LENTEN DEVOTIONAL A Lenten Sermon Series
March 10, 2025 Rob Barton, First UMC BIGGER THAN THE CROSS?
04
March 11, 2025 Allison Yankey, Covenant UMC INSTRUMENTS OF PEACE
March 12, 2025
05
Jason Morris, First Wayne Street UMC BE ON GUARD
06
March 13, 2025 David Abbott, Trinity UMC & The Table GOD’S WAITING ROOM
07
March 14, 2025 Nikki Brown Rice, Good Shepherd UMC ASK CONFIDENTLY
08
March 15, 2025 Chris Nunley, Covenant UMC IN THE FLOW
March 17, 2025 Rob Barton, First UMC DELIVERANCE
March 18, 2025 Allison Yankey, Covenant UMC FAITH LIKE CALEB
March 19, 2025
11
Jason Morris, First Wayne Street UMC FIRST OR LAST
March 20, 2025
David Abbott, Trinity UMC & The Table PRAYING THE HOURS
March 24, 2025 Rob Barton, First UMC IN MEASURE
March 25, 2025 Allison Yankey, Covenant UMC DIVINE IMPRINT
March 26, 2025
March 27, 2025 David Abbott, Trinity UMC & The Table ALTAR MOMENTS
March 28, 2025 Nikki Brown Rice, Good Shepherd UMC CLOSE YOUR EYES
March 29, 2025
March 31, 2025 Rob Barton, First UMC THE FOOLS GOT WISE
April 1, 2025 Allison Yankey, Covenant UMC SABBATH REST
April 2, 2025
Jason Morris, First Wayne Street UMC LEFTOVERS
April 3, 2025
David Abbott, Trinity UMC & The Table DO NOT FEAR
April 4,2025 Nikki Brown Rice, Good Shepherd UMC LITTLE THINGS, GREAT
April 5, 2025 Chris Nunley, Covenant UMC HOME
April 8, 2025 Allison Yankey, Covenant UMC OF TREES AND KINGS
April 9, 2025
April 10, 2025
Jason Morris, First
April 11, 2025 Nikki Brown Rice, Good Shepherd UMC PLAYGROUND PROMISES
April 12, 2025
Bigger than the Cross?
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, 2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
I was not prepared when she called� She wasn’t an attendee at the church, just a neighbor down the street fearful for her soul� When I came to her small disheveled home I was led by family into a dark bedroom where a shrunken form lay dying of cancer�
She was afraid� She shared with me a sin she was sure would keep her from heaven� A sin that had separated her from God, and she was certain of that� I was fresh from seminary, inexperienced and in over my head�
But God intervened and I heard myself utter words I have used many times since� “Do you believe that your sin is bigger than the sacrifice
1 John 2:1-2
of the cross?” She answered only with a smile� I saw upon her face peace� Peace that the Holy Spirit had graciously offered to her and kindly blessed me to speak�
No matter what it is you believe separates you from God, it doesn’t� It’s that simple� It does not� Well, unless you can tell the Holy Spirit that it’s bigger than the cross� Short of that, simply bask in the merciful love of God!
CLOSING PRAYER
God, I received Your gracious Mercy today. Thank you for the blessing of the cross. May I know its power over my life, Amen.
Instruments of PeaCe
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me, hear my words.
Psalm 17:6
Lent is a time of self-examination, a journey toward the heart of God� In Psalm 17, the psalmist cries out for justice, pleading for God’s presence and protection� This is not a passive prayer but a bold assertion of faith—an assurance that God listens, that divine love is not distant but near�
For followers of Jesus, this psalm invites us to wrestle with justice and mercy� The psalmist seeks vindication against enemies, but Jesus calls us to love them� How do we reconcile these tensions? Perhaps the true enemy is not a person but injustice itself—the systems of oppression, fear, and division that keep us from living fully into God’s kingdom�
At times, we may find ourselves in the psalmist’s position, longing for deliverance from forces beyond our control� Other times, we may be complicit in the very injustices we lament, benefiting from structures that harm others� Lent asks us to sit in this tension, to listen deeply, and to allow God to reveal the places in our lives that need
transformation� True justice is not about proving ourselves right but about opening ourselves to the Spirit’s refining work—softening our hearts where they have hardened, and strengthening our resolve where we have grown weary�
Lent calls us to transformation� Instead of seeking divine vengeance, what if we asked God to shape us into instruments of peace? What if, like Jesus, we trusted that God’s justice is found not in punishment but in restoration?
Today, let this psalm be a mirror� Where do you see injustice in the world? Where do you long for God’s presence? And how might you become an answer to someone else’s prayer for justice?
CLOSING PRAYER
Loving God, hear our cries for justice. Transform our hearts so that we may reflect your love in a broken world. Teach us to walk in your ways, seeking not retribution but restoration, not vengeance but mercy. Amen.
Be on guard
Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the Son of Man. Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.
Lent is a season of preparation, a time when we intentionally focus on Christ and examine our hearts� In Luke 21:34-38, Jesus warns His disciples to stay alert, not allowing their hearts to be weighed down by distractions, indulgence, or the anxieties of life� He calls them—and us—to watchfulness and prayer, that we might be strengthened to stand firm in faith�
It is easy to become overwhelmed by daily concerns� Worry, busyness, and even the pursuit of comfort can dull our spiritual awareness� Jesus reminds us that His kingdom is breaking into this world, and we must be awake to recognize it� Lent offers us space to set aside what distracts and realign our hearts with God’s presence� Through prayer, fasting, and acts of mercy, we make room for Christ to shape us�
The passage also notes that Jesus spent His days teaching in the temple and His nights on the Mount of Olives� He embodied both action and solitude—public ministry and private communion with God� Lent calls us to follow this rhythm� We
Luke 21:34-38
serve, we give, we act—but we must also retreat in prayer, seeking the strength that only God provides�
As we journey through Lent, let us take Jesus’ words to heart� May we remain watchful, not out of fear, but with hope—anticipating the renewal and transformation that God is working in us� Let us rise each morning eager to listen to Christ, just as the people in the temple did, and prepare our hearts for the joy of resurrection that awaits�
CLOSING PRAYER
Gracious God, in this season of Lent, help me to remain watchful and steadfast in faith. Free my heart from distractions and worries that weigh me down, and draw me closer to You in prayer and devotion. Like Jesus, may I find balance between action and stillness, service and solitude. Strengthen me to stand firm in Your love and prepare my heart for the hope of resurrection. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.
God’s Waiting room
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Psalm 27:14
I hate waiting; I always have� Luckily, in our society today, we don’t often have to wait for many things� We use microwaves instead of stoves, vehicles instead of walking, heck even the BMV is getting faster� I have a computer at my fingertips at all times and Google can get me over 1,000,000 responses to a question I have in about 0�003 seconds� Much of our lives is able to be lived without waiting� The flip side of that coin is that we have forgotten how to wait�
But God is never in a hurry, no matter how much I wish He was� He does most of His best work in the waiting room, not the operating room� The Psalmist knew this well� Some of the difficulty involved with waiting is that we cannot learn it by reading about it or studying about it; we must live it�
Now, I know that God is always on time, but in my life, there are situations that feel like He is
pushing it awfully close� These times remind me that He is in control; I am not� I don’t like to be reminded of that� In verses 7-9 of Psalm 27, David is lamenting to God and feeling forsaken� I often lament the very same way� But David shows us the importance of not staying in the lament� In verses 10-14 he reminds himself of the goodness of God� It is a reminder that we should take to heart� In this Lenten season, a season of waiting, remember the times God has come through and be strong and courageous�
CLOSING PRAYER
God, I hate waiting; I must admit my impatience. Remind me that You do some of your greatest work in the waiting. Remind me that waiting is not a passive act, but an active one. Help me see You as I wait and remind me that I will see the goodness of God in the land of the living again. Amen.
A sk Confidently
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—they shall stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. One thing I asked of the Lord; this I seek: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;he will set me high on a rock. Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek. Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off; do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up. Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence. I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Psalm 27
Many times, in our American sensibilities, asking for help is the scariest and bravest thing we can do� Several times a day, my littlest one will say confidently to me, “Mama! I can but I need help!” Rather than receive this as an annoying interruption, maybe we can all receive the call as a reminder to confidently ask for help� Like the Psalmist, may we look to God as our light� Being confident that in this world of darkness God loves us, guides us, and saves us� Not because we earned it, but simply because this is who God is�
We have nothing to fear ultimately, but life is full of scary things, and we need not face them alone� Ask for help� Ask, believing that you will see the goodness of the Lord in this land of the living which we inhabit right here, fraught with all its needs and chaos� Ask for help, and be as
patient as you can, even though it doesn’t take us long to find things that are wrong and things that overwhelm us�
Wait for the Lord� Be confident and strong� Because while the world is still broken and your fear may remain, God’s love is with you always�
CLOSING PRAYER
Gracious and Loving God, remind us that it’s okay to be scared. Remind us it’s okay to cry out. May we not see our needs as weak or pitiful, but help us to let our hearts take courage in Your mercy and to ask confidently for Your light and presence to guide us as we seek to be the hands and feet and voices of Jesus in the world around us. May it be so, Amen.
In the floW
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
After a car ride, two airplanes, a mini bus and lots of waiting in between we finally arrived in the mountains of Guatemala� Over the next week we drove up into the mountains at nearly 9000 ft above sea level where every day we worked, interacted, played, talked, sang, taught, learned and simply gave of ourselves until exhaustion� While we were pouring out our lives, we were receiving something, too� We received grace, amazing food, smiles, children’s laughter, new words (in various languages), new skills, and above all, new friends (or as Fredrico would remind us, “Not amigas� Mi familias�”) or family�
We gave�
We received�
We gave more�
We received more�
We were in the flow�
Call it blessings, grace, ministry, sacrifice, calling, service, whatever you like� What it was, was the flow of God�
And if you would have asked any of us what we wanted the only thing most of us could answer
John 15:7
was more time, another week, one more moment�
Because we didn’t need anything, we didn’t want anything more than what we were getting/giving�
That’s the flow of God, the flow of grace�
Where we have been invited to live…in the flow�
CLOSING PRAYER
God, too often I ask for too many things and not enough asking where I can give of myself. Maybe today You can show me how to enter the process of giving/getting/giving and discover the joy of being in the flow of Your grace. Amen.
DeliveranCe
Then he brought Israel out with silver and gold, and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled. Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it.
Psalm 105:37-38
As Israel was led out of Egypt, they were showered with gifts by their once captors� Those that enslaved poured out riches� I wonder what it says that those who suffered the injustice of slavery and genocide received blessings from their persecutors? I’m not sure I have an answer for us, but I do know that we live in a time when injustices are still rampant�
Our injustices are often buried in systems that perpetuate socio-economic and ethnic divides no less heavy than stones that crushed slaves under Pharaoh’s whip� We do not see whips taken to our economic slaves� We do not see creating great monuments for mighty Pharaoh, so it is hard to observe� But they are there: working our
construction crews, cleaning our hotels, picking the harvests for our table - keeping our prices low�
I wonder when God will hear their cry� The God who does not respect our boundaries, only our humanity� The God who judges by our treatment of the most vulnerable among us (Matthew 25)� When he does deliver, what sort of gifts will we be glad to shower upon them because of the Judgment that has come upon us?
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord, soften my heart. May I see and know the oppressed around me. As You were crushed for our sins, may my heart be crushed for them. Deliver those who suffer injustice, and may I be a tool of that deliverance. Amen.
Faith like Caleb
And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will this people despise me? And how long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?’
Numbers 14:11
The Israelites stood at the edge of the Promised Land, but fear held them back� Instead of trusting in God’s faithfulness, they let their doubts take control� Their refusal to move forward wasn’t just about fear—it was about forgetting who God is and what God has done�
We, too, stand at crossroads in our lives� Lent is a season of wandering through the wilderness, facing our own doubts and hesitations � How often do we resist God’s movement in our lives because we are afraid? How often do we long for comfort rather than transformation?
Yet, in this passage, we also meet Caleb—a voice of courage amid the fear� Caleb sees what others cannot: that God’s presence is greater than their fear� His trust in God is not about blind obedience but about deep relationship� He remembers
God’s faithfulness, and that memory fuels his willingness to step forward�
As followers of Jesus, we do not ignore fear, but we do not let it have the final word� The work of justice, love, and transformation often requires stepping into uncertainty� We may not always know the outcome, but we trust that God is with us� Lent calls us to examine our hearts: Are we clinging to what is safe, or are we stepping forward in faith?
CLOSING PRAYER
God of the wilderness, when fear holds us back, remind us of your faithfulness. Give us the courage of Caleb, that we may trust in your love and step boldly into your vision for our lives. Amen.
First or l ast
Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. Once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’ here will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and take their places at the banquet in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Luke 13:22-30
In Luke 13:22-30, someone asks Jesus, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” His response is striking: “Strive to enter through the narrow door�” Salvation is not about proximity to Jesus but about a transformed heart�
The people in this passage assume they belong in God’s kingdom because they were around Jesus—they ate with him, listened to his teaching� Yet, Jesus warns that familiarity is not the same as faithfulness� The door is narrow, not because God is exclusive, but because following Christ requires surrender�
Lent invites us to examine where we stand� Are we merely near Jesus, or are we truly following Him? Have we allowed His grace to change us, or are we holding on to pride, comfort, or self-sufficiency? The good news is that God’s kingdom is open to
all� “People will come from east and west, from north and south�” Those who humble themselves, who trust not in status but in God’s mercy, will find themselves welcomed at the banquet�
This season, let us strive—not in fear, but in faith� Let us walk the narrow way, led by love, grace, and the cross of Christ�
CLOSING PRAYER
Gracious God, as I walk this Lenten journey, help me to enter through the narrow door— not by my own strength, but by Your grace. Shape my heart, deepen my faith, and lead me in the way of love. Open my eyes to Your kingdom, where all are welcomed by Your mercy. May I follow Jesus not just in words, but in a life transformed by Your Spirit. Amen.
Praying the hours
When I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night.
We see throughout the life of the Psalmist a roller coaster of emotions; ups and downs, highs and lows� Many of the Psalms start as a lament, including Psalm 63, but they often finish with David reminding himself of the goodness of God� It’s as if he constantly, daily, hourly, maybe minute by minute, was reminding himself of who God is and all that He had already done in David’s life� It is a good reminder for me and you�
One of the ways in which many Israelites kept God in the forefront of their minds was through a practice of praying multiple times throughout the day� In the last 2000 years, many have named this practice the Divine Hours or Praying the Hours� It has been a practice of mine on and off for the last decade or so� An ancient monastic tradition, praying the hours is stopping at regular intervals to remind ourselves that we are not alone, and what is unseen is more real than what can be seen� Starting at around 6 am, many people stop and pray every three hours (6 am, 9 am, noon, 3 pm, 6 pm, 9 pm; some even pray at midnight making for seven hours)�
You don’t have to stop everything you are doing; you don’t have to close your eyes and bow your
head� Instead, you just stop for a minute or so, maybe say a short prayer or meditate on God, and then go about your day� Personally, I have alarms set that go off every three hours� I read a short passage from one of my devotionals and recenter myself in God� After a day in which I “complete” all the hours, I rest my head feeling that God and I have been in conversation all day� And like the Psalmist, I can say “Your steadfast love is better than life�”
CLOSING PRAYER
Gracious God, so often I forget all the times and ways in which You have come through for me. I get caught living “under my circumstances.” I need to be reminded minute by minute that I am not forsaken and there is nowhere I can go to escape Your love. Help me to see You in all my life; open the eyes and ears of my heart to Your presence all around me, especially on those tough days. Hide me in the shadow of Your wings. Amen.
Until the time of the e nd
At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and the book sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be running back and forth, and evil shall increase.
Daniel 12:1-4
Unlike John Wesley, who begged to be a man of only one book1, I am what people may call a bibliophile� This is a person who collects or has a great love of books� I love books because the pages contain that which helps me make sense of the world we live in� When a particular book or something in it is exceptional or life-giving, I share it with anyone who will listen to me� If I can, the wisdom is applied to my life because words alone will not change or fix anything� Only God can speak and create the heavens or calm the seas� We have to work with what is, with what we’ve got, to face, address, and resist the evil, injustice and oppression that is all around�
The charge Daniel is given to keep the words secret and sealed is a comment not on what he should do or how he should live, but rather that people will not understand the prophecy until the end� People won’t understand until
everything is crashing down all around us and Christ returns� But disciples don’t have to wait, and I don’t believe we can faithfully wait “until the end of time” before we act� The time is now, and it always has been, because we know the story� We know God wins� Let us be like those who will shine like the brightness of the sky, leading many to righteousness and life in the here and now�
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord of heaven and of earth, thank You for Your abundance of mercy and compassion. Forgive us for what we have done that goes against the love we were created in. Forgive us for what we have left undone. Lead us through the trials and evil of the world to the places and people where we can live in Your truth to be a healing balm and a light of kindness. May it be so, Amen.
JustiCe is non-negotiable
I’ll turn it into a ruin; it won’t be pruned or hoed, and thorns and thistles will grow up. I will command the clouds not to rain on it. The vineyard of the Lord of heavenly forces is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are the plantings in which God delighted. God expected justice, but there was bloodshed; righteousness, but there was bloodshed;
There is a movement among churches and organizations to identify their core values� It’s the practice of determining what truly matters as these become guides for decision making and visioning for the future�
It’s a healthy practice for people of faith as well�
Too often, Christian’s make the assumption that we all live by the same core values: the Ten Commandments, the teachings of Jesus, or simply the Bible, but we don’t� Not really�
Each of us has one or two values we hold most dear, while others receive little of our attention� We may regard faith, hope, and love as most important while giving less attention to mercy and justice�
But what are God’s Core Values? And do mine align with them?
Isaiah 5:6-7
The psalmist reminds us that while Israel is God’s beloved child, God is willing to sacrifice the beloved for a value of utmost importance … justice�
It is non-negotiable�
“He has told you, human one, what is good and what the LORD requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8 CEB
Lent is a season of reflection, sacrifice, and repentance (which is change)� Seems like a good time to discover our own non-negotiable core values and make sure they align with God’s�
CLOSING PRAYER
God, search me and know me. Reveal to me my true core values and give me the courage to change them. Give me a clean heart. Restore my soul. Align my whole being with Yours. Amen.
In measure
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Romans 2:1
“Different in measure but not in kind�” It’s an old saying, but it fits�
Reality shows were all the rage� I was rolling my eyes as the staff at the church discussed the latest drama about a famous reality TV couple struggling because they didn’t have a maid, and they had to do their own laundry� “That’s ridiculous,” I blurted out� “Good grief, these people are so pampered, it’s ridiculous�”
Then I heard the words, different in measure but not in kind� ”What?” The staff member that had spoken this looked at me and said, “We are different from them only in measure, not in kind�”
It hit me that I too lived a life of excess, and I began to think of all the complaints I would offer that many in the world would be glad to have� Yes
I’d love to have the money for a maid, but many would love to have the funds to own a car� Yeah, I had medical bills I complained about, but I also had a son, who if he’d been born in certain parts of the world, likely would not have survived� I took that lesson and wrote it in my heart� I had been rightly chastised—though kindly—for my hypocrisy�
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord, who am I to call out the wicked in another? You are gracious and kind, and yet I find reason to pass judgment on my neighbor when You have chosen not to do so to me. Forgive me. Give me eyes to see that I may be different in measure sometimes but often not in kind. Amen.
Divine ImPrint
They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness.
In this passage, Paul speaks of a radical truth: God’s law is not just something written in stone or confined to religious institutions—it is inscribed on human hearts� Long before laws and doctrines, there was a deeper truth at work, a divine imprint in all people�
During Lent, we are invited to examine the state of our hearts� Are we listening to the voice of love and justice within us, or are we relying on external measures of righteousness? It is easy to mistake religious rules for divine will, yet Paul reminds us that true faith is not about rigid adherence to laws but about being transformed by the Spirit�
This challenges us in profound ways� If God’s justice is at work in all people, then we must recognize the sacredness in those who do not share our traditions� It means that love, mercy, and justice transcend the boundaries we so often
Romans 2:15
draw� Could it be that those we least expect are already living in harmony with God’s truth? Could it be that righteousness is found not in religious certainty, but in the way we love one another?
Lent calls us to repentance, but not out of fear of punishment� Rather, it invites us into deeper alignment with God’s heart� We are not asked to earn grace—we are asked to embody it� Today, may we listen to the Spirit’s quiet whisper, guiding us toward love�
CLOSING PRAYER
God of All People, open our hearts to Your presence within and around us. Help us to see Your truth not as a burden, but as a gift written into the fabric of our being. May we walk in love, knowing You are always near. Amen.
Seeds and yeast
He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
And again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
Luke 13:18-21
In this Lenten season, we often think of letting go—of fasting, of pruning away distractions� But Jesus’ parables of the mustard seed and the yeast remind us that Lent is also a season of planting and transformation�
A mustard seed is small, almost insignificant, yet when planted, it grows into something expansive, providing shelter and life� Yeast, when hidden in the dough, changes everything from within, causing the whole loaf to rise� These images of the kingdom of God remind us that even the smallest acts of faith—prayers whispered in the quiet, kindness extended in love, repentance embraced with humility—can bring forth growth beyond what we can imagine�
Lent invites us to trust in the slow, steady work of God’s grace� Transformation often begins unseen, like a seed beneath the soil or yeast working in
the dough� But in time, God’s kingdom takes root in us, reshaping our hearts and our world�
What small step of faith can you take today? What hidden work of God is unfolding within you? This season, let’s plant seeds of grace, trust in the Spirit’s work, and watch as God’s kingdom grows in and through us�
CLOSING PRAYER
God of Mustard Seeds and Yeast, You take what is small and make it grow, You work in unseen ways to bring transformation. In this season of Lent, help us trust in Your quiet work within us. Teach us patience as You cultivate our hearts, faith as You shape our lives and love as You build Your kingdom among us. May we sow seeds of kindness, knead in the yeast of grace, and wait with hope for the renewal You bring. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Altar moments
When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: “Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe, and command them, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you camp tonight.’” Then Joshua summoned the twelve men from the Israelites, whom he had appointed, one from each tribe. Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites, so that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.”
Joshua 4: 1-7 NRSV
I am so glad we serve a God, a risen Lord, who knows that we are human� I am glad that He knows we are forgetful people� One of the quickest things I forget is all the times God has been there for me, and it’s especially hard to remember them when I am in the wilderness� That’s why God told the Israelites on multiple occasions to build altars; altars to remind them when they forget�
I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of “altar moments” in my life� Times that I remember how God came through� And I need each and every one of them because I often forget�
There are different types of altars� I know some individuals who will actually build a small altar of stones, paint them with a date, and place them around their house as reminders of the goodness of God� Journaling can be an altar� Your written words when read later on will remind you of a
time and place where God showed up� I myself even have tattoos that serve as reminders of God’s faithfulness inked on my skin�
Whatever your choice (if you choose the tattoo, look me (David) up; I’m always in need of another one!), it is important that we surround ourselves with altars, reminders of God’s past faithfulness� That way when our children ask, we can tell them!
CLOSING PRAYER
God of the Universe, how quick we are to forget Your faithfulness through all generations. We are more like the Israelites of scripture than we would readily like to admit. We too need to erect altars, reminders of all the countless ways You work in our lives. Help us remember just how much You love us and then, give us the boldness to share our stories with future generations. Amen.
Close your eyes
So we are always confident, even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive due recompense for actions done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for the one who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we no longer know him in that way.
2 Corinthians 5:6-16
When my children were infants, I spent most of my time roaming around in the dark of the night to care for them� I was amazed at what I could do by such little light, and sleep for that matter� For my son, I would feed him in his room but carry him back to my own to sleep in his bassinet� As he lay, milk drunk in my arms, I could make every step in the darkness, knowing where each creak would be that may wake him� I knew where to pause and sway him to assure his slumber� Not yet two weeks old, I knew his sounds and could “see” his comfort and stillness as I lay him down to go and catch a few winks for myself�
The life of a disciple can be like this, as we grow and rid ourselves of the narratives, habits, and beliefs that trap us and tie us down � We can learn, in the love of God, to walk by faith and not by sight� There is profound freedom in letting go
of all the heavy baggage that society tells us we must carry� There is abundant freedom in letting go of all it is we think we have to do to earn God’s love and forgiveness� It is given� Regard yourself as God does, as a beloved child� Then go and look at others the same way� Close your eyes even, be surprised at what you can do without your sight� Live by faith, in confidence that Christ has died for all, that we may live, now and forever�
CLOSING PRAYER
Mother God, thank you for your love and care. You have given every part of yourself for us, Your children. Help us to express our gratitude with our living. Give us courage to release the guilt and shame we carry, that there would be room in us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. May it be so, Amen.
A Jolt of life
Restore us, Lord God of heavenly forces! Make your face shine so that we can be saved!
Psalm 80:19
People who visit my home are often surprised by a small display set up in the breakfast nook� It’s an old oak library card catalog that has become a coffee station� On the top of it are 3 different types of coffee makers, a coffee grinder, and a heated frother� In the various drawers are coffee pods, creamers, sugars, teas, and supplies to make mornings manageable�
The bottom shelf also has an additional coffee maker (a French Press), an antique coffee grinder (still works), and another storage container with even more coffee pods�
I take my morning caffeine routine very seriously!
And I know I am not alone� It’s a whole industry�
But while my routine probably includes more than my fair share of coffee every morning, the real jolt to my daily routine is something a bit more profound� Like the psalmist’s prayer, most of us crawl out of bed with some kind of grunt:
“Restore us, Lord �” (Although sometimes we might use different words, like “Stupid alarm,” “Why did God make Mondays?” or “Do I have to get up today?”) It is the interaction with God that provides me with what I truly need each day� A little scripture, a lot of quiet, a fair amount of meditation, a few words of prayer, and a whole lot of Jesus (and some coffee!)�
I don’t always look forward to getting out of bed, but I do look forward to my time with Jesus (and my coffee)�
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord, here I am again preparing for the day ahead. I know I don’t have all that I need to make it through, but You do. Give me the jolt I need, the answer to my discouragement, the energy to my weakness, the wisdom to my naivete, and the faith for my doubt so that I may tackle the day with grace and faith. Amen.
The fools got Wise
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.
The fools got wise� They no longer deny God’s name but claim it for their ideological diatribes� I should be careful here, my friends, for we are told when we call a brother or sister a fool we are liable to the very flames of hell�
That is Gehenna� Gehenna was a burning waste pit outside the city of Jerusalem� An ancient (no lie) dumpster fire� I honestly sympathize with earnest people who struggle with the reality of God� But that’s not who the Psalmist is speaking of� They are speaking of those who deny God to claim their own warped sense of morality�
Those who claim God’s name but not God’s ways are not brothers and sisters in Christ but false
prophets� They use people for their ends� They take advantage and demonize their fellow human beings to gain and hold power� The fools got wise and stopped denying God’s existence and instead claimed it for their own� They shaped it to their godless wills� Deny them� That is exactly why the cross came to be� Man usurping God for power�
CLOSING PRAYER
God, let me make Your name Holy. Help me to spot the false usage of Your name in the pursuit of power and authority. Help me to understand Your name and Your will and way that I may not follow the godless who claim You. Amen.
Sabbath rest
And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants.
In Leviticus 25, God commands a radical practice: the Sabbath Year and the Jubilee Year—times of rest, restoration, and justice� Every seventh year, the land was to rest, debts were to be forgiven, and captives were to be set free� Every fiftieth year, land was returned to its original owners, ensuring that no one remained trapped in cycles of poverty or oppression� This was God’s vision of economic and social justice—a world where no one was permanently cast aside�
But Sabbath is not only about systems and societies—it is also about our own hearts� In a world that glorifies busyness, personal Sabbath is an act of trust� It is choosing to rest, not because everything is finished, but because we believe that our worth is not tied to our productivity� How often do we resist this call, filling every moment with work, worry, and distraction? Sabbath reminds us that we are not slaves to achievement� It is God’s invitation to breathe, to release our burdens, and to remember that we are beloved simply because we exist�
Lent calls us to reflect on the places in our lives and communities that need restoration� In a world
Leviticus 25:10
that values endless productivity, we resist the idea of stopping, of letting the land rest, of releasing what we hold too tightly� But God’s economy is different� Sabbath living is not about scarcity—it’s about trusting that there is enough, that we are enough, even when we stop striving�
This passage also invites us to ask hard questions: Who in our society needs a Jubilee? Who is burdened by unjust systems? Who is waiting for release, for restoration? As followers of Christ, we are called not only to personal reflection but to collective action� Jubilee is not just a historical practice—it is a challenge to reshape our world into one that reflects God’s justice, mercy, and abundance�
CLOSING PRAYER
God of The Sabbath, teach us to trust in Your abundance. Show us where we need to release, restore, and renew. May we live into Your vision of justice, where all are free and none are forgotten. Amen.
L eftovers
On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. Then, taking them along, he slipped quietly into a city called Bethsaida. When the crowds found out about it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who needed to be cured. The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside to lodge and get provisions, for we are here in a deserted place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” They did so and had them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled, and what was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
Luke 9:10-17
When we think of leftovers, we often picture the remnants of a meal—scraps that weren’t eaten, stored away for later� But in the hands of Jesus, leftovers tell a different story� The disciples saw scarcity: a meager five loaves and two fish� But Jesus saw abundance� He welcomed the hungry crowd, blessed what little they had, and fed them all� Not only was there enough—there was more than enough� Twelve baskets of leftovers remained, a reminder that God’s provision overflows�
Lent is a season of reflection, fasting, and surrender� We often focus on what we give up, but what if we also paid attention to what God multiplies?
The little time we offer in prayer, the small acts of kindness, the moments of grace we extend—God takes what seems insignificant and turns it into something abundant�
Jesus didn’t just provide for the crowd; He invited the disciples to be part of the miracle� “You give them something to eat,” He said� They didn’t
think they had enough, but in Jesus’ hands, their offering became more than sufficient�
What do we believe is too small to matter? What gifts do we hesitate to share, assuming they won’t be enough? Lent calls us to trust that when we place what we have in God’s hands, there will always be more than we expect � The leftovers of grace are never wasted� They remind us that God’s love, mercy, and provision never run out�
CLOSING PRAYER
Loving and gracious God, in our moments of doubt, when we believe we don’t have enough—enough time, enough strength, enough faith—remind us of Your abundance. Take what little we offer and multiply it for Your glory. Help us trust that in Your hands, even our smallest gifts can become a blessing to others. May we never overlook the leftovers of Your grace, knowing that Your love never runs out. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Do not fear
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43: 1-2
In the bible, the phrase “fear not” or “do not fear” appears 365 times, one for each day of the year (sorry, leap year)� But I know for me, it’s not that easy� “Stop worrying,” “Don’t be afraid,” “Don’t be scared” all sound good, but I promise I have tried them all many, many times� If I could make myself stop, I would� For someone who struggles with anxiety, it’s not easy to turn off the switch� My mind is always racing� Does this sound familiar?
This is why it is so important to know not only what you believe but why� For believers, our truth is not an idea or concept; our truth is a person, Jesus Christ� I need Him to speak truth into my life to counteract the lies of the enemy� There are always three voices inside our heads, vying for our attention: our own, the Lord’s, and the enemy’s� Unfortunately, I often find my voice aligning more with the lies of the enemy than the Lord’s truth� But I’m working on it�
That’s why I need to be reminded of verses like those found in Isaiah 43� Look at some of these phrases: “He who created you,” “I have redeemed
you,” “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,” “You are precious in my sight,” “I love you�” All these are found in just the first four verses!
It’s not easy to let go and let God� It takes practice� So if you are like me, maybe you can’t trust Him with everything for 24 straight hours� But can you start with 5 minutes? For me, that’s doable� I can do five minutes, I can bring my mustard seed of faith and watch God work� I think you can too!
CLOSING PRAYER
Almighty God, You know how hard it is for me to trust You completely. You know how hard it is for me to not be afraid. I so desperately want to be in control. But the truth is, I am never in control and trying to be so leads to so much anxiety. Please help me today to trust You, even for just five minutes. Remind me that I am precious in Your sight and that You love me. Remind me just how good You are. Thank You for being with me even in the flood and the fire. Amen.
L ittle things, great love
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
You can love something or someone and also hold it accountable� We all make mistakes, but grace and empathy are not mutually exclusive from action and doing our best to right wrongs�
The Church has been the chief offender and accomplice in many hurts, harms, and outright evils through the years since our birth� The Church, her leaders and people, have been the source of tears and weeping, whether we are comfortable with it or not�
Now, we serve a God of infinite mercy� We are accepted and have been forgiven and that does not mean that our fellow humans have forgotten� It does not mean that we can move on like nothing ever happened� In accountability to the love of God that has saved us, it is the responsibility of each and every disciple to sow seeds of truth, of grace, of healing, and of redemption�
Think about a time when you confessed, when you allowed your vulnerable self to be exposed to another frail and flawed human being in an effort
to clean a wound, to heal it, and to not merely cover it with a band-aid� An act like that sows a seed, and a little seed sown in love is capable of great things�
The Lord has done great things for us, and now we can return this grace, this favor by doing little great things for one another for the sake of God’s name, and for the flourishing of the world� We may never see the seed grow to all that it will be� We may never hear the shouts of joy� But the people freed, the stories believed, and the real lives saved will be a part of the story that those who come after us will remember and carry into the light of a new day�
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy on us. Give us strength to hear the weeping of our world, of our neighbors and listen. Help us to work together to be restored, all of us. May it be so, Amen.
Psalm 126
Home
“As the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
“It’s for the (Kansas City) Chiefs”, she told me� Her shirt proudly displayed the logo, and the red and gold decor on her face declared her allegiance to the Chiefs� Not representing a typical NFL fan, I asked how she became a football fan� “Taylor Swift” was her quick response�
It’s not unusual really, wanting to be close to those we look up to� Wearing the same type of clothes they wear, memorizing their lyrics, donning the products by displaying their name, their logo, their image� How many wore Air Jordans so they might soar like Michael? Or wear their favorite player’s jersey just to feel closer somehow� It’s so much more than a fashion statement� It’s about the feeling of proximity, of connection, maybe even of love�
This is what Jesus is describing for us, offering to us: a place of comfort, a home�
I still love going home� I’m fortunate that my parents are still healthy and active and independent�
John 15:9-10
They still live in the house I grew up in, and while it has changed a lot over the years, it still holds a feeling of home, welcome, safety, and warmth� It’s a place where I know love lives and where I belong�
One of our main priorities in life is to discover the place(s) and people that make us feel a part of the family, where we know we belong� Ultimately, it’s probably not about being a Swiftie, but rather being part of the very family of God—wrapped up in the love of Jesus�
Home�
CLOSING PRAYER
Dear Jesus, hold me close to You today and give me strength to hold on to You in return. Thank You for making a place for me in Your kingdom and for loving me. Help me today and every day to live in Your love and call it home. Amen.
I sW erved
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23
Unswervingly! Well, I swerve sometimes don’t you? But we don’t have to� We let other voices crowd in and they can knock us off course�
The Adventure Hiking trail is a small 23m loop in southern Indiana that runs through O’Bannon Woods State Park� It’s not particularly challenging for a seasoned hiker with its less than 4K elevation change� Yet I failed to complete it twice! Folks I’ve hiked through the Smokey’s� I have walked on foot across England through the Pennine Mountains, yet this little Indiana state park—with its 23-mile elevation trail—has beaten me twice� I’ve covered in one day over 3x the elevation of that trail!
I don’t say this to brag but to make the point: the Adventure Hiking Trail should not by any measure have beaten me� Yet it did, twice! Why? I swerved�
Both times I doubted my understanding and listened to less experienced companions I was hiking with� And both times paid the price�
We should always hold our convictions with humility, but equally true we should always trust the one who knows� My experience and the map I held were true but their voices were so compelling� I should have stuck to my convictions� Hold unswervingly to the hope of Jesus� Don’t let other voices crowd Him out� Hold Unswervingly!
CLOSING PRAYER
God, as I walk the path of life, I know faith may waver. Yet Lord, help me to not swerve off course. When I do, I know You will set me back on course with Your loving grace. Help me to hear Your voice. Amen.
Of trees and kings
Once the trees went out to anoint a king over themselves. So they said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’
In this unusual parable, Jotham warns the people of Shechem about the dangers of choosing the wrong leader� The trees, seeking a king, ask the olive tree, fig tree, and vine to rule over them— but each refuses, knowing their true purpose is to bear fruit � Finally, the thornbush accepts, offering shade it cannot truly provide, while also threatening destruction� This passage starkly contrasts true leadership with a false one�
Lent is a time to reflect on the kind of leadership we follow and the kind of leadership we embody� How often do we seek power and influence over service and justice? The thornbush, offering hollow promises of shade, symbolizes those who seek power for self-gain� True leaders, like the olive tree or the fig tree, bear fruit that nourishes and sustains others� They do not seek to dominate but to serve�
This passage challenges us to consider our own lives: How do we seek leadership in our own
Judges 9:8
communities? Do we follow those who truly embody justice, mercy, and love, or do we sometimes fall for the easy promises of power that ultimately leave us in the shade of hollow promises? The thornbush’s warning is not just for the people in the story, but for us today—reminding us that false promises often lead to destruction�
As we walk through Lent, we are invited to ask: Are we living lives that bring life to others, or are we contributing to systems that perpetuate harm? Lent calls us to examine where we place our trust, and where we place our power� May we choose leaders who offer healing, not harm�
CLOSING PRAYER
God of Justice, guide us in choosing leaders who reflect Your love and truth. Help us examine the places in our lives where power is misused, and give us the courage to seek Your way of life—where peace, love, and justice reign. Amen.
Misunderstood
Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be handed over to the gentiles, and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon. After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again.” But they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
Luke 18:31-34
In Luke 18:31-34, Jesus plainly tells His disciples what will happen—His suffering, death, and resurrection—yet they do not understand� How could they? The Messiah they expected was supposed to overthrow Rome, not be handed over to it� His words didn’t fit their hopes, their worldview, or their understanding of God’s plan�
We, too, often misunderstand Jesus� We expect faith to bring comfort, but Jesus calls us to take up a cross� We want certainty, but Jesus invites us into mystery� We long for quick fixes, yet Jesus works through transformation, which takes time�
But here’s the good news: even in their confusion, Jesus didn’t abandon His disciples� He still walked with them, still loved them, and still fulfilled God’s plan� The same is true for us� Even when we don’t fully understand God’s ways, Jesus remains with us�
As we journey through Lent, let us sit with the discomfort of what we don’t yet understand�
Let us trust that even when we feel lost, Christ is leading us toward resurrection�
CLOSING PRAYER
God of Wisdom and Grace, there is so much we do not understand. Like the disciples, we struggle to grasp Your ways, expecting one thing while You reveal another. In our confusion, remind us that You are near. When faith feels uncertain, help us to trust. When the path is unclear, lead us forward in love. Walk with us through this Lenten season, teaching us to embrace the mystery, so that we may follow You with open hearts, even when we do not yet see the fullness of Your plan. In the name of Christ, who leads us to resurrection hope. Amen.
Good to be human
As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Hebrews 2: 8b-9
During the Lenten Season, we remember our Lord’s 40 days in the wilderness as we look towards Holy Week, and, ultimately, Easter� This season we are often reminded of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ� And though this is paramount to our faith, it is not the whole story� Jesus didn’t come to show us how to die, but to show us how to live�
The incarnation, Jesus humbly coming to earth as a babe, is God’s great announcement that it is indeed good to be human� The gnostics were a heresy back in the first and second centuries who believed that the spirit was good but all nature, including humans, were evil� Unfortunately, I find their teaching still popping up in today’s church� But Jesus leaving heaven and coming to earth in the form of a man tells us that it is good to be human�
We hear a lot about original sin in many circles today� But sin doesn’t show up until Genesis 3� Don’t start your Bible reading there� Go back to
the beginning, go back to “in the beginning,” go back to Genesis 1 and see that being human, being made in the image of God is “very good�” What an honor it is to be human, to be made in the image of God� Here in Hebrews 2 we are told that we are “crowned with glory and honor” and that “all things (are) under our feet�” That is good news; no, that is great news�
So during this season as we remember the incredible sacrifice our Lord made for us on that first Good Friday, don’t forget to celebrate being human� Jesus did� We should too!
CLOSING PRAYER
Gracious Heavenly Father, I am so glad that Jesus decided to come down to earth and take on human form showing us how to live. Indeed, when You created us, You said it was “very good.” Thank You for this earthly body You have given me. May I use it always to praise You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Amen.
Playground Promises
This is like the days of Noah to me: Just as I swore that the waters of Noah would never again go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:9-10
I can vividly recall many playground showdowns between me and my children� No amount of gentleness, prep, reminding, fun or snacks can assuage a “it’s time to go now” tantrum� What a weird thing to be so frustrated and, dare I say, enraged by these tiny beings that literally are my own heart on the outside of my body, running around free to the wiles of the world�
Maybe that is why God can express such anger through the voices of Scripture� God loves us and that will never change� It can’t be taken away or broken by any power, any mistake, any misstep� But God knows the power of fear in us� God knows God will never leave us or quit on us but when we are in full blown tantrum mode because life is cruel, life is bitter, life is too much, we can see God as the Parent telling us it is time to go home�
Cue the power struggle � God wants nothing more than for us to know the freedom of God’s love� We at times seem to want nothing more than the mirage of control we think we have
over everything - the world and our own selves� In the heat of a tantrum, of a showdown, of those moments when we feel a gulf between us and God, the true voice of God does not threaten or mock us or scare us� With great compassion, God speaks to us - our pain and our hurt are heavy but they are not infinite� When it is all said and done, and I have my kids safely in the car or ready to ride home from the park on their bikes, I wipe their tear stained cheeks and tell them, “No matter what I love you�”
We will be gathered in, and we will always have God’s love and peace� That is the promise�
CLOSING PRAYER
Gracious and loving God, may we always feel the safety of Your love. When we hurt, when we are angry with You, others, or the state of the world, speak to us gently. Remind us that when all the rage subsides, You will still be there. Give us faith to believe that all shall be well, and all shall be well. Amen.
The best sitComs
I don’t call you servants any longer, because servants don’t know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because everything I heard from my Father I have made known to you.
I love sitcoms� Maybe it’s because I grew up on them� They have been a part of our culture for decades� Shows like I Love Lucy, Gilligan’s Island, Seinfeld, Friends, and Big Bang Theory are all considered classics� And they have one key thing in common at the center of their success: friendship� These shows continue to play in syndication one episode after another nearly non-stop� I believe it is because these bonds are portrayed so well�
Who can deny the bond between Sheldon and Leonard, Sheldon and Penny, Jerry and George, Lucy and Ethel, and many others? The sacrifices they make for one another and the care they provide, even if they don’t feel like it � We love watching it on the screen because deep down we long for such connections� We need friendships and especially BFFs�
Relationships matter� We are hard-wired to be in relationship and community, and when these are working we feel it deeply�
Peggy and I (Chris) have known Rick and Beth for nearly 15 years and most of those years have
John 15:15
been in a deepening friendship� We’ve traveled out of the country together, gotten into trouble together, and have seen each other through several celebrations and challenges� This friendship gives us the deep satisfaction that we are not alone
It’s the very thing Jesus is offering to us and becoming for us� Someone to laugh with, cry with, work through stuff with, and do life with� Someone to lift us up, hold us back, stand up for us, and sit down with us� That’s how close Jesus is to us, how much God is for us� He calls you … friend�
CLOSING PRAYER
Jesus, friend, thank You for being so close to me. I admit that I often take this connection for granted, and too often ghost You. But You don’t. So thank You for being so loyal and present. You’re just what I need. Amen.
E nter In
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”...Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
This, the traditional psalter reading for Palm Sunday every year, contains subtle and powerful imagery� I am drawn to “the stone,” the one that the builders rejected and the one that becomes the cornerstone�
This day marks the beginning of the end� Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem, and this is a triumph in the eyes of some, and a moment that causes fear and derision to bubble up and over in others� The stone, the one rejected and the very one that saves us is here, entering into the spotlight� This stone, the image of it and this passage, is called upon in Acts when Peter gives his great sermon� It is used by Paul to the church of Ephesus, and yet again by Peter in his first letter to describe what, or who, the Church is truly built upon�
And is this not the very thing that we praise in our worship and resist in our own lives? Is it possible that the parts of ourselves, our scars and
weaknesses, are the very things that Christ knows, loves, and seeks to be the very cornerstones of our relationship with him? Christ enters into the city and some rejoice, but do we truly let Christ enter into our hearts, to our shadows? Do we allow him to see and heal the parts of ourselves we reject? If we can’t, if we won’t… What are we really asking him to save us from in the first place?
CLOSING PRAYER
Gentle Christ, help us to not be afraid, to not be ashamed of the parts of ourselves, our families, our pasts, our choices, that we try so hard to reject and cover up. Speak to us words of comfort, and let us feel Your presence as You come towards us in love to heal us. May our weakness be turned to strength in Your grace and for Your people, your kindom. Amen.
Fig tuesday
When the disciples saw it, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree dry up so fast?” they asked. Jesus responded, “I assure you that if you have faith and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree. You will even say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the lake.’ And it will happen. If you have faith, you will receive whatever you pray for.”
Matthew 21:20-22
June kept fretting about that fig tree� We had read and discussed this story in Disciple Bible Study and had even moved on to the next lesson, but week after week, June would bring it up again� “I’m just so confused about that fig tree� What did it do to deserve Jesus’ wrath?” It was a great question and not dissimilar to the disciples’ astonishment and misunderstanding�
Today is called Fig Tuesday because traditionally this story is read during the Tuesday of Holy Week, and it reveals some of the challenges Jesus faced in his last few days� I can imagine His frustration and disappointment with people, religious leaders, even His disciples� They just didn’t understand Him or His message� I can even understand His disappointment in the fig tree� So using the fig tree, He taught a simpler lesson on faith that they needed to hear�
I killed a fig tree once� It wasn’t intentional, and I didn’t curse it until after it “died”� I had hopes of it providing ample shade in my backyard and the
sweet fruit that it produced� But hope seemed lost in this dried up twig� I almost threw it out� Instead, I nursed it, cared for it for a few months, and then it happened� It sprouted a small bud and then another and another� A few weeks later, it was filled with small leaves and was a picture of health� Before the season was over, I ate the fruit it produced�
June never got over that little fig tree, but she did understand Jesus’ message� Her faith led her through some major health challenges and her peaceful death was a testament to her trust in Jesus� Even a little faith and a little prayer in the face of whatever is before us can affect the outcome in surprising ways�
CLOSING PRAYER
Dear Jesus, I’m fretting over [fill in the blank]. But I would rather trust You instead. Help me grow in faith as I place my worries and prayers in Your hands. Amen.
Bearing fruit
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew, then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
Lent is a season of surrender—letting go of what holds us back so that God’s transforming grace can take root in us� In John 12, Jesus uses the image of a grain of wheat falling into the earth and dying in order to bear fruit� This is the paradox of discipleship: real life comes through surrender, real growth through sacrifice�
The Greeks in this passage come seeking Jesus, and His response points to the deeper truth of His mission� His path leads to the cross, but through that sacrifice, abundant life will spring forth� The same is true for us� When we cling too tightly to our own desires, comforts, and control, we remain unchanged� But when we let go—when we die to selfishness, pride, and fear—we open ourselves to God’s power at work within us�
Bearing fruit is not about striving harder but about yielding more fully to Christ� It is found in acts of
John 12:20-26
love, in serving others, in trusting God’s purpose even when the way is uncertain� This Lent, what might God be calling you to release so that new life can take root?
CLOSING PRAYER
Gracious God, teach me to let go of all that hinders Your work in me. As a seed must fall into the earth to grow, help me to surrender my fears, my selfishness, and my need for control, so that I may bear the fruit of your love. Shape me into a servant who follows Jesus with trust and joy, even when the path is uncertain. May my life reflect Your grace, bringing hope and renewal to the world. Amen.
L isten
Morning by morning he wakens, wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn backward.
Isaiah 50:4b-5
Every December, I begin praying and asking God to give me a word or phrase for the next year� Both for 2024 and 2025, the word was and is “LISTEN!” Here at Trinity UMC, that is our 2025 word: LISTEN� God calls us to listen� Here in Isaiah 50: 4b-5 he says listen three times: “wakens my ear,” “listen,” and “opened my ear�” All throughout scripture God tells us to listen, and He tells us this because He is always speaking!
Now, I was raised in church and taught how to pray before I even got to elementary school� And over these last 47 years, I have heard, read, and studied much on how to pray� The problem is the material is almost always about what to say; I don’t find many resources on how to listen� And truth be told, I think it is much more important to listen to God’s voice than it is for Him to hear ours� Whatever He has to say to me is so much more important than whatever I have to say to Him� Don’t get me wrong, He loves when I talk to Him, but I often wonder how often I leave my prayer time before He even gets a chance to speak�
I told our congregation last year, half joking and half serious, that my goal for 2024 was to be the
world’s greatest listener� Over a year later, I can tell you that my listening did improve in some areas, not in others� So my goal for 2025 is the same: to become the world’s greatest listener�
Listening is always an act of love� It is giving your time and attention to someone� God is giving you time and attention today, listening to your prayers, I think it would be wise to return the favor�
CLOSING PRAYER
Listening Father, I know that it delights You when I come to You in prayer. You love to hear from Your children. But I believe that more than spending time talking to You, I need to listen to Your still, small voice. Scripture tells us that we sheep will know our Shepherd’s voice. Please make me more intimately aware of Your voice. Help me to quiet my mouth, my mind, and my soul as I wait to hear from You. I know that my eyes have not seen, my ears have not heard, nor can my mind even imagine what you want to say to me today. I love You Lord. Amen.
The table of life
This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
In this passage, Paul recounts Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, offering bread and wine as symbols of his body and blood—an invitation to remember� These simple, ordinary elements are transformed into holy acts of remembrance and solidarity� Jesus’ call is not just to remember him, but to remember the way of life he modeled: a life of sacrifice, service, and unconditional love�
Lent invites us to examine how we come to the table—not just the communion table, but the table of life� Are we gathering with open hearts, ready to receive God’s love and grace? Do we approach the table with gratitude for the sacrifices made on our behalf, and with a willingness to share that love and sacrifice with others? Communion is a reminder that faith is not a solitary act; it is a communal experience� It is a call to be part of a broader story—a story where we are not the center, but where our actions echo the love and sacrifice of Jesus�
Jesus’ act of breaking bread was a radical invitation to unity� At his table, there are no divisions,
1 Corinthians 11:24
no exclusions, no hierarchies� All are invited� In a world that often seeks to divide, the table of Christ stands as a beacon of inclusion, reconciliation, and wholeness� As we remember Christ’s body, we are called to embody that same love and inclusivity in our own lives� Who are we called to include in our community? Who needs to experience the welcome of God’s table?
As we reflect on this passage during Lent, may we ask ourselves: Are we truly living out the remembrance of Christ in our daily lives? Are we acting in ways that invite others to the table, to the abundant love and grace of God?
CLOSING PRAYER
God of Grace, as we come to Your table, help us remember the depth of Your love and sacrifice. May we share that love with others, and may our lives reflect the inclusivity and mercy of Your kingdom. Amen.
The CorPse of shame
In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
Hebrews 10:10-11
Do we have to say any more? Read it again� Jesus is “the one who makes people holy�” We, then, are those who he is not ashamed to call sister and brother�
So many Christians needlessly feel shame� Shame was stripped naked, mocked, and nailed to a cross� Why would you want to resurrect that? Shame died that day� Drop the shame, friend� Let it go, sister and brother� Leave the corpse of shame right where it was nailed�
And instead, take up the shining, resurrection-powered, earthquake-making, sin-shattering,
doubt-defying body given to you just days after your old self was nailed to the cross�
CLOSING PRAYER
You suffered for me, Jesus. Help me not disrespect that gift by carrying shame I no longer have a right to carry. You are not ashamed of me so why in God’s glorious name would I have a right to be? Help me to remember that. Amen.
