Lenten Devotions
Church of St. Asaph
2017
Chancel Cross
.
The Lenten season is traditionally a time of contemplative preparation for the
joyous resurrection of Christ. These forty days (excluding Sundays) prior to Easter
begin on Ash Wednesday. It is hoped that this booklet will guide your daily
devotions throughout the season. Read the lectionary scripture passages;
contemplate the offerings of our church family; pray. (You can go to:
http://www.lectionarypage.net/CalndrsIndexes/Calendar2017.html to look up the
readings.)
Members and friends of St. Asaph, of all ages, have provided the following
devotional interpretations, prayers, poetry and art. Sometimes they have focused on
the scripture reading(s) and sometimes they've highlighted the life or work of the
person commemorated on that day.
Some communities of faith encourage one another to give up something during
Lent, replacing that "something" with prayer or some other discipline. Consider
instead the possibility of adding something to your regular spiritual practices. In
addition to these daily devotionals, you might try walking/praying the labyrinth,
keeping a journal of those for whom you pray, or praying specifically for each
family in our church.
Whatever your personal spiritual discipline includes, join us each Sunday to
celebrate the Eucharist -- to offer thanks to God. Each Sunday in Lent is a little
break from our Lenten discipline to refresh ourselves and our community.
Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and
further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun,
continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and
finally, by your mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for
ever and ever. Amen.
~ The Collect for the Thursday after Ash Wednesday.
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Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Joel 2:1-2,12-17 or Isaiah 58:1-12
•
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
•
Matthew 6:1-6,16-21
•
Psalm 103 or 103:8-14
Commemoration of David, Bishop of Menevia, Wales
Contributed by Dennis Lloyd
Two friends of mine once sang as part of a vocal quartet at a midtown Manhattan church. They
tell the story that after a "lovely, reverent, and rueful" Ash Wednesday service, a small group of
them adjourned to the subway and their trek home. This is their story:
We were still charged and energized from the solemnity and sweetness of the service and stood
around talking, waiting for the train to show up, when a rather wild, apparently homeless man
came up to us pointing at the large ash crosses on our foreheads. We started gently to explain,
but he clearly had his own agenda and was not satisfied with our answers.
As the train pulled in, we piled on. The semi-scary man kept haranguing us. As the open subway
door kept bumping against him, he shouted, "Whose ashes are they? Which dead person’s?" And
we kept repeating, "They’re not from a person! They’re from palms… and they mean…. " But he
kept on, "Palms don’t have ashes!! Who is on your heads?"
The door closed. The man stood there on the platform, shouting, as the train left the station. He
was so sure that we were marked with human remains, as, of course, in a way, we were.
And are we.
It is Jesus on our heads. It is Jesus on our minds. We’re all marked somehow, carrying our
wounds, our memories, the signs for which we stand, seen or unseen. It is such a deep
connection. The man's voice continues... "Who is on your heads?"
Many passengers around my friends on the subway also had smudgy crosses on their foreheads.
As they told it, to break the mood, they smiled plaintively at each other as they swayed into the
night. They made a rough joke that if anything happened to any one of them, the police would
charge their priest. His fingerprints were all over the place.
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Thursday after Ash Wednesday, March 2, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Deuteronomy 30:15–20
•
Luke 9:18–25
•
Psalm 1
Commemoration of Chad, Bishop of Lichfield
Contributed by Alexais Morgan
I read that this passage of Deuteronomy is essentially a Covenant between God and the people of
Israel. If you believe in me and follow my commandments you will live long and prosper in my
land.
My prayer is that the promise we make to God to obey his commandments is something we work
on together as a community. That we pick each other up when we fall short, never be
discouraged but always moving forward and never leaving anyone behind. I pray that this
promise between God and ourselves leads to self reflection and love. Bless us all this Lenten
season.
Amen
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Friday after Ash Wednesday, March 3, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Isaiah 58:1–9a
•
Matthew 9:10–17
•
Psalm 51:1–10
Commemoration of John and Charles Wesley, Priests
Contributed by Steve Sheeran
I Know A Man
As I sd to my
friend, because I am
always talking-John, I
sd, which was not his
name, the darkness surrounds us, what
can we do against
it, or else, shall we &
why not, buy a goddamn big car,
drive, he sd, for
christ’s sake, look
out where yr going.1
So what does I Know A Man mean. I won’t be snarky like a friend of mine, who years ago, when
asked by a professor what does the poem then under discussion mean, read the poem back to the
professor.
To me I Know A Man is full of angst with a glimmer of hope. Yes we are always talking and not
always sure who we are talking to or even who is listening. And yes the darkness surrounds us
always but more so during Lent - “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”.
So what can we do against the darkness – blunt it out - buy things, eat, drink, snort, shoot up,
sexing and so on. Yet the darkness still surrounds us. Well what about look out where yr going for Christ’s sake.
“For Christ’s sake” an interjection, a general exclamation, (online slang dictionary), etymology
“in the name of or for Christ”. In the name of Christ, the suffering servant, the shorn lamb, “the
crucified God” and the Light in the darkness that surrounds us. So yes Lent is the time, for
Christ’s sake, to look out where yr going.
1
Robert Creeley, “I Know a Man” from Selected Poems of Robert Creeley. Copyright © 1991 by the
Regents of the University of California. Reprinted with the permission of the University of California
Press, www.ucpress.edu.
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Saturday after Ash Wednesday, March 4, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Isaiah 58:9b–14
•
Luke 5:27–32
•
Psalm 86:1–11
Commemoration of John and Charles Wesley, Priests
Contributed by Liam Morris-Thompson
Levi and Jesus
.
Page 6
First Sunday in Lent, March 5, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
•
Romans 5:12-19
•
Matthew 4:1-11
•
Psalm 32
Contributed by Roy Harker
Love
Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lacked any thing.
A guest, I answered, worthy to be here:
Love said, You shall be he.
I the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
Who made the eyes but I?
Truth Lord, but I have marred them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.
And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?
My dear, then I will serve.
You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:
So I did sit and eat.
– George Herbert
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Monday in the First Week of Lent, March 6, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Leviticus 19:1–2,11–18
•
Matthew 25:31–46
•
Psalm 19:7–14
Commemoration of William W. Mayo and Charles F. Menninger and Their Sons,
Pioneers in Medicine
Contributed by Steve Chawaga
The old and new testament readings for today nicely illustrate the transformative power of Jesus
Christ. In Leviticus, we pick up in the middle of a long lecture from God to Moses about what the
Israelites should and should not do. I mean this has been going on for chapters, and there are 8 more
to come. In today’s excerpt alone there are 20 commandments, by my count – no swearing, stealing
or (interestingly) delaying paydays for the hired help. One is “you shall fear your God.” Only at the
very end do we get (in the New Revised Standard Version) “[y]ou shall not take vengeance or bear a
grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
In the excerpt from Matthew Jesus is speaking to his disciples. He also has gone on for a couple of
chapters, but these are the last words he will speak to them before the events of his crucifixion. He
has already declared, in contrast to the lengthy checklist of practices in Leviticus, that the greatest
Commandment is to “[l]ove the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all
your mind,” and that “[t]he second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:38-39).
That’s all you need to know, says Jesus. No long list of rules and regulations. The disciples may
have been very excited to hear this, but in today’s reading the other shoe drops. You show your love
for the Lord by the way in which you love your neighbor, particularly the least of your neighbors,
and loving your neighbor is hard work. It’s not enough to give a friendly wave in the morning or
even a hug. The hungry must be fed, the thirsty given drink, the naked clothed, the sick ministered
to. And no mention of a lunch break.
But Jesus has transformed our relationship with God not only by condensing the rules to less than a
handful, but by putting us on an entirely different footing. Leviticus is full of “don’ts” – don’t steal,
don’t lie, don’t judge unfairly. And, says Leviticus, we must fear our God. Jesus, by contrast, is all
about the “do’s” – do serve the poor, the needy, the helpless. And do so not because you fear God
but because you love God. And in loving God, you love God’s creation and all of its parts, and truly
understand that there is no “most” and “least,” only joy and beauty of being one with God.
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Tuesday in the First Week of Lent, March 7, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Isaiah 55:6–11
•
Matthew 6:7–15
•
Psalm 34:15–22
Commemoration of Perpetua and her Companions, Martyrs at Carthage
Contributed by Laurie Novo
So much in today's readings goes straight to the heart of what it feels like to be a Christian: an
earthling who has been told of a Heaven that can't be experienced, only imagined. I've been
reflecting on the gulf between us and God, one that can make me wonder what on earth it means
to be created in God's image. For, as Isaiah puts it in today's readings, "My thoughts are not
your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord." No piece of scripture is more
familiar to us than the Lord's Prayer, another of today's readings; sometimes, as I murmur the
soothing litany, I envision its words unspooling like a necklace that strings together Christians
from all over the world. All too rarely do I think about the meaning of the words I'm saying, but
when I do, I can be stunned by how hard they are to grasp. Take "Thy will be done on earth as it
is in Heaven," for instance. Where even to begin to unpack that sentence? We have no
experience of Heaven, yet even Claudius, the villain of Shakespeare's Hamlet, realizes as he tries
to pray for forgiveness that its rules are fundamentally different from those of earth. His
repentance is empty, though he speaks words of contrition, and eventually he admits defeat: he
might wiggle out of responsibility for his actions on earth but "'tis not so above; there is no
shuffling." In fact, "words without thoughts never to Heaven go." Claudius' logic rings true to
me, clarifying my instinctive sense of Heaven: whatever it is, it brings together the outer and the
inner, thoughts and their expression, desires and the deeds they activate. In Heaven, we will be
known for who we are.
