While “waving your palms” on this Palm Sunday take a minute to read the prayer by Rev. Cynthia Langston KirkHERE. May we face difficult tasks galiantly, be the good friend, cause minimal pain, “stay awake” and avoid skipping right from palms to lilies!
Artwork involving Jesus and the cross can be effective for stirring reflective moments, especially as we close in on Holy Week.
If you have an art museum nearby, consider a trip there for a visit to the Renaissance section and some of the paintings and other artwork involving crosses. Spend a few extra minutes staring at Christ’s face in those that really capture your attention.
If you don’t have a museum nearby – or even if you do – it’s worth considering an “internet art tour” Here are a few visuals as starters:
(HINT: if you hold down the Ctrl key and simultaneously press the + key, images on a webpage will frequently “zoom in” for you)
What emotions came to you while staring at Christ’s face? May such images enhance our appreciation for the human-ness of Christ and the Holy Week experience…
Krista Tippett captures the attention of many listeners. HERE‘s an interview with her as the focus, including commentary on “reverence of faith” and the “promise and peril” of spiritual being (the YouTube should start at these items and you can “rewind” if you want to listen to the entire interview.)
Isn’t it relaxing to hear her perspective, even in the context of fear?
May our words share that same comforting faith with those around us…
Lyrics from Wade in the Water provide quite a visual. “See that band all dressed in _____” … white for Israelites, red for those Moses led, etc.
The concept of wading in the water is not always a positive one or a guarantee of an easy life, is it? Avoiding slave catchers comes to mind in particular. Less negative examples like the Red Sea, Jordan River and baptismal waters still have their share of associated challenges (HERE is a little Wikipedia history if you’re interest in more.)
Two songs with Wade in the Water influences may be worth a listen for you today if you have a few minutes:
Sistah Lala’s “Troubled Waters” version is HERE – a really nice rappin’-like, faith-filled message in this one
Chapel Folk “Wade in the Water – a Stoned version” is HERE
Want to hear more traditional versions? It’s also been performed by hundreds of groups including these
HERE‘s a version by the Jubilee Singers from Fisk University
Our Monday Morning Book Group is reading the book Becoming Wise. Earlier this week many of us were blessed to see/hear that book’s author, Krista Tippett. During our time together, Krista mentioned this usual first question for her interview settings (paraphrased here from p. 22 in Becoming Wise):
could you please describe the religious or spiritual background of your childhood?
How would you answer that question?
Krista gave a really nice talk and impressed many of us even more with her thoughtful answers during the Q&A session, including describing the goal of creating a hospitable space. That certainly applies for our discussions with one another … and maybe also with God!?! 🙂
POSSIBLE ACTIONS: 1) pose Krista’s question to one of your closest friends to see their response; 2) skim/scan this Chapter 1 link of Krista’s book HERE – lots of good quotes, in particular; 3) consider how you might make an even more hospitable space for God in your daily life
Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit (and lots of hospitable spaces!)
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Sound familiar? These words from Frances Havergal, poet and hymn writer, are from the song “Take My Life.”
This SongFacts webpage has a link to an audio version of the song and also contains background of why Frances was compelled to write this just a few years prior to her death. She clearly was an evangelistically-minded individual and one can imagine feeling compelled to write a song after the “Lord, give me all in this house” experience she had in converting and refocusing acquaintances (song lyrics are HERE.)
ACTION: May this day find us all letting our moments and our days “flow in ceaseless praise!”
In the early 2010s, Rev. Dr. LP Jones prepared and shared the prayer below with the MWPC community as part of his weekly newsletter column. He granted us permission for use of this with the Christian Playbook community.* It is also available to listen to HERE
Lenten Prayer* – Rev. Dr. L.P. Jones
Guiding God, we are traveling the Lenten road. We are ready for it to end. We prefer celebration to reflection and self-examination. On the table, pulpit, and lectern, we prefer pure white, festive red, hopeful blue, or gentle green to Lent’s pensive purple. We know our sins are many, but why must we confess them so often? Remind us, gracious God, that you call us to confession not to burden us, but to free us. Help us to offer you every fear, failure, and sin, so that your forgiveness can calm and cleanse us and your steadfast love can draw us to new beginnings.
We thank you, God of wonders, for countless blessings. We thank you for those special people whose embrace, friendship, and accepting eyes ease our burdens and heighten our joys. We thank you for the songbirds who greet the dawn with exuberant melody. We thank you for the ability to laugh: to laugh at ourselves when we are mistaken; to laugh with our friends when we take ourselves too seriously; to laugh for the pure pleasure it brings. We thank you for eyes that see familiar friends and a new face in the crowd, savor a peaceful sunrise or sunset, and note a hand in need of our touch and open arms waiting to receive us.
Because we are so blessed, help us to respond faithfully to life and its goodness. Because people and relationships are so important, help us to look beyond ourselves and share our plenty with those in need. Help us to build a community known for the risks it takes to help others experience your loving presence. Because life can be so abundant, help us to be a community as joyous in our celebrations as we are committed to service in Jesus’ name. Because not everyone sees your blessings so readily, help us to comfort the bereaved, accompany the lonely, offer hope to the despairing, and reach for a better world for all.
We pray for all whose needs and concerns touch our hearts. We pray for those in need whom we cannot or do not see. We pray for new members and those preparing to receive baptism. We pray for all making difficult decisions. We pray for those enduring illness of body, mind, or spirit, and those who struggle to hope. We pray that we will complete our Lenten journey by seeing our brokenness borne by and entombed with Jesus, which will prepare us to hear anew the almost unimaginable proclamation that the tomb is empty, Jesus is risen, and life and love prevail. These and all our prayers we offer with confidence, for we bring them in Jesus’ name. Amen.
* ever-so-slight alterations made so the original Holy Week prayer applies throughout Lent
My brother turns 55 today (happy birthday Thad!) It seems fitting to celebrate Thad with a devotional website he recommended to me years back.
Rick’s commentary on goal-setting (a topic Thad likes) is HERE and includes two major focus questions:
Will my goal honor God?
Is my goal motivated by love?
Seems our personal goals can focus this way, but over a business career, my goals rarely involved answering either of these two questions affirmatively. However, as Rick suggests, can virtually all of our goals – both personal and professional – be framed for positive response on honoring and loving? The challenge is to examine the issue fully and frame it appropriately. And isn’t that what we want to do with most of our Christian life?
ACTION: Ask yourself these questions from Rick’s devotional: “What goals have you set for yourself for this year? How do they hold up under these two questions?”
How about “When you give of yourself you get so much in return.”
That’s more like it. 🙂
Jesus shared plenty of words and examples of altruistic egoism including Luke 6:31. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is the one we heard regularly from our mom while growing up. It did (and does) resonate within me, helping the Spirit move me to do some things outside my comfort zone. She is a great mom and human being – not only does she say the words, she also “walks her talk” (at age 84 she about as active as she’s ever been!) And not only does she bless, she is blessed and grateful.
During Lent, our church is encouraging folks to “Take Something On for Lent” and on 2/25 they’ll be hearing from me about altruistic egoism. There will be pictures of folks helping others on the screen. Guess what. Most of the time, those pictures show helpers smiling and engaging with others. Another bonus of altruism…
PRAYER: Dear God, help us to remember about loving another the way we want to be loved…
ACTION: What can you “take on this week” to help another? Allow the Spirit to stir you to move outside your comfort zone if you can…
Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!
Lectionary Texts for this Sunday, February 25, 2018:
