Wait

Psalm 37:30-24

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.

32 The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

At times, the Psalms seem to cut through the safety we think is found in the Bible. "You will look on when the wicked are cut off." That seems to stand in contrast to the way I want things to be. We want to be helpers to people. We want to convert the wicked. But our place is clear: We will look on while the wicked are cut off.

Perhaps our clean living is not a means for converting. Perhaps our attendance at church and study is not for ourselves. Perhaps we don't live like Christians to judge. This is not to say that what we do is unimportant. This does not mean that our living is not a way to shine and spread the light of Christ. Our role is not judge and jury. Think of the freedom!

Instead of worrying about trying to work our way into heaven, or trying to live to save souls, we simply live our lives as the righteous who utter wisdom and seek justice. Our living a righteous life is part of the waiting. It is not our place to judge, so don't worry about what others think, say, or do. It does seem harsh to think that we can't save the wicked at the time of judgment, but then again, we aren't the savior of the world. Judging is not ours to give. We must simply wait for the Lord.

Prayer: God, help me to see my place in your world. Give me the patience to know that you are in control of both the wicked and the righteous. Amen.

G. Thomas Martin

Rebuke

Luke 4:38-41
38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

Have you ever been caught doing something you weren't supposed to be doing? The "ol' hand caught in the cookie jar" as they say? Most of the time, as a youngster, the punishment would be something like time-out. Possibly a rebuke.

Rebuke is a word that confronts us in the reading this morning. Reprimand seems like a nicer word. Even when someone is sick, rebuke or reprimand hardly seems like bed-side manner. Yet sometimes, it takes that hard edge, a tough word to get out the sickness and get over the demons.

The word rebuke also finds its place in Mark's gospel where Peter rebukes Jesus for saying that Jesus must be crucified. To which Jesus responds with, "Get behind me Satan." We all need a reference point for our lives and need Jesus to serve as that reference point. In Luke's gospel this morning, the demons knew who was rebuking them when they confessed, "You are the Son of God." It is interesting to see that those who are cured have first revelation of Jesus as the Messiah.

Perhaps there is a lesson in the harshness of the rebuke. When Jesus says he comes to heal the sick, not the healthy, maybe he means it. Perhaps we all suffer from some sickness or disease, whether that sickness is self-love or self-pity, pain or pleasure, and we all need rebuke from the great physician who heals not only body, but mind, soul, and heart as well.

Prayer: God, in the times where we need rebuke, speak to us the powerful, saving words of your Savior that heal the sin-sick soul. Amen.

G. Thomas Martin

Love

1 John 4:7-21

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

This section is one of the greatest hymns of Christian love. God loves us! God loves us first. When we love another person, have a liking and affection for him/her, we usually say: “I love you,” but we sense that these often-used words do not really express our feelings. It is more appropriate to say, “we are in love,” –a love that surrounds us like the air we breathe. It is God’s love in which we are living, and we are privileged to experience only a limited portion of this divine gift when we express our affection for another person.

When we read this text we must always bear in mind that it concerns Christian love, not general human love. It would be wrong to say whoever is in love is automatically born of God and knows God. It is made quite clear that this love arises from the confession that “Jesus is the son of God and the Savior of the word.” Or, as the gospel according to John has it: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Without this confession we are loveless, and God does not abide in us. But when we live in Christ, all our loving is of God. God abides in us, and perfects our love and takes all fear form our life. “Perfect love casts out fear.” The often subliminal apprehension that some day somehow we are accountable to God is a measure of our degree of love.

When the love of God is shed out in our hearts, our self-evident reaction is to love others. One cannot love God and hate one’s sister or brother. Just as the love of God is universal, so out love, based on our faith in Jesus Christ, will not discriminate between lovable and un-lovable persons. It reaches its perfection in the love of enemy. “Whoever loves God must also love his/her brother and sister.”

Prayer: Loving God, give me strength to love indiscriminately. Amen.

Manfred Hoffmann

Lost in Translation

1 John 4:6
6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Exactly one year ago yesterday, my cousin was married in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. After the wedding, Leslie and I found a cheap hotel on South Beach in Miami to vacation at for a couple of days. At first it was overwhelming. The neon lights, people everywhere, and the fast past lifestyle were not things we were used to. On top of that, it seemed like everywhere we went English was not the primary language. It was amazing. Kind of like an international trip without the airfare or jet lag.

