some comfort and joy

Comfort: Lent Week 6 – Humility

“Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.” -Matthew 6:13

Lent begins with Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. The forty days of testing are reflected in our forty days of fasting. The wilderness in its various forms ends up being a place of revealing. When we reach the end of our resources, we must face our fears. In these times we lean on the Spirit for comfort, guidance and protection.

As we now enter into Holy Week, recounting the events that lead to crucifixion and eventually resurrection, we must consider how we, too, may be caught up.

From the swell of hope in the triumphal entry to the jeers of the crowd with the cries of crucify him echoing through the square; the delight of friends gathered around a table to the mysterious and befuddling proclamations: take, eat; this is my body and you will fall away.

Anointing, accusation, betrayal. The intensity of Holy Week reminds us of the whispers and wonderings of wilderness. Identity and desires revealed and tested.

The simple beauty of the way Jesus taught us to pray, is that it contains it all. The closeness and reverence for God. Our daily needs alongside the plea for God’s rule and reign. It acknowledges the realities of trial and testing, of temptation and evil, positioning us to receive God’s protection and care.

Gracious God, may I find my safety and solace in your presence. In wilderness and temptations may I return to you, my source and provider. Amen.

Joy: Lent Week 5 – The Practice of Forgiveness

“Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.…” -Matthew 6:12

Large scale or small, a daily discipline or miraculous moment of transformation, forgiveness plays out in many different ways in our lives. Living in relationship with others (family, community, church) means that we will have disagreements and conflict, hurt feelings and broken promises.

Take some time today to consider where you need to tend to forgiveness in your life. Is there a person you need to ask for forgiveness from? Is there a circumstance in which you have been resisting offering forgiveness? Is there something you would like to ask God for freedom from?

God you are holy and you are generous. You are perfect and you understand our imperfection. May your Spirit guide and inspire my practice and discipline of forgiveness as I both extend and receive this gift. Amen.

Comfort: Lent Week 5 – Forgiveness

“Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.” Matthew 6:12

There is an ancient Asian proverb that tells of a monk who carried a rich lady across a puddle so her feet wouldn’t get wet. The ungrateful woman did not thank the monk for his kindness. Miles down the road the monk’s apprentice asked how he could be so kind to such a selfish woman. The monk replied, “I put her down miles ago, when are you going to?”

The story beautifully illustrates the humble attitude required by forgiveness. It is helpful to remember all the times I have needed forgiveness. It is easier to forgive others when I humbly remember my own shortcomings.

Humility and forgiveness go hand in hand, of course. Jesus points this out when he prays “forgive us . . as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” We extend forgiveness to others because it has been extended to us. Maybe not by the person we are forgiving, but certainly by Jesus. Forgiveness is an act of grace and works against our own selfishness.

Often I have thought about forgiveness as once and done. But the reality of life is much more mundane than that. Instead of a grand gesture, these days I find forgiveness is more often a daily choice.

I have found it helpful to approach forgiveness through small acts of kindness that extend goodwill. I might not feel like it but sometimes making the choice to listen with thoughtfulness, continuing onward in a project with a coworker, or making time to complete a small task together can be a way to extend forgiveness. Movement towards forgiveness, even in small ways, is a gift.

As I make choices to forgive through daily acts of kindness and engagement I do so with humility, realizing that the people I need to forgive may also feel they need to forgive me.

Lent is a time to reflect on our lives. God is calling us to forgive. How could you extend forgiveness to your friends and family today?

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
AMEN

Joy: Lent Week 4 – Our Daily Bread

Enjoy some bread this week, acknowledging God’s provision for each of us.

Do you have a favorite bakery or coffee shop? Find some time to visit and be thankful while you enjoy a yeasty treat. Do you enjoy baking bread of your own when you have the time? Bake some, and enjoy the beautiful scent that fills the house.

When I am too busy to make traditional yeast bread (most of the time!), I enjoy making quick breads like these muffins.

Carrot Bran Muffins
Recipe from Good Housekeeping: 400 Heart Healthy Recipes and Tips

1 ½ cups original whole-bran cereal (not bran flakes)
1 cup lowfat milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup molasses
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 medium carrots, shredded (about 1 cup)
½ cup raisins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease your muffin tin. (12)
Mix bran cereal, milk, oil, molasses, and egg in a medium bowl until blended. Let it stand 10 minutes.
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
Add liquid mixture to dry mixture, stir just until the flour is evenly mixed in.
Stir in carrots and raisins
Fill greased muffin tins.
Bake until muffins spring back when lightly touched about 18 to 20 min. Immediately remove from tins and enjoy!

Comfort: Lent Week 4 – Daily Needs

“…Give us today our daily bread…” -Matthew 6:11

As Anabaptist Mennonites we reject the teachings of the prosperity gospel. We take seriously the blesseds of beatitudes found in the Sermon on the Mount, trusting in the upside-down kingdom that Jesus revealed.

Those that gathered near to Jesus knew need, experienced suffering. And this simple and beautiful prayer that Jesus invites us to practice recognizes our dependence for the present and the eternal. The practical and ephemeral. The sacred ordinary that we name and proclaim as we pray in the way of Jesus reminds us that it is just as holy to feed our people as it is to study scripture. It is just as blessed to care about housing and clothing our brothers and sisters as it is to extend and receive forgiveness.

