This week we went from Epiphany to Lent, celebrating Ash Wednesday.  This week we all watched with horror and grief as we saw the battle unfolding between Ukraine and Russia.  Ukrainians are bravely resisting and many women and children are fleeing their home country to be refugees.  Russians are bravely resisting and demonstrating against this invasion and paying a big price and some are fleeing a country they no longer feel represents them.  Lent too is a journey, a journey to the cross.  It is the journey in opposition to all the evil of this world.  It is a stand against violence and anger as a demand tactic.  Hatred and vengeance solve nothing.  The Negro Spiritual that I chose embraces this prayer for Jesus to walk with us in our personal trials, in our national trials and with all who are seeking a haven of safety tonight.  Please enjoy and pray for pilgrims on this journey.

Luke 10:25-32

“Go and do likewise.”

Truth is beginning to dawn.  Jesus is no longer a new voice people are curious about but has become a challenge to Jewish, spiritual thinking.  Most of us have heard about Jesus, if only as a swear word and we have heard about God but what does that really mean to us today where our lives meet the trials of life?  An expert in the law asks Jesus a question to test Jesus, “What must I do to be saved?”  The man knows the answer, love God with you heart, soul, strength and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus agrees.  The problem is not knowledge but will.  The expert keeps pushing, “So who is my neighbor?”  He wants a set of rules.  He wants his boundaries defined.  He wants to live life in control, knowing he is ok, not life as grace and a gift from God.  Jesus gives him a picture and a parable many of us know, The Good Samaritan.

         A “nobody” was beaten up, robbed, and left for dead on the road.  Three “somebodies” walk by without helping.  It is not their responsibility.  But…but a foreigner sees the man and helps.  So Jesus asks, “Who do you think was a neighbor to the man in distress.”  Caught!  The man is convicted by his own words.  I suspect the guy hung his head and mumbles, the foreigner.  Jesus responds, “Go and do likewise.”

         The opening question rings in our ears, “What must we do to be saved?”  In fact this feels like it is being played out on our world stage today!  What must we do?  We must lead lives of integrity spiritually, socially, and personally.  As we walk through Lent, I hear Jesus challenging me to take him seriously and not play games.  I do not know how that parable speaks into your life or the political powers of our world but let us take a moment to consider who our neighbor is today.  Who needs our encouragement, our forgiveness or our love?  Is there someone you have walked by that God is asking you to engage with?  Spend one minute in silence and see if a name comes to your mind.  Blessings.

         Our Lenten challenge for today, ”In the United States, more than 35 millions people are hungry.  Give 35 cents today (Put 35 cents in your Lenten container) and pray for these people.”

Luke 9:43-62

Jesus comes down from the Mount of Transfiguration and tells his disciples, “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”  The disciples did not understand what it meant and were afraid to ask.  It is about like the doctor diagnosing my husband’s Parkinson’s disease.  Hospice came in and the nurse looked me in the eye and said, “It is a terminal disease and we will walk with you on this journey.”  We know we will die some day…but not soon hopefully.  We do not want to hear that diagnosis!  The disciples were coming to believe Jesus was the Messiah but they still were thinking of freedom from Rome, not freedom from death.

         Three men come to Jesus in the reading today and try to bargain with Jesus about their discipleship.  One wants to bury his father first and then he will follow Jesus.  Another wants to return home and have a farewell party with his family.  Another is told point blank that this person will only be able to claim heaven as home, not any home in this world permanently.  We all have our excuses for following …later we think.  We all have our fears…God may ask me to be a missionary, to love my enemy, or to give away my money.  We all have our fears, excuses and “complications” that make tomorrow a more convenient time to follow Jesus.

         The first temptation Jesus had after his baptism and forty days of fasting in the wilderness was to turn a stone into bread.  The call to self centeredness is always there.  We want to follow our agenda rather than God’s agenda.  During Lent we will continue to follow Jesus for 40 days but may we be aware of our own temptations to deny that we have a “terminal diagnosis!”  We need to take this journey!

     Our prayer for today, “Pray this Latin American prayer at mealtime: ‘To those who hunger give bread, and to those who have bread, give the hunger for justice.’”  Blessings on you face into the journey of Lent to Easter!

Add or Subtract?