We had to rely some on our high school and college Spanish training. But we mostly kept to ourselves. My guess is that this felt natural for us because we both spoke the same language, had the same background, and were there together. But it says something about knowing people.

We run into folks who are strangers and neighbors, friends and foes. How we treat them depends upon our first impressions. In the early church, Christians would draw fish in the sand to identify other Christians (the greek word ichthus--IXOYE--is an acronym for "Jesus Christ God's Son Savior). In church today, we confess and affirm our faith in the apostles creed.

The point is this: as a universal church, we may be divided, but we have ways of communicating and knowing each other. As Christians, they may not always know us by our bumper stickers. They may not always know us by our T-shirts. They may not always know us by our language. But as Christians, they will know us by our obedience to God and our love of neighbor.

Prayer: God, give me the ability to speak your language of love to a world with a broken heart. AMEN.

G. Thomas Martin

A Mighty Fortress

Psalm 18:1-6

18:1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me; [1]
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.

I have a number of favorite hymns. Among my very favorite is A Might Fortress is Our God. This powerful hymn was written by Martin Luther, the founder of the protestant movement. The familiar first line of the hymn is “A Might Fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing!”

Luther’s hymn echoes David’s feelings in the 18th Psalm. These six verses from the beginning of this Psalm are a powerful witness of the comfort that comes from knowing God hears our cries and protects us from all sorts of trouble.

We are all aware that we find ourselves in troubling times. The economy and financial markets continue to be weak – war and violence continue to rage. With each day that passes, more people lose their jobs and their homes. Many days, it seems as there is no end in sight.

David and Martin Luther were very familiar with adversity. Both men were incredible leaders who took great risks. In both our Psalter reading and Luther’s hymn we find words of hope. God is a rock. God is a fortress. God protects us from our enemies. God hears our cries. God will never fail us or forsake us.

We tend to think the troubles of our times are the worst of all times. David’s experience is over 3000 years old and Luther’s nearly 400 years old. The one constant throughout all time – the unfailing love of God.

Prayer: Throughout this day, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing and acceptable in thy sight, o, lord my rock and my redeemer. Amen

Charles Z. Gardner

Endure

1 John 2:28-29
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

Adults don't like to be talked down to. No one, regardless of age wants to be patronized or made to feel stupid. However, we come time and time again to scripture to be called children. And we keep coming back!(?)! There must be something to this Christianity thing.

My guess is that we actually know our place in this relationship. We know that we are like children, like sheep gone astray, like prodigal children returning sheepishly over and over to our heavenly Father. But this scripture extends beyond us. We abide.

I am not usually one to turn to Merriam-Webster, but one of the definitions for "abide" is "to endure without yielding." Not only are we grafted into the body of Christ through our faith, we are grafted into the body through Christ's faith. It is not our righteousness, but Christ's righteousness that welcomes us in and calls us not only to abide, but endure. Today, may Christ's peace bless you and keep you. May you abide in Christ and with Christ.

Prayer: God of patience, teach us to abide, endure, persevere, and love what you love. Amen.

Deep Roots

Psalm 1
Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2but their delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

4The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6for the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Easter is the season for new life. Reminders of resurrection are all around us: dogwood blossoms bursting forth, azaleas ablaze with color, green grass blanketing the earth. Spring entices us with possibilities for growth.

Are we growing in our internal lives? In our Christian journeys? Are we like the trees in the Psalm, strong and sturdy and confident in our creator God?

It’s easy to feel as though our roots are shallow; we often have the urge to yank them up and plant them elsewhere, especially when we’re afraid. Droughts can make us anxious—droughts of loneliness, loss, and uncertainty. Sometimes our fruits contain bruises and bumps.

The good news of Easter is that even in the midst of our struggles, even in the midst of death, life reigns victorious. And this life comes through the grace of Jesus Christ. So this week, as we continue to celebrate the resurrection, may we be confident that our roots are deep and wide and strong. May we trust the rich soil holding us together. May we let go of fear and turn it into ripe, green fruits of openness, faith, and vulnerability.

This week, let us draw on the nourishment of God and remember that we are planted by a rushing stream of abundant living waters.
May we live with the confidence that we’re planted, not by ourselves, but in the rich soil of God’s love and grace. Doing so, we will stretch to find the light.

May it be so.

Kate Hurst Floyd

Not just some...but all

Psalm 118:1-7

118:1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”

5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

My first year of seminary, we had to keep a psalm journal for my Old Testament class. What this meant was, we had to read and pray three psalms a day and reflect on them. Looking back on it, it was a great exercise and a discipline that I have since fallen away from. At the time, however, I did not enjoy the exercise.

