2009 Lenten Worship Services & Events February 25 - Ash Wednesday Worship Services 7 a.m. (Chapel) 12 noon (Sanctuary) - Childcare for ages 0-5 7 p.m. (Sanctuary) - Childcare for ages 0-10 March 2 - Spiritual Disciplines Workshop with Fr. Ron McCrary 7 – 9 p.m. (Fellowship Hall) – Childcare for ages 0-10 April 4 - Children’s Easter Celebration with Egg Hunt & Flowering of the Cross 10 a.m. - 12 noon (Fellowship Hall & Courtyard) April 4/5 - Palm Sunday Weekend Worship Services Regular Worship Schedule April 9 - Maundy Thursday Worship Service 7 p.m. (Sanctuary) - Childcare ages for 0-10 April 10 - Good Friday Worship Services 12 noon - Stations of the Cross (Sanctuary) - Childcare for ages 0-10 7 p.m. - Good Friday Liturgy (Sanctuary) - Childcare for ages 0-10 April 11 - Easter Saturday Worship Service 5:30 p.m. (Sanctuary) - Childcare for ages 0-10 April 12 - Easter Sunday Worship Services 7 a.m. (Chapel) - Childcare for ages 0-10; no Sunday School 9 a.m. (Sanctuary) - Childcare for ages 0-10; no Sunday School 11 a.m. (Sanctuary) - Childcare for ages 0-10; no Sunday School
4550 Legacy Drive Plano, Texas 75024 972-618-0222 ChristChurchPlano.org
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raditionally observed as a preparation period for Easter, the 40 days of Lent (excluding Sundays) represent Jesus’ 40 days of withdrawal into the wilderness, as reported in three of the Gospels: Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13 and Luke 4:1-13. The following pages are a heartfelt collection of personal commentaries on each of the 40 Scripture readings for Lent. It is our hope that this book serves to help you take advantage of the highest purpose for Lent: to be still, to reflect, to look inside ourselves and get “right” with Christ through confession, repentance and prayer. You might also use this Lent as an opportunity to get to know our staff by asking them about the props that appear in their photos. The communications team had the privilege of compiling this book and working personally with each of its staff authors. On behalf of all of them, we convey our sincere prayer that you would experience a blessed and meaningful Lent, followed by a joyous Easter on April 12.
Bryan Jecko Jill Kinsella Jill Marr Steve Marr Cindy Sue Kolbe John King Communications Team
Please see the opposite page for a list of our Lenten worship services and events, and take advantage of the recommendations below to complement the daily use of this devotional book. In Christ, Communications Team
Fasting: Abstinence from food or drink for periods of time can heighten our awareness and appreciation that God is the provider of all we have, and that we are fully dependent on Him. When combined with deep prayer, fasting can be a powerful spiritual discipline. For more information on fasting visit ChristChurchPlano.org/fasting
The Prayer Experiment: A Christ Church tradition, the Prayer Experiment has helped many parishioners bring their specific needs before God and witness as they are answered. To view and print the Prayer Experiment form, visit ChristChurchPlano.org/the-prayer-experiment
Ash Wednesday February 25
Bible Reading: Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21 Giving to the Needy 1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Prayer 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Fr. Ron McCrary AIM Church Planting
Fasting 16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Refer to your Bible for the entire reading.)
Chocolate and Secrecy I’ve probably participated in this conversation a hundred times. Someone asks, “What are you giving up for Lent?” I answer, “Chocolate” (and quickly feel the warm glow of showing myself to be a good Christian.) The warm glow is my reward. It lasts for a nanosecond; then the reward is gone forever. Whenever you or I do something in order to receive human approval – giving up chocolate for Lent, praying, studying the Bible, taking a meal to someone in need – we completely undermine our trust relationship with God and come up empty. That’s why Jesus teaches us to use the spiritual practice of secrecy. Jesus wants us to discover the rich and rewarding life that only comes from placing our confident trust in God alone, not the opinions of other people. Secrecy means that we give up our attempts to have others know our good deeds or good qualities. As with any addiction, breaking free from our addiction to fame, human approval, or just being noticed will require a great infusion of God’s grace to support us. Jesus promises us that, “Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” That reward changes our hearts.
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Bible Reading: Genesis 9:8-17 8 Then
God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to
destroy the earth.”
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and
every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my
rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will
remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never
again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears
in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all
living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me
and all life on the earth.”
Commentary I can think back on my life and remember times when I made someone a promise. Quite often I kept that promise, and everything and everyone affected by the promise was fine. But I can also remember times when I failed to keep a promise I had made with someone. For whatever reason, whether I felt justified or not, I chose to go back on my word, and this broken promise led to trouble and mistrust with everyone, including myself, affected.
Thursday, February 26
Fr. Andy Bracken Pastoral Care
In Scripture, God’s promises are often identified by the word, “covenant,” and the first covenant we find in the chronology of Scripture was the one made with Noah. Fortunately, though, for Noah and for us today, God doesn’t break the promises He makes. We can rely on Him and His faithfulness in doing what He said He would do. How do we know what God says? Principally, God has spoken through human authors inspired by the Holy Spirit in what we now have in the Bible. Scripture is God’s word written, and our reading of it, meditation on it, and application of its truths into our lives provides what we need to live in His will. I challenge you today to make a covenant between yourself and God to commit to regular reading and meditation of God’s Word. You will be blessed!
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Friday, February 27
Cindy Sue Kolbe Communications
Bible Reading: Psalm 25:1-10 Of David. 1[a] To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; 2 in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 3 No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. 4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. 6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD. 8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. 9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. 10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
Footnotes: a. Psalm 25:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Commentary A child in a mall, separated from parents; a young driver on a dark evening in an unfamiliar part of town; an adult in the great outdoors estranged from comrades; a seasoned professional unexpectedly laid off from a job of 18 years. We have all felt it…the sinking realization that we are lost. The awareness is followed by a sense of fear in which we look to the Lord for protection, guidance and pardon. Our cry includes phrases such as I trust you, show me, guide me, teach me, remember me, my hope is in you, all of which are elements of Psalm 25. Next time you have that “lost” feeling, remembering this Psalm can help you abandon the fears, which may even allow you to enjoy not knowing where you are going, letting faith be your guide and compass. Celebrate being a little off course, knowing that God knows where you are, will guide you, and has a path mapped out for you. 6
Bible Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom [a] also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge [b] of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. 18
Saturday, February 28
Footnotes: a.1 Peter 3:19 Or alive in the spirit, 19 through which b.1 Peter 3:21 Or response
Commentary In today’s passage, the apostle Peter connects the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus with the experience of Noah’s flood and the sacrament of baptism. Verse 18 is one of the simplest, and yet the richest, summaries of the gospel found in the New Testament. Jesus suffered in order to bring us to God. He came in the flesh. He died in the flesh. He did all this that He might accomplish the great goal of God’s plan – bringing us to God. Peter takes an interesting tangent when he explains how our redemption through Christ parallels Noah’s redemption through the flood. And this redemption through water connects well with the sacrament of baptism where water symbolizes death to sin as well as new life in Christ.
