“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 faceContinue reading “Comfort: Lent Week 6 – Humility”
Tag Archives: anabaptist
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 someContinue reading “Joy: Lent Week 5 – The Practice of Forgiveness”
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 howContinue reading “Comfort: Lent Week 5 – Forgiveness”
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 scentContinue reading “Joy: Lent Week 4 – Our Daily Bread”
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 andContinue reading “Comfort: Lent Week 4 – Daily Needs”
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. AsContinue reading “Joy: Lent Week 3 – The Will of God”
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,Continue reading “Joy: Lent Week 2 – Holiness of God”
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 wasContinue reading “Comfort: Lent Week 2 – The Holiness of God”
Comfort: Lent Week 1 – Our Father
“Our Father in heaven…” -Matthew 6:9 I love hearing all the names children call their parents and grandparents. There are so many and they are generally endearing. When my son Joel was little he sometimes called me Mama, which warmed my heart. Now that my children are in college and middle school, I’m usually justContinue reading “Comfort: Lent Week 1 – Our Father”
Pray very Simply
In times of uncertainty, overwhelm or stress, we can turn to the rhythms and rituals of our lives to ground us. Just as seasons of grief, winter or wilderness force us to wrestle with discomfort and uncertainty, so too, these are opportunities to lean into the practices that sustain us and explore new ways ofContinue reading “Pray very Simply”
some comfort and joy 