I enjoyed the psalms of praise, like this psalm (118) and others such as 136, 23, and 1. "Give thanks to Lord for God is good; his love endures forever." That seems like an easy mandate. "The Lord is my helper." There's something I can agree with and completely support.

"I shall look in triumph on those who hate me." Wait a minute. That sounds like pride. It sounds like delighting in someone else's failure or trouble. It makes us out to seem vengeful arrogant, and rude.

But we are those things.

The exercise helped me see that the whole range of emotion we have belongs to God. There is nothing we can think, say, or feel that is not a part of our relationship with God. While I was worried that God couldn't handle my griefs and joys, my hopes and fears, I read the words of the church in the Psalms. For God's steadfast love endures forever. Nothing we can do can change that.

Prayer: Enduring God, thank you that you are bigger than us. Teach us to cast all of our emotions, trials, and celebrations on you. Free us from the thought that we have to carry our burdens alone. Amen.

G. Thomas Martin

Dry Breath

Ezekiel 37:7-10
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Most of us are familiar with the story of dry bones and the familiar song connecting feet-bones to leg-bones ("O hear the word of the Lord"). Notice, however, that the bones are not alive, not really full until they have the breath of life. Only then do they become real. It is not only the individual that lives, but a whole army of people.

God restores life to not just a chosen few, but to many. For the times when we feel weak, worn down, or defeated, God restores life. God can restore us and offers us the new life, the breath of God. God does this through the prophets. The prophets do that through the spoken word.

Christ comes to us as the Word. The Word speaks. The Word lives. The Word heals. The Word raises the dead and is raised from the dead. In the gospel lesson for this coming Sunday, the Word breathes upon the disciples and gives the gift of the Holy Spirit. In doing so, the Word gives the commission to follow his example. As the Word gives breath and life, God calls us out into the world.

Prayer: Gracious God, for your Spirit which gives life and breath, we give thanks. Make us open to hear your call to us out in the world. Amen.

G. Thomas Martin

Abide

John 15:4-11

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

As Christians, we often wonder where we live in the world. In other words, where do we stand? Are we to be a part of the world? How can we really be in the world but not of the world when so much of our language and many of our practices come from the "secular vernacular?"

For instance, when I am with my friends (especially my guy friends), we tend to speak in movie quotes. It is often a competition to see who can come up with the most obscure quote. Obviously, these things are of the world. But is there joy in the fellowship?

When I abide in my friends and they in I, we live in community. As Christians, we have the choice to relate to Christ, or not. The difference however, between me and my friends abiding in fellowship, and Christians abiding in Christ is the invitation to be full. Christ is the bread of life...we will never go hungry. Christ is the everflowing stream...we will never thirst. Christ is the vine and we are the branches...we always abide becuase Jesus is our source, our strength, our hope and our light.

Prayer: Loving God, thank you for the invitation to be grafted onto your vine as your branches. Help us to see our place in the relationship as we continue to abide in you. Amen.

What Kind of People?

ACTS 2:42-47
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

We are an Easter people. We are a numerical people. What do the two have in common. Usually one refers to the resurrection, the other refers to statistics and probability. One is used to describe the movement of Christianity. The other is used to describe the movement of trends and probabilities.

However, in a response to obedience, to fellowship, and to sharing, the Easter people became a numerical people. For the Lord was adding to their number day by day. Wait!!! The Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were saved. It’s one thing to run a great program, to offer the right things and bring people into the fellowship. It is a much more difficult thing to bring others to Christ, or in the words of the writer of Acts, to add to their number.

The Disciples model a way of life in which people want to live in. In a world which demanded productivity, resiliency, and independence, here is a group of people communing together, praying together, and living together much differently than the rest of the world. If we too, want to add to the number those who are being saved, how will we choose to live?

Prayer: God of abundance and grace, give us the power, will, and courage to live lives worthy of your calling. Help us to be numerical people because we serve an Easter God. AMEN.

Sing a New Song!

Psalm 98
O sing to the LORD a new song,
for the Lord has done marvelous things.
4Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Our Psalm for the day captures the spirit of our hearts this Easter season. Yesterday as we gathered to celebrate the resurrection, we lifted our voices in triumphant song: “Christ the Lord is Risen Today!” “Rejoice the Lord is King!” “Sing the Resurrection Song!”

We listened as the brass, organ, and choir filled the sanctuary with Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”.