Roger Vermeulen Children’s Ministry
Lent has traditionally been a time of preparation for those who intend to be baptized on Easter. And when it comes to the meaning of baptism, today’s passage is an excellent one to meditate on. Baptism is a symbolic expression of the heart’s appeal to God where we call on God saying, “I trust you to take me into Christ like Noah was taken into the ark, and to make Jesus the substitute for my sins and to bring me through these waters of death and judgment into a new and everlasting life through the resurrection of Jesus my Lord.” We don’t save ourselves. God saves us through the work of Christ. But we receive that salvation through calling on the name of the Lord by trusting him. And it is through baptism that this appeal is so powerfully expressed. We essentially enter the ark of Christ, trusting to be saved as we pass through the waters of death. If you have never been baptized, the Lenten season is a great time to consider it. And if you have, Lent is the perfect time to reflect upon that symbolic act, reaffirming what it means to have died to sin and risen into newness of life.
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Sunday, March 1
Bible Reading: Mark 1:9-15 The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus 9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, 13 and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. The Calling of the First Disciples 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
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Bible Reading: Isaiah 52:13-15 The Suffering and Glory of the Servant See, my servant will act wisely [a] ; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him [b]— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness— 15 so will he sprinkle many nations, [c] and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. 13
Monday, March 2
Footnotes: a. Isaiah 52:13 Or will prosper b. Isaiah 52:14 Hebrew you c. Isaiah 52:15 Hebrew; Septuagint so will many nations marvel at him
Commentary The picture of our Lord’s suffering is nowhere more expressively displayed than in the prophesy of Isaiah, particularly this chapter and the following one. However, before I get to my main point there are two things I would like to say about suffering. First, suffering is very real. It’s so real we don’t have to search our hearts for this feeling simply because we are affected and faced by it daily. Whether we are directly or indirectly touched by suffering there is a sting to it that reminds us of how fragile and delicate we are in this world. Secondly, suffering is very personal. It knows no boundary, no border, no timezone and no locked doors. It holds no prejudice to countries, cultures, races, families or individuals and as long as we live on this earth we all are affected by suffering and its ramifications.
Fr. Jed Roseberry New Member Ministry
To read this passage and to be able to say, “We have a Lord who knows our pains and sufferings” is not to sound trite or belittle our emotions as we deal with hard times. Instead these words are meant to reveal truth, hope and comfort as we look to the great sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. We should not only look to the cross as an act of redemption, but also as a revelation of God’s identification with humanity. As Sobrino has put it in his journal, Thesis Thirteen, “On the cross of Jesus God Himself is crucified. The Father…takes upon himself all the pain and suffering of history. In this ultimate solidarity with humanity he reveals himself as the God of love, who opens up a hope and future through the most negative side of history” (J. Sobrino, Christology at the Crossroads [London, 1978], p.224). As one theologian puts it: Suffering may be the consequence of God’s decision to create a universe of a particular kind, but he actively shares in the experience.
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Tuesday, March 3
Bible Reading: Luke 12:13-15 The Parable of the Rich Fool 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance
with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Commentary A man asks Jesus to have the man’s brother divide an inheritance with the man, but Jesus declines, warning the man of the evils of greed. Continuing in Luke 12, Jesus goes on to give the parable of the rich man storing up extra harvest just as his life is to be demanded from him by God. As the expression goes, “You can’t take it with you.”
Adam Ruef Operations
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Time and again the Bible reminds us to be content, not greedy. In this season of Lent, especially given the hard economic times we face, it is especially hard to be thankful for what we still have and generous with what we have left. Human nature would have us hold tightly to our possessions and share them only reluctantly. But God calls us to disobey our natural inclination, be content with what we have, and to share it generously with those in need. Equally important, we must remember who it all belongs to in the first (and last) place, and give thanks to Him who provides all things, not the least of which is the very air we breathe. What will the balance sheet look like when He finally takes that away?
Bible Reading: Genesis 12:1-4 The Call of Abram 1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
Wednesday, March 4
Commentary In 1997, the company I worked for transferred me for the fourth time in six years. I moved to Chagrin Falls, a beautiful suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. I moved into a charming, 150 year old two story home and settled into my new surroundings very quickly. My commute to work was scenic as I traveled down wooded, winding two lane roads to work each day. I found a delightful church in my community and quickly made friends and became involved. I could walk into town to do my shopping, leaving doors and windows open. I loved everything about my new city and thought to myself, this is it, no more moves! I’m finally home.
Deacon Toni Brown PrimeTimers Ministry
After approximately one year in Chagrin Falls, I was told that I would be transferred to Dallas in approximately ten months. I couldn’t believe it. I loved my house and the city that I had made home and couldn’t imagine moving again. I began to pray earnestly about the decision to stay with my company and move or finding another job and remain in Chagrin Falls. As time drew nearer to the transfer date, I knew that God was calling me to leave. Personally, I struggled with it. I tried to convince myself that God really didn’t want me to move. The more I resisted, the more God confirmed that He desired me to move yet again. I can remember the exact moment that I surrendered my will to His. Deeply saddened about moving to Dallas, I knew deep in my heart that God had a plan that was better than mine. I couldn’t see His plan, yet I trusted Him once again to take a journey in which I wasn’t sure where I was going and why. As Christians, God often calls us to make significant directional changes in our lives. These changes could be geographic, relationships, careers, habits. Often He doesn’t tell us where we are going and how we are going to get there. He simply asks us to be obedient and take each step in faith trusting Him along the way. Are you willing to trust Him?
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Thursday, March 5
Bible Reading: Genesis 17:1-7; 15-16 The Covenant of Circumcision 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty [a] ; walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” 3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram [b] ; your name will be Abraham, [c] for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. Footnotes: a. Genesis 17:1 Hebrew El-Shaddai b. Genesis 17:5 Abram means exalted father . c. Genesis 17:5 Abraham means father of many .
