Meditations for Lent 2017
Reflections from Episcopalians in the Pee Dee-Waccamaw Deanery
A Schedule of Lent and Holy Week Events at some of the Churches in our Deanery: Holy Cross Faith Memorial in Pawley’s Island Tuesday February 28, at 5:30 pm - Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Ash Wednesday - March 1 at 7am - Holy Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes at 12 noon - Imposition of Ashes at 7pm - Choral Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes Sunday March 19 at 5pm - Mid-Lent Evensong Wednesday, March 29 - Instructed Eucharist & Parish Supper Wednesdays April 5 & 12 at 5pm - Confirmation Classes Palm Sunday April 9 at 10:30 - Holy Eucharist with Reading of The Passion narrative Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday in Holy Week - April 10-12 - Holy Eucharist Maundy Thursday April 13 at 7pm - Holy Eucharist with Washing of the Feet followed by Gethsemane Watch Good Friday April 14 at 12:30 pm - Liturgy for Good Friday Easter Day April 15 at 8am and 10:30 - Holy Eucharist - Children’s Easter Egg Hunt follows the 10:30 service. St. Catherine’s (meeting at Cross and Crown Lutheran Church in Florence) Tuesday, Feb. 28 6 p.m. - Joint Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper with Cross and Crown Lutheran March 1 at NOON - Ash Wednesday Episcopal Service; 7 p.m. Lutheran Service
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#2
March 8, 15, 22, 29, April 5 at 6 p.m. - Simple Lenten supper, followed by Holden Evening Prayer at 7 p.m. (sharing with Lutherans) Maundy Thursday at 7pm - service for St. Alban's, St. Catherine's and St. Stephen's at St. Alban’s. Good Friday Service at NOON - Episcopal;7 p.m. Lutheran Service The Church of the Messiah (meeting at St. Philip Lutheran Church in Myrtle Beach) SHROVE TUESDAY - Pancake Supper at 6pm at St. Philip Lutheran Church, hosted by the Men of Messiah. ASH WEDNESDAY - 12:15 and 7 pm - Holy Eucharist and Impostion of Ashes (jointly with St Philip Lutheran Church). WEDNESDAYS IN LENT - 12:15 - A Baptismal Remembrance Liturgy • 6:00 pm - Soup and Salad Supper followed by Baptismal Remembrance Liturgy (both are jointly with St Philip Lutheran Church) PALM SUNDAY - 10 am - Liturgy of the Palms and Eucharist MAUNDY THURSDAY - 7 pm Eucharist GOOD FRIDAY - 12:15 and 7 pm - Good Friday Liturgy EASTER - 9:45 am [note the time shift for Easter Sunday only] - Festival Eucharist with Bishop Skip Adams as celebrant and preacher St. Anne’s, Conway Shrove Tuesday at 6:00pm - Supper at the Shriners Club in Conway Ash Wednesday at Noon and 6:30pm - Imposition of Ashes at First United Methodist Church in Conway Thursdays at 6pm in Lent - House Eucharist and simple supper (location will vary week to week. See website for details: www.stanneconway.org)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#3
Palm Sunday at 10am - Bishop Skip Adams with us for Eucharist (with Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation). Maundy Thursday at 6pm - Eucharist and Washing of the Feet Lackey Chapel. Good Friday at 5pm - Stations of the Cross at the Riverwalk with Conway Ministerial Association. Holy Saturday at 7pm - Easter Vigil at First United Methodist Church in Conway, to be followed afterward with a reception. Easter Sunday - 10am Festal Eucharist at Lackey Chapel. St. Stephen’s Every Wednesday during Lent, St. Stephen’s will again participate in Community Lenten Services at 12:00 noon with a light lunch to follow. This year, Trinity United Methodist Church in North Myrtle Beach will host, with participating churches taking turns in leading the service and preparing/providing lunch. Ash Wednesday Services and Imposition of Ashes - 7:00 am, 12:00 noon, 6:00 pm Holy Monday - 10:30 am Holy Tuesday - 10:30 am Holy Wednesday - 10:30 am Maundy Thursday with Stripping of the Altar and Foot Washing - 6:00 pm Community Good Friday Service - 12:00 noon at Trinity United Methodist Church Good Friday – Nailing of the Cross and Stations of the Cross, 3:00 pm Holy Saturday – Waiting with Jesus at the Tomb, 5:00 – 7:00 pm Sunday of the Resurrection – 7:30 am, 9:30 am, and 11:30 am
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#4
Ash Wednesday Joel 2:1-2,12-17
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
March 1, 2017 Matthew 6:1-6,16-21
Being grim is not a spiritual virtue. That’s one of the take-aways from the gospel passage we hear each year on Ash Wednesday. Lent is not a competition to see who can look the most miserable or angst-ridden or pious. “Beware of practicing your piety before others,” Jesus warns us in Matthew’s gospel. Jesus was railing against spiritual hypocrisy and one-upmanship; of spending more time on the exterior trappings of faith while ignoring the interior relationship with God. Now, to be honest, this was more of a spiritual problem in the culture of ancient Palestine than it is for us. Most of us won’t be accused of being too religious in public. We’re perfectly willing to say grace within the friendly and non-threatening confines of our own homes but we’d cringe at the thought of asking a group of friends to hold hands and say grace before dinner at a fancy restaurant. Now to be clear, I do pray at restaurants, but in the spirit of transparency and the confession of our sins, part of the reason is that if I am wearing my clergy collar and I don’t pray, people murmur. So if it isn’t an issue of “practicing your piety” before others that tends to put us on a pedestal, how does this translate for modern-day Christians? Well, the concept of “putting on airs” is a nice parallel. Things we do that elevate ourselves at the expense of others — we all do it. It might be a critical word for someone who does things differently or thinks differently than we do. It could be the way we speak to someone we’ve pegged as being of a lower social or economic class. Jesus cuts through the hypocrisy and the airs; he strips away the protective layers; he removes the defensive outer coating with which we arm ourselves; he exposes us for who we really are in all our fear and insecurity and imperfections and misguided passions and sinfulness. And then Jesus proclaims that God still loves us; that God still claims us; that God has marked us as his own from before time to end of time. The relationship is indelible; the love is unconditional. - The Very Reverend Wil Keith (Holy Cross Faith Memorial)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#5
Thursday after Ash Wednesday Deuteronomy 30: 15-20
Psalm 1
March 2, 2017 Luke 9: 18-25
"Who do you say I am." As Jesus was praying with only the disciples near him, he asked them - "Who do you say I am?" They answered, "John the Baptist, but others, Elijah; and still others that one of the ancient prophets has arisen." He said to them, "But who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Messiah of God." As we enter this holy Lenten season, I believe Jesus is still asking us "But who do you say I am?" Certainly, we Christians see ourselves reaffirming Peter's response that Jesus is the Messiah. However, I believe, the Lenten season calls us to respond to the second part of this reading. For here, Jesus says, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. As Christians living in the 21st century, this is the hard part. How do we live out our lives denying our needs, taking up His cross daily in our lives and following His examples of love, compassion and forgiveness? Thankfully, the season of Lent gives us a time to prepare, reflect and refresh our spiritual bodies. My prayer is that we use the next forty days to focus on our spiritual lives as we seek to discern God's will within our souls, our church and our communities. - Phil Powell (The Episcopal Worship Group in Cheraw)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#6
Friday after Ash Wednesday Isaiah 58: 1-9a
Psalm 51: 1-10
March 3, 2017
Matthew 9: 10-17
Mercy or Sacrifice? What does God require from us - mercy or sacrifice? Both of these ideas are discussed in the readings for today. Isaiah 58: 3-5 tells of people long ago who fasted as a sacrifice to earn favor in God's eyes. It was a self-centered activity that affected only the one person.