Today we turn from the season of Epiphany when we looked at the life of Christ and what he revealed about the nature of our God, to the season of Lent when Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration and headed to Jerusalem for the crucifixion.  We will be looking at how Jesus approached death.  Ash Wednesday marks the start of the journey we know we must all take.  It is not a mandatory holy day for many Christians but it is one of the most heavily attended services for Anglicans, Lutherans, Catholics and other Protestant churches.  During the service, ashes will be rubbed on our foreheads in the shape of a cross, reminding us of our mortality, our broken relationship with the divine and with each other.  We need for a savior.  Many will hear the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  As we look out at our world bombing neighbors in Europe and as we look at the divisions within our own country and the weakness within ourselves, we can only bow our heads and pray!  Lord have mercy!

         For many Lent is a time of fasting, of refusing something we like, perhaps chocolate, so when we feel “the pain” we remember to turn to prayer and draw near to God for comfort.  We call that subtraction.  Others prefer addition.  A spiritual discipline can be emphasized or practiced more intently.  I bought a small labyrinth to add a period of prayer to my morning devotions, a time of prayer for our world.  My church has given us a calendar for the next 40 days till Easter (Sundays don’t count) to remind us of the work of the church in charities.  We are encouraged to create a little jar to collect an offering daily. So for today I read, “Did you know that the ELCA Hunger Program works in 63 countries (including the United States) and within 34 U. S. states.  Give 63 cents.”  That’s less than a cup of coffee!  We can be creative and round up or round down and give to the charity of our choice.  Will you be adding or subtracting during Lent?

         Whether we add or subtract, fast or do not, the next month we will focus on lent for our devotions on Luke’s report on how Jesus lived out his last days as he knew he was approaching death.  Lord, open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts to the lessons you would teach us during this season.  Blessings.

Proverbs 30:7-9

⁷ Two things I ask of you;
    do not deny them to me before I die:
⁸ Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
    give me neither poverty nor riches;
    feed me with the food that I need,
⁹ or I shall be full, and deny you,
    and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or I shall be poor, and steal,
    and profane the name of my God.

Today many celebrate Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras.  It is also known as Shrove Tuesday.  It is always 47 days before Easter and the day before Ash Wednesday.  Many Christians will now start to fast, or eliminate something from their lifestyle or diet, as a form of repentance leading up to Easter.  Other Christians will focus on a spiritual discipline to add for the 40 days before Easter, like a time of prayer or daily Bible reading or perhaps having a jar to put loose coins into each day during Lent to be donated to a charity after Easter.  Fat Tuesday is also called Pancake Tuesday.  One tradition focuses on eating all the fattening foods in the house on Tuesday so they use up milk, cream, butter and flour by making pancakes.  Some will not eat meat till Easter.  Generally speaking then, today is a day to eliminate things that might draw our attention from God for the next 40 days.

         The above proverb ties in to this idea, I would suggest.  The writer prays to not be too rich or too poor but to be satisfied with his daily food.  Riches tempt us to forget God and think we are self sufficient. The reverse, poverty, can drive us to steal and similarly try to provide for our own needs, eliminating trust in God.  Both extremes make the mistake of not figuring God into the dynamics of our lives.

         At we watch the thousands of refugees fleeing, protesting, and scavenging for the basics of life, we grieve.  It is so easy to see pictures on a TV or listen to the news and the needs of others seem sooo distant or perhaps not as thought consuming as our own dynamics.  May I suggest that today is a good day to remind ourselves of our need to guard from thinking that ignores God.  Is there a discipline you would like to add or subtract starting tomorrow to focus yourself spiritually?  Blessings as you ponder!

Proverbs 27:17

“As iron sharpens iron,

so one person sharpens another.”

My mother taught us kids using proverbs and sayings.  She would never say “Clean up your room,” but rather “A stitch in times saves nine.”  The first thing we learned in Swahili language school was the Swahili saying, “Haraka, haraka, haina Baraka.”  Hurry, hurry has no blessing.  In fact the word for an Anglo expatriate was “mzungu  (someone who runs in circles” and our language was “kizung” and a garlic was “vizungu.”  So what are the layers or meaning for today’s proverb.