15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will
Susan Freeman
bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
Small Groups
Commentary “I will.” God speaks to Abram six “I will” statements in just nine short verses. These “I will” statements reveal how God will show his Almighty power in the lives of Abraham and Sarah. God’s “I will” words are ones which point to his mighty power. In Genesis 1 God instructs male and female to be fruitful; He does the same with Noah and his sons in Genesis 6. But in this passage we see the Almighty power of God. Sarah is barren and God promises to take action as part of the covenant. God will make Abraham and Sarah fruitful, exceedingly fruitful so that nations and kings will come from them. “Walk before me.” As part of the covenant agreement that God establishes with Abram God instructs Abram to “walk before me” which meant maintaining an intimate relationship with God. As children of God we are called to live trusting that God is active in our lives and in the world all around us. “I will” continues to be true. God is at work – He wills to act in good and powerful ways in the moments and days and years of our lives and in all of history. And God is always present with us. We “walk before God” by trusting in His presence and being present to Him in return; by responding to Him, and by actively engaging in relationship with Him. It can sometimes be easy to go through a day functioning on autopilot, totally unaware of God’s presence. I invite you to begin this day by acknowledging and trusting in God’s presence with you. Ask Him to make you sensitive to his Almighty power at work in your life and in the world.
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Bible Reading: Psalm 22:23-31 23 You
who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. 25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you [a] will I fulfill my vows. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. 29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. 31 They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn— for he has done it.
Friday, March 6
Debi Newman Women’s Ministry
Footnotes: a. Psalm 22:25 Hebrew him
Commentary The Easter story can feel sad and even gory the closer we get to Good Friday. The movie The Passion of the Christ emphasized the pain and torture Jesus went through for us. God invites us to see our own pain and suffering, and certainly Christ’s pain and suffering, for what it is spiritually. In Psalm 22:24 it says, “For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” Jesus’ suffering at Easter helps us understand our own suffering. We, too, do not despise our suffering. We need to look at suffering the way God does. It was through Christ’s suffering that we have been brought into relationship with God. Psalm 22:30-31 goes on to say, “Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn— for he has done it.” We must never forget Christ’s suffering and what He made possible for us. We are those people who were yet unborn and now know about it. We need to help others look on Christ’s suffering as their salvation, too. 13
Saturday, March 7
Fr. Clint Kerley Evangelism and Alpha
Bible Reading: Romans 4:13-25 13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Commentary I can think of no more disheartening word in the English language than “hopeless.” No one wants to hear that a situation or illness or person is hopeless. In each obstacle that comes before us we look for even the faintest glimmer of hope, the smallest hint that we will make it to the other side. But beyond being a human attribute we must remember that hope is a Christian virtue. In fact, Paul puts it in the top three: “Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love…” And Christian hope rests in one place: God himself. Abraham was “fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (verse 21). The cross is our ultimate symbol of hope. If we ever wonder if God is able to deal with suffering, forgive sin, provide eternal life, we only have to look at the cross. At the cross we see, like Abraham, that God has power to do what he has promised. And so, as you face suffering or sin or desperation, look to the cross and hope against all hope that God was and is and will be at work to do what he has promised for you.
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Bible Reading: Mark 8:31-38 Jesus Predicts His Death 31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life [a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Sunday, March 8
Footnotes: a. Mark 8:35 The Greek word means either life or soul; also in verse 36.
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Monday, March 9
Fr. Jeff Rawn Marriage Ministry
Bible Reading: Amos 5:18-24 The Day of the LORD 18 Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light. 19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. 20 Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light— pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness? 21 “I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, [a] I will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Footnotes: a. Amos 5:22 Traditionally peace offerings
Not Your Religion, But Your Heart! Religion! Don’t we as humans have a propensity to think that we can earn some kind of divine credit by our religious observances or our moral behavior? History, anthropology and archeology would so indicate, as would any current sociological study. It has even been the case with the people of God. But God has repeatedly spoken a word of correction: He is much more interested in our Hearts. God desires that our hearts be in tune, that they resonate, with His. When God’s message is communicated through the prophet Amos,“let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream,” He is not saying, “Now, be good.” He is saying, “I want you to become like me. I want your heart to be changed, transformed – shaped like mine.” Jesus also had to confront the religious leaders of His day for their “neglect of justice and the love of God,” (Lk 11:39ff) and their misplaced zeal for ceremonialism. The Good News is that, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, He wants to transform us, to shape us to be like Him. Does God want us legalistically following all the religious rules about worship and morals? Not really. What God wants is to make us new – to renovate our hearts. All the rest will follow. 16
Bible Reading: Psalm 69:6-9 May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel. 7 For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face. 8 I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons; 9 for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me. 6
Tuesday, March 10
Commentary Psalm 69 is one of the most famous “Psalms of Lament.” It starts out with a man in dire straights. The waters of the flood have come up to his neck; he has lost his foothold; the floods waters are rising; and he is tired of calling out to the Lord. His throat is parched, even in the floodwaters because of his constant calling to God. Even his own brothers have turned against him. He loves the house of the Lord (the Temple) and he endures the criticism and insults of many.
Fr. David Roseberry Rector
This psalm points right at Jesus. In fact, the disciples discovered this right after Jesus had cleansed the Temple. They remembered Psalm 69:9 and applied to directly to Jesus. Zeal for the house of God consumed Jesus. (John 2:17) Read the verse above with Jesus as its subject, and it will open up a lot of rich understanding. But there is a very personal side to this psalm, too. It tells us that there is (and should be) a price to pay for believing God. There are times of great loneliness and questioning; there are times of scorn and ridicule. Life is not easy. We wonder where God is? We feel we are in the thick of trouble and God cannot be reached. We call, but He doesn’t answer. Lent helps us remember that our faith is free…but it is not cheap. When things don’t go well…and surely won’t go will for all of us all the time...our own dire straights should drive us closer to God. Regardless of the cost of it, we can surely pay the price.
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Wednesday, March 11
Bible Reading: Habakkuk 2:18-20 “Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. 19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. 20 But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” 18
Commentary Katherine Somich Children’s Ministry
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You know, the ancient Babylonians are not so different from today’s Texans. As a society, we have raised up false gods all around us. They may not be carved from wood, or fashioned from stone, or gilded with gold and silver, but nevertheless, they are still gods. Money. Success. The “good life.” High-achieving children. All of these on their own are not bad things to want. Friends and family might actually worry about you if you don’t pursue these things in your life; however, when they start to take the priority spot in our lives…now that is when things get ugly. Thousands of years ago on top of a mountain, God declared, “Do not put any other gods in place of Me.” (Exod 20:3 NIrV) Those words, along with His other nine commandments, were as true then as they are today. When we put other things in front of our relationship with God, we are blocking our view of Him; however, Jesus has promised that if we put Him first, all other things will fall into place. “But put God’s kingdom first. Do what He wants you to do. Then all those things will also be given to you.” (Matt 6:33 NIrV)
Bible Reading: Exodus 20:1-17
Thursday, March 12
The Ten Commandments 1 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before [a] me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship
them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. (Refer to your Bible for the entire reading.) Footnotes: a. Exodus 20:3 Or besides
Commentary The Israelites were God’s chosen people. When famine covered the land, they fled to Egypt in search of food. In Egypt the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied, and they became so numerous that all of Egypt was filled with them. After Joseph and all his brothers died, a new king came to power. Threatened by the presence of the Israelites, he warned the Egyptians that the Israelites might overthrow them. So the Egyptians came to fear the Israelites and made them slaves.