How can God's will be done on earth as in Heaven, given this fundamental difference? In
Matthew's introduction I find a clue: "Do not heap up empty phrases," Jesus tells us. "Pray in
this way": intentionally, authentically, bringing imagination and empathy to bear on the project
of knowing one another as we are known by God. Whatever else God wills, as I think about it,
must include expressing our identities as creatures made in God's image and recognizing that
shared spark of the divine in others.
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Wednesday in the First Week of Lent, March 8, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Jonah 3:1–10
•
Luke 11:29–32
•
Psalm 51:11–18
Commemoration of Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy, Priest
Contributed by Joan Roberts
The reading from Jonah sets the tone for the beginning of the penitential season. The prophet had
been delivered by God from the belly of the whale, and was ready to receive his next assignment.
God instructed him to go to Nineveh, a large city, and preach to the citizens. His message, from
God, was that Nineveh would be overthrown in forty days. The Ninevites were immediately
convinced, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth (a coarse fabric made of animal hair or of
flax, hemp, or cotton, traditionally worn as a sign of mourning or penitence). Even the king of
Nineveh rose from his throne, put off his robe, donned sackcloth, and sat in ashes (which are also
a symbol of grief, repentance, and humiliation). The king then published a decree that no man or
beast—“herd nor flock” should eat or drink, feed or drink water, and that they should turn from
their evil ways and “from the violence that is in their hands”. And God repented of the evil he
had said that he would do to them, and spared them.
And although we no longer don sackcloth, the ashes we received on Ash Wednesday, as well as
fasting, hark back to Jonah’s message.
The Anglican priest, The Reverend Geoffrey Kennedy, who is celebrated today, was a man of
action and compassion. He was born in Leeds in 1883, educated at Leeds Grammar School and
graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, with a degree in classics and divinity. After a year’s
training he became a curate in Rugby, and then vicar of St. Paul’s, Worcester in 1914. When war
broke out, he volunteered as a chaplain to the armed forces on the Western Front. He earned the
nickname “Woodbine Willie” for giving Woodbine cigarettes along with spiritual aid to the
injured and dying soldiers. In 1917 he won the Military Cross at Messines Ridge after running
into no man’s land to help the wounded during an attack on the German front line. He wrote two
books of poetry about his experiences.
After the war, Kennedy was given charge of St. Edmund, King and Martyr parish in Lombard
Street, London. Having been converted to Christian socialism and pacifism during the war he
began to write books with chapters such as “Capitalism is Nothing But Greed, Grab, and Profitmongering” and “So-Called Religious Education Worse Than Useless”. He ended up working
for the Industrial Christian Fellowship for whom he went on speaking tours of Britain. It was on
one of these that he fell ill, and died in Liverpool on March 8, 1929.
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Thursday in the First Week of Lent, March 9, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Esther (Apocrypha) 14:1–6,12–14
•
Matthew 7:7–12
•
Psalm 138
Commemoration of Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa
Contributed by Erika Shea
March 9th commemorates Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa; here is my synopsis of one of his older
sisters, known as Saint Macrina the Younger in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Gregory tells of his family and how his sister helped shape their spiritual life in "Life of Macrina,
" written around A.D. 380. After the death of her fiancé, Macrina decides to remain unmarried.
She stays with, and becomes a great help to her mother, after her father's death. She persuades
her mother to turn the family home (which is actually a large estate since the family is quite welloff) into both a monastery and a convent. Another younger brother of Macrina's, Peter, helps her
in this task. She guides the various family members in giving up finery, fame, and physical
comforts. Macrina's ideal of holy life is portrayed in her brother Gregory's narrative: "[she]
persuaded her mother to give up...all...to which she had been accustomed before...to share the
life of [servants], treating all...as if they were sisters. When Gregory comes to visit her after a
long period, he finds her dying, and he reports that she spoke so fluently on the "divine purpose
concealed in disasters" as to give him hope in his grief, and lift up his soul.
A part of Macrina's prayer on her death bed:
"Thou O Lord, hast freed us from the fear of death. Thou hast made, the end of this life,
the beginning to us of true life. Thou givest our earth, which Thou hast fashioned from
Thy hands, to the earth to keep in safety. One day Thou wilt take again what Thou hast
given, transfiguring with immortality and grace our mortal and unsightly remains."
I find inspiration on many counts from Gregory's biography of his sister: early Christian
recognition of the contribution of women; the timeless call to treat all as equals; the reminder to
look for "divine purpose" even when faced with dire hardship; and the eternal circle of life and
death.
Let us strive to inspire in others, that all are treated as equals, that the earth is kept in safety.
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Friday in the First Week of Lent, March 10, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Ezekiel 18:21–28
•
Matthew 5:20–26
•
Psalm 130
Contributed by Kathryn Mariani
There was a time when today’s texts would send me to a dark place, full of guilt and shame. I’m
grateful these texts fall on the first Friday of Lent. It reminds me to look forward to Good Friday
when we will sit at the foot of the cross and meditate on the love of God who sent His son “while
we were yet sinners.”
In Christ, God enters our broken places where fear, grief, regret, pain, and despair dwell. The
cross puts into question the belief that we have caused irreparable damage to our relationship
with ourselves, others, and God. As Jesus stretches his arms on the cross, he surrounds each of
us with God’s unconditional love. By His stripes, we are healed.
When dark feelings return, triggered by a costly mistake or a traumatic event, we return to the
foot of the cross and remember that nothing can separate us from the Love of God, that Light
will overcome darkness, that God will raise Jesus from death to eternal life.
As we lean into God’s grace and love, our capacity to love and forgive others will grow. We
will become channels of light and hope for those suffering in the dark.
May God comfort you on your journey through Lent, knowing that Christ will be with you each
step of the way to the cross and the celebration of Easter Joy.
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Saturday in the First Week of Lent, March 11, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Deuteronomy 26:16–19
•
Matthew 5:43–48
•
Psalm 119:1–8
Contributed by Ceci Cianfrani
In the Old Testament when I read about God’s commandments and laws, I get discouraged when
he tells us to obey them if we want to be blessed and receive his promises.
If not, He won't claim us as His own. It feels like a cloud of doom hanging over my head. Even
with the willingness and desire for a relationship with God that would please Him, even in
humility in prayer asking for help to do so, I am aware of my human limitations, that I'll fail.
That all changed with Jesus coming, being unjustly prosecuted and put to death. Jesus asks God
to forgive us as he is dying, before rising three days later. That loving act has helped me to
forgive others and myself, to extend grace and mercy to myself and others. Faith has freed me
from the burden of works. Now it's easier to accept my life’s journey and those of others because
I trust Gods has a higher purpose.
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Second Sunday in Lent, March 12, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Genesis 12:1-4a
•
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
•
John 3:1-17
•
Psalm 121
Contributed by Roy Harker
Ex ore innocentium
It is a thing most wonderful,
Almost too wonderful to be,
That God’s own Son should come from heaven,
And die to save a child like me.
And yet I know that it is true:
He chose a poor and humble lot,
And wept, and toiled, and mourned, and died
For love of those who loved him not.
I sometimes think about the Cross,
And shut my eyes, and try to see
The cruel nails and crown of thorns,
And Jesus crucified for me.
But even could I see him die,
I should but see a little part
Of that great love, which, like a fire,
Is always burning in his heart.
And yet I want to love thee, Lord;
O light the flame within my heart,
And I will love thee more and more,
Until I see thee as thou art.
– William Walsham How
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Monday in the Second Week of Lent, March 13, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Daniel 9:3–10
•
Luke 6:27–38
•
Psalm 79:1–9
Commemoration of James Theodore Holly, Bishop of Haiti
and the Dominican Republic
Contributed by Kathryn Mariani
Love your enemies...
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Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent, March 14, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Isaiah 1:2–4,16–20
•
Matthew 23:1–12
•
Psalm 50:7–15,22–24
Contributed by Janet Barrett
This passage (Matthew 23:1-12) spoke to me about words vs actions. The passage points out the
hypocrisy that can come about in religion when people of faith say one thing but do another.
Acting upon what is in our hearts, striving to be pure in heart and in actions, must be in sync
otherwise we are not being true to ourselves, or to others, or to our faith. In verse 3 it says:
"therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not
practice what they teach." The scribes and the Pharisees are judged by Jesus for their hypocrisy
in their practice of religion. We judge according to outward appearance, God judges the heart.
I don't believe that God wants us to simply 'go through the motions' of our faith, simply saying
the words, singing the songs and performing the rituals if they do not match what is in our hearts.