However vv. 6 & 7 takes the emphasis off of the individual person and directs it towards others: "Is not this kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke? To set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter; when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” This concept is a basic tenet of Christianity: take care of each other, the poor, the sick, your friends and neighbors. Worry less about yourselves and more about others. This idea is reinforced in Matthew 9 v. 13 when Jesus said "But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Again we are told to pay more attention to others and less to ourselves. This notion of placing the needs of others before our own is in direct opposition to our culture's present day norms. We see it on the news and we experience it in our daily lives: It's all about me, not you, I am the most important, me first. This is not what Jesus taught. A dear friend of mine has a lovely plaque in her home that reads: Be Kinder than Necessary. Four simple words that can be applied to numerous situations in our daily lives. A wonderful example of mercy and what God wants from us.
- Lissa Waring (The Episcopal Worship Group in Cheraw)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#7
Saturday after Ash Wednesday Isaiah 58: 6-14
Psalm 86: 1-11
March 4, 2017
Luke 5:27-32
Tax collectors were particularly disliked in Jesus' day. They were seen not only as vultures, preying on the people for their own profit, but also as collaborators with the Romans, traitors to their own people. Thus Jesus has accepted the invitation of a particularly unsavory person to dine with in Luke 5.
Jesus responds to the Pharisees who criticize his choice of dining companions with, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." Jesus' choice of dining companions makes clear that he has come for all, even the worst of sinners. The Gospels record many others who were major sinners other than the Levi who is greedy and dishonest in his work, the 'woman of the city" in Luke 7 for example. Jesus is willing to forgive all categories of sin. He will forgive the sins, too, of all of us who "plea for grace." (Psalm 86). - Sarah C. Spruill (The Episcopal Worship Group in Cheraw)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#8
First Sunday in Lent
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Romans 5:12-19
Psalm 32
March 5, 2017 Matthew 4:1-11
Eve and Adam, along with Oscar Wilde’s Lord Darlington, could resist everything except temptation.They hid from God in shame. Paradise was lost. But as time went on, the Psalmist was able to sing, “You (the LORD) are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.” Later Saint Paul was inspired to write that we who receive “the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man who gives the gift.” Who is this gift-giver who empowers us to live as forgiven, restored people who share in God’s graceful dominion? The man who was tempted as we are – and more – and whose answer to the wily devil was, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.... Do not put the Lord your God to the test.... Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” Who is this hungry man who overcame temptation and who set about his mission to bring forgiveness and reconciliation? He is the living bread from heaven – who refused to take and eat bread before giving it to us. He is the one who stiff-armed the tricky fallen angel – and would never throw himself off the pinnacle to test God’s holy angels. He’s the one who declined to seize earthly power – turning aside from becoming the most powerful man in the world in terms of governing power – in order to reign as the Prince of Peace. This man Jesus dwells in your heart, now, this moment. He comes not to tempt you, but to lead you – to lead us out of temptation, to deliver us from evil, and to embrace us with forgiveness in this season of penitence and preparation – to be raised with him. - The Rev. Donald Fishburne LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#9
Monday of Lent I Leviticus 19:1–2,11–18
Psalm 19:7–14
March 6, 2017 Matthew 25:31–46
If you want to read only words of comfort, I suggest you stop reading now. “ ..He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” These words are found in both the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds (depending if you like Matins more than the Mass, the Nicene Creed inserts “with Glory”). By my lights, our judgment by Jesus has not been addressed by the Episcopal Church during the last forty years. But there it is. We not only say one of those creeds each Sunday, we “affirm” them on those days. And if we are to be judged, what metric will Christ use? For starters let me suggest the action words we say in our baptismal prayers for the candidates as well as ourselves: “ deliver..open..fill..keep..teach..send..bring” For me the church is not so much an institution as a movement. We may be judged by our individual responses to God’s call to us. I know, I know “ unconditional” is quite in vogue today, but as for me, I have yet to plumb the depths needed to live into that word. I also think it is a way of making progress not perfection. So, please acknowledge what we say each Sunday and join me in the self reduction modality it requires. - Mike Thomas (Holy Cross Faith Memorial)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#10
Tuesday of Lent I Isaiah 55:6–11
Psalm 34:15–22
March 7, 2017 Matthew 6:7–15
In today’s readings both Isaiah and Mathew express the importance of prayer, not only in community, but when we are alone. In Matthew, Jesus encourages us to find a quiet secluded place, a place of silence, a place where we can empty ourselves and feel the presence of God. In today’s busy world we can easily choose to be surrounded by noise all day long. Seeking moments of silence requires a conscious choice on our part. It is up to us to find time for silence and prayer. This silence can be found indoors or out in nature. From the New Testament we have visions of Jesus going off by himself in the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. We can use formal words such as those given to us by Jesus in today’s reading or we can seek to empty ourselves of all thoughts and words and find our true self in the presence of God. It is in this place of quietude that we can find the love and forgiveness of God. Then is up to us to carry this love and forgiveness out into the world. - Denise Patrick (Holy Cross Faith Memorial)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#11
Wednesday of Lent I Jonah 3:1–10
Psalm 51:11–18
March 8, 2017 Luke 11:29–32
The people of Ninevah heeded the word of Jonah. They called for a fast, they did not eat or drink, they put on sackcloth and sat in ashes and called out to turn from their evil ways. As did the Ninevites, let us heed the sign of Jonah, the resurrection of Christ. Through unceasing prayer, Let us be inwardly penitent and atone for our sins Let us make acceptable sacrifice through self denial, Let us be restored to the Joy of Thy Salvation with broken spirit and contrite heart. Let our hearts be humbled. - Bobby Buffington (Holy Cross Faith Memorial)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#12
Thursday of Lent I Esther 14:1–6,12–14
Psalm 138
March 9, 2017 Matthew 7:7–12
Queen Esther in the Old Testament was told that maybe she was born to carry out the task of saving her people. She did what she felt she had to do. And saved her people. She was anxious and afraid of what was before her, so she asked God to give her courage for what she felt called to do. I’m sure there are times in our lives when we feel as though we are facing insurmountable tasks that only God’s Grace will get us through. How many times have you heard or thought – “there, but for the Grace of God”? Matthew 7 stirs up Hymn 711: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Ask, and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you.” We are also reminded of The Golden Rule – “in everything do to others as you would have them do to you.” In Psalm 138 David reminds us to give thanks to the Lord and sing His praise and in so doing we will be able to endure whatever comes. The motto of The Daughters of the King seems to sum all this up: “I am but one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do. What I ought to do, by the Grace of God, I will do. Lord, what will you have me do?” - Kay Pulliam (Holy Cross Faith Memorial) LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#13
Friday of Lent I Ezekiel 18:21–28
Psalm 130
March 10, 2017
Matthew 5:20–26
All who seek you test you. And those who find you bind you to image and gesture. I would rather sense you as the earth senses you. In my ripening ripens what you are. I need from you no tricks to prove you exist. Time, I know, is other than you. No miracles, please. Just let your laws become clearer from generation to generation - Rainer Maria Rilke, from Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God.