Marsha Kostus Missions and Outreach
But God brought the Israelites out of Egypt and slavery. He redeemed them from slavery and blessed them with salvation. As a consequence of this redemption, God gave them the Ten Commandments. The commandments were given to the Israelites not as a punishment or condition for salvation, but as a means to remain free from slavery. The law enabled the Israelites to take on God’s character and to reveal His purposes as they lived among the nations of the world. The law protected them from being enslaved again by sin. By obeying God’s commandments, we are not attempting to show our worth before God or to earn salvation. Neither is the law a standard by which we may separate ourselves from non-believers. By obeying God’s commandments, we reveal to the world the nature of God we worship. We also reveal how, through this obedience, we are transformed and blessed. By fulfilling this calling to be holy, we show ourselves to be different from the world so that in turn, the world will be drawn to glorify God. Do you view God’s laws as a rebuke or a blessing? By obeying God’s commandments, how are you able to reflect the character of God?
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Friday, March 13
Deacon Carol Brooks Life Care
Bible Reading: Psalm 19 For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1 The
heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. [a] 4 Their voice [b] goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (Refer to your Bible for the entire reading.) Footnotes: a. Psalm 19:3 Or They have no speech, there are no words; / no sound is heard from them b. Psalm 19:4 Septuagint, Jerome and Syriac; Hebrew line
Commentary God spoke and created the universe. Jesus spoke and the sick were healed and the dead raised to life. My words have the power to harm or to help others. Help me, Lord, to so order my thinking and speaking that my words bring hope and help, encouragement and comfort to those around me. Let my words and my life point others to your life-saving love. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
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Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 Christ the Wisdom and Power of God For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” [a] 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 18
Saturday, March 14
Footnotes: a. 1 Corinthians 1:19 Isaiah 29:14
Ring Tones That Only a Few Can Hear
Pam Coghlan
A ring tone which prying elders can’t hear—if you think it is just a teen fantasy, step aside. Cell phones, which students can hear but most adults can’t, are in vogue in American schools. The technology is based on the fact that most adults gradually lose the ability to hear high pitched sounds. It was developed in Britain, but recently it has spread to the U.S. where schools are banning students from bringing cell phones to classrooms. The use of peculiar ring tones came to light recently in a school in New York where the cell phones were supposed to be turned off in classrooms, The New York Times reported. A high-pitched ring tone went off that set teeth on edge, including their 28-year-old teacher. When she asked whose cell phone it was, the students were surprised and asked her how she could hear it when it should be inaudible to adults. But apparently her ears had not yet lost their sensitivity (story courtesy of rediff.com, 6/12/06.)
Youth Ministry
If you know Christ as your Savior, you have been blessed with the privilege to hear the voice of God and the wisdom found within His message. Your ears have not lost their sensitivity. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 clearly states that the world will not understand the truth and wisdom of God. The world clings to its own knowledge and insight as it tries to pass it off as ultimate truth and wisdom. When is the last time you heard the voice of God and the wisdom imparted from His message?
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Sunday, March 15
Bible Reading: John 2:13-22 13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[a] 18 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. Footnotes: a. John 2:17 Psalm 69:9
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Bible Reading: Psalm 107:10-16 Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, 11 for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. 12 So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. 13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains. 15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, 16 for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron. 10
Commentary The commands of God had been given to the Israelites, and they did not obey them. The choice not to obey God’s commands has consequences.
Monday, March 16
Fr. Andy Bracken Pastoral Care
In the great classic book, The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis writes, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’” The truth of this comment is challenging to all people. God’s ultimate desire is to be in relationship with us. He allows all of us to choose to follow Him and His commands. But also, part of that relationship is the freedom to reject the guidance and direction which He has laid before us. Acceptance provides us with the opportunity to share in God’s goodness and plans for our lives. Rejection has its consequences as well. The Psalmist is writing about the Israelites in today’s passage. God allowed them to make their own choice and reject His words, and the consequence for them was trouble in a difficult situation where no one was available for help. There seems to be no hope for them. But, God is faithful to those who earnestly cry out to Him, even when we willingly and knowingly reject His words. Because of His unfailing love for all creation, our hope is that He will save us even when we have chosen to go astray.
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Tuesday, March 17
Bible Reading: Psalm 34:9-14 Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 9
Commentary Tom Gerthoffer Children’s Ministry
Psalm 34 was written by David about a time when Saul, who was then the King of Israel, wanted David killed. Saul was jealous of David, and God had already decided that Saul would no longer be king, and that David would succeed him. So, Saul and his armies pursued David who fled to the town of Gath to meet the king. In Gath he was mocked by the king’s servants and became afraid. I see in David two men: one, a fearless warrior and great King who brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem; the other, a man who cowered against the jibes of servants. So, when I read the 34th Psalm, a poem by David; I am impressed by the use of the word “fear.” It commonly is used to refer to being scared, as David was in Gath. But in the psalm, David uses the word “fear” as reverence and awe of, but not afraid of, the Lord. In verses 9 – 14, David tells us to be reverent, respectful and in awe of the Lord. For those who are, lack nothing. David also offers to teach those who may not know that they should be reverent toward the Lord. And, finally David admonishes us that to live a good long life, one must turn from evil and do good. It is for me a reminder of the dual nature we find within us, and the need to look toward the Lord, lest we turn toward evil.
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Bible Reading: Jeremiah 8:18-22 O my Comforter [a] in sorrow, my heart is faint within me. 19 Listen to the cry of my people from a land far away: “Is the LORD not in Zion?
Is her King no longer there?”
“Why have they provoked me to anger with their images,
with their worthless foreign idols?”
20 “The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.” 21 Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. 22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? 18
Footnotes: a. Jeremiah 8:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Commentary
Wednesday, March 18
Roger Vermeulen Children’s Ministry
In this passage, Jeremiah is lamenting the coming judgment of God’s people for their continued unfaithfulness. He foresees what awaits them. They will cry from a land far away because they’ve be taken into captivity by the Babylonians. They will call out to God who no longer seems to be there because they’ve provoked Him to anger by their ceaseless idol worship. They will be crushed with no hope of deliverance. But Jeremiah then raises the question, “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” Since Gilead was a region known for its medicinal balms, the answer was clear. Of course, there is balm in Gilead as well as physicians. Jeremiah then asks the rhetorical question, “Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?” The problem isn’t with the availability of healing, but the unwillingness of the wounded to be healed. God has promised healing for our souls if we will only receive it. But how often do we stubbornly cling to our sin just like the ancient Israelites? Christ is our balm to heal a heart wounded from sin. Let us turn to Him and receive His healing. Like the spiritual says, There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin sick soul.
