Cultivate Lent, Week 2

For the season of Lent, I wrote a devotional for my congregation, Cayce United Methodist Church. I am sharing an adapted version of the adult version here on the blog. 

The family devotional is similar but includes a TON of activities, coloring sheets, science and even some baking (maybe more than practical but I got excited). If you want to see the packets in their entirety you can download them on Cayce's website  (www.cayceumc.com). On the website scroll down to below the upcoming events and there are  download options: adult, family and the Jesus Storybook booklets.  

2nd Sunday of Lent, February 28

Set-up: You will need tea lights (or candles, or a simple pencil drawing of candles and an eraser to take away a flame) and a Bible (or access to an online Bible). Prepare your spirit and your space, set aside distractions. Then, light five of the six tea lights.

Read: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16  “I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” (17:6-7)

Wonder: The fundamental theme of the Old Testament is the reestablishment of relationship between God and the nations. God wants to be in relationship with creation. (We learned last week, in studying the rainbow covenant, that creation and humanity are linked, and for the purpose of simplicity I will use the term creation to mean both creation and humanity).

In this week’s text, the scope of God’s redemptive work is a promise for all the nations. Abraham stands at the beginning of God’s promise, but the promise is eternal. God promises to always be God to Abraham and to all of Abraham's descendants (that's us). The size of this promise is startling because again, God willingly binds God’s self to a people who turn away from grace, who are difficult and who get it wrong again and again, yet the divine creator of the universe initiates this covenant relationship with humanity, with each of us. God says, “I will be your God. I will be in relationship with you. We are connected forever.” To mark this covenant, God changed Abraham's name from Abram to Abraham (which means 'the father to many').

One of my wise clergy sisters reminded me that the descendant covenant we read about today in Genesis 17 is part of an ongoing conversation where God promises Abraham he will have many descendants. In fact the Jesus Storybook selection that goes with today's devotion (Sons of Laughter) highlights some of these promises. Earlier in Genesis chapter 15 God says to Abram, "Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That's how many descendants you will have!" (Genesis 15:5) The star promise is an inclusive covenant because stars do not get to choose their company. This is the good news. God promised Abraham he would be the father of all nations. ALL. All nations means all, not to the exclusion of any. God desires relationship with all of creation. God longs to be our God and to redeem all of creation, God desires to leave no one out.

Ponder: What are some ways you feel connected to God? How have you benefited from God’s great connection?

Act: Extinguish a candle.

Prayer: During this time of Lenten preparation, we think of those who turned away from the light of Jesus. And we remember that we, too, turn away. Jesus was approached by a rich man. He said he wanted eternal life but he was unwilling to change his lifestyle, and he walked sadly away. We, too, are often unwilling to change even the smallest part of our lifestyle in order to follow Jesus. The darkness approaches when we sadly walk away from Jesus. We extinguish the second candle, confessing our unwillingness to do what is necessary to follow Jesus.

Additional Readings: Sons of Laughter Jesus Storybook Bible, Psalm 22:23-31, Romans 4:13-25, Mark 8:31-38, and in the UMH #374 Standing on the Promises.

Sources:

Rev. Preston Price, Anaheim, CA appointed to Anaheim United Methodist Church. “Lenten Candle Extinguishing Liturgy.” 2021.

Bartlett, David L. and Barbara Brown Taylor. Feasting on the Word Year B Volume 2. Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY. 2008.

Lloyd-Jones, Sally. The Jesus Storybook Bible. Zonderkidz. Grand Rapids. MI. 2007.

The Wayfinding Bible. NLT. Tyndale House Publishing. 2013.

Cultivate Lent, Week 1

 For the season of Lent, I wrote a devotional for my congregation, Cayce United Methodist Church. I am sharing an adapted version of the adult version here on the blog. 

The family devotional is similar but includes a TON of activities, coloring sheets, science and even some baking (maybe more than practical but I got excited). If you want to see the packets in their entirety you can download them on Cayce's website  (www.cayceumc.com). On the website scroll down to below the upcoming events and there are  download options: adult, family and the Jesus Storybook booklets. 

1st Sunday of Lent, February 21

Set-up: You will need tea lights (or candles, or a simple pencil drawing of candles and an eraser to take away a flame) and a Bible (or access to an online Bible). Prepare your spirit and your space, set aside distractions. Then, light all six tea lights.

Read: Genesis 9:8-17  excerpt for emphasis: “Then God said to Noah, “Yes this rainbow is a sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures of the earth.” (9:17) 

Wonder: For the season of Lent (February 17 to March 28) in worship on Sunday mornings at 10:30am (www.facebook.com/CayceUMC)in our Lenten sermon series I am going to be looking at the covenants or promises of God.

In this week’s scripture reading God uncreated the Edenic world, preserves a remnant of that original creation, and re-establishes the cosmos under a new order. In the parlance of the modern age, God rebooted the world with a catastrophic flood. The flood destroyed everything except Noah, Noah's family and the animals and creation preserved on the ark. To mark this covenant with a sign God sets a rainbow in the sky. The rainbow represents the first covenant or promise God made to God’s people. God promised “never again would floodwaters kill all the living creatures: never again will a flood destroy the earth.” (9:11) It is interesting to note that this covenant only sets limits on God, who promises not to send another flood. Nothing is required of Noah or creation. Yes, Noah was obedient in building the ark and gathering the animals but Noah's obedience came before the covenant. The rainbow is a reminder to God that God has unstrung the war bow and faced it away from the world. (Interesting trivia: think about a bow and arrow, the arch of the bow faces the direction the arrow is going, a rainbow's arch is facing away from the earth, thus the arrow of destruction is facing away from the earth).

The rainbow covenant also reveals the unity of all creation, humanity and creation are forever linked to the same fate. The intractable sinfulness and undeserved blessedness of humanity and all of creation's dependence on God’s active compassion are in relationship with God. And, despite all evidence to the contrary, humanity and creation are blessed, for God remains consistent and is loyal even  to the disloyal. Humanity and creation are disloyal as we know the world did do not return to how the world was at the creation or in the garden of Eden. Yet, God has compassion and God promises good despite disobedience. God demonstrates God's deep desire to be in relationship with God's creation. It is hard to understand the grace of God.

Ponder: How are you connected to God’s creation? How have you benefited from God’s great compassion?

Act: Extinguish a candle. 

Prayer: During this time of Lenten preparation, we think of those who turned away from the light of Jesus. And we remember that we, too, turn away. Jesus healed many who were sick in mind, body, or spirit. Only a few returned to give thanks. We realize that we have taken the gifts of God for granted . . . that our lives have lacked gratitude. Our lack of gratitude shields the light of Christ from us and others. We extinguish the first candle, confessing our own failure to give thanks to God.

Additional Readings: A New Beginning from the Jesus Storybook Bible, Additional Lectionary texts for February 21: Psalm 25:1-10, 1 Peter 3:18-22, and Mark 1: 9-15 and in the United Methodist Hymnal (UMH) #374 Standing on the Promises.

Sources:

Rev. Preston Price, Anaheim, CA appointed to Anaheim United Methodist Church. “Lenten Candle Extinguishing Liturgy.” 2021.

Bartlett, David L. and Barbara Brown Taylor. Feasting on the Word Year B Volume 2. Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY. 2008.

Lloyd-Jones, Sally. The Jesus Storybook Bible. Zonderkidz. Grand Rapids. MI. 2007.

Cultivate a Lenten spirit in a pandemic world

Today is Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021. I typically look forward to Lent. Really. I like Lent. For me, it has never been a depressing season but rather a time to do something different. A time to give something up or learn something new. It's often a time when I intentionally read my daily devotions versus other seasons in my life when those habits fall by the wayside to busyness and distractions. Lent has always been a bit of a reboot for me...but then we have Lent this year. Lent in 2021. Lent after a long year of what has truly felt like Lent for months because we are living in a global pandemic. We have given up so much. We have lived lives that look so different than other years. It has been a strange year. I have experienced great joy in that my oldest son turned one and he learned to walk and talk, and my youngest son was born in 2020! Ordinary miracles. At the same time 2020 has contained the saddest moments when I've missed people and dear people I know have contracted and died from Covid-19. Really I should feel grateful, I should recognize my blessings...but I'm too tired.  I wonder how I will explain this year to my boys when they are older and remember nothing of living in a global pandemic....I don't know what I'll say. So where does that leave us with Lent? 

I'm too tired for Lent. Lent almost feels irrelevant in 2021, like perhaps it is a relic of a different time and yet...maybe it is not. Perhaps, now that we have experienced life in a pandemic, circumstances different than most of us have ever lived through, experiencing loss of freedoms, loss of opportunities and most deeply the loss of people both to this damn disease and to social/physical distancing...we may understand Lent. I've heard it said we cannot appreciate the sweet without a little salt. I don't love that analogy but there may be a grain of truth in it. Maybe all this loss gives us pause to choose to be in the moment. We are not promised anything more than a moment and we know now what it is to live without. Maybe all this loss give us time to get rid of things that waste our time and attention and focus in on what is actually important. I know I am examining the amount of time I mindlessly scroll social media. Zoned out. Philippians 4:8 reminds us, to focus our thoughts on anything that is excellent, admirable, true, holy and just, all that is pure and lovely and all that is worthy of praise. I wonder if for Lent, what would it look like to do just that. To be present in the moment. To notice the excellent, admirable, truths, holy moments, the opportunities to work for justice, to think of things that are pure and lovely and spend time in praise. I often find this is the gift of having small children, they are totally in the moment. What if for Lent, instead of doing or adding or busying or trying super hard or beating ourselves up we just breathe. We notice. We celebrate the joys, we acknowledge and sit with the sorrows and try and live a different way. A less anxious way. To accept things for what they are rather than wish it away or fight to change things we cannot control. I wonder if then Lent might actually be a time to look forward to.