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#14
Saturday of Lent I Deuteronomy 26:16–19
Psalm 119:1–8
March 11, 2017 Matthew 5:43–48
As a 10-year-old at Old Town Elementary School in WinstonSalem, NC, I was blessed to have landed in Mrs. Snow’s 5th grade class. Mrs. Snow was the quintessential teacher…..kind and patient, with a motherly tenderness and a gift for educating her students. She also had rules….rules that were relatively simple yet consistent; rules that went beyond the classroom; rules that taught us right from wrong, rules that encouraged love and respect for not only her, but for others; but rules that came with consequences; rules that made us think about whether we were good enough for the 6th grade. Obeying the rules brought praise from Mrs. Snow, a gold star sticker next to our names, a warm smile, a hug, and maybe a Hershey bar at recess. Those linear rules provided a sense of order and accomplishment to our small classroom. Disobeying them brought firm correction and punishment (no playground and a note to our parents!). Our Father is no different. He is my (our) teacher. He gives us rules by which to live our lives and He will likewise praise and honor us by our obedience. It is a requirement. It is our Christian duty. It is our earnest obedience and surrender that will bring glory to Him….and peace and joy to us.
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#15
Second Sunday of Lent Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm 121
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
March 12, 2017 John 3:1-17
Normally I would have meditated on the Gospel lesson, but I am drawn this time to the call of Abram. The Lord calls Abram and tells him to go to the land that he the Lord will show him. He is to leave all that he knows, all that is familiar and to go where he has not been before. He does not question the Lord, he gets up and go at the age of seventyfive. I often have a very difficult time with a passage like this, because the passage makes the request and the response too simple. Could it have been that easy?
I am fifty-five; I do not think it would have been that easy to packup and go. So, how did the Lord come to Abram to convince him that it was he, the Lord? The passage does not tell, but the Lord says, he will make of him a great nation, however, at this point he does not have any offspring, he is seventy-five. But he believed the Lord. The Lord will make his name great and he will be a blessing. Abram obeyed the Lord and went, and his life was changed forever. We know the rest the story and we know that it was not an easy journey; but in the end he was blessed. Here we are today still reading about him because he dared to trust the Lord and went as he was commanded. - The Rev. Dr. Wilmot T. Merchant, II (St. Stephen’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#16
Monday of Lent II Daniel 9:3-10
Psalm 79:1-9
March 13, 2017 Luke 6:27-38
The readings for today are about sin, forgiveness and loving our enemies as ourselves. The reading from Luke is the easiest for me to understand, as it is very specific as to how we are to treat those with whom we do not agree. It is easiest to understand, but far harder, for me, to put into practice. Knowing and doing are very different activities for me.
Another of my most grievous sins is that I know I am not supposed to judge, or condemn, but I frequently find myself doing so. Luke 6:37 is particularly specific about that. The recent election brought out the worst of this in me. After all, I know how things should be! Social media is a fairly recent addiction for me. Anyone who has followed Facebook knows the particular rants and rabid opinions posted there. I have managed to avoid this. However, I recently had an encounter with someone with whom I did not agree. This person ranted and cursed at anyone who did not agree with him. He told me to go to Hell. We do not know each other personally. I asked him to send me a message, explaining why he felt as he did. Miraculously, he did. For two days, we messaged back and forth in civilized discourse. I still don’t agree with him, but I listened and he says he now considers us friends. So, do I. Oh, Lord, uphold thou me, that I may give glory and uplift Thee. - Cathy Fellows (St. Stephen’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#17
Tuesday of Lent II Isaiah 1:2-4, 16-20
Psalm 50:7-15,22-24
March 14, 2017
Matthew 23: 1-12
Lent is perhaps the most difficult season for Christians to keep, because it forces us to come to terms with a very uncomfortable truth about ourselves: we are hypocritical. We want so desperately for others to see us in a good light, especially including God, so fool ourselves into thinking we are something we are not. However, to our eternal benefit, God sees right through our self-deceptions and, with love and mercy, works to redirect us. To be favorable with God, perfection isn’t required precisely because we are not perfect. We cannot curry favor with God, much like the Jews tried in Isaiah’s time; we cannot save ourselves. It is only when we allow God to purify our works, that which God has called us to do, that our deeds become an acceptable sacrifice. Indeed, Jesus Christ taught us that we need to listen to the Pharisees, for their theology was right, but their praxis was not, for they abused their station for their benefit, and ignored what the prophets pleaded: to care for the vulnerable, be generous, and to follow his Great Commandments. We should recall the beautiful and historical Anglican prayer we recite each Sunday: the Collect for Purity, which sums up an acceptable sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving: “Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.” - Joseph Lenhard (St. Stephen’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#18
Wednesday of Lent II Jeremiah 18:1-11, 18-20
Psalm 31:9-16
March 15, 2017 Matthew 20:17-28
God calls us in many ways as His children to serve as his agents for good on earth. But listening and turning to God is never an easy process, we need a contrite heart and the willingness to totally give our lives over to Him. No matter how abject and disdainful we have become, He will accept us and give us what we need to serve him. It is only when we are fully committed to God will he take our lives and re-mold us into His agents of good; much as a potter takes an imperfect vessel and remakes it. Christ gives us the perfect example when He rejects the requests of His prideful and power-seeking disciples, instructing them to instead follow His example and reject all notions of earthly power and become servants of God to help lead others to him. When we have yielded ourselves to God, then we have an obligation to be God's witnesses to lead others and especially children to the loving embrace of God. We can help to mold the children that God has entrusted to our care into Christians that will love Jesus and desire to follow in His footsteps. We like the children, having been re-molded does not mean we will always stay that way. We will wander off from time-totime, but God never gives up on us, he keeps after us, because we are his children. God, as Jesus has shown us, is a loving and forgiving God. All we need do is ask. - Ron Hall and Sally Davis (St. Stephen’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#19
Thursday of Lent II Jeremiah 17:5-10
Psalm 1
March 16, 2017
Luke 16:19-31
It has been quite a few years since I taught my oldest daughter to swim. But in many ways, the memory still seems so fresh. I can still recall with great clarity the warm sunshine of that summer day; the smell of sunscreen; and the sounds of other children laughing and playing and splashing in the pool. I can still picture Annie’s face looking expectantly at me, with that odd expression of determination, a little bit of fear, and yet, eyes that said “I completely trust you, father.”
