Lent (Page 19)

March 10 Readings – DT 4:1, 5-9; MT 5:17-19 Today we hear a few different messages. In Deuteronomy, Moses is addressing the people and encourages them not to forget what God’s done for them and brought them through.  “Teach this to your children,” he says. Maybe that’s something to be mindful of today:  Remember what God’s done for you or seen you through.  Journal about it or talk to someone about it.  This is all part of the practice of…

March 9 Readings – DN 3:25, 34-43; MT 18:21-35 The Lenten readings spend a lot of time focused on mercy and forgiveness.  They probably anticipated that we would need to keep hearing about it. To that end, I have really appreciated so many people who have been commenting on this blog – offering personal stories of difficulty with forgiving.  This is a reality in our lives that we can’t just spiritualize or pretend doesn’t exist. Peter might be in the…

March 7 Readings – EX 20:1-17; 1 COR 1:22-25; JN 2:13-25 Today it might be important to work backwards with the readings, and I suspect that this commentary is sure to spark some thoughts and feelings… We hear today a very famous passage about Jesus and the money changers in the temple.  Here we have one of the only recorded times when Jesus gets angry and damages property. Often this passage is read from a spiritualized viewpoint focusing on the…

March 6 Readings – MI 7:14-15, 18-20; LK 15:1-3, 11-32 In today’s readings, mercy is the name of the game.  Micah speaks of how God takes us back – time and time again – and then the gospel delivers the powerful story of the “prodigal son.” In the Muslim circles that I have moved in, I often hear the phrase, “Allah, the beneficient, the merciful” and it has always caught my attention.  In fact the “personal” names for God in…

(Today’s guest blog is written by Shannon O’Donnell from Tacoma, WA – bio below) March 5 Reading: Genesis 37; Psalm 105; Matthew 21: 33-46 “Israel loved Joseph best.” “Uh oh,” says any sibling hearing this, “this isn’t going to end well.” Have you ever been at a gathering of relatives when someone starts to tell the story of a certain uncle? He might have even told the story on himself for years. He’s dead and gone, but families being what…

March 4 Readings – JER 17:5-10; LK 16:19-31 Jeremiah reflects to us what may be an all too common sentiment, “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings.”  While I do not, ultimately, believe that, it sure can feel that way sometimes.  We put our trust in people and they let us down. And just when we hope someone is going to be different than the rest…ugh! And Luke’s gospel offers us the story of one person letting down…

March 3 Readings – JER 18:18-20; MT 20:17-28 A lot of us can probably relate to Jeremiah when he says, “Must good be repaid with evil?”  Like Jeremiah, we have all probably tried to do what is right or help somebody only to have people treat us poorly, reject us and even want to hurt us in return.  We become targeted somehow.  And it hurts. Then in the gospel, Jesus is confronted (yet again) with people jockeying for power and…

March 2 Readings – IS 1:10, 16-20; MT 23:1-12 I love the line from Isaiah where God says, “Come now, let us set things right!”  The bible is ever about action and this is a wonderful Lenten mantra and reminder.  Identify what isn’t right and get to work remedying it!  I know it’s not always that easy, but the sentiment is something I hope we hold on to. Then in the gospel, Jesus talks about something that needs to be…

From Guest Blogger: Alvin Simpson (see bio below) Readings – DN 9:4B-10; LK 6:36-38 Jesus said to his disciples:“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in…

February 28 Readings – GN 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18; ROM 8:31B-34; MK 9:2-10 The first reading from Genesis, tells us the story of Abraham who is asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. I mention this story because – with some of the stories in the bible – I do not think that they are meant to be read literally and this one, in particular, has been problematic for our theology over the years.  Why would God ask Abraham to sacrifice…

February 27 Readings – DT 26:16-19; MT 5:43-48 True Confession: I often think of the Shania Twain song, “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” I especially think of it today with these readings. Deuteronomy reminds us that our role is not just to “obey” the law but to observe it with all hearts and our souls.  I often think of this as the “above and beyond” clause.  When we do things with our heart and soul, we don’t just stop at…

February 26 Readings – EZ 18:21-28; MT 5:20-26 While both readings of the day speak to “the law,” my sense is that what they are talking about is what we call “accountability” today.  For me I have often heard the term accountability used in a punitive sense, as in, “I’m going to hold you accountable!”  And, as a result, I can’t say I was all that attracted to it! Jesus did not seem so concerned about following the letter of…