If we are declaring our faith in God as a display for others or because we think that's what is
expected of us, then I believe we are completely missing the point, and in doing so, we are being
untrue to ourselves, and cheating ourselves and others. I think, however, it is important to note
that doubt is different. Doubt does not negate faith, but rather it is the manner in which we
determine what we truly believe, and how strongly we believe it. Questioning our faith gives us
the opportunity to explore and learn, ideally offering us the opportunity to attain a stronger faith
and a richer spiritual experience. Faith is a journey not a destination.
I think this Lenten season might be a good time to take a small journey, and ask ourselves what
our heart says about our faith.
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Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent, March 15, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Jeremiah 18:1–11,18–20
• Matthew 20:17–28
• Psalm 31:9–16
Contributed by Mary Chris Lindsay
In the Gospel passage for today (Matthew 20: 17-28), Jesus tells the disciples of his upcoming
death and the mother of James and John askes that they sit on either side of Jesus in his kingdom.
Of course, the other ten disciples were not pleased with that. Jesus quiets all of them by saying
that whoever wants to be a leader must be a servant, and whoever wants to be first must become
a slave. He then holds himself up as a model, saying that even the Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.
As I wondered where to go with this, I came across a piece on Facebook written for Baptist
News Global (in May 2016) by Mark Wingfield, a pastor. It was entitled “Seven things I’m
learning about transgender persons.” Wingfield is trying to learn about this because he wants to
understand the way God has made us. He asks, “If Christians really believe every person is
created in the image of God, how can we damn a baby who comes from the womb with gender
dysphoria?” One of his friends made a very poignant point, “We must believe that even if some
people got a lower dose of a chromosome, or an enzyme, or a hormonal effect, that does not
mean that they got a lower dose of God’s image.”
The follow up article was even more moving for me, “Painful lessons from a pastor’s viral transgender
post.” Here Wingfield tells of the overwhelming response he got from the transgender community. In two
weeks’ time, he exchanged personal correspondence with more than 400 people. The painful lessons he
learned came from what these people shared about the way they have been treated by the church.
“Many of them… have grown up in the church and are people of deep faith. But they are people
who have been asked not to come back, have been removed from membership, have been
shunned. And so have their families.”
Wingfield comments that in some ways corporate America is doing a better job of addressing the
essence of a person’s whole self than the church. A key phrase being used is, “Bring your whole
self to work.” He asks, “Why is corporate America ahead of the church on this? It seems to me
Jesus would say, “Bring your whole self to church.”
He reflects, “In polite church culture, we have been conditioned to understand that it is dangerous to be
our true selves at church – especially if we don’t fit the image of a perfect Christian. We say, “Come as
you are,” but we really mean, “Come as we are.”
Wingfield concluded the article with, “… here’s the most important thing I want to say about all
this: God loves you, whoever you are, wherever you are. Whether you’re a conservative or a
liberal, a traditionalist or a progressive, a Protestant or a Catholic, a male or a female, gay,
straight, trans, whatever. God loves you. Now, what are you going to do with that love?” A very
good question, indeed; one that deserves (demands?) a good answer.
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Thursday in the Second Week of Lent, March 16, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Jeremiah 17:5–10
•
Luke 16:19–31
•
Psalm 1
Contributed by Zabeth Teelucksingh
Paraphrase of The First Psalm
by Robert Burns
The man, in life wherever plac'd,
Hath happiness in store,
Who walks not in the wicked's way,
Nor learns their guilty lore!
Nor from the seat of scornful pride
Cases forth his eyes abroad,
But with humility and awe
Still walks before his God.
That man shall flourish like the trees,
Which by the streamlets grow:
The fruitful top is spread on high,
And firm the root below.
But he whose blossom buds in guilt
Shall to the ground be cast,
And like the rootless stubble, tos't
Before the sweeping blast.
For why? that God the good adore,
Hath giv'n them peace and rest,
But hath decreed that wicket men
Shall ne'er be truly blest.
Illuminated Manuscript
Page 18
Friday in the Second Week of Lent, March 17, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Genesis 37:3–4,12–28
•
Matthew 21:33–43
•
Psalm 105:16–22
Commemoration of Patrick, Bishop and Missionary of Ireland
Contributed by Diana Post
What do you do with the mad that you feel
When you feel so mad you could bite?
When the whole wide world seems oh, so wrong …
And nothing you do seems very right?2
Imagine Joseph's brothers' rage in the lines from Genesis. Not only does Jacob prefer his
youngest son, but he is so indifferent to his other sons' feelings that he's ostentatious about his
favorite, kitting Joseph out in a many-colored coat. The brothers must have been livid with
jealousy, furious enough to kill – or to sell a brother into slavery.
If I remember sin as being separation from love, the story shifts slightly. Here we have children
reacting to a seemingly indifferent parent, plotting together to punish their innocent youngest
brother, Joseph. When they contemplated the loss of their anticipated futures, their inheritance,
despite their extremism, I feel some compassion for the loss of their father's attention and
affection.
What about this country's current political climate? Immediately after the election, many people
felt a frighteningly debilitating grief. Now many are moving toward anger. Given that we can be
responsible only for our own actions, how can our own anger be grounded and channeled
towards righteousness and justice?
It's great to be able to stop
When you've planned a thing that's wrong,
And be able to do something else instead
And think this song:
I can stop when I want to
Can stop when I wish.
I can stop, stop, stop any time.
And what a good feeling to feel like this
And know that the feeling is really mine.3
2
Rogers, Fred M. What Do You Do With the Mad That You Feel, 1968. Family Communications, Inc., Mister
Rogers' Neighborhood, www.pbskids.org.
3
Ibid.
Page 19
Fred Rogers came long after my own childhood, but his simple messages to children ring as true
as ever. I love his willingness to stop, look at feelings and redirect action. How can I apply the
same principles as an adult? As a minister himself, Mr. Rogers would probably agree that we can
turn to God for help in stopping and redirecting. In prayer, we pour out our hearts to God and
acknowledge our need. We fall silent before God listening, seeking God's wisdom and guidance.
Prayer focuses us, guides us and grounds us.
Prayer is an important action in and of itself, but it is also a necessary prelude to action. It is not
a substitute for it. Theologian Karl Barth said, “To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of
an uprising against the disorder of the world.” “Beginning” is the operative word. We pray in
order to discover how it is that God wants us to rise up against the disorder. Begin with prayer.
Than act – talk about it, encourage elected officials to move beyond silence to action, make calls,
sign petitions, vote, march.
We rise up against the disorder of the world only with faith, hope and love. Disorder despises
love. It wants to destroy love. This is the sad truth of Good Friday. But the Bible reminds us that
love – the stubborn, forgiving, refusing to stay dead love that Christ brings to the world – will
eventually triumph. This is the deep promise of Easter morning.
Thanks be to God.
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Saturday in the Second Week of Lent, March 18, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Micah 7:14–15,18–20
•
Luke 15:11–32
•
Psalm 103:1–4(5–8)9–12
Commemoration of Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem
Contributed by Barry Harte
Because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life;
he was lost and has been found.
Luke 15. 11.32
We recognize these words from the story of the prodigal son- the gracious father, the grumpy
brother- however you wish to title the story. Please read the story again, it is always worth the
read and I always find something there that I have not seen before. Luke 15. 11-32 It is a piece of
scripture that profoundly informs our faith, isn’t it? All that extravagance and excess is difficult
to ignore. What does it say about God? What does it mean for the way I live my life? These are
the fundamental questions with which I like to approach the scriptural witness.
Today, the Church commemorates the life of Cyril of Jerusalem. I am sure he knew the story of
the prodigal Cyril lived in the 300s as the Church was taking hold in the West. Constantine had
made Christianity the religion of the empire. Cyril was embroiled in the controversies of the day.
We have his witness to the faith in his writings so we know a bit about him. Here are some of his
words:
It is not only among us, who are marked with the name of Christ, that the dignity of faith is
great; all the business of the world, even of those outside the Church, is accomplished by faith.
By faith, marriage laws join in union persons who were strangers to one another. By faith,
agriculture is sustained; for a man does not endure the toil involved unless he believes he will
reap a harvest. By faith, seafaring men, entrusting themselves to a tiny wooden craft, exchange
the solid element of the land for the unstable motion of the waves.” [19]
But what I remember most about Cyril Of Jerusalem was his censure for having sold off some
holy things in order to feed the poor. The story goes that there was a gold cloak given by
emperor Constantine himself to the Church in Jerusalem for use at Baptisms. There was a famine
at the time and Cyril sold the cloak with other vessels in order to feed his flock. He was out of
line theologically with his peers, but the charge brought against him was for his selling of sacred
vessels. How things never change! How impressed I have been with Cyril’s understanding of his
faith put into practice in his actions to feed the hungriest in his midst. How impressed I am with
his extravagance in response to the greatest of needs.
Dear God, help me to be extravagant with the gifts you have given me, that the hungry
are fed and the grieving comforted, and the lonely welcomed always at your table. Amen
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Third Sunday in Lent, March 19, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Exodus 17:1-7
•
Romans 5:1-11
•
John 4:5-42
•
Psalm 95
Contributed by Roy Harker
The Birds
When Jesus Christ was four years old
The Angels brought him toys of gold
Which no man ever had bought or sold
And yet with these He would not play
He made Him small fowl out of clay
And blessed them till they flew away
Tu creasti Domine (Thou hast created them, O Lord)
Jesus Christ, Thou child so wise
Bless mine hands and fill mine eyes
And bring my soul to paradise
– Hilaire Belloc
(Written for the
Funeral of Benjamin Britten’s mother)
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Monday in the Third Week of Lent, March 20, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
2 Samuel 7:4,8-16
•
Romans 4:13-18
•
Luke 2:41-52
•
Psalm 89:1-29 or 89:1-4, 26-29
Commemoration of The Feast of St. Joseph
Contributed by Linda Sterthous
Jesus, the Bad Kid
Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the festival
of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they
went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was
ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed
behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.
Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a
day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their
relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they
returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days
they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions. And all who
heard him were amazed at his understanding and his
answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished;
and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us
like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for
you in great anxiety." He said to them, "Why were you
searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my
Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said
to them. Then he went down with them and came to
Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured
all these things in her heart.And Jesus increased in wisdom
and in years, and in divine and human favor.
Jesus in the Temple
Reflection:
As a child, I got a kick out of this gospel passage. Jesus was being a bad kid. Instead of going
home from the Passover festival with relatives as he was supposed to do, Jesus stayed behind,
causing his parents “great anxiety” when they couldn’t find him. Tee-hee. Even Jesus was
disobedient on occasion. As an adult, I find the more interesting part of this story is Mary’s
reaction. She doesn’t flip out at Jesus. She doesn’t yell. She simply asks him why he did what
he did. As she comes to better understand her child’s motivations to do God’s work, she counts
this episode as one to “treasure in her heart”. The stained glass window in the back of St.
Asaph's illustrates this gospel passage in vibrant color. Mary and Joseph are depicted in the
upper right corner, looking upon Jesus with amazement as he talks with the temple elders.
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And so it can be for us as we consider the sometimes perplexing and challenging behaviors of
our family members, co-workers, neighbors, and those with whom we disagree. Do we jump to
judgement? Do we snap out in anger before asking the question “why”? Wouldn’t it be better
to try for understanding first, so that like Mary, we might find an occasional treasure in the midst
of our everyday lives?
Prayer:
Dear God, father and mother of us all, help us to stop and ask “why?” when the people around us
do things that upset us. Help us to find the hidden treasures that may lead us to your peace that
passes all our understanding. Amen.
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Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent, March 21, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Song of the Three Young Men (Apocrypha) 2–4,11–20a
• Matthew 18:21–35
• Psalm 25:3–10
Commemoration of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury and Martyr
Contributed by Doris Weimar
Our readings today, although written centuries apart, have a common theme. Sin is present as is
repentance and trust in the Lord to forgive. This forgiveness on the part of our Lord sets an
example of mercy as set forth in the Gospel of Matthew. To learn this lesson well and to practice
it will remove wars, be they familial, regional or worldwide. “all your works are true and your
ways right.”
The song sung by Shadrach, Meshach and Azaria, three friends of Daniel in praise of the Lord,
takes place in a fiery furnace. They are sung on behalf of fellow Hebrews who are captives of a
Babylonian King. The pressure exerted on the captives is great. Conform and worship the
King’s idols or die. Life will be easier, but offensive to God with whom they have a covenant.
So they praise God, count his blessings and ask his forgiveness. “Do not put us to shame
But deal with us in your patience and in your abundant mercy.”
Throughout the ages, the value of teaching and learning is there for the faithful to read. The
written record is borrowed from Daniel and two Psalms. This matters because despots, dictators
and the like remove communication, instruction and language from the general population. In
this case one’s religion is an integral part.
This day is set aside to honor Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop in England’s 16th Century. His time
was in the upheaval of the emerging Reformation. His crime was that he was too close to
succeeding rulers of different persuasions, Rome or Henry VIII. In the end it was Mary of
Bloody fame that condemned him. She doomed hundreds to heretical death, Cranmer and three
friends at Oxford were included.
Thomas went to the fiery stake with feeling of unresolved guilt seeing that he had abandoned his,
“First Book of Common Prayer.” Perhaps it was one Royal command too many to be
rationalized.
The Book in the hands of common folk had been a source of comfort , inspiration and
instruction. No interpreter was needed, it was translated from elaborate Latin to common
everyday language, the kind to be read in every shop window among other places. Another
Ruler ascends and three years later the book is withdrawn from public use. But, the jinni, (Holy
Ghost) is out of the bottle. Another century and The Book is back.
The records are that the Archbishop burned his offending right hand first, while asking
forgiveness for not honoring his work. He regretted withdrawing his inspired gift to the people.
Was there no one there to forgive his perceived sin?
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And so, here are some of the many ways of Sin and how to deal with it. Remember that, if you
are the offended one, “seventy-seven times” of forgiveness, may be needed.” Painful thoughts
have a way of returning unasked. For the offender, “a contrite heart and a humble spirit,” is a
good beginning. To say, “I’m sorry” can help. For someone like Thomas in the circumstance as a
captive of his time, who can say? We can hope that he appealed to Jesus of Nazareth, who
endured all of life’s challenges.
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Wednesday in the Third Week of Lent, March 22, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Deuteronomy 4:1–2,5–9
• Matthew 5:17–19
• Psalm 78:1–6
Commemoration of James De Koven, Priest
Contributed by Dennis Lloyd
What can be said about a person who, not once but twice, failed to win the necessary consents to
his election as bishop? "Controversial" might be the safest word to use. One commentator has
noted that both those who elected de Koven and those who rejected him were probably right to
do so!
Today we routinely find in our churches candles on the altar, clergy wearing chausables, and a
whole variety of gestures, bowing, and elevations during the celebration of the Eucharist; but in
nineteenth century America, such things were seen as highly questionable; and James de Koven
was seen as the leader of the "ritualist" party and the champion of the reforms won by the Oxford
Movement in England a generation earlier. While the most visible aspect of those reforms
included the use of such externals as candles, incense, and vestments, at their heart lay the desire
to rightly discern and worship the sacramental presence of our Lord. In a letter dated January 19,
1872, de Koven writes:
"I believe that, as the Patriarchs worshipped the Son of God, appearing unto them under
the form of an Angel; as the Jews worshipped that Presence of God which dwelt between
the Cherubim; as our Lord's Humanity as subsisting in His Divine Person when here on
earth, was adorable; as His sacrificed Body hanging on the Cross, and laid in the grave,
because not separate from His Divine Person was adorable: so Christ, present in the
elements, is also to be worshipped."
The collect for today states that it was God who inspired de Koven to "do what is right and to
preach what is true." However, neither the rightness nor the truth of his actions and positions
were unequivocally recognized in his own day; and I dare say that he himself would remind us
that being right is not nearly so important as being faithful. After his final and stinging defeat at
the General Convention of 1874 de Koven did not leave the church or retire from active ministry.
He continued in service to God and God's people, and his ministries were gratefully received. He
died in 1879, at Racine College in Racine, Wisconsin. Today, that campus is the site of the De
Koven Center, a retreat and conference center operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee.
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Thursday in the Third Week of Lent, March 23, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Jeremiah 7:23–28
• Luke 11:14–23
• Psalm 95:6–11
Commemoration of Gregory the Illuminator, Bishop and Missionary of Armenia
Contributed by Virginia Powell
In the book of Psalms (95: 6-11), we are reminded of our relationship to God. We are God’s
people and “the sheep of his hands.” It is up to us to exalt God and worship him, unlike those at
Meribah, with hardened hearts who turned away. The people tested God and where not in his
favor for forty years. In the book of Jeremiah (7:23-28), again God tells the people to follow him
and they did not. “They took their own counsels and looked backwards, not forward. Truth did
not cross their lips.” In the book of Luke (11:14-23), after Jesus made the mute man talk, some
wanted a sign from heaven as proof that Jesus was the one who made him speak. Christ just
wants the people to trust and believe in God’s word: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and
whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
I’m inserting the phrases from Psalms, Jeremiah and Luke into this excerpt from my family’s
prayer, written by my father in 1949.
Our Gracious Creator,
Help us to have a great love for Thee and for each other. Help us to be mindful that we
are Your children and “the sheep of Your hands.” Remind us to live our lives with grace
and humility as we worship you. Help us to be patient and kind and considerate of the
rights and feelings of others. Let us not forget that others may follow our example, so
help us Lord to set a good example, being ever mindful that we are children of God. Help
us to be honest and truthful. Keep us from setting too much value on material things.
Help us live as You would have us, just for today, and turn to Thee on each succeeding
day for the strength we need to accomplish just the tasks of that day. May we always
know you’re here, feel your strength, and see your light.
We ask it all in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Friday in the Third Week of Lent, March 24, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Hosea 14:1–9
• Mark 12:28–34
• Psalm 81:8–14
Commemoration of Óscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador
and the Martyrs of El Salvador
Contributed by Dennis Lloyd
A Future Not Our Own.