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Thursday, March 19
Bible Reading: Numbers 21:4-9 The Bronze Snake 4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, [a] to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” 6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. Footnotes: a. Numbers 21:4 Hebrew Yam Suph; that is, Sea of Reeds
Fr. Andy Bracken Pastoral Care
Commentary As the Israelites had done so many times during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, they again sinned against God, and this time, also against Moses. As with all sin, there were then, and are for us today, consequences. The consequence for their sin was death. Anyone bitten by the venomous snakes would without divine intervention face certain death. Once again, there was no hope. But fortunately for them, and for us, the Lord as He has done time after time, shows them their sin, but also His grace. Max Lucado writes, “To see sin without grace is despair. To see grace without sin is arrogance. To see them in tandem is conversion.” The only remedy for the Israelites’ impossible situation was made possible by God through a personal faith, a conversion, of repentance of their sin and a decision to simply look at the snake…no doctors, no anti-venom injections, simply a personal faith in a supernaturally provided savior. That is who Jesus is for us, and a personal faith in Him will provide you with eternal life. Have you chosen to look to Jesus in faith as your savior? If so, reflect on your conversion and how God’s grace has affected your life. If not, what is keeping you from doing so?
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Bible Reading: Psalm 107:1-3;17-22 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say this— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3 those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. [a] 1
Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. 18 They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. 19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 20 He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. 21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. 22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.
Friday, March 20
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Footnotes: a. Psalm 107:3 Hebrew north and the sea
Commentary
Deacon Toni Brown PrimeTimers Ministry
My grandmother always sang as she worked. As a farmer’s wife, she worked hard. There were always things to be done and the days were long. She rarely sat down and was “on the move” constantly. I loved tagging along with her to “help.” We would feed the chickens, draw water from the cistern, gather eggs, water the flowers. She always found something that I could do so we could work together. I loved being with her. Sometimes we would laugh and talk and other times we would work in silence simply enjoying our time together. She loved to sing hymns as she worked and she taught them to me so we could sing together. I learned to love the songs “Love Lifted Me”, “I Love to tell the Story” and “Blessed Assurance.” Her love for the Lord was evident not only in her words but in her actions. I also knew that she loved me fully and completely. I could rest in her love and know the safety and peace that it gave. My grandmother is 99 today and still loves the Lord more fully and completely than in the days on the farm long ago. She knows to whom she belongs and that His love is good and never fails. Do you know to whom you belong? Do you believe that His love never fails? Take time this season of Lent giving thanks to our God for His love in our lives that lasts forever.
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Saturday, March 21
Bible Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 Made Alive in Christ 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature [a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Deacon Toni Brown PrimeTimers Ministry
Footnotes: a. Ephesians 2:3 Or our flesh
Commentary The amazing gift of grace is one of the dominant themes of Scripture. Over and over throughout the pages of the Bible, we see God’s lavish grace poured out when we turn away from “the ways of this world” and surrender our lives to Him. It is by faith alone that we are saved. It’s by His love and grace that we are reconciled to Him through Christ Jesus. And then, as if that weren’t enough, we have the amazing privilege to participate with Him in good works that He has prepared in advance for us to do. Last year, my young nephew found himself in a lifestyle that sent his life spiraling completely out of control. As a young single man living on his own, he found the calling of the world to be irresistible as he filled his spare time with parties and drugs. The drug addiction led to the failure to pay his bills, theft from family and friends and ultimately a job loss. The bondage of the drugs ultimately led him to burglarize a local business to feed his addiction. What my nephew didn’t realize was that the business owner had cameras and everything was caught on tape. The next morning, the local police arrived and arrested him. As my young nephew was whisked away, the business owner called his parents. He said to them, “I know your son and I know the trouble he’s in. You see, I am a Christian and I have a son just like your son. If he repays all of the money and submits to drug rehab and counseling, I won’t press charges. That’s what I would want someone to do for my son.” What my family experienced was an amazing gift of grace. It was unwarranted and undeserved and yet freely given. Where in your life are the ways of the world pulling you away from God? Where have you experienced His amazing gift of grace? Where is God asking you to freely give grace to those in your life?
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Bible Reading: John 3:14-21 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. [a] 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, [b] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. [c] 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” [d] 14
Sunday, March 22
Footnotes: a. John 3:15 Or believes may have eternal life in him b. John 3:16 Or his only begotten Son c. John 3:18 Or God’s only begotten Son d. John 3:21 Some interpreters end the quotation after verse 15.
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Monday, March 23
Bible Reading: Amos 7:7-9 7 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. 9 “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.”
Commentary The Lord has heard Amos’ prayer and spared Jacob up to this point. But in verse 7 the Lord uses a plumb line to illustrate how the people of Israel are no longer aligned with His design, and promises to destroy the man-made symbols of righteousness and pretense.
Adam Ruef Operations
Complacency had set in amongst the Jews, and they assumed once the requirements of the law were met, they were free to do as they pleased. But God calls His people to a life of faithfulness. He is not asking for a public performance, such as merely showing up for church on Sunday. He wants to be in our hearts and minds 24/7. After all, He is the only reason we are here. To give ourselves credit for anything or to think we get a holiday from faithfulness is to (if only momentarily) deny God and His almighty power and majesty. We are called to keep God at the center of our lives; to acknowledge Him as providing all that we are and all that we have; to thank Him for our very lives and the earth where we live them out. We express this faith in the creeds and prayers we speak and the songs we sing in worship. Why then would we not live every minute accordingly, lest we be telling a lie?
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Bible Reading: Hebrews 8:1-12 The High Priest of a New Covenant point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man. 3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” [a] 6 But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. 7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said [b]: “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
Tuesday, March 24
1 The
(Refer to your Bible for the entire reading.) Footnotes: a. Hebrews 8:5 Exodus 25:40 b. Hebrews 8:8 Some manuscripts may be translated fault and said to the people.
Cindy Sue Kolbe Communications
Commentary As it is with many youth, my covenant with God began one August evening at high school summer camp. As an excited new Christian, I made numerous verbal promises and agreements; some conditional, some unconditional. I couldn’t wait to serve Him and experience Him to the fullest. As the years go by, life happens. Many of the promises get put on hold, delayed, fall by the wayside, seem impractical or are just plain forgotten. This season of Lent is the ideal time to enter into a new covenant relationship with the Lord—one that is inward, spiritual and heartfelt. Let your new covenant produce a change of heart and a renewed intimacy with God through His Son Jesus Christ. The promised blessings of a new covenant await any and all who are willing to respond.