     I think my mother quoted this to me to teach me not to be afraid of competition because good competition brings out the best in me.  A worthy opponent who becomes a friend is hard to find.  When I would disagree with my husband, iron was sharpening iron, bringing out the best in both of us.  I suspect one of the key ingredients in this proverb is honesty and integrity.  Someone who is willing to stand up to me and disagree with me and discuss without resorting to bullying, dishonesty or disrespect is a gift.  The discussion forces me to think, to reflect and to dig deeper into my own reasons.  Cross cultural living as we rubbed shoulders with people who came at life differently than us but who were also educated, intelligent thinkers and gifted people, was a blessing.  Having friends who are different can be iron sharpening iron.

         Jonathan and David are examples from the Bible.   Jonathan was son of Saul, raised in a palace, and next in line for the throne of Israel.  David was a shepherd boy, visiting the war front as Israel was being bullied by Goliath.  David had no military training, no royal aspirations, and was the youngest son in line to inherit anything.  But through that battle, Jonathan saw something in David and the Bible says Jonathan forged a friendship on the spot. 

         Today my husband and I celebrate 46 years of marriage!  He from the rural of Africa married me from the urban metropolis.  We are so different and yet these many years later, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has been a “worthy opponent,” someone with whom I can honestly work through ideas and challenges.  So who is your “worthy opponent?”  I pray there is someone with whom you can be honest and vulnerable and get honest feedback.  Wisdom claims she is that sort of being.  Thank God for that person(s) in your life that challenge you to grow to be your better self and perhaps reflect on your ability to be a worthy opponent for another – honest, respectful, and caring.  Blessings.”

“Kyrie Eleison”

The worship service for a person not familiar with liturgical worship may seem very confusing but to the “insider” there is a rhyme and reason. 

         As the service opens, it always starts with confession and forgiveness rather than praise as we are beginning to focus our attention on the service that is to unfold and we know we have not been perfect the week before. The pastor pronounces forgiveness and welcomes us into worship.

         A gathering hymn opens the service and then there is a part called “Kyrie Eleison,” or the Kyrie.  This is a tradition tracing back to the beginning of Christianity.  Kyrie is Greek for Lord.  Kyrie Eleison means “Lord have mercy”.  Pope Gregory the Great added a second part in the sixth century, “Christe Eleison,” Christ have mercy. We bring to God all the things that weigh heavy on our heart and distract us from worship. Often it is chanted in a leader, congregation call and response, like this: (after each phrase sung by the leader, the congregation chants “Lord have mercy.”)

In peace let us pray to the Lord, 

For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord,

For the peace of the whole world and for the wellbeing of the church of God and the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord

For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.

Help, save, comfort and defend us Gracious Lord,

AMEN.

As I watch the news and the war unfolding in Ukraine, this portion of the worship service seems very poignant to me today.  The YouTube clip is a worship song created by Vineyard that expands on the thoughts and prayers of the Kyrie Eleison.  Please listen and prepare for worship tomorrow.  Enjoy and be blessed.

Proverbs 25:2

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;

To search out a matter is the glory of kings.

As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,

So the hearts of kings are unsearchable.”

As I sit and listen to the President’s speech today and listen to the news tonight and see the pictures of the war unfolding in Ukraine, I am baffled at the thinking of kings and presidents.  Russian and NATO countries have different narratives, explaining how we got ourselves into this mess and what needs to be done.  Truth is concealed and we all are searching to understand the thinking of world leaders as we get our heads around what is happening and how best to deal with it.  When I read “the hearts of kings are unsearchable,” I say “AMEN!”

         For us lay people, ordinary people, parents or spouses of people in the military we cry.  It is possible to allow anxiety to eat away at our thinking.  So what is our role at this point?  I note on FaceBook that there are pictures of Christians kneeling in the snow and praying in Kiev.  Prayer is a powerful tool and we can use it.  In Kenya during political instability and elections, our house workers fasted from lunch.  We joined with neighbors and we all knelt by our chairs and prayed.  We can refrain from gossip and stereotyping.  In our Bible study Monday, one woman had family roots in Ukraine.  Another had strong memories of choir exchanges with choirs from Ukraine in her church when she was younger.  We know people who have relatives now in the crisis that is overtaking Europe in ways far more serious than here in the United States.

         Ephesians 6:12 tells us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Hate and greed are driven by evil so returning evil for evil, only strengthens the power of evil.  Our prayer as we walk through these days is that we can keep our eyes on God and trust that He ultimately holds the hearts of kings in his hands, he is there with our loved ones being called into battle, and he will help us live through the inevitable ramifications that will touch our lives.  Lord, have mercy.