It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything that there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
-- A Prayer/Poem by Archbishop Oscar Romero
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Saturday in the Third Week of Lent, March 25, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Isaiah 7:10-14
• Psalm 45 or Psalm 40:5-11 or Canticle 15 (or 3)
• Hebrews 10:4-10
• Luke 1:26-38
Commemoration of The Feast of the Annunciation
Contributed by Katherine Kurtz
Courage
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Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 26, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• 1 Samuel 16:1-13
• Ephesians 5:8-14
• John 9:1-41
• Psalm 23
Contributed by Roy Harker
Drop, drop, slow tears
Drop, drop, slow tears,
And bathe those beauteous feet,
Which brought from Heav’n
The news and Prince of Peace.
Cease not, wet tears,
His mercies to entreat;
To cry for vengeance:
Sin doth never cease.
In your deep floods
Drown all my faults and fears;
Nor let His eye see
Sin, but through my tears.
– Phineas Fletcher
Poetical Miscellanies, 1633
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Monday in the Fourth Week of Lent, March 27, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Isaiah 65:17–25
• John 4:43–54
• Psalm 30:1–6,11–13
Commemoration of Charles Henry Brent, Bishop of the Philippines
and of Western New York
Contributed by Sally Guerrero
Is. 65:17-25 ~ Reading through these verses, I am inspired by the template Isaiah gives us of
God’s vision for our earth. In verse 17 Isaiah uses the present tense to tell us that God creates
new heavens and a new earth indicating that God continually envisions our earth in a positive
light with peace and well-being for all. In verse 18 we are instructed to be glad and rejoice
forever in that which God creates. In the next verses we are given details of God’s good vision.
The Dali Lama says, “In order to heal the world we must have a plan and in order for the plan to
work we must [pray or hold a vision] meditate.”The wisdom of Proverbs 29:18 tells us that
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” In this passage, God gives us a vision upon which
we can meditate. In my walk as a Christian, I must daily, if not moment by moment, discipline
myself to see and believe in the good which is unseen. Can we, as Christians observing the
circumstances around us and in our world, discipline ourselves to hold God’s good vision?
John 4:43-54 ~ Reading through this passage, verse 48 jumps out at me. “Except you see signs
and wonders, ye will not believe.” We know that Jesus’ life was about doing His Father’s will
and that included healing the sick. Why did Jesus express frustration with this nobleman who
wanted healing for his child? Jesus knows our hearts and that we are often seeking external
signs and worldly things. Jesus tells us we are not to focus on outward signs. Throughout his
ministry, we are taught to turn within. In Isaiah, God gives us a specific vision to focus upon.
Great leaders have understood the power of our inner thoughts. Martin Luther King, Jr. said,
“We must be as aware and dedicated to our own internal purification as we are to external
change.” Our power lies in holding the good vision in spite of how dire outer circumstances may
appear. This is not a passive approach. We are exercising spiritual discipline and faith when we
resist the temptation to focus on outer circumstances.
Psalms 30: 1-6, 11-13 ~ After studying the passages from Isaiah and John, I was intrigued with
these verses from Psalms. David trusted in God’s goodness. In spite of outer circumstances,
David praised God continually for His deliverance, healing, safety, protection. By expressing
gratitude, David demonstrates a spiritually infused vision. He understood the power of trust and
praise rather than an external fear-based focus.
Conclusion ~ The Bible teaches us how we can participate in co-creating peace and well-being in
our lives and world. Do we believe God is supporting us in creating His vision for our world? As
stewards of God’s word and the instruction therein, do we exercise our faith in ways that God
can trust the outcome to us? Can we do this with a joyful attitude, no matter how things appear,
knowing God is working through us to bring about peace and justice for all?
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Tuesday in the Fourth Week of Lent, March 28, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Ezekiel 47:1–9,12
• John 5:1–18
• Psalm 46:1–8
Contributed by Barry Harte
Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool…
John 5.2
Cleansing in sacred water is an ancient act that we still practice today- we still seek out waters
that are important to us for our well-being. Maybe it is as simple as the hot tub; or even a good
long soak in the bathtub! For me it is the Atlantic Ocean where it meets the beach on Long
Beach Island. For some of you it might be a Hot Spring or the lake where you were fortunate
enough to have vacationed. The waters of Baptism are central to our faith.
The pool by the Sheep Gate was a pool where those with diseases were invited to wash and then
show themselves to the priest in charge to determine whether they had been sufficiently healed to
again return to the community. One had to at least get into the water to have a chance at being
seen by the priest. In the story in John’s Gospel, one man had been waiting 38 years for his
chance. I cannot imagine that he had not given up hope. Really? 38 years John tells us. Do you
want to be healed? Jesus asks. Seemingly without exasperation, the man, matter of fact, tells
Jesus that when he makes his move to reach the water at the appropriate time, he is pushed
aside. Take up your mat and walk then, is Jesus’ response, no pool or bathing or showing oneself
to the priest for this healing. There is more to the story of course, but I will let you read that for
yourself.
I also cannot imagine not having access to healthcare or doctors or healing, let alone a chance to
bathe in favorite waters. All the time and energy we spend to exclude the least of these in order
to safeguard our own place at the pool- oh my! There is water and healing and more than enough
for us all if we might only live from that place of abundance rather than from scarcity.
Jesus bypasses the pool all together with a simply invitation to rise and walk and the man does.
He does! He gets up and walks after 38 years of illness. Praise be to God!
Dear God, for those who have limited or no access to healthcare that our
generosity might grow for all who are in need that all may know the healing
power of Your Love. Amen
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Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Lent, March 29, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Isaiah 49:8–15
• John 5:19–29
• Psalm 145:8–19
Commemoration of John Keble, Priest
Contributed by Linda Sterthous
Food Enough
The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open wide your hand
and satisfy the needs of every living creature..
Reflection:
A number of years ago, I read Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal Vegetable Miracle, about her
family’s attempt to eat -- for a full year -- food that was grown or produced locally. Her book
inspired me to try to eat more locally-sourced food and to eat food only when it was in season. I
stopped buying strawberries in January and saved this pleasure for May, when Jersey grown
strawberries became abundant in local markets. I stopped buying asparagus and peas in the off
season, too, and paid more attention to produce in my local farmers market that was grown in
nearby Lancaster County. Is this a religious issue? If we care about our planet, which after all
is God’s gift to all of us, then indeed this is a religious issue. In this season of Lent, some people
choose to give up a favorite food, like chocolate or alcohol or snacks. A different Lenten
discipline might be to take up a “Locavore” practice, eating locally and supporting local
agriculture which by definition will cause you to eat foods in season. The psalmist says that the
Lord will give us food in due season and satisfy all living creatures. Maybe we don’t need
strawberries in the dead of winter and asparagus in March. Maybe we should contemplate how
much food is enough to give us sustenance. That should satisfy our needs.
Prayer:
Creator God, who made the fields and forests and oceans that bring us the food we need to live,
help us to learn what “enough” is. Help us to support the farmers and ranchers and fisherman
who bring food to our markets. And lead us to share the abundant resources of our world with
others who do not have enough. Amen.
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Thursday in the Fourth Week of Lent, March 30, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Exodus 32:7–14
•
John 5:30–47
•
Psalm 106:6–7,19–23
Commemoration of Innocent of Alaska, Bishop
Contributed by Gwen Hauser
I can still hear my father's voice in the evening hours, "What do mean by nothing? The day you
go to bed without learning or doing one new thing you are one foot in the grave". The four kids
quickly got the message!
Dad was a pioneer in the Fish and Wildlife Service - civil engineer joined with a biologist to
create the most effective environments for endangered species. My vacations were full of nonstop learning. The first white bison newly born in the refuge, the flight of the first trumpeter
swan from sheltered parents, the carving of a unique watering steam out of dry, cracked earth-I
saw, touched, smelled, heard and tasted.
One of my dad's favorite assignments was in Alaska. He must be communing with Father Ioann
who came to be known as Saint Innocent of Moscow. As a missionary (and eventual
Archbishop) in Alaska in the 1800s he was tireless in his zeal for bringing his faith to the native
population. After learning several native languages he wrote about the people and their dialects.
Creating dictionaries, translating religious works and part of the bible and devising an alphabet
of Cyrillic letters for the most widespread dialect are only a part of his accomplishments.
For today's world it is significant that Father Ioann was eager to know and understand the native
populations and to build relationships in the "Russo-American Territories ". His love of learning,
his faith and his eager service left no time for prejudice or hate.
Today stop and look around you for people who will bring unexpected inspiration into your life.
A prayer for today:
God, I offer myself to Thee to build with me and do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of
the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory
over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy power, Thy love and Thy way
of life. May I do Thy will always!
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Friday in the Fourth Week of Lent, March 31, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Wisdom 2:1a,12–24
• John 7:1–2,10,25–30
• Psalm 34:15–22
Commemoration of John Donne, Priest
Contributed by Kath Hubbard
The three texts for today seem to build on each other: Wisdom 2 is about the waylaying of a
righteous man by those who want to test God; Psalm 34 is about how God will comfort and save
those righteous who are persecuted; the Gospel, John 7,is about people attempting to arrest Jesus
because they don’t think he could possibly be the righteous Messiah.
This bit from John 7is the most interesting to me because the people here talk themselves out of
believing in Jesus’ righteousness because they know where he came from and they believe the
Messiah’s origin will be a mystery. Jesus rebukes them and points out that place doesn’t mean a
place on earth – Galilee or Jerusalem or wherever. Where does Jesus come from – He comes
from God, and God is both known and unknown. This is so logical the people he is talking to
decide to arrest him.
It’s so human to be angry and hate someone who is being logical, who is “doing the right thing”
who seems particularly righteous. If we aren’t the righteous then we are the evil ones. The Psalm
seems to be saying this: God looks after the good and turns away from the bad. So, the bible
seems to say, it’s binary – a person is either good or a person is bad.
This day is also the commemoration of John Donne – priest. John Donne is the guy who wrote
the very famous “for whom the bell tolls... it tolls for thee” business about death and faith, but he
was the author of poems of 16th century seduction such as “The Flea” –
(…Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare, /Where we almost, nay more than married are./ This
flea is you and I, and this/ Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is;)
Donne’s life was all over the place – son of a devout Catholic family at a time when being so
meant imprisonment. Donne’s brother spent a few years in prison for this – yet Donne at some
point became an Anglican. He was kind of an adventurer, then fell in love with and married his
employer’s daughter (quite a bit younger than himself). He attempted a career in law then as a
politician neither of which worked (partly because of the marrying his employer’s daughter
thing). He and his family struggled financially until Donne finally became an Anglican minister
and was employed for the rest of his life. *
When I was in school it was taught that Donne was this randy guy who wrote a bunch of racy
love poems and who then had some sort of Anglican conversion experience and became the
author of mystical and spiritual poems about God’s love. But of course it is much more
complicated than that. Because very few of Donne’s poems were published during his lifetime,
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no one really knows when his secular (called “naturalist”) and religious poems were actually
written – or which points in his life influenced what type of work. It is now thought that he wrote
religious and naturalist poems throughout the whole of his life.
As a priest, and toward the end of his life, he wrote a series of sermons – called the 23
Devotions, one of which contains that famous – kind of ominous – passage:
Perchance he for whom this Bell tolls, may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; And
perchance I may think my self so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see
my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that. The Church is Catholic,
universal, so are all her Actions; All that she does, belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that
action concerns me ... who bends not his ear to any bell, which upon any occasion rings? But
who can remove it from that bell, which is passing a piece of himself out of this world? No Man
is an Island, entire of it self; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if
a Clod be washed away by the Sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a Promontory were, as well
as if a Manor of thy friends, or of thine own were; Any Man’s death diminishes me, because I
am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls
for thee. *
This passage of Donne’s brings me back to that Psalm – 34: 15-22: “The Eye’s of the Lord are
upon the Righteous… the Face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Even though it seems
to be saying that there are either good or evil people, I kind of feel like God is addressing all
sides of human nature, sides which exist in everyone all the time in a big jumble. Sometimes the
good rises and sometimes the bad rises, and sometimes the good and bad bits get jumbled and it
then becomes unclear which is which and who is who.
“And perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and
see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that,” writes Donne.
We are dying and we are living all at once – we are righteous and we are not so righteous all at
once. We are the good people who need God’s protection and we are also the bad people from
whom God must protect the good. “No [one]** is an Island, entire of it self; every [one] is a
piece of the Continent, a part of the main…”
This sounds dire and sad, but it’s also reassuring and optimistic, all at the same time, always.
* most of my information about John Donne came from www.poetryfoundation.org
* * changed “man” to “one” to make it all a little less gender-y, it being 2017 and not 1623.
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Saturday in the Fourth Week of Lent, April 1, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Jeremiah 11:18–20
• John 7:37–52
• Psalm 7:6–11
Commemoration of Frederick Denison Maurice, Priest
Contributed by Sally Pearne
I struggled with the intensity of anger and indignation in all three of these readings. To help me
clarify my reaction I made two lists of words excerpted from these readings, labeling them + and
– to represent the positive qualities I seek in worship and the negativity of our own more base
natures and so much of the world around us. The lists are as follows:
+
-
Mercifully
Spare
Gentle lamb
Holy Spirit
Justice
Innocence
Shield and defense Savior of the true in heart
Rivers of living water
Evil
Slaughter
Schemes
Destroy
Retribution
Wrath
Enemies
Malice
Arrest
Accursed
Wicked
“No prophet shall arise from Galilee”
So what is the real message, and what are we to do with these diametrically opposed assertions
of what is real, and more importantly, perhaps, what is actually dominant in our lives and daily
experience?
I am reminded of the fury in the opening lines of Verdi’s “Dies Irae” from his Requiem Mass, or
many paintings (we have all seen them) of stormy, turbulent ocean swells with perhaps just a
glimpse of sunlight in the way distant horizon.
All I can do is hold on to two lines in these passages: the first from the Collect, “…Jesus
Christ…who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.” And
secondly, from John 7, “‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” These are
the messages of hope and sustenance. Perhaps this is what we all do within ourselves in times of
trouble: cling to the assurances we have of love and sustenance, despite the clamor of threat and
negativity all around us.
I am wondering if this is what Jesus did in Gethsemane, during his trial, and through the agony
of his crucifixion: hold fast to quiet truth of the Holy Spirit and the flow of rivers of living water.
I pray that this is what we all can do during this Lenten Journey, and beyond.
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Fifth Sunday in Lent, April 2, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Ezekiel 37:1-14
• Romans 8:6-11
• John 11:1-45
• Psalm 130
Contributed by Roy Harker
Miserere
Have mercy upon me, O God, after Thy great goodness
According to the multitude of Thy mercies do away mine offences.
Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me.
Against Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that
Thou mightest be justified in Thy saying, and clear when Thou art judged.
Behold, I was shapen in wickedness: and in sin hath my mother conceived me.
But lo, Thou requirest truth in the inward parts: and shalt make me to understand wisdom
secretly.
Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be
whiter than snow.
Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness: that the bones which Thou hast broken
may rejoice.
Turn Thy face from my sins: and put out all my misdeeds.
Make me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
O give me the comfort of Thy help again: and stablish me with Thy free Spirit.
Then shall I teach Thy ways unto the wicked: and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou that art the God of my health: and my
tongue shall sing of Thy righteousness.
Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord: and my mouth shall shew (= show) Thy praise.
For Thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it Thee: but Thou delightest not in burntofferings.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt Thou
not despise.
O be favourable and gracious unto Sion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings
and oblations: then shall they lay calves upon Your altar.
(Translation from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer)
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Monday in the Fifth Week of Lent, April 3, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Susanna [1–9,15–29,34–40], 41-62
• John 8:1–11 or 8:12–20
• Psalm 23
Commemoration of Richard, Bishop of Chichester
Contributed by Dennis Lloyd
I am the light of the world.
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Tuesday in the Fifth Week of Lent, April 4, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Numbers 21:4–9
• John 8:21–30
• Psalm 102:15–22
Commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights Leader and Martyr
Contributed by Pam Lloyd
Holy God, you raise up prophets; praise and honor do we sing,
for your faithful, humble servant, Doctor Martin Luther King.
Refrain:
Blessed Martin, pastor, prophet, you the mountain-top did see;
Blessed Martin, holy martyr; pray that we may all be free.
Moral conscience of a nation, reconciling black and white,
dreamed he of a just society, we must carry on his fight.
Refrain
Teacher of Christ-like non-violence to the outcast, poor and meek;
greater weapon 'gainst opression is to turn the other cheek.
Refrain
Preacher of Christ's love for neighbor, he won Nobel's prize for peace;
peoples, beat your swords to ploughshares, wars 'twixt nation all shall cease.
Refrain
Champion of oppressed humanity suff''ring throughout all the world;
he offered pride and dignity let Christ's banner be unfurled!
Refrain
So, when felled by sniper's bullet under heavens overcast,
he could cry, "Thank God Almighty, I am free, I'm free at last!"
Refrain
Words: Harold T. Lewis (b. 1947)
From Lift Every Voice and Sing
Page 41
Wednesday in the Fifth Week of Lent, April 5, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Daniel 3:14–20,24–28
•
John 8:31–42
•
Canticle [2] or 13
Commemoration of Pandita Mary Rambai, Phophetic Witness
and Evangelist in India
Contributed by Shelley Owen Williamson
" People must not only hear about the kingdom of GOD, but must see it in actual
operation, on a small scale perhaps and in imperfect form, but a real demonstration
nevertheless"
~ Pandita Ramabai,
Indian Christian social reformer/activist, 1958-1922
This dramatic parable (Daniel 3:14-28) reveals the power of God to protect those who faithfully
believe in him. The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego appointed by Daniel to the
Provence of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar's rule, serves to broaden our appreciation of
seeing God through miracles. These men refused to bow down at the sound of symphonic music,
and worship false gods and a golden image. For their act of faith and defiance to the king's
decree, they were cast into a fiery furnace. Miraculously they withstood the heat unscathed. The
King observed a fourth person/image walking in the furnace with the three men that appeared to
be Jesus, the son of God. He and his witnesses were astonished at this sight! He declared after
seeing for himself in Daniel 3:28 "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego,
who sent an angel and delivered his servants who trusted him..." . If we believe in the power of
one God we will be protected. Daniel 4:3 "how great are his signs and how mighty his wonders!"