You see, in Annie’s eyes, I wasn’t just a mere mortal, not just any kid’s dad in the pool. I was HER dad, and that transformed me … transformed me into the father of hope, the father of encouragement, the father of provision, the father of protection, and yes, the father who takes delight in the joy and success of his child. I was indeed transformed by focusing on her joy, her well-being, and her success. Trust can sometimes be a tricky business, especially if we are relying on mere mortals. But perhaps, if we focus on other’s needs, their joys, their despairs, their hopes and dreams, their well-being, their peace, we then are transformed into Christ-like vessels; able to build trust and see the Christ in others as well. Then nothing can compare to the joy we experience ourselves …. Kind of like seeing your daughter realize she made it all the way to the rope in the pool! Lord, help me to be a vessel of trust in you so that others may also come to trust you as Lord and Savior. Amen - Will D. Bridges (St. Stephen’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#20
Friday of Lent II
Genesis 37:3-4, 12-28
Psalm 105:16-22
March 17, 2017 Matthew 21:33-43
Joseph, a teenager, brings bad report to his father about his siblings that sets in motion a negative reaction toward him. Then, Joseph has a dream; whether he’s aware of it or not, the implication of the dream is that he will one day be the leader of the family. Since Joseph is one of the youngest, Joseph’s dream does not sit well with his older brothers. So the opportunity comes when he is sent by his father to find his brothers in the field. They do not kill him but sell him; and so he is out of the way. We never know where the road will lead. We never know how people will react to what we say, or what we do. But through it all, praise be to God, we have a God who is always with us, even when we do not know that he is there with us. Throughout Joseph’s ordeal, God was with him. And I want to suggest that God was also with his siblings and his father until there was a reunion. One that would allow for Joseph to have an opportunity to either get even, or to forgive. The same, I suspect, is always for us. We are given opportunity to get even, or to forgive. But the choice is always ours. During this Lenten season, might there be an opportunity for you to forgive instead of seeking to get even? None of us is perfect. The same God who saw Joseph through his ordeal is also with you and me. - The Rev. Dr. Wilmot T. Merchant, II (St. Stephen’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#21
Saturday of Lent II Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
Psalm 103:1-4 (5-8) 9-12
March 18, 2017 Luke 15:11-32
Micah, a prophet of God, has been convinced the city of Judah, as well as Israel, is in trouble and will face a terrible fate and he believes it is possible God may punish the hateful injustice of the people. Part of Micah’s message, however, carries signs of hope for their future. Just like in today’s living, there is always some bad to go along with the good. Micah must remind them of what they are doing wrong before he can instruct them in the ways of the Lord Almighty. In today’s passage, he speaks to the Lord as he asks for compassion, mercy, and love for God’s people. He remembers God’s miracles of long ago. Micah knows his God is capable of all things good! Now, if he can only get these people to see it.
As with most passages, today’s message leaves out the previous pages which tell the reader (and the people of Israel) what is required of them in order to satisfy God. As it turns out, not so much, in some manner of speaking. Although for some, the lust of the world coats the eyes and hearts of the people, and for some, the opportunity for life everlasting, will vanish. So, the Lord tells us he only requires this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship without God. So, in closing, how hard can it be to have a friend who is always listening, constantly waiting, and forever loving you as you trust him with your heart? - Becky Baker (St. Stephen’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#22
Third Sunday of Lent
Exodus 17:1-7
Romans 5:1-11
Psalm 95
March 19, 2017
John 4:5-42
The human journey is characterized by many stages. It is undertaken sometimes with hope, sometimes with fear. There are losses and gains, ups and downs, moments of deep faith and times when we seem to be sinking in stress or despair. And the good news proclaimed by the scriptures today on the Third Sunday in Lent is that our Creator meets us where we are, supplies us what we need and gives us strength to go on. The Israelites left Egypt in great hope and began to mire in complaint. God met them in the wilderness and turned their despair into fresh hope. Paul sustains the the Romans in his letter. They reminded that weakness is part of the human condition, but the gift of the Holy Spirit is an abiding sustenance which continues to bring hope. Jesus meets a needy and fearful woman at a well. The story reveals a gradual unfolding of truth and, as the woman came to that truth, found healing in the “Living Water” of Christ. God meets us where we are in our journey. Lent gives us a special time to ask for the bearer of Living Water to bring refreshment to the places in our lives which are parched. The horizon for us is Easter. No matter where we are at any given moment we are never far from the presence of God. Here is the good news: “The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)
- The Rev. Randy Ferebee (Church of the Messiah) LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#23
Monday of Lent III
March 20, 2017
(Feast of St. Joseph, transferred from March 19) 2 Samuel 7:4,8-16
Psalm 89:1-4, 26-29
Romans 4:13-18
Luke 2:41-52
This week brings us to mid-Lent, the church’s seasonal journey from being reminded that we are dust and to dust we shall return, to rejoicing in the glorious celebration of resurrection and life eternal. Today is also the church’s feast day honoring St Joseph, Jesus’s earthly father. Not being a parent myself yet being a sort of a second-dad to my brother’s four children, for whom I babysat a great deal in my high school student days, I wonder about Joseph’s reactions to Jesus’s response to his parents in today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke: Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house? That after their return to Jerusalem and a three-day search to find the boy when he was not among their group traveling home after the Passover Feast. Luke tells us of his mother’s gentle admonishment; we know nothing from Luke of Joseph’s thoughts, feelings or words. That prompts me to think of numerous times – especially in adolescence – when surely I tested my own father’s patience as I stood in (and behaved out of) that limbo of being half-way between childhood and adulthood. The longer I live, the more reasons I’ve found for being thankful for my father, for all that he provided and taught. And what is it now for us to be in [our] Father’s house in this earthly life, which is something of an in-between state of being as well? I think I hear Lent calling.
- Rick Stall (Church of the Messiah)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#24
Tuesday of Lent III
Song of the Three Young Men 2–4,11–20a Psalm 25:3–10
March 21, 2017 Matthew 18:21–35
Can there be any more profound or dramatic example of faith rewarded than this story of the three young men? During the reign (605 BCE - 562 BCE) of the Neo-Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, these young Jewish men were officials in the King’s far-ranging empire. They were known for their outstanding leadership and were rapidly advancing in the ranks. Their Hebrew names were Hannah meaning “Yahweh is gracious”; Michael “Who is like God?”; and Azaria “Yahweh has helped.” Their Babylonian names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the names most of us know them by. At this time, the King had a golden idol erected on the Dura (plain) and commanded that everyone should bow down before it in obeisance to the the Babylonian gods. Anyone not in compliance, regardless of his position, would be thrown into a furnace heated to seven times the usual temperature! When the three men were thus confronted, they stated calmly and confidently that they would not obey. They were duly thrown into the furnace, where they began to walk about, unscathed by the conflagration! When Nebuchadnezzar witnessed this miracle, he had the young men released and told them that he renounced his god and accepted their one God. Some witnesses said they had seen another figure in the flames with the three; and there was speculation later that it could have been the Son of God. The Hebrew men had said that the issue in this confrontation was not their refusal to obey but their faith that God would save them, which He did. The example of the absolute faith these men had should be an inspiration for us to draw strength from in the small challenges we face in our daily lives. - Bobbie Lawson (Church of the Messiah) LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#25
Wednesday of Lent III Deuteronomy 4:1–2,5–9
Psalm 78:1–6
March 22, 2017
Matthew 5:17–19
I have always enjoyed praying. I realize that there are some who would say that they pray, but usually because they feel they have to in order to be a good Christian. And even though there is some truth in that, they still miss out on all the richness one can get out of simply having conversations with God. Once I became comfortable with being one of God's own, I soon found myself talking with Him as though he was one of my best friends! Because He is! God wants His people to be rich in understanding, especially understanding his words. Today, try to converse with Him as though he is one of your friends. Then, allow yourself to listen quietly to Him. If you practice this kind of praying, you will see that He will share with you like the psalmist is teaching in the above referenced scripture taken from the Psalms. Do not allow yourself to hurry through as though you have better things to do. Find a quiet and/or secluded place to pray. Read a portion of scripture, then think about what you just read for a few minutes. Then, once you have listened, be sure to praise Him and thank Him for all the good things in your life. After that, then bring your needs/wants to Him as well. All the lessons for today are about hearing God's words and sharing them with others. As God's own people, let's encourage each other with these words of life! - Keith Bowling (Church of the Messiah)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#26
Thursday of Lent III Jeremiah 7:23–28
Psalm 95:6–11
March 23, 2017 Luke 11:14–23
Lord, it belongs not to my care Whether I die or live, To Love and serve Thee is my share, And this Thy grace must give.
If life be long, I will be glad That I may may long obey; If short, yet why should I be sad To soar to endless day?
Christ leads us through no darker rooms Than He went through before, He that unto God’s kingdom comes Must enter by this door.
Come, Lord, when faith has made me meet Thy blessed face to see; For if Thy work on earth be sweet, What will Thy glory be?
My knowledge of life is small, The eye of faith is dim, But ’tis enough that Christ knows all And I shall be with Him.
—Richard Baxter, 1615-1691 (submitted by David Martin)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#27
Friday of Lent III Hosea 14:1–9
Psalm 81:8–14
March 24, 2017 Mark 12:28–34
Love Me.......Love Thy Neighbor The three readings for today from Hosea, Mark and Psalms remind us that God will always forgive us and accept us back into his arms when we have strayed from his will. No matter what we have done, God will be there to once again guide us home if we accept him back in our lives. Redemption is very easy for us if we only hear him and follow his commandments. The first one is so easy for us: Love the Lord thy God with all your heart. We all believe we love the Lord as we should. But unless we truly follow the second commandment, we are falling short of following his words: Love Your Neighbor as Yourself. The past year has been one of such turmoil and ugliness, I have doubted my ability to actually be kind to someone whom I felt had wronged me. A situation brought out my inner-most feelings of dislike and resentment toward someone I had loved and considered part of my family. After realizing my tears and anger were only robbing me of inner peace, I had to let go of the negative feelings, pray God would help me move on with my life, and wish the family member health and happiness in the future. God does work in mysterious ways if we only listen to what he is saying. Sometimes I feel I do not want to hear him. But the saving Grace is I know he is still there....waiting on me to call out to Him.
- Gay Cook (Church of the Messiah) LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#28
Saturday of Lent III
March 25, 2017
(Feast of the Annunciation) Isaiah 7:10-14
Psalm 45
Hebrews 10:4-10
Luke 1:26-38
During Lent, the Church calendar draws our attention away from the grandeur of liturgical worship and focuses our attention toward the humility and humiliation of Good Friday. Maybe it’s not too big of a stretch to see in The Epistle to the Hebrews a distinction between the celebratory worship of other times of year and the embodied, self-sacrificial work of our Lord. Referencing the Psalter, Hebrews 10:5 reads in part, “Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me.” In ancient times, some sacrifices and offerings could have been, perhaps, spectacular events, but here they are contrasted with a human body destined for sacrificial death in a humiliating execution. That sacrifice will fulfill all future requirements for sacrifices and offerings, which are practices that do not seem like typical things to contrast with a human body. Today, as we remember the Annunciation – the Archangel Gabriel’s revelation to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Messiah – we remember the beginning of a human body on a journey to the Cross. In historic paintings, the Annunciation usually is presented as a glorious and ethereal event. But in the poem, Annunciation by Edna Davis Romig, the Annunciation is re-imagined as a quiet event in an uncertain situation: A softer tongue than steeples have Will be appropriate, Annunciation quieter To come when bells abate. Joy is not that to clamor of Nor love to be acclaimed – But fainter far than elfin horns And reticently named.
- Colin Burch (Church of the Messiah)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#29
Fourth Sunday of Lent 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm 23
March 26, 2017
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41
“The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” The story of how Samuel finds and anoints David to be king over Israel is one of my favorite Bible stories. When I first heard it as a child, I am pretty sure I liked it because it tells the story of a child being chosen by God even though the child, David, was the youngest and seemingly the least important. The message of the story might be taken as “good things come in small packages,” and that is a fair enough lesson to take away from the reading. But I think there’s another very valuable lesson to take away from what the Lord says to Samuel about not seeing as mortals see. We are often our own worst critic. For many of us, there is a constant inner voice telling us that we’re not as good or as talented or as hardworking or as clever as others give us credit for. So Lent can be a season of indulging in thoughts about how sinful and “bad” we really are. Now, of course we are all in need of repentance, and we all ought to be striving against sin, but if we are constantly beating ourselves up because of our failings, we may miss out on the message that God loves us more than we can imagine; that God knows our hearts even better than we know them and still loves us beyond measure. On this fourth Sunday of Lent, instead of indulging your inner critic, take today simply to give thanks that God loves you no matter what your failings may be. Give thanks that God knows and loves you just as you are.
- The Rev. Rob Donehue (St. Anne’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#30
Monday of Lent IV Isaiah 65:17–25
March 27, 2017
Psalm 30:1–6,11–13
John 4:43–54
It is easy to sing praises to God when we’ve been healed, in fact the psalmist says in verse 12 he was healed so “that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.” But to praise God when we haven’t received healing is certainly more difficult. We are all familiar with Job, who continued to praise God despite suffering one catastrophe after another. I had the privilege of knowing a 20th century version of Job - my friend Vickie. She was blinded at age 3 by a rare cancer, but went on to get her law degree and move to Conway to practice law, along with Millie, her beautiful seeing-eye Golden Retriever. You never saw Vickie without Millie or without a smile. She found love in Conway, and married John. Six months later she awoke to find him dead in the bed beside her, victim of a massive heart attack. She continued to smile and praise God. Then her cancer returned, and this time it was fatal. She could no longer come to church, and as lay eucharistic minister, I often took her communion. When I would knock on the door, I’d hear her say, “Just a minute - let me get my wig on - I don’t want to scare you to death!”, and then a big laugh would come through the door. Always, she greeted me with a smile. She always asked how I was doing, how were my husband and sons doing? Never a complaint, never a litany of woes, and if anyone deserved to complain that life wasn’t fair, it was Vickie. But to her dying day she continued to smile, praise God and give thanks for her blessings. Lord, give me the faith and courage to praise you when I feel down and out, and let me never forget your love and blessings. - Rebecca Lovelace (St. Anne’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#31
Tuesday of Lent IV Ezekiel 47:1–9,12
March 28, 2017
Psalm 46:1–8
John 5:1–18
Many see in the pure natural waters depicted in this passage from Ezekiel - as well as in Psalm 46:4 - flowing East from around and through the Temple in Jerusalem, as symbolically presaging Christ’s cleansing of God’s Word from the strictures of the traditional Law, as well as the work of the Holy Spirit in spreading the Gospel message throughout the world. Most of Jesus’s healing miracles in the Gospels occur in Galilee and other outlying communities. The one in today’s Gospel reading is the rare one – and the first one – which we hear about performed by Jesus in Jerusalem right under the noses of the Temple authorities – and on the Sabbath at that! Whether or not the Temple crowd understood this act as an unwelcome fulfillment of Ezekiel’s divine metaphor is an interesting question, but I think it’s not the key to the readings for today. I doubt whether the Jewish governing elites cared that much if a tired old man was healed or not. Or if he then broke the law by carrying his bed around on the Sabbath. What they saw in this healing was an open, purposeful affront by Jesus in unambiguous defiance of their authority – already shaky and under pressure from the Romans and the scores of anti-Temple revolutionaries roaming the province. They simply could neither tolerate nor ignore such a brazen challenge in that caustic, unstable political and social environment. Thus, in John 5:18, we have an account of the earliest official pronouncement that Jesus must die, putting Him squarely on the path which our Lenten liturgy observes, to Golgotha on Good Friday, and the empty tomb on Easter Day.
- Bill Warner (St. Anne’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#32
Wednesday of Lent IV Isaiah 49:8–15
Psalm 145:8–19
March 29, 2017 John 5:19–29
This Lenten season as we think about our blessings as followers of Jesus, the contrast between the promises given to the children of God before and after the advent of Christ compels our attention. The promises we read in the Psalms and the prophets, wonderful as they are, lack the “special delivery” of promises direct from the living Son of the Father. Promises made from God to his people were channeled through his spokesmen, none of whom had actually seen God. Nor had the people themselves. The promises were reassuring to the extent the people believed the prophets had accurately heard the voice of God. But Christians had, and still have, the actual words of God in the person of Jesus, who, as the Son of God, warrants that his words are the very words of his Father, God. Consider the words of the psalmist and of the prophet Isaiah. God is gracious and merciful, he is slow to anger and abounds in steadfast love. He is compassionate, faithful to his promises, and gracious in his deeds. He upholds the fallen and raises up the oppressed. He is generous, kind, and just in his ways. He is near to those who call on him and responds to those who seek him out. He protects those who love him. He smooths out the path ahead of us. An impressive list of promises of loving care from a God too high and holy to be seen by humankind. But then came Jesus. By his own testimony and that of his resurrection, we now have assurance that these same promises and more come to us directly from God. No one stands between us and the One who makes the promises. If we have seen and heard Jesus, we have seen and heard God. And so, in the light of the resurrection, which we will commemorate at Easter, all the promises of God remind us of our heritage as heirs of God’s kingdom. - Bill Parker (St. Anne’s) LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#33
Thursday of Lent IV
Exodus 32:7–14
Psalm 106:6–7,19–23
March 30, 2017
John 5:30–47
In this reading from Exodus we find one of the most well-known of God's commands: “Go down, Moses.” Earlier in Exodus, God told Moses to “go down” to Egypt and confront Pharaoh (3:1-12), but in this passage, God is telling Moses to “go down” to his own people, the Israelites who have become corrupt. Moses must leave God's presence on the mountain and lower himself to be among a hostile nation.
Perhaps this is why the phrase “Go down, Moses” has come to mean facing an unpleasant situation. In the Negro spiritual tradition, “Go down, Moses” was a call to join the struggle against slavery. In the William Faulkner novel entitled “Go Down, Moses,”characters are forced to “go down”and experience injustice. During Lent, we are challenged to “go down,” to face unpleasant things in our lives and in ourselves. We have failed to confront evil, and we've side-stepped, ignored, or blamed on others for that failure. God's command here is not “rise up,” but to “go down” – that is, descend and confront that which holds us so far from heavenly grace. - Dan Ennis (St. Anne’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#34
Friday of Lent IV Wisdom 2:1a,12–24
Psalm 34:15–22
March 31, 2017 John 7:1–2,10,25–30
I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.
I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near. The above is an excerpt from the famous prayer, “St. Patrick’s Breastplate.” When I was reading the Bible verses for today’s reflection about righteousness, my heart led me to the particular verses quoted above because we cannot achieve righteousness for ourselves without God’s shield, burnished bright by Christ’s sacrifice for us. Meditate today on forbearance and gentleness, which can be yours when you “. . . arise today through the strength of heaven [and] the light of the sun . . .” (Son) - Nelljean Rice (St. Anne’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#35
Saturday of Lent IV Jeremiah 11:18–20
Psalm 7:6–11
April 1, 2017 John 7:37–52
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The same may be said of our judgments. In our judgments, we often distinguish between food and threats or good and evil. Each distinction is based upon our own point of view. Some fish are food to eagles but threats to minnows. Jeremiah faced serious threats from the people of Jerusalem. He asked God to let him see God’s vengeance upon them. In John 7, the Pharisees judged Jesus a serious threat. But unlike Jeremiah, they did not ask God to visit His vengeance upon Jesus. Instead they took matters in hand and sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus. The Pharisees usurped the role of God and appointed themselves judge, jury and executioner. Their judgments were based on old world values of power, preservation and domination. They chose to be ignorant of God’s will. In my own judgments I often forget to ask myself have I usurped the role of God to become judge, jury, and executioner. How often has “Thy will be done” become my will be done. How often have I, in my ignorance of God’s will, slipped on the hood of executioner and shouted, “Crucify him!” - Mike Battle (St. Anne’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#36
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Ezekiel 37: 1-14
Romans 8: 6-11
Psalm 130
April 2, 2017 John 11: 1-45
George McDonald, a nineteenth century Scottish preacher, poet, and novelist, wrote for his sorrowing wife when their daughter died. He began by telling her that she wouldn’t find consolation in lovely but empty sentiments that he called “pleasant fancies of a half-held creed.” He wrote of his sure and certain hope that the Great Shepherd had gone before and prepared the way for their daughter. In closing, McDonald lovingly reminded his wife, that they were both moving along day by day toward that same destination, “We seek not death, but still we climb the stairs where death is one wide landing to the rooms above.” The story of Lazarus illustrates the deepening of faith that comes through an experience of death. St. John the Evangelist, tells the story in such a way, that along with the disciples, Martha and Mary, and friends, that we too, might be led to a greater understanding of death and life. Jesus is teaching us about earthly realities and heavenly realities. I think it was difficult for Lazarus’ sisters, and perhaps it is occasionally difficult for us, to understand that a person on this side of the grave is not necessarily better off or closer to God than those who have died. Jesus wants his friends to realize that he has come to give life that cannot be touched by death. See how he loves us! In our Lord, true joys are to be found; eternal life even as “we climb the stairs.” - The Rev. Jeffrey R. Richardson
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#37
Monday of Lent V Susanna 41-62
Psalm 23
April 3, 2017 John 8: 1-11
Composing text for inclusion in a meditation booklet is an untried experience for me, a newcomer to the Episcopal Church. After receiving the Bible passages upon which to base my writing, I was confronted by gross lack of confidence for the task and morphed into an insecure school girl stumped with a difficult homework assignment. Maintaining the school girl persona, I recalled the short prayer often invoked during my parochial school days prior to a challenging exam: "Holy Spirit, Giver of all good gifts, enter into my mind and heart." Leaning on the guidance of the Holy Spirt to enlighten and meaningfully shape my words, I approached the texts with the attitude of a youthful student. I read the stories of Susanna and the adulteress to seek the fundamental similarities within the narratives and to identify how they interconnect with Psalm 23. Both women suffer accusations and share the threat of bodily violence. Susanna cries out in trust to the all-knowing God and the adulteress stands before Jesus humbly acknowledging His refusal to condemn her. Psalm 23 confirms the breadth and unwavering dependability of God’s merciful protections as exemplified by the trust Susanna and the adulteress exhibit in their individual encounters with the Divine. Homework promotes the practice of critical thinking toward student growth. Similarly, studying the assigned passages and constructing these brief paragraphs, has reassured this habitually faltering student that God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - hears our cries no matter the “subject matter” and lovingly guides, protects, and grants mercy. - Mary Lou Morollo (St. Catherine’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#38
Tuesday of Lent V Numbers 21: 4-9
Psalm 102: 15-22
April 4, 2017 John 8: 21-30
Lift Up Your Hearts In today’s Old Testament lesson we find the ancient Israelites trudging through the barren desert en route to the Promised Land. They are hot, disgruntled, and exhausted. The meager rations they have to eat are unpalatable. They would rather go back to being slaves in Egypt than to endure one more day on that miserable journey. When they complained to Moses, deadly serpents afflicted them, and many died. Moses interceded for them, and God instructed him to fashion a bronze serpent and set it atop a pole, so that when the people looked upon the serpent, they would be healed. God had exchanged grace for their griping. Wisdom 16:6, found in the Apocrypha, tells us that it was not the bronze serpent that saved them, it was the mercy of God. (We probably guessed that already.) In New Testament times, this story was seen as a foreshadowing of Christ. In today’s lesson from John, Jesus applied that story to himself. When the people see the Son of Man lifted up, he said, they will know who he is. An old Baptist hymn begins “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.” Just as the ancient Israelites had to look at the serpent lifted up on the pole in order to be saved, so must we look to Christ Jesus on the cross for our salvation. Does not yet another “lifting up” come to mind? The liturgy of the Holy Eucharist begins with the exhortation, “Lift up your hearts.” As our Lenten season comes to a close and the Passion of Christ draws near, let us lift our hearts to the Lord, see him through eyes of faith, and give him our most humble and hearty thanks and praise. - Carolyn Swallow (St. Catherine’s) LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#39
Wednesday of Lent V Daniel 3:14–20,24–28
Canticle13
April 5, 2017
John 8:31–42
Lent is a time of self-examination and self-sacrifice just as Jesus did for 40 days in the wilderness while being unsuccessfully tempted by Satan. The familiar story in today’s lesson from Daniel could also be seen as an unsuccessful temptation. These 3 young Jewish men had already been brought by King Nebuchadnezzar to his palace to be trained in art and literature and basically to be “eye candy” (in today’s vernacular) around the palace. They ate and drank what they were told and had even been forced to change their traditional Jewish names, thus losing much of their prior identity. But when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were ordered to bow down and worship the King, they drew the line and refused, even though doing so meant death in the fiery furnace. Regardless of the outcome, they trusted God to be with them. How would we have reacted in this same situation? Would that temptation have been an unsuccessful one? Would we have bowed down to Nebuchadnezzar? What do we sometimes worship instead of God? Is it money, adulation, or power? Are we willing and able to denounce those things and allow God to “be with us” instead? Sadly, I know there have been times when I have faltered. While there may not have been an immediate threat of a fiery furnace, there is the loss off letting God simply be with us and in us. This Lenten Season, let us try to have a closer walk with God, daily working to strengthen our relationship with Him. - Carol Adams (St. Catherine’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#40
Thursday of Lent V Genesis 17:1-8
Psalm 105: 4-11
April 6, 2017 John 8:51-59
These three readings focus on the essence of faith, through which we shall transcend death and live eternally in the spirt of Christ (absent which there is only death and darkness) – both in the here and now and in the world to come. In Genesis when God spoke to Abram and with him made the covenant in which he became Abraham, father of many nations, surely it was only by his faith in God’s word that he accomplished this feat. In Psalm 105 we are charged with seeking the face of God and seeing his strength. Absent faith we see – as did Jesus in John 8:51 – pain, fear and derision as the people struck out against him as one demon possessed rather than the Son of God sent to see to their salvation. These three lessons can serve us well on a daily basis, because passing through life having faith in the Lord and the goodness that is in all people is vastly preferable to looking at the people in the world as critically flawed at best, or out to get us and those we love at worst. As surely as we trust that the floor upon which we stand to support us in our travels we should have faith in Christ that we don’t live in fear and cast stones at those who are out to save us and always look in our daily tasks and travels for the face of the Lord and revel in the strength of his works. - Matthew Robertson (St. Catherine’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#41
Friday of Lent V Jeremiah 20:7–13
Psalm 18:1–7
April 7, 2017 John 10:31–42
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.” Stumbling through life’s highs and lows, remember God is the rock that steadies your gait. He sends your guardian angel to pick you up when you trip and direct you when you stray. Remember His words of comfort and uplifting assurances that He will be there for you come what may. When national politics don’t fit your ideals, continue to strive and pray for God’s guidance and support. If at work things are not going your way, do what is possible and ask God to help you go on with your life trusting his promises and comforting words. When difficulties arise at home reflect on the Lord’s messages with your family and pray together. Many years ago, as a young man, I found myself between a rock and a hard place as a Palestinian refugee in Cairo. A caring missionary there set me on a path of faith that set the tone for depending on God. I am now in my eighth decade, and that rock has never crumbled. - Gabriel John Batarseh (St. Catherine’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#42
Saturday of Lent V Ezekiel 37:21–28
Psalm 85:1–7
April 8, 2017 John 11:45–53
It seems these days there are problems everywhere. Everything from war, murders and famine across the world. We have a political war going on right now that’s on the verge of ripping our own country apart. These days most people seem to care about their own personal agenda and harming someone, then helping each other. The time has come for this to stop. We need to set our differences aside and start living for the Lord. In the Bible, the book of Ezekiel the Lord delivered his people to their land. He took them from their sinful ways. In their land, they were living for the Lord. We have forgotten that over time. In a way, this is our land the Lord has made for us. We need to regain what the Lord wants and start living in peace and love. Most of Jesus’s teachings are about love and compassion. However, one of the most important lessons we can take from Jesus’s life is sacrifice. He made the biggest sacrifice anyone could have made by giving himself up on the cross for our sins. Then why can’t we as his people make minor sacrifices in our life. If everyone started living for peace and love and make tiny sacrifices each day, then we can start living together.
- Joseph Waters (St. Catherine’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#43
Palm Sunday
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Philippians 2:5-11
April 9, 2017
Psalm 31:9-16 Matthew 26:14- 27:66
The word “Hosanna” means: “Praise God, we are saved!” We shout it this day in our desire to follow Jesus through his suffering and death—his Passion—even as we anticipate the gift of resurrection life. We gaze upon the scene played out before Jesus as he moves toward execution: the buzz of the crowd; the excitement of the people who hope beyond hope that he would save them from the domination of the Roman political system; and, the violent methods of control and poverty that conspired to keep people captive. After the shouts of “Hosanna” have stopped, it gives way to the very different shout of, “Crucify him; crucify him!” Get rid of him by the government’s cruelest means of torture. Is this any way to bring in a kingdom? What kind of power and glory is this? Confronted by the stark image of Jesus on the Cross, we see held there the pains and struggles of our own life. There too is the world’s pain in the horrors of Syria and her children, the ravages of poverty and hopelessness in our cities, the wanton disregard of all those who we as a culture sometimes choose not to see or cast aside. What does Christ do in return? From that Cross he offers nothing but love and God makes it the means of new life for all. Ah there it is. There’s “the kingdom, and the power and the glory”—love. So this week we make the journey from self-absorption to surrender. We rejoice in the gift that the cross of death has become the tree of life. Thus we shout, “Hosanna,” appealing to the One who is the hope of the world. - Bishop Skip Adams LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#44
Monday in Holy Week Isaiah 42: 1-9
Psalm 36: 5-11
Hebrews 9: 11-15
April 10, 2017 John 12: 1-11
“[Christ] entered once for all into the Holy Place...with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” There are many holy places: the National Cathedral, St. Peter’s, Hagia Sophia, the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Island of Iona, to name but a few. Holy places are dedicated with great ceremony and honored with pilgrimage, but for most people holy places are encountered closer to home: in a delivery room, at the Font, at the solemnization of a marriage. But a holy place common to all, is a dedicated grave into which one is committed to the earth. Though there is great joy in life, it comes and goes. Death and dying remain. Jesus embraces this reality in his teaching and life. Everything we call ours makes its way into the grave: power/ powerlessness, competence/inadequacy, unworthiness/entitlement, poverty/wealth; ego-affirming religiosity/spiritual accomplishments, together with vain ego-imaginings about our centrality to it all.
The grave of Christ is a hole into which all these things go to die.
And if, as St. Paul wrote “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” then his mysterious grave that “makes all things new” is also my grave; his blood is my blood, his life is my new life. Anyone who can bear this mysterious cross-awareness is holy well-prepared and on a pilgrimage to the Kingdom of God. “Rise, let us go hence.” - The Rev. Phil Emanuel (The Episcopal Worship Group in Cheraw)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#45
Tuesday in Holy Week Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 71:1-14
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
April 11, 2017 John 12:20-36
Holy Week is the breathless journey from light into darkness and then back into the brilliance of God's Forever! I invite you to meditate on the words of “I want to walk as a child of the light" by Kathleen Thomerson, a renowned church organist. Type the title of this hymn into your web browser to hear it, and meditate on the words. The essence of the Refrain will soon permeate the very fibers of your heart and soul, to remain with you and guide you forever! Verse 1: I want to walk as a child of the light; I want to follow Jesus.
God set the stars to give light to the world; The star of my life is Jesus. Refrain: In him there is no darkness at all; The night and the day are both alike. The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus. Verse 2: I want to see the brightness of God; I want to look at Jesus. Clear Sun of Righteousness, shine on my path, And show me the way to the Father. [Refrain] Verse 3: I’m looking for the coming of Christ; I want to be with Jesus. When we have run with patience the race, We shall know the joy of Jesus. [Refrain] Sisters and Brothers, May the light of your love and good works radiate throughout the world!
- The Rev. George Wells (Church of the Messiah)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#46
Wednesday in Holy Week Isaiah 50:4-9b
April 12, 2017
Psalm 70 Hebrews 12:1-3 John 13:21-32
The way the story is written, Satan apparently was not in Judas, but when he took the piece of bread that Jesus gave him, Satan entered him. If that is the case, what happened at that table? I have always struggled with Judas’ place in the story. It was the other disciples after Jesus’ death resurrection and ascension, who were telling the story; and in light of Jesus’s death, Judas was portrayed as one who was so horrible. “After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered him.” When you and I find ourselves doing the things we do that are oppose to God’s will, is it Satan has entered us? Is it what is within, or is it what is without? Whatever the case may be, during this Holy Week, may we not so much dwell on Judas’ shortcomings, as much as we dwell on our journey. What have you done today? What have you said today, that is a betrayer of Christ? He cannot be nailed to the cross again; but you like me on a daily basis, can betray him. I want it to be the way I want it to be. And I suspect you want it to be the way you want it to be. But more often than not, it is not the way Christ wants it to be. Therefore, I suggest, you and I betray him every day. May this reflection/meditation be an opportunity for you and me to step away and reflect on how we have and continue to betray him. - The Rev. Dr. Wilmot T. Merchant, II (St. Stephen’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#47
Maundy Thursday
Exodus 12:1-14
Corinthians 11:23-26
Psalm 116:1, 10-171
April 13, 2017
John: 13:1-17, 31b-35
For many Christians, the centerpiece of Maundy Thursday scripture is Jesus’s washing the feet of his Disciples. For me it’s the Last Supper. For better or worse, I’m not a person of deep spirituality. Many would say that I’m not even a person of shallow spirituality, and I would have to agree. But deep, shallow, “spiritual” or whatever, the sheer power of the continuing symbolism of Christ’s last meal with his disciples which touches me is simply inescapable. In our New Testament reading for the day Christ says at the Last Supper, “As you eat the bread, and drink the wine in loving communion with each other, remember me.” Very much In the spirit of the ancient Greek word for remembrance [ἀνάμνησιν or anamnesin], our liturgical replication of the Last Supper is for me an existential – as opposed to an allegorical experience. It quite literally places me in the presence of Christ – not just his person, but wrapped in his teaching and his witness and - most especially – in his explicit call to discipleship, to “feed my sheep.” [John 21:17] For over 70 years, I’ve experienced and built on this very personal reality as I’ve shared the Eucharistic meal with fellow Christians literally all over the world, not just in a church setting, but in many other places such as a gymnasium, a hospital, a conference room, an open field, a maximum security prison, and on the deck of a warship. Always and wherever, through the intense vibrancy of sacred remembrance, Our Lord is with me right there at the table. - Bill Warner (St. Anne’s) LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#48
Good Friday Isaiah 52:13-53:12
April 14, 2017
Psalm 22 Hebrews 10:16-25
John 18:1-19:42
‘It is not the act of a good disciple, to flee from the Cross in order to enjoy the sweetness of an easy piety.’ - St. John of the Cross The Crucifixion of Jesus and what it means to us will test the quality of our discipleship. What we think about the Cross is ultimately what we think about life. “Seek where you will,” says a’ Kempis, “everywhere you will find the Cross.” And when you have found it, what are you going to do about it; look at it with horror or with adoration? We are called to be received into the death of Christ - the unconditional sacrifice of the Cross – being transformed through self-abasement and indwelt and ruled by the Spirit of Divine Love. Christianity will never be an easy piety. It is a crisis, a radical choice and a costly change. When we judge our own lives by this standard we realize this must be a matter of steady growth. Parts of our minds are still untransformed, not indwelt by Love, resisting God. “It was in the Passion,” says Saint John of the Cross, that Christ “finished that supreme work which His whole life, its miracles and works of power, had not accomplished: the union and reconciliation of human nature with the life of God.” None with any sensitivity can experience Holy Week without an awed and grateful sense of being incorporated in a mystery of self-giving love, remaining far beyond our understanding. - Patricia Richardson (St. Catherine’s)
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#49
Holy Saturday Job 14: 1-14 1 Peter 4:1-8
April 15, 2017
Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16 Matthew 27:57-66
If mortals die, will they live again? Job 14:14 Holy Saturday is the day of unknowing, the day between death and resurrection, the day that begs the question “If mortals die, will they live again? The hosannas of Palm Sunday are silent, the drama and passion of Good Friday is over, the tomb is sealed, the voice of God is silent and the joy of Easter is as yet unknown. For me, Holy Saturday speaks to the reality of life, the in-between place that comes after the words like cancer, divorce, terminated, guilty, failure, disaster. Holy Saturday is the day of stunned silence when we don't know what the future will bring. We don't know if the disease is fatal or if we can pick up the pieces of a life shattered by betrayal, accident, bad choices or economic circumstances. Holy Saturday is the day of silence. We cannot avoid Holy Saturday. We cannot be good enough or smart enough or lucky enough to avoid finding ourselves in the place between death and resurrection. What we can do is be fully present in the moment. To know the terrible experience of the Saturday inbetween place means we can fully realize the Resurrected Life that awaits us.
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#50
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
#51
The Pee Dee-Waccamaw Deanery in The Episcopal Church in South Carolina The Rt. Rev. Gladstone “Skip” Adams, Bishop
The Very Rev. Wil Keith, Dean
—————— Holy Cross Faith Memorial in Pawley's Island Good Shepherd in Sumter Church of the Messiah in Myrtle Beach St. Alban's in Kingstree St. Anne's in Conway St. Augustine's in Wedgefield St. Catherine's in Florence St. James-Santee in McClellanville St. Stephen's in North Myrtle Beach St. Stephen’s in St. Stephen Episcopal Worship Group in Cheraw _____________________ The Episcopal Church in South Carolina PO Box 20485 Charleston, SC 29413 www.episcopalchurchsc.org LENTEN MEDITATIONS
www.episcopalchurchsc.org 843-259-2016
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