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Wednesday, March 25
Roger Vermeulen Children’s Ministry
Bible Reading: Psalm 51:1-12 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts [a] ; you teach [b] me wisdom in the inmost place. 1
(Refer to your Bible for the entire reading.) Footnotes: a. Psalm 51:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain. b. Psalm 51:6 Or you desired?; / you taught
Commentary Psalm 51 is the confession of a man who really sinned big! King David, known as a man after God’s own heart, was confronted by the prophet Nathan for committing adultery with Bathsheba and then trying to cover it up by having her husband Uriah “accidentally” killed. Needless to say, David blew it big time. His words are those of a man overwhelmed with guilt, pleading for God’s mercy and forgiveness. But David doesn’t only plead for forgiveness, he seeks renewal. He recognizes the rift that his sin has created between himself and God, and he longs to have that relationship restored. Confession is more that just admitting our sins before God; it’s about renewing a broken relationship. It is where we come clean with God, honestly recognizing our sin, repenting, and seeking reconciliation with the Lover of our soul. As Christians we know that our sins in their totality are forgiven by the finished work of Christ on the cross. But as we continue to struggle with our sin nature, each of us must regularly renew our most precious relationship with God through confession. Make David’s words your own and experience confession and renewal in a fresh genuine way.
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Bible Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34 “The time is coming,” declares the LORD,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to [a] them, [b] ” declares the LORD. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
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Thursday, March 26
Amy Waggoner Gateway and Alpha
Footnotes: a. Jeremiah 31:32 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac / and I turned away from b. Jeremiah 31:32 Or was their master
Commentary I want Him to be my God. I long to truly be His person, a woman whose love of God is seen through my faithful obedience to His ways. But each year when Lent rolls around and I settle in to this season of self examination I am reminded that my life is pock-marked with sins that impede my relationship with God. How are we to live with this longing for unhindered relationship with God when we still fall into sin? First, we live out our love of God in the infinite grace extended to us through Jesus, the author of the new covenant. His faithfulness to forgive us far exceeds our inclination to sin, so each day we must seek restoration and strength through our relationship with Jesus. But we also wait eagerly for the final day when He returns to make the renewal of our hearts complete. Think of the day when sin is defeated for the last time and our relationship with God is made whole so we can truly say, “I am his and he is mine.” 33
Friday, March 27
Susan Freeman Small Groups
Bible Reading: Psalm 119:9-16 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. 9
Commentary “I have stored up your word in my heart.” “You silly rabbit! Trix are for kids!” Sometimes we feel the same way about memorizing scripture – it’s for kids in Sunday School. I’ve heard (and given) some of the excuses on the Top 10 Reasons Why We Don’t Memorize Scripture. “I’m too old.” “I’m just not wired that way.” “I can’t remember where I left my car keys; you think I can memorize scripture?” But storing up God’s word in our hearts, meditating on scripture and memorizing it are ways that God uses His word to transform our lives. There is a line from a song that says this: “Why do I pray? To say I prayed an hour?” To be certain, we don’t memorize scripture so we can proudly say we did so. It is true, however, that through careful memorization, and meditating on or pondering scripture, both silently and out loud, we are transformed to be more like Christ. Anne Michael, in her book, Fugitive Pieces, talks about a young girl memorizing music for the piano. The result of her efforts was this: to be “no longer aware of a hundred accumulated fragments but only of one long story.” As we memorize scripture we see beyond a single verse to the story of God in relationship with His people throughout history. I encourage you to start today. Take a phrase, a verse, a passage and begin the work. Write it on an index card and carry it with you, put in on your desk at work, write it on your bathroom mirror. You will know and experience the living God. And God will transform you through the living word of scripture. For additional resources see Richard Foster’s Life With God and Eugene Peterson’s Eat This Book.
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Bible Reading: Hebrews 5:5-10 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. [a]” [b] 6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” [c] 5
Saturday, March 28
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. 7
Footnotes: a. Hebrews 5:5 Or have begotten you b. Hebrews 5:5 Psalm 2:7 c. Hebrews 5:6 Psalm 110:4
Commentary
Debi Newman
Every single person who lives on this earth suffers. It is only the degree of suffering that is different. God has shown us that there is goodness in obeying Him in spite of our suffering. Jesus modeled this during His life on earth. He was God’s Son and still He was not immune from suffering. Sometimes we think, “If only we had been born into a different family our life would not be so hard.” But the truth is that all of us suffer because we were created to be born into a perfect family and a perfect world. God has redeemed our suffering to make us perfect.
Women’s Ministry
Jesus shows us that suffering can help make us perfect. Hebrews 5:8-9 says, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” As we obey God through our suffering we, too, can grow more in love with God. We, like Jesus, can call Him Father and call out to God in our suffering. The Easter story is the explanation of the suffering and the victory that is possible while living on this earth.
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Sunday, March 29
Bible Reading: John 12:20-33 Jesus Predicts His Death 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in
turn told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. 27 “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
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Bible Reading: Mark 11:1-11 The Triumphal Entry 1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ” 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! [a]” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” [b] 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. Footnotes: a. Mark 11:9 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 10 b. Mark 11:9 Psalm 118:25,26
Monday, March 30
Fr. Clint Kerley Discipleship and Alpha
Commentary Mark 11 shows Jesus at the height of His popularity. Huge throngs of people gathered to welcome Him into Jerusalem. As Jesus came into town the crowd began cheering, chanting an ancient salvation hymn of the Hebrew people from Psalm 118: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” The crowd seemed ready to receive Jesus as their King, their Savior, the true Son of David. But just a few days later this same crowd was gathered to chant something completely different. Encouraged by the Jewish leaders they stood before Pilate and cried, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” We are tempted to look upon this vacillating crowd with judgment. But we need to be careful. Every week we, too, chant–sing, really–this same ancient hymn during Eucharist. We are enthusiastic and moved at the significance of the moment. But as we move a few days past Sunday, do we continue to welcome Jesus as King? Or are we happy to have His influence crucified in our lives because we’re content to be king to ourselves? Jesus is either King or He isn’t. We either welcome Him or we crucify Him. Take a moment today to reflect on which chant you most consistently cheer. May God give us grace to welcome Jesus each day as King and Savior.
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Tuesday, March 31
Bible Reading: John 12:12-16 The Triumphal Entry 12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! [a]” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” [b] “Blessed is the King of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, 15 “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” [c] 16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
Fr. Jeff Rawn Marriage Ministry
Footnotes: a. John 12:13 A Hebrew expression meaning “Save!” which became an exclamation of praise b. John 12:13 Psalm 118:25, 26 c. John 12:15 Zech. 9:9
He Who Comes This coming Sunday, we will remember this festive day when Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem was hailed by the multitudes. There was definitely a sense of expectation. They welcome Him as the king whom God had sent to save them (“Hosanna” means “save us”). But, as was the case 2,000 years ago, we will not celebrate very long on Palm Sunday. We will quickly turn to remember His Passion – the suffering and agony that He endured to secure a very different Kingdom that was probably expected at the time. We will be reminded that Jesus’ Kingship and the salvation that He brings is not political – in fact, it’s much more spiritual than temporal. He didn’t take the power of the Romans away by force or by miracle as many were surely hoping. Instead, He died! He died to take away the power of sin and death. He “comes in the Name of the Lord” to bring us back to the Lord. Yes, it will have temporal ramifications as He works through us to change the world. But it’s really about God’s reign becoming a reality in the human heart. Remember, the Passion week that will follow Palm Sunday is really the crux of the matter. (Isn’t that an interesting concurrence of wording?)
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Bible Reading: Psalm 118:1-2;19-29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” 1
Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter. 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. 22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 23 the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Wednesday, April 1
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(Refer to your Bible for the entire reading.)
Commentary
Fr. David Roseberry Rector
A friend of mine started a bumper sticker ministry a few years ago. He would put prayers on bumper stickers and give them away. People would put this “prayer sticker” on the back of their cars and as people drove past them they would read the bumper sticker… and say a prayer at the same time. It was a trick prayer. If I could design a bumper sticker it would be with this verse (v. 2) as its theme: His love endures forever! What a thought! What a glorious thought! It says two great things for us to remember today. God is love…and aren’t you glad? The very power and source, the true creator and maker of all there is…is NOT hostile. He is NOT against us (as some religions would believe.) On the contrary, He is for us. He has our interests and needs very much in His Vast and Eternal Mind. The very power by which we “are” is Love. Sometimes, that is all I think I need. I need to know that God is Love. But I can also forget the other and equally strong message of the Bible: His Love endures forever. That means there is no changing it. It doesn’t decrease it if we are bad. He doesn’t increase it if we are “extra good.” His love is a constant. Too often we look to God and ask Him to be our sail. He is there to move us along in our journeys in life. We ask Him to carry us windward…or against the wind…to a meaningful and happy life. But here is a passage that tells us that God is not only a sail, He is an anchor. His love is the steady constant in our life. His love endures forever. 39
Thursday, April 2
Katherine Somich Children’s Ministry
Bible Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a 4 The
Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. 5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. 6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. 7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me?
Commentary When I read this passage, it brings immediately to mind the world our children face everyday. So much in society is geared towards the unspiritual, away from God. Many celebrities and “role models” honor false gods such as greed, adultery, gluttony, pride and disloyalty. We can only hope that our children are building a firm foundation on the rock that is Christ. In the book of Luke, Jesus tells us, “I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.” (Luke 6:47-48) When we come to Jesus, hear His words, and put them into action, we cannot go wrong. In this passage, Isaiah reminds us that God will teach you what to say (v. 4), He will unplug your ears to hear Him (v. 5), He will help you and prove that you have not done anything wrong (v. 7-8). In order for any of this to occur, though, Jesus says we must come to Him. If we don’t, we will be like the man who did not build his house on the rock. “The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:49b)
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Bible Reading: Psalm 31:9-16 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, [a] and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends— those who see me on the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13 For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. 14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” 9
(Refer to your Bible for the entire reading.) Footnotes: a. Psalm 31:10 Or guilt
Friday, April 3
Marsha Kostus Missions and Outreach
Commentary In this psalm, David pleas for deliverance from the plotting of enemies. He has experienced disapproval, rejection and ridicule of his friends and neighbors. Just as David experienced suffering, we, too, experience suffering in our lives. Being a Christian does not mean that we will never experience suffering. And yet David turns to the Lord for his strength and receives peace from his knowledge that his life is in God’s hands and not the hands of his enemies. Despite the current circumstances, David knows that his hope is found in God. His identity comes from being a son of God and not from what men think of him. He trusts in God’s unfailing strength and love. Jesus also suffered at the hands of man. Although He was the Son of God, He was crucified by those who disapproved, rejected and ridiculed him. As Jesus went up to the Mount of Olives to pray, weighted by the knowledge of what His Father was calling for Him to do, He prays, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Burdened by the sins of all mankind, He places his life in His Father’s hands. Like David who learned to dwell in the shelter of God when his life was in turmoil and his situation offered no reasonable hope for escape, Jesus places his life in God’s hands and makes the ultimate sacrifice for mankind, the sacrifice that enables us to find peace when we dwell in the presence of Jesus Christ, no matter what circumstances we face.
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Saturday, April 4
Bible Reading: Philippians 2:5-11 5 Your attitude should be the same as 6 Who, being in very nature [a] God,
that of Christ Jesus:
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature [b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 7
Deacon Carol Brooks
Footnotes: a. Philippians 2:6 Or in the form of b. Philippians 2:7 Or the form
Life Care
Commentary How would a stranger know you are a Christian—one of Christ’s people? Are you any different from other people in your outward and inward behavior? Many years ago, when I was new to Christianity, I worked in an office with a woman who would occasionally share with me a little about what was going on in her life. One day, she told me about a problem in her family. I listened to her and then said that I would pray for her. At those words, she did a double-take and with a completely amazed look on her face said, “You’re a Christian??????” Couldn’t she tell? What about my behavior set me apart from the rest of the crowd? At that point in time, obviously, not much! I realized at that moment that I had some work to do! When we ask God to help us to be like Jesus—to be humble, that is to have a sense of our own frailty; and to be obedient— that is to be willing to love God and our neighbors with all of our hearts, the love of Christ will shine through us and those around us will know that we belong to Him!
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Bible Reading: Mark 14 - Mark 15 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.” 3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages [a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. 6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” 10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. The Lord’s Supper 12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” 19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely not I?” 20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the [b] covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25 “I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.” 1
(Refer to your Bible for the entire reading.) Footnotes: a. Mark 14:5 Greek than three hundred denarii b. Mark 14:24 Some manuscripts the new
Palm Sunday, April 5
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Monday, April 6
Pam Coghlan Youth Ministry
Bible Reading: Psalm 36:5-11 5 Your
love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. 7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find [a] refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 10 Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
Footnotes: a. Psalm 36:7 Or love, O God / Men find ; or love / Both heavenly beings and men / find
Commentary In the spring of 2002 I stood with my three sisters at a podium overlooking a crowd of faces staring with wonder as to what would be said. Fear clenched my heart as I was the first to speak. My mind swirled, as I had gone over my speech a thousand times but in one brief moment everything was forgotten. What now ran through my mind as the preacher introduced me to the congregation? I took a deep breath and prayed, hoping that God would have grace and mercy upon me. I grabbed my sister’s hand and began to describe what God’s unfailing love looked like. Unfailing love can only come from one and can only be found in one: God. God’s love is eternal and manifests itself in many different forms. Some are enlightened by scripture or experiences while others lives are touched through people and relationships. God’s creativity as to how he bestows this love cannot be bound. It is hard for us to comprehend what that love is like because it has no limits and is far larger than our human minds can comprehend. There is only one thing that rings true to every person: the simple fact of needing it. People try and tell themselves that it can be found in other places, people or things. People fool themselves into thinking that if they dig deep enough within themselves they can meet this need. But unfailing love can only be found in God.
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Bible Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15 11 When
Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, [a] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, [b] so that we may serve the living God! 15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
Tuesday, April 7
Footnotes: a. Hebrews 9:11 Some early manuscripts are to come b. Hebrews 9:14 Or from useless rituals
Breaking Free A young boy accidently causes the death of his family’s cat. He feels terrible, always guilt ridden. The boy grows up to become a rescuer of stray cats. He feeds all the cats that paw at his door; takes them to the vet, finds them homes. He can’t figure out why, but he is haunted by a nameless guilt that won’t go away. He wants to break free of this gnawing guilt, but there is no exit. Another scratch at the door, more cat food.
Fr. Ron McCrary AIM Church Planting
The people of the Old Testament repeatedly sinned against God and one another. They suffered. Humanity carried a heavy burden of guilt from their sins. Then at last, once a year, the High Priest would take the blood of goats, calves and bulls offered as an atoning sacrifice for sin. Year after year, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple with the blood of sacrificial animals. The people would experience a momentary, temporary lifting of their burden of sin. But there was no permanent way out. The High Priest would be back at it again, year after year with more blood. In Jesus we see the extravagant greatness and goodness of God. Jesus put to an end our futile attempts to extricate ourselves from the effects of our sin against God and one another. Gaze upon the beauty of Jesus, our Great High Priest, who offers Himself as a pure sacrifice upon the Cross. He pours out His own lifeblood for all who will receive Him, to set us free from every bond and the burden of our sins, once and for all. He alone sets us free.
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Wednesday, April 8
Fr. Andy Bracken Pastoral Care
Bible Reading: Psalm 71:1-14 1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. 3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men. 5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. 6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. 7 I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long. (Refer to your Bible for the entire reading.)
Commentary “Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go.” Rock and refuge are two words used throughout Scripture to describe some of the aspects of the God in whom we serve. The strength, permanence and security of a rock, the solid foundation upon which all lasting and permanent things are built, ultimately His love for us; the safety and security of knowing a safe retreat and place of healing and renewal is an available refuge for all who turn to God. Regardless of your circumstance, the God of the Bible is always available as our refuge. His love for us is the rock upon which the Church is built. Supremely, His love for us was demonstrated in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and while He is always able to, God does not promise that we will always be rescued from trouble and difficult times. Jesus left with the disciples and to us, the Holy Spirit, who by His power and presence in our lives celebrates with us in times of joy, but also strengthens and enables us to live through the difficult times as well. Many times, His presence is almost tangible and we celebrate the permanence and availability of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Reflect today on those times in your life which the Holy Spirit celebrated with you and also when He provided you with a place of refuge.
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Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 23
Maundy Thursday, April 9
Commentary Jeremiah prophesied of a new covenant that God would establish with the house of Israel and house of Judah, about 650 years before Christ told His Apostles that which Paul wrote to the Corinthians. As a 2nd grader experiencing his First Holy Communion, I remember being thrilled during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. I visualized Christ talking to the Apostles, in the garden of Gethsemane, like watching a movie in my head, as He speaks to them the words of the today’s reading. The Eucharist is still the most uplifting part of the service to me, that which provides for God’s new and everlasting covenant. And Christ spoke it 2,000 years ago to men not much different from me.
Tom Gerthoffer Children’s Ministry
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Good Friday, April 10
Bible Reading: Psalm 22 For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. [a] 4 In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
1
(Refer to your Bible for the entire reading.) Footnotes: a. Psalm 22:3 Or Yet you are holy, / enthroned on the praises of Israel
Deacon Toni Brown PrimeTimers Ministry
Commentary As we read the first verse in this passage, we find ourselves at the cross of Jesus as He uttered these words in His final breaths. Just as this Messianic Psalm foretells, Jesus experiences the agony of the separation from His Father, the ridicule of the Jewish leaders and the unimaginable suffering of the Cross. Psalm 22 graphically portrays Jesus’ agony as He thirsted, was pierced, was beaten, and was humiliated as the guards cast lots for his clothes. Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ, vividly gave us an idea of the horrors of that day that we call “Good Friday.” When we read this Psalm, we can in some way understand the pain of feeling forsaken by God. Most of us can remember a time of indescribable grief, loss and suffering where we question where is God in my circumstances. Why is this happening to me? Perhaps you have suffered the loss of a spouse, or a child or a loved one. Perhaps you have suffered a job loss or financial setbacks and you don’t know how you will provide for your family. Perhaps you are grieving lost dreams–the desire to have a child, to be married or good health. Perhaps you are battling a life threatening disease. We may never truly understand why these things happen to us, but the Psalmist teaches us to cry out to God in the midst of our most painful circumstances. As Jesus uttered these words on the Cross, we see a portrait of the indescribable love of the Son of God who died an unspeakable death for you and for me. That is why that day is called “Good Friday.” It’s good because it’s the day of redemption for you and me. Jesus paid the price for our sins so we can be reconciled with God. Where in your life do you feel separated or forsaken by God? Are you struggling with losses, fears, rejection or despair? Cry out to God who loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you. Give thanks to God who gave us the ultimate gift–His Son Jesus.
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Bible Reading: Psalm 43 1[a] Vindicate
me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men. 2 You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy? 3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. 4 Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. 5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Footnotes: a. Psalm 43:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
Saturday, April 11
Roger Vermeulen Children’s Ministry
Commentary Today’s passage is an appropriate response to the violence, injustice and humiliation of the crucifixion yesterday. And even though we know how it will all play out, imagine being one of Christ’s disciples on that very first Holy Saturday. Can you feel the deep depression that must have overcome them? They had found the Messiah, the promised one for Israel! But now He’s been arrested, beaten and killed. They forgot that this was the way it was meant to happen—that Jesus told of what was to come and that He would indeed rise again! How often have we behaved the same way? Depressed by circumstances we don’t understand, we fail to remember God’s ultimate promise of hope and deliverance. The psalmist in today’s passage reminds himself of this very truth by asking, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” He answers his own question by remembering and offering praise to God for being his Savior. As we turn our attention from the tragedy of the cross to the glorious hope of the resurrection, remember that in our own lives, we need not dwell long in sorrow, because we are confident that God, our Savior, will deliver us.
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Bible Reading: John 20:1-18 The Empty Tomb 1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Easter Sunday, April 12
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11 but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
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