This passage is about trusting and believing in one almighty God, and not worshiping false gods
or images. It is about steadfast faith, divine wonder and the glory of God. It also addresses
troubled leaders, forcefully dictating worship, and civil disobedience based on belief. I invite you
to listen to Martin Luther King's sermon " BUT IF NOT ", November 1967.
https:// youtube/UmkzesyBTk0
John 8:31-44 ~ The gospel speaks clearly in John 8:31 "if you abide in My word you are my
disciples indeed"...and John 8:32 "you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free... ''
we are assured freedom here, if we follow God's teachings. We learn of the power of sin to trap
and enslave us. John 8: 34 " most assuredly, I say to you who ever commits sin is a slave to sin".
We are called to examine our sins, noting that we may be unable to hear truth when surrounded
by sin...John 8:43" Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to
My word." Today the political news in America is unsettling. Talk of lies, hate, bigotry, the
sounds of media words sugar coated and manipulated, make it hard to decipher the truth. Our
spiritual challenge today is to maintain faith in the face of many political changes. God is the
truth, his word is the truth.
Stories of resurrections, incarnation, surviving fiery furnaces may seem farfetched but they serve
to tell of Gods powers, greater than our conscious mind can grasp. The idea of blind faith has
Page 42
never been an easy concept for skeptical questioning humans like the King. We want proof of
Gods existence. We too may find ourselves listening to astrology, magicians and self-help gurus
for interpretation of our thoughts and dreams. It is a spiritual challenge for Christians to listen
and look for signs of gods to renew our trust and faith in God's plan above others. If you look for
truth you will find it. God is the truth. As we come to deeply know God we need less evidence.
We feel his presence in our lives without question, as we see and hear him everywhere. As we
examine our sins, we learn the truth will set us free, and through trials and tribulations we come
to know and trust this to be true. We learn the power of prayer, and the comfort of a deep private
conversation with a compassionate God .We want to see and hear God, but wisdom dictates that
we need to experience, feel and deeply know God.
This Lenten season I invite you to quiet your mind, be still, and create time and space for God.
To develop a faithful spiritual practice that hears and sees signs of divine greatness everywhere.
Time in the garden with open heart reveals the amazing cycle of life. Sowed seeds and protected
bulbs bloom, as new life springs forth, and winter warms to spring. Mindful walks on crowded
urban streets reveal human intelligence interacting, creating and finding solutions for a
harmonious existence. Gods divine mighty wonders and miracles are ever present and visible in
our daily lives. His power to protect, heal, and renew is visible if we look to see. In the seeing we
believe and renew our faith. The fact that we can't see or hear God we must find him within
ourselves. Through prayer and study of the scripture, gathering to worship and receive the holy
sacrament we strengthen this relationship with God. To follow Gods commandments is to be a
disciplined faithful disciple, able to stand firm, in our beliefs against oppression, and life's many
stressors. In the knowing Gods everlasting love we shall find peace and joy.
Page 43
Thursday in the Fifth Week of Lent, April 6, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Genesis 17:1–8
•
John 8:51–59
•
Psalm 105:4–11
Commemoration of Daniel G. C. Wu, Priest and
Missionary among Chinese Americans
Contributed by Alexais Morgan
This is Gods covenant between Abraham to walk with God and God will always be there for his
people.
My Prayer:
O God you have called us to have trust in you and suffer with you. You have promised us
through this suffering to always be our God. It makes our faith and trust stronger the sacrifice
greater and the promise you have made strengthens our faith and love in you O God. Amen
Page 44
Friday in the Fifth Week of Lent, April 7, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Jeremiah 20:7–13
•
John 10:31–42
•
Psalm 18:1–7
Commemoration of Tikhon, Patriarch of Russia, Confessor and Ecumenist
Contributed by Dennis Lloyd
Holy God, holy and mighty, you call us together into one communion and fellowship:
Open our eyes, we pray, as you opened the eyes of your servant Tikhon, that we may see
the faithfulness of others as we strive to be steadfast in the faith delivered to us, that the
world may see and know you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the
Holy Spirit, be glory and praise unto ages of ages. Amen.
~ Collect for the day.
The life of Tikhon of Moscow provides us with yet another example of the way in which
adversity may reveal beauty and strength in the heart of the faithful. He was born in 1865 and
followed his father's footsteps into the priesthood of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1898 he
became Archbishop of the Aleutians and Alaska, and the leader of Russian Orthodoxy in North
America. He was popular and ecumenically minded, working closely with the Episcopal Church.
The United States awarded him an honorary citizenship.
He returned to Russia in 1907. He held a number of different positions, and then, in the space of
five months, he was elected Bishop of Moscow, then Metropolitan of Moscow, and then
Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. The year was 1917. Almost immediately, Tikhon felt
the weight of the Bolshevik government weigh upon him. He issued a strong condemnation of
the government following the execution of the tsar and other anti-Bolshevik writings. During the
famine of 1921, Tikhon purchased food for the hungry through the sale of church treasures.
When government forces attempted to seize church property, Tikhon objected, and was arrested
as a saboteur. His imprisonment was brief due to the flood of international objections that were
lodged with the communist government, but was perhaps enough to break his health. A year after
his release he fell ill and died on April 7, 1925. The cause of death is listed as a heart attack, but
many in Russia believe that he was poisoned, and he is considered a martyr for the faith.
Jesus, in the familiar words of the Beatitudes, as much as tells us that his followers should not
look to this world and its systems for their strength and happiness. Their strength, their
happiness, their peace, and their joy flow from the life of grace in God's Kingdom, God's
Beloved Community. By living in that Kingdom even while we are in the midst of the world's
many kingdoms we, like Tikhon, become a light that illuminates the path to new life for others.
Yes, such a light may draw unwelcomed and hostile attention, but it is also a light that can never
be extinguished.
Page 45
Saturday in the Fifth Week of Lent, April 8, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Ezekiel 37:21–28
•
John 11:45–53
•
Psalm 85:1–7
Commemoration of W. W. Muhlenberg, Priest and A. Ayers, Religious
Contributed by Dennis Lloyd
Scripture Readings for the commemoration of W. A. Muhlenberg and A. Ayers:
Isaiah 63:7-9; Ephesians 4:11-16; Matthew 21:12-16
The story of Jesus cleansing the Temple is enough to make any good church-man or -woman
more than a little nervous. It would be one thing if the first-century Jerusalem Temple was a
notoriously corrupt and inefficient organization, but by all accounts it wasn't. Coins which bore
the image of Caesar had to be exchanged for those that did not before they could be offered to
God. The animal sacrifices which formed the very raison d'etre of the Temple required animals
of a certain quality. Money changers and animal vendors were vital to the working of the
Temple. But they had become a distraction, usurping the place of the greater reality they were
meant to serve. And for those of us who love the Church, it can be hard at times to remember
that the Church exists to serve the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and is not an end in itself. Anything
which keeps people from hearing and receiving that Gospel is ripe for overturning and driving
out.
William Augustus Muhlenberg (and his co-worker and biographer Anne Ayers) spent his life
trying to lead the church he loved and served into a broader and deeper vision of its place and
purpose in the world. Born in Philadelphia in 1796 and ordained in 1817, Muhlenberg was active
in promoting the Sunday School movement, and concerned that the Church should minister to all
social groups. He established schools, hospitals, and a variety of outreach ministries. He was an
author and composer of hymns and compiler of hymnals to broaden the musical appeal of the
liturgy. His vision was of a Church in which all could find a place.
In 1853, Muhlenberg presented to General Convention what became known as the Muhlenberg
Memorial in which he spelled out his vision of a less rigid, more ecumenically minded church. It
did not receive much traction at the time, but is today recognized as one of the foundational
documents of the modern ecumenical movement. In commenting on his Memorial, Muhlenberg
writes:
"The most to be hoped for, or desired, is expressed in that old true canon of Catholicity:
'In necessary matters unity, in non-necessary matters liberty, in all things charity.' The
'necessary matters' of the church are the Faith, the Ministry, the Sacraments, the Worship.
Let these be Scriptural, and in accordance with the Christianity of the Apostolic age, and
we have the sum total of the elements of Catholic unity. With these secure, let the
'Liberty in non-necessary matters' have its sway unrestrained in doctrine, discipline,
worship, and opinion.... Diversity in unity is the universal law."
Page 46
Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, April 9, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Matthew 21:1-11
•
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
•
Isaiah 50:4-9a
•
Philippians 2:5-11
•
Matthew 26:14- 27:66 or 27:11-54
•
Psalm 31:9-16
Contributed by Roger Allen
Just for the record, it was only by decree from the Vatican in 1969 that Passion Sunday, so
called, was combined with Palm Sunday (before that, Passion Sunday occurred on the previous
Sunday, leaving Palm Sunday to focus primarily on the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem).
In the lectionary for Palm Sunday, we hear as today's Gospel reading--for the first time during Holy
Week, to be repeated during the liturgy on Good Friday--the account of the sequence of events
leading up to Jesus's crucifixion and subsequent burial.