Are there cares or concerns you have resisted bringing before God? What weighs on your heart today? Consider your ordinary tasks today; what sacred import do these acts carry? How is God revealing and providing in the midst of the mundane?

Draw my awareness to your nearness, O God. May my acts of care be expressions of divine love for others. In my places of worry and need, may I notice your gifts of provision; may I experience the blessing of enough. Amen.

Joy: Lent Week 3 – The Will of God

“Set the world right; Do what’s best—as above, so below.” -Matthew 6:10

As Anabaptist Christians we understand our call to live in the way of Jesus. As the poem from Saint Teresa of Avila says: Christ has no body but yours. We are invited to join in God’s kingdom work, being agents of shalom.

As you go throughout this week, take the time to offer a random act of kindness. Perhaps you pay for the person behind you in the drive through as you grab your morning coffee. Maybe you stick a note of appreciation in your kid’s lunchbox. Secretly complete your spouse’s least favorite chore. Leave some muffin’s on your neighbor’s porch. Prayerfully consider how you might demonstrate the love and care of Jesus to someone you cross paths with this week.

Open my eyes, O God, to those around me who need a sign of your care this day. May I be your hands and feet, offering the blessing of shalom to those I meet. Amen.

Comfort: Lent Week 3 – Set the world right

“Set the world right;
Do what’s best-
as above, so below.” Matthew 6:10 (The Message)

“So many bad things have been done in the name of God. How do we know we are doing the right thing?” a friend asked during a Bible study. This is such a good question and one that many of us have struggled with. I have been involved in ministries of the church only to look back on them later and feel embarrassed by what I did in the name of Jesus. Maybe you have as well.

I also know there have been times when I have been so paralyzed by the fear of messing up that I have turned away and chosen not to get involved.

In this part of the Lord’s prayer Jesus is inviting God to be present and working here on Earth. One way God is present in the world is through God’s people – you and me. It won’t be perfect. We will make mistakes. But the more we can listen for and welcome God’s grace into our daily lives, showing up with love, the more often we will be able to be a part of bringing God’s kingdom here on earth. And thankfully Jesus’ life here gave us a beautiful blueprint to follow.

I hope as I look back on my life it will bring contentment, remembering the times when I tried to listen and follow Jesus hoping to “set the world right” at least a little bit. In the meantime I’m sure I will mess up frequently, but more importantly I will continue to try to be faithful.

During this season of Lent, what is God inviting you to do (or not do) in order to “set the world right”?

Our Father in Heaven,
Set the world right- Do what’s best as above, so below. We want to be your disciples. AMEN

Joy: Lent Week 2 – Holiness of God

For your practice this week find some time to enjoy the Lord’s Prayer set to music. There are many versions. Music, of course, helps us to remember, and a beautiful or catchy tune often springs up unbidden again later in the day. Find a musical version of the Lord’s Prayer that you love and play, sing, or listen to this week.

Here is one I love:

“Our Father in Heaven” by Brian Doerksen

Comfort: Lent Week 2 – The Holiness of God

“Reveal who you are.” -Matthew 6:9b (The Message)

Trends and theories all have their day, and often the most popular are in reaction to something that has come before. For those of us living in the West, our cultural conditioning towards individualism impacts our religious expression as well. We may forget how radical Jesus was in addressing God directly and so personally.

Our Christian faith is another invitation to practice both and. We have a personal relationship with Christ and we are part of a community of believers. We hold a set of beliefs and we live in ways that reflect what we profess. God is immanent and transcendent. Jesus is human and divine. The Kingdom of God is already and not yet.

As we pray, we acknowledge our closeness to God, our beloved Creator. And we recognize the vastness of God who stands outside of time. We pray with praise and petition; in gratitude and bearing our griefs. We pray to connect and to confess. We come to prayer both to speak and to listen. We learn of God through epiphany and revelation.

Holy God, you invite us to join with your work in the world. We are humbled and honored. Reveal yourself to us in the sacred ordinary of lives, that we might recognize your gifts and goodness around us. Amen.

Joy: Lent Week 1 – Imago Dei

“With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven…” -Matthew 6:9

The wallpaper image on my computer is a picture of me and my daughter sharing a laugh. While the photo is now five years old, it brings me joy to see the delight on my daughter’s face. Despite selfie culture, I have relatively few photos of myself. As the mom, I’m most often behind the camera, or to be quite honest, avoiding the shot!

Jesus invites us to an intimacy with God in prayer. The familiarity of address reminds us that we are God’s beloved children. God delights in us, and we share family traits with God.

Today, notice the pictures you have around you– on your wall, in albums on the shelf, the camera roll on your phone. As you take in your image from times recent and long ago, consider the ways that you are an image bearer of the divine. How does your life reflect your connection with God? Where have you seen the face of God in others?

Creator God, may I notice the sparks of you in those I greet today. And, may I reflect the goodness of your created order in my way of being. With each photo snapped and glance in the mirror, may I remember I am your beloved child, fearfully and wonderfully made. Amen.