struggles with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and give me the maturity to receive the stories of others with care, so that we may be a community through which your healing comes to all.

—Andrea Johnson

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Here’s one of the thorniest problems in the Bible: why can’t we always love our neighbors as ourselves?

Blame it on our hurried, Internet-driven world. Conflict just seems to be more and more of a problem. Just look at Congress! Certainly, none of us ever joins a church expecting to find conflict there. But it happens.

Feeling anger or bitterness toward another person is a prison of the worst kind. It’s a powerful reminder of how prone to sin we all are and what a battleground life really is.

So what is Jesus telling us to do?Words of reconciliation can help, but the real work starts inside our

heart. If we can learn to see others as God does—flawed, like we are, but abundantly loved by him—we can detach from whatever hurt or vexation we feel, and cling instead to God’s redemptive love.

Conflicts that erupt in our lives are exactly the reason Jesus died. Let’s remember: not only has he wiped clean our own soiled and spotty résumé; he’s cleaned our neighbor’s as well.

Lord, how often do we misjudge or fail to forgive others because we can’t see them as you do? Being stuck in a blind spot of anger or resentment is the worst kind of prison. Your love is our only path to freedom. Help us each day to see every person who crosses our path as someone loved by you.

—Mary Rhodes

Project Blue Prayer Focus: Participation. Water projects designed and run with women’s participation are more sustainable and effective. Pray for women to be empow-ered.

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MARCH 13—MARK 13:32-37 (5th Sunday of Lent)

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore, keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: “Watch!” (NIV).

Recognize this commercial? Through a rain-spattered window, a little boy plays by a crackling fireplace, his dog sleeping at his side. As water

gurgles across the floor, it extinguishes the fire. Next, the dog seeks safety on a table that is floating in the rising water. Oblivious to their peril, Mom continues her needlepoint and Dad his crossword puzzle. Water now swirl-ing around their necks, a voice warns, “Some people pretend that a flood could never happen to them—and that their homeowners insurance pro-tects them. It doesn’t. Stop pretending.” As the water cascades through the front door carrying all their belongings with it, the voice cautions, “Only flood insurance covers floods. Visit floodsmart.gov to learn your risk.”

Depending on where you live, you may not be at risk for a flood, but one thing we all need to be ready for is eternity. Rather than risking our sal-vation by pretending that we’ll see heaven because of our own merits, how much better to know that we trust Jesus who has already paid the price for each of us.

Lord, grant us the grace to make the words of John 3:16 our own. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Amen.

—Karen Larsen

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But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (v. 44, NIV).

How is it possible? Really?Enemies are enemies for painful reasons.What you say, Lord Jesus, sounds so beautiful—but this kind of love is brutal, humiliating, evenunfair! unfair, because he doesn’t deserve it, she hasn’t sought it, andI’m afraid of being hurt all over again.

How is it possible, Really?But then, Lord Jesus, I see you do it,I’ve watched you love me like that—Heard the words, seen your arms open wideunfair! unfair, because I don’t deserve it, haven’t sought it,And you, conquering fear, suffer and die for me.

How is it possible, Really?Loving, praying, these are selfless acts.Because I’ve been so loved, I’ll risk loving too—unfair, unfair, yet redemptive, love transforminghuman hearts and the whole cosmos.All things new!

Lord Jesus, captivate my heart and mind, and most of all, my will to live from the strength you give. Amen.

—Peter Hawkinson

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MARCH 15—LUKE 6:36-37

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven (NRSV).

In Luke 6, Jesus chooses his twelve disciples. Jesus had just survived his most recent episode of “Adventures in Missing the Point,” when the

scribes and Pharisees became enraged with him because he healed a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath day. The text doesn’t say this, but Jesus must have been thinking, “If these guys don’t get the point, I better go get some fresh ones whom I can instruct in the right ways of living.”

After choosing the twelve, he immediately begins basic instruction, re-vealing his topsy-turvy world: blessed are the poor, the hungry, those who suffer and mourn, and those who are hated. Woe to the rich, the powerful, and the comfortable. Love your enemies. Don’t judge others. Forgive oth-ers, and show mercy. Remove the log from your own eye before you point out the speck in your brother’s. As a Christian, I am to begin with humility and introspection, offering love, forgiveness, and grace before I acquaint others with their sins and failings. I usually do it the other way around—I think most of us do, and that Jesus knows that.

Lord Jesus Christ, teach me to lead with love, mercy, and forgiveness each day, in every way.

—Kurt Peterson

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MARCH 16— PSALM 131

My heart is not proud, Lord,My eyes are not haughty;I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother;Like a weaned child I am content.Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore (vv. 1-3, NIV).

The other day I saw a child, obviously exhausted, sleeping in her moth-er’s arms, without a care in the world. I could tell because her arms

were stretched out beyond her in an act of complete trust that the one holding her wouldn’t stumble and fall or drop her. I was struck, wondering, where in the world do adults have the chance for that kind of experience?

Well, Lent is a season of hope. Through honest introspection, confes-sion, and repentance, we come to God as we let go of every other thing we can’t fix or explain. Coming to the end of ourselves, we let go, finally, content to rest in the One who holds us.

We are content and at peace, not because everything in our lives is set-tled, but because God in Christ Jesus takes us in his arms and holds us safe and secure, so that we can let go of everything else, and rest. Just rest.

Dear God, thank you for your faithful love for me. I am so glad to be your child. Amen.

—Peter Hawkinson

Project Blue Prayer Focus: A Liberian girl. She’s twelve years old with big dreams, but dropped out of school today. In Sub-Saharan Africa, unsafe water is the primary cause of dropout for girls.

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The story of the Prodigal Son is one of the most beloved parables in the Bible. The son has squandered his inheritance in a faraway country.

When his situation becomes desperate, he returns home to his father, who welcomes him back with open arms and with celebration. The self-righ-teous brother, however, does not feel that his return deserves such royal treatment.

The parable is a beautiful picture of our own heavenly Father, who with open arms, welcomes returning souls—those who may have separat-ed themselves from God and perhaps have found themselves in desperate circumstances. Indeed it is a powerful picture of the forgiving love of God, which can triumph over the sinfulness of humans. It portrays our heavenly Father’s generous love and undeserved forgiveness. Jesus believed that we were not essentially ourselves until we came home to God, for what was lost has been found and what was dead now lives.

Dear Lord and heavenly Father, we thank you for your compassionate love and mercy. We thank you for sending your Son to show us the way. Help us to further his ministry of love and acceptance. And help us to rejoice over those who are coming home.

—Donna Kuhel

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MARCH 18—JOHN 4:14

But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life (NIV).

Have you ever had an offer you couldn’t refuse? Frequently we find offers that might be beneficial to us. Although temporary, most come

with some form of assumed privilege—an open opportunity. It is normal human instinct to take advantage of opportunities and to assess whether the benefits will affect us positively or negatively.

So often we resolve life’s challenges through shortcuts and miss achiev-ing a lasting resolution. We get lost in society’s “quickness” and settle for the façade and not the substance. How do we then find what we really need in life? Most often we focus on the physical needs; the hunger we have for fulfillment. While satisfying our immediate physical thirst we lose perspec-tive on the spiritual needs of our soul.

In John 4:14 Jesus presents an offer of water, an offer to take away our thirst forever. Recognize that God is the true end of our search to fulfill our desires of satisfaction and fulfillment, and that it is through the living water that Jesus gives us that our thirsty souls will be quenched. What an offer to be given. What a benefit to be filled with God’s presence.

God, although life gives me offers that challenge me, may your Spirit remind me of your everlasting presence in my life. During times in which I might feel that my soul needs to be filled, my thirst needs to be quenched, and my hunger satisfied, may I be reminded that your stream is ever flowing in and through me.

—Nadia Jimenez

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MARCH 19—DEUTERONOMY 4:9

Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to their children and to their children after them (NIV).

Moses is teaching God’s decrees and laws to the Israelites. He recounts for them what they have witnessed firsthand—God’s power, preser-

vation, and deliverance.We all have our stories which are repeated at gatherings of family and

friends, many humorous that no one wants to forget and others, history or events of life. With one phrase, our memory flashes back to “replay,” and we relive all the details as if it were today. We know them by heart. They stay alive as they bear repeating. When we replay them, we reset our hearts.

How vital it is for us not to forget or to let fade the stories of our faith. It is important to replay what we “saw” when we first believed, when we first followed Jesus, and, the experiences that made us aware of God’s pres-ence, care, and faithfulness throughout life—both good times and hard.

When we replay the stories that have been passed along from gen-eration to generation—stories of God with us, and Scriptures telling of Christ’s journey to the cross for us—may they cause us to reset our hearts with humility, gratitude, reverence, obedience, compassion, love, awe, and passionate belief… not to be forgotten.

Lord God, thank you for your love, forgiveness, and ultimate sacrifice. “Lest I forget Gethsemane; Lest I forget your agony; lest I forget your love for me, lead me to Calvary” (“King of My Life I Crown Thee Now,” The Covenant Hymnal, #371). Amen.

—Barbara Balsam

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MARCH 20—MARK 14:3-9 (PALM SUNDAY)

The dawn of suffering is rising for Jesus, just two days away. During the evening meal, a stranger suddenly appears, breaking a jar of costly per-

fume to pour it on his head—worth a year’s wages, suddenly gone. Scolded by the disciples, she is praised by Jesus, who blesses her for doing a beauti-ful thing. She seems to be the only one who realizes what’s about to happen to the Son of God.

Extravagance. Generosity. These are not valued as they should be in our measured and prudent world where our actions are calculated on the basis of our cost/benefit ratios. While the disciples argue about what she could have done instead with what she wasted, Jesus says to them, “You will not always have me.”

What would you be willing to give to be in the presence of Jesus? Would your actions be calculated, measure, and careful, or—might you just break open your life’s possessions?

She is the one who understands what a special moment it is, and she does a beautiful thing, wasting her treasure for the moment of a lifetime.

Lord God, help me to consider that nothing in this world compares with the loving presence of Jesus. I give myself to him. Amen.

—Peter Hawkinson

Project Blue Prayer Focus: A Ugandan teacher. Several times she has interrupted a school day to carry a child to the hospital, where he later died. Pray for her love to remain strong.

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As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes” (NRSV).

The great city looms below him, reaching toward the horizon as the Sun gently descends from the heavens. So peaceful from above, yet

so troubled in the depths...Peace and clarity on this mountaintop become suspicion and hatred among the people below.

If only they knew. If only they knew how to let that heavenly peace transcend their earthly foolishness and malignity.

As his eyes travel over each home, he quietly utters a prayer for each soul that abides within. His eyes well with tears as he sees them...such an overwhelming multitude of lost sheep who inflict sorrow upon themselves.

If only they knew. If only they knew the true, unrelenting forgiveness that the ultimate sacrifice would bring.

Tears are trickling down his face now, as he visualizes a dense fog of deception descending upon his children, who seem unable to bravely and fearlessly love one another.

They shall know one day. They shall know the full extent of that love that was wholeheartedly and willingly strung up on a cross.

Heavenly Father, we lift up our sorrows and regrets to you this day. Terror and maliciousness abound in this world, and we are so often afraid for ourselves and for those we love. We know deep in our hearts that we are not meant to live in such fear. Help us to know how to live as you intended us to live...in grace, forgiveness, and harmony with one another. Help us to never lose sight of that peaceful existence that your Son laid down his life for. Amen.

—Sarah Hawkinson

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Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (vv. 35-36, NIV).

In the garden of Gethsemane, in this beautiful and excruciating moment, we witness the humanity of Jesus alongside his divinity. He is afraid, he

does not want to suffer. He contemplates the pain. He wants to live, not die. We are reminded that the suffering and death of our Savior is not mechan-ical; he is no puppet. No, Christ will endure the seemingly unbearable pain of the whole world! And he will experience the pain of crucifixion in front of him as any of us would, as a human being.

Yet, as God in human flesh, he is faithful to the will of the One who sent him to accomplish the salvation of all things through his own suffering self-sacrifice. In his life’s most crucial moment, he thinks not of himself, but of you and me, embodying the full measure of God’s love for the world, in the world. He is faithful to what his Father wills.

Loving God, holy God, thank you for sending Jesus to us, to live among us, and to save us. In this Holy week, we remember his faithfulness, and his pain and anguish. And we wonder in his love. Amen.

—Peter Hawkinson

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“What do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” (vv. 12-13, NRSV).

When I read how the crowd demands that Pilate release Barabbas and crucify Jesus, I am first struck by the magnitude of the injustice. It is

hard for me to comprehend their choice. Can I relate to that crowd?The truth is, Jesus didn’t fit their picture of the Messiah. He didn’t look

like the king they imagined would free them from their current Roman captivity through political force. He was a disappointment.

I can relate to that crowd. Often I have a picture of how things should be and it’s not working

out—not the way it is supposed to. And I am angry. I don’t want to trust that God knows the best way and has the best picture. I want, in those mo-ments, to make my own way. I don’t want the way of faith, but a way that I think will “work.” I want Barabbas and not Jesus.

In his great mercy, God, through Jesus and the cross, brings his king-dom and does his will, so that I get his infinitely better picture, and learn to trust him.

Heavenly Father, keep us from our attempts to make our own, fear-driven ways, but rather, teach us to not be afraid and to trust your ways.

—David Hazelwood

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MARCH 24—MARK 14:22-25 (MAUNDY THURSDAY)

The room was nothing special. It was drafty and simply furnished with a plank table and benches and a wooden floor. It must have seemed

like a poor place of refuge and respite for the thirteen tired and careworn friends gathered there. But the plain setting and the fatigue and the worry were borne away in wonder when their leader and teacher filled a simple basin with water, removed his outer garments, and knelt before them.

They protested, but he insisted. He taught them once again, with this most humble act of rinsing the dirt from their feet, that the way to bring the world to the Father was to love with humility, serve one another, and remember his sacrifice. Then they supped, prayed, broke bread, and shared wine to forever remember his assumption of the sins of the world. They enjoyed their friendship and they sang together.

As we approach the Table today, let us eat and drink and know that Jesus not only forgives us, but he asks that we take that grace and live it in our world.

“Amazing love, how can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me” (“And Can It Be,” The Covenant Hymnal, #306).

—Gary Isaacson

Project Blue Prayer Focus: A Ugandan teacher. Several times she has interrupted a school day to carry a child to the hospital, where he later died. Pray for her love to remain strong.

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MARCH 25—MARK 15:33-39 (GOOD FRIDAY)

On this dark day, it’s tempting to jump ahead to Sunday. After all, we know the surprise ending. Why tarry here in bleak despair?

Yet priest and poet John Donne reminds us that to have a manifesta-tion of Christ in our souls, we have to have Good Friday first. So for today we dwell in this space.

My friend’s wife died recently after a too-short battle with cancer. She wasn’t even forty. The morning of Lorraine’s funeral, I woke up angry, my heart heavy for my friend and their three-year-old son. I hadn’t slept well, and I woke up chanting in my head, “It’s not fair, it’s not fair, it’s not fair.”

It’s easy for me to get stuck on the Good Fridays, to focus on the ways I or the people I care about suffer. I despair about people who treat each oth-er badly, about aging parents, about difficult transitions, and terrible illness.

But that morning something happened. I heard a nearly audible voice say, “I know. It’s not fair. That’s why I’m here.”

I didn’t even think I was praying. And for a moment, Christ was mani-fest—not outshining the darkness, but present in it.

My God, console us in the darkness.

—Cathy Norman Peterson

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MARCH 26—MARK 15:42-47 (HOLY SATURDAY)

So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock (v. 46, NIV).

On this Holy Saturday we remember that Jesus, crucified was “dead and buried” as the Apostle’s Creed teaches us. It’s a strange time between

Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We don’t know what to do with ourselves, except keep vigil, watch in holy silence as Joseph of Arimathea takes the Son of God, who is dead, down off the cross. Joseph, carefully and with love and sorrow, wraps him up, puts him in his tomb, and seals it up (he thinks) for good.

It’s virtually impossible for us as Easter people to keep vigil, to stay there with Joseph and the Marys who come to see his final resting place. We know better!

The tradition is to gather at midnight, with a bell tolling as Easter Sun-day begins, and spend the night singing Passion hymns and Easter songs together, at the same time, as though they are wrestling with one another, until finally, with the rising sun, the dissonance dissipates, and only “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” is left.

God of love, today and tonight I keep vigil. Silently I contemplate a world without your presence, if just for a moment, when your Christ is dead and buried. This leads me toward the joy of Easter sunrise. Alleluia! Amen.

—Peter Hawkinson

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MARCH 27—MARK 16:1-8 (EASTER)

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were afraid. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him…” trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid (vv. 5-8, NIV).

He has risen! He is not here. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, no longer is dead, no longer lays in his grave clothes in a tomb sealed shut. No, he

is gone, risen, out in the world alive again! God has raised him up. What amazing and wonderful news!

It’s interesting to note the repeated use of the word fear in Mark’s Easter account. They are afraid of this messenger and the messenger’s mes-sage, and the story (and the gospel) ends awkwardly. Even Easter contains fear. The invitation, of course, is to have faith in the messenger and the message that causes us not to be afraid anymore.

For our God has redeemed all things, forgiven us our sins, and now also conquered even our death. The end of life is life. See the place where they laid him. Don’t be afraid.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! All praise and glory be yours, eternal God, who has raised him up and so loved us once and for all. Amen.

—Peter Hawkinson

XLIX

1200 Hibbard RoadWilmette, IL, 60091

847.446.4300www.winnetkacovenant.org

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