Before that necessarily lengthy reading we hear some other Biblical texts that offer us precedents
to themes found in the Passion narrative. We start with a text attributed to that earlier person
named Jesus, `Isa-Yahweh (Jesus of God), Isaiah, and a passage from what is generally known as
"Deutero-Isaiah" (since it is widely acknowledged that the Biblical book assembled as "Isaiah" is
not the work of a single author). The speaker recounts his own suffering: "I gave my back to
those who struck me,"; he tells us, "and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not
hide my face from insult and spitting." But his reaction to these assaults is defiant: "Who will
contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is
the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty?"
The second lectionary reading, a passage from the letter to the community of Philippi in Greece,
is printed in a poetic form, thus reflecting the suggestion that Paul-- in this case the probable
composer of this particular Epistle along with Timothy-- may be quoting a hymn already in
existence, one that reflects on the process of "kenosis" or emptying oneself, as Jesus indeed does
in humbling himself and suffering death on the cross.
As we contemplate the significance of these texts and prepare today to embark on the solemn
liturgies of Holy Week, the collect that we hear at the beginning of our liturgy provides us with a
timely and specific guide: "Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his [Jesus's]
suffering, and also share in his resurrection."
Page 47
Monday of Holy Week, April 10, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
•
Isaiah 42:1-9
•
Hebrews 9:11-15
•
John 12:1-11
•
Psalm 36:5-11
Contributed by Barry Harte
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom
he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him.
John 12.1
Welcome to Holy Week. It sounds an odd greeting, doesn’t it? Welcome? A week when we
remember how the world around Jesus came crashing down- a triumphant entry into Jerusalem
only to be followed by betrayal and death?
Traditionally, we read from John’s Gospel on this day. Jesus is at the house of Lazarus and Mary
and Martha. A dinner is served by Martha, of course. Mary anoints the feet of Jesus with costly
and pure nard. Judas laments that it could have been sold and given to the poor. And there is
Lazarus, having been raised from the dead, eating what was not his last meal after all. How did
they not stop staring at Lazarus, I wonder?
Not only must this Jesus, die, the chief priests determine, so also must Lazarus. The dead must
stay dead after all.
But do they? These dead? Must they stay dead? It is Monday in Holy Week- we know how this
story ends- or is it just begins? Resurrection is much more than resuscitation. Resurrection is the
chance to begin anew, now, here, right now, today. Resurrection is the promise that we will have
that opportunity tomorrow as well and even the next day and even at our death.
Please enter into the drama of this Holy Week, the Passion of the Christ, and come into the
resurrection light of Easter morning! Where was Lazarus, I wonder? He drops from the telling of
the story. But then he too already knew the outcome, didn’t he? That death would not have the
final say, rather it is life and light and the power of love that will triumph in the end.
Dear God, for the welcome into life through Jesus the Christ, make me truly
grateful. Amen
Page 48
Tuesday of Holy Week, April 11, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Isaiah 49:1-7
• 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
• John 12:20-36
• Psalm 71:1-14
Contributed by Roy Harker
O Vos Omnes
O vos ómnes qui transítis per víam, atténdite et vidéte:
Si est dolor símilis sícut dolor méus.
V. Atténdite, univérsi pópuli, et videte dolórem méum.
Si est dolor similes sícut dolor méus.
Translation
O all you who walk by on the road, pay attention and see:
if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.
V. Pay attention, all people, and look at my sorrow:
if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.
from the Latin Vulgate translation
of Lamentations 1:12
Page 49
Wednesday of Holy Week, April 12, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Isaiah 50:4-9a
• Hebrews 12:1-3
• John 13:21-32
• Psalm 70
Contributed by Mary Allen
I ask myself, "Why do we have this story of betrayal in the Gospels?" Everyone
knew who Jesus was; it was not necessary to have one of his disciples identify him,
and it's so very sad that one of his closest friends agreed to turn him over to the
authorities.
I think it can only be to teach us something about love, for Jesus' whole ministry is
to show the world that God is Love. When I love another, I make myself
vulnerable. No one has more power over me than the ones I love. To love is to
surrender myself, to hand myself over to another, to submit my will to that of my
beloved.
When Jesus revealed to his disciples that one of them would betray him, they all
asked, "Is it I, Lord?" When love is reciprocated, both lovers have the power to
hurt or to be hurt by the other. Often we inflict pain unintentionally, so we must
strive to be aware of the power our loved ones have surrendered to us.
Jesus handed the sop to Judas, and "Satan entered into him." Judas slunk off into
the night. It seems that Judas had not planned this betrayal, but that evil impulses
suddenly gained the upper hand. Soon after, Judas repents, but it is already too late
to stop the chain of events.
Another disciple is equally vulnerable to betrayal. Peter denies his relationship
with Jesus three times just before Jesus is crucified. Judas is vilified; Peter is
revered.
Be aware of the connection between Love and Betrayal.
Page 50
Maundy Thursday, April 13, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
• John 13:1-17, 31b-35
• Psalm 116:1, 10-17
Contributed by Kathryn Mariani
The Last Supper
Page 51
Good Friday, April 14, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Isaiah 52:13-53:12
• Hebrews 10:16-25 or 4:14-16; 5:7-9
• John 18:1-19:42
• Psalm 22
Contributed by Eva Shea
Good Friday Prayers
Page 52
Holy Saturday, April 15, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Job 14:1-14 or Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24
• 1 Peter 4:1-8
• Matthew 27:57-66 or John 19:38-42
• Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16
Contributed by Katherine Kurtz
Beneath
Page 53
Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017
Lectionary Readings:
• Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6
• Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43
• John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10
• Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Contributed by Steve Lindsey
Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
This four word acclamation expresses the idea that changed our world. I love the Joy of Easter.
The hope and expectancy that this marvelous story brings to us is just stunning. The two Gospel
readings are telling of that moment when Mary Magdalene came to understand and what has
happened. Both stories start in the dark.
I grew up with sun rise services and it was so thrilling. Early in the morning and it was still dark
out. We got dressed and drove to church. The music was spectacular and there was happiness in
the air. Flowers were everywhere! The last time I was in Church was for those awful three hours
on Friday and the Seven Last Words. Jesus was dead. But now it was different we sang,
“Welcome Happy Morning” and the excitement and joy were palpable.
Later in my life that service moved to even a darker part of the day as The Great Vigil. We sat
together in the dark, telling the stories of faith. Remembering who we are and whose we are.
We heard about the creation, the exodus, the dry bones and so many other stories. One could
understand how through baptism we were made part of these stories. Then the lights go on and
that acclamation is shouted and the world comes alive. This is our life. Jesus is alive. He really
is!
Today everything is different. We are remade from the inside out. We are made to be Christ’s.
Our God has acted in our history and the world was changed.
This changes things!
Christ is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Page 54
2017 Lenten Devotional Brochure
Church of St. Asaph, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Art Credits
Front Cover: Chancel Cross
Photograph of Church of St. Asaph, Kathryn Mariani, 2017
Page 6: Levi and Jesus
Markers and Pencils on papger, 8.5 x 11, by Liam Morris-Thompson, 2017
Page 15: Love Your Enemies...
Photograph of Church of St. Asaph, Kathryn Mariani, 2017
The Good Samaritan window, Willet studio, 1965, in memory of Annie J. Pugh (With gratitude
to Joan C. Roberts for her The Building of St. Asaph's.)
Page 18: Illuminated Manuscript
Beatus vir, "Blessed is the man ..." in Latin,[3] are the first words in the Vulgate Bible of both
Psalm 1 and Psalm 112 (111). In illuminated manuscript psalters the start of the main psalms text
was traditionally marked by a large Beatus initial for the "B" of "Beatus", and the two opening
words are often much larger than the rest of the text. Between them these often take up a whole
page. Beatus initials have been significant in the development of manuscript painting, as the
location of several developments in the use of initials as the focus of painting
Page 23: Jesus in the Temple
Photograph of Church of St. Asaph, Kathryn Mariani, 2017
Christ Teaching in the Temple window, Clayton and Bell, 1909. in memory of George B. and
Algernon Roberts (With gratitude to Joan C. Roberts for her The Building of St. Asaph's.)
Page 30: Courage
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48, by Katherine Kurtz. http://www.katherinekurtzpainter.com/
Page 40: I am the light of the world
Photograph of Church of St. Asaph, Dennis Lloyd, 2017
Page 51: The Last Supper
Photograph of Church of St. Asaph, Kathryn Mariani, 2017
The Last Supper window, Clayton and Bell, 1897, in memory of Elizabeth Good Williams (With
gratitude to Joan C. Roberts for her The Building of St. Asaph's.)
Page 52: Good Friday Prayers
Pencils on paper, 8.5 x 11, by Eva Shea
Page 53: Beneath
Mixed media on canvas, 48 x 48, by Katherine Kurtz. http://www.katherinekurtzpainter.com/
Back Cover: Of Spirits Lingering
Acrylic on canvas 48 x 51 by Katherine Kurtz. http://www.katherinekurtzpainter.com/
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Of Spirits Lingering
Church of St. Asaph, 27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania 19004
(610) 664-0966 ~ www.saintasaphs.org ~ [email protected]
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