Every voice and instrument made a joyful noise to the Lord.

The melodious music of new life filled our bodies and souls. In the church, the Easter season is not one Sunday, but fifty days, of celebration. What good news! Our challenge is to carry this spirit of song from the Sunday morning Easter service into our daily lives.

For God is bringing forth new life all around us. Our call is to open our eyes and recognize the resurrections in our midst: the spring tulips peaking up in our gardens; the prayer blankets that keep us warm in our grief; the friend who comes to church for the first time; a brother who goes to rehab; a child who learns to forgive.

Once we see these resurrections, our call as Christians is to go out in the world singing this good news. In the words of the beloved hymn:
“Easter People, Raise Your Voices!”

God of new life and new songs,
We sing your praises, filled with joy for the gift of resurrection. Help us recognize the resurrections all around us, and sing of their glories to the world.
In the name of the resurrected one we pray, Amen.

Kate Hurst Floyd

Sing a New Song!

Psalm 98
O sing to the LORD a new song,
for the Lord has done marvelous things.
4Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Our Psalm for the day captures the spirit of our hearts this Easter season. Yesterday as we gathered to celebrate the resurrection, we lifted our voices in triumphant song: “Christ the Lord is Risen Today!” “Rejoice the Lord is King!” “Sing the Resurrection Song!”

We listened as the brass, organ, and choir filled the sanctuary with Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”.

Every voice and instrument made a joyful noise to the Lord.

The melodious music of new life filled our bodies and souls. In the church, the Easter season is not one Sunday, but fifty days, of celebration. What good news! Our challenge is to carry this spirit of song from the Sunday morning Easter service into our daily lives.

For God is bringing forth new life all around us. Our call is to open our eyes and recognize the resurrections in our midst: the spring tulips peaking up in our gardens; the prayer blankets that keep us warm in our grief; the friend who comes to church for the first time; a brother who goes to rehab; a child who learns to forgive.

Once we see these resurrections, our call as Christians is to go out in the world singing this good news. In the words of the beloved hymn:
“Easter People, Raise Your Voices!”

God of new life and new songs,
We sing your praises, filled with joy for the gift of resurrection. Help us recognize the resurrections all around us, and sing of their glories to the world.
In the name of the resurrected one we pray, Amen.

Kate Hurst Floyd

Easter Sunday

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her. – John 20:15-18

Mary couldn’t sleep. She woke up every hour looking for a hint of sunrise. You know the feeling. You hear the ticking of the clock, the hum of the refrigerator, and even the beating of your own heart. You’ve experienced the sudden loss of someone you love. The mind races as you try to make sense of what has happened to you. You cannot rest and there is no peace.

Mary went to the cemetery, and the scriptures tell us that she came away believing that Jesus was alive. However, it was not the evidence of Easter that convinced her of Jesus’ resurrection. She remained unconvinced by the empty tomb, the angels, and even the appearance of Jesus himself (after all, she guessed that he was the gardener). Rather, Mary was moved to faith by an experience of Easter.

It came to her when Jesus said her name, “Mary.” Immediately, her eyes of faith were opened and she believed. Jesus said the word she needed to hear the most when he said her name, and she could not contain her joy as she held onto him. At that moment, Mary realized that there are some things we don’t understand about this world and God is at work in our lives.

Mary’s experience of Easter is the inspiration for one of my favorite hymns:

I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses;
And he walks with me and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.

I invite you to let Easter happen to you today. Come to the tomb with the disciples. Do not stop and merely consider the evidence. Go all the way. Experience the power of Easter.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, this is a day of celebration. Death has lost its sting. The grave has no victory. Through Jesus Christ we have access to life. Open our eyes and help us to glimpse your glory this day. Amen.

Bill Britt

Holy Saturday

And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that had been done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. – Genesis 2:2-3

Today is the seventh day of the week. A week that began with singing and shouting and the waving of palm branches has come to a quiet close. It is as it should be. Our scripture lesson tells us that on the seventh day God rested. Now, I don’t think God rested on the seventh day because God was tired. I think God rested to set an example for us to follow. Each of us needs a day to stop and reflect upon that which has happened in the last seven days. We need a day set aside to remember that which is most important to us – our relationship with God and others. We need a day to rest our bodies and to refresh our souls. We need a day that puts our lives into context and helps us prepare for that which is to come. After all, it is a part of our nature. It’s in our DNA. We need Sabbath rest. And we’re going to need it, for tomorrow is Easter – the day of the new creation!

Prayer: Gracious Lord, thank you for Sabbath rest. Thank you for a day set aside to rest, reflect, and remember. Help us to order our lives according to the pattern you have established. Help us to rest well. Amen.

Bill Britt

Good Friday

So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. – John 19:17-18

The Gospels are all in agreement. On that horrible Friday centuries ago, Jesus did not die alone. Two others were crucified with him. Matthew and Mark tell us that they were robbers. Luke merely says that they were crucified. John merely mentions them. Tradition has given them names: Gestas and Dismas. Reportedly, Gestas mocked Jesus and suggested that if he truly was the Son of God that he should save himself and the two of them with him. However, Dismas rebuked the other and asked that he be remembered by Jesus. So, Jesus hung throughout the day on a cross between two men – one bitter and the other hopeful, one lost and the other found. That sounds a lot like us, doesn’t it? I think that the Gospels want us to know that whatever cross we find ourselves bearing, Christ is there with us. The good news is that we are not alone. Does that make you hopeful?

Prayer: Gracious Lord, sometimes we forget that you came into the world to save sinners. We have this notion that somehow you will not accept us until we have cleaned ourselves up, gotten our act straight, and tossed out some old, bad habits. However, Good Friday is here to remind us that Christ died for all. You accept us as we are and you invite us to a new life. Help us to be humble ourselves and put our faith and hope in you. Amen.


Bill Britt

Maunday Thursday

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself, Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. – John 13:3-5

It was their last meal together. In just a few hours Jesus would be dead. Of course, this was not something the disciples knew. They could not see that this was a holy moment. They were preoccupied by the same old questions: Who would get to sit next to Jesus? Who had access to the wine? And who would have to clean up afterwards? Jesus shattered their conceptions of what the night would be like when he took off his robe, poured water into a basin, and began to wash their feet. Jesus was supposed to be the guest of honor, but he took on the role of humble host. He had been teaching them about servant-leadership; now he was embodying it. They didn’t understand until later, after he was gone. The holy moments are occurring around us all the time, but we do not have the vision to see them. Maybe the Gospel writer wants us to know that we would see well if we served well.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, you are present with us always, yet we take that presence for granted. Forgive us, and give us a humble heart that we might serve and eyes of faith that we might see. Amen.

Bill Britt

Wednesday of Holy Week

After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. – John 13:21-22

The thirteen of them had become very close in the three years they spent together. They traveled the countryside with Jesus, heard his sermons on light and life, witnessed his acts of love and mercy, and even sensed the powerful grace of God flowing through their own lives. Yet, one of these, one of Jesus’ closest and most trusted friends would betray him. Was it really for the money? Was Judas trying to force Jesus’ hand? Was he trying to make him take on the Roman government? We will never know what was in Judas’ heart, but we do know the betrayals of which we are capable. The lust for power, the allure of wealth, and the craving for popularity can be intoxicating temptations that are almost impossible to resist. A disciplined life in which prayer, fasting, study, simplicity, service, confession, and worship are practiced will keep our lives vital and free from the selfish ambitions of this world.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, grant us your grace to resist the temptations that threaten our souls. Help us to live a disciplined life and to be faithful to you in all that we do. Amen.

Bill Britt

Tuesday of Holy Week

“Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat fall into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life will lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.” – John 12:24-26

My grandfather’s garden was a wonderful place when I was a little boy. He always tilled the soil during Holy Week and planted the seeds on Good Friday: beans, carrots, tomatoes, squash, radishes, okra, cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, and corn all had their own row. I would come back week after week to see their progress. In the summer, it was always a treat to be able to sit down at his table to a meal of fresh vegetables. One of the mysteries of creation is that it is not until a seed is planted into the ground that it will sprout, grow, and produce good fruit. And one of the mysteries of faith is that it was not until Jesus surrendered himself to death upon the cross that a new creation could come into being. In a similar way, it is not until we surrender our selfish ways to death that we can experience a fruitful life in Christ.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, we know that the fruit of the Spirit is love joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Our prayer is that you will plant the seeds of that fruit in our lives. Put to death those things that prevent us from experiencing the fullness of your grace and bring us to life eternal. Amen.

Bill Britt

Monday of Holy Week

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. – John 12:1-3

We begin our Holy Week journey with Jesus at the home of some dear friends. Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary lived in Bethany, only a few miles from Jerusalem, and Jesus often was a houseguest when he visited the city. Now, much has been made of the extravagance of Mary’s gift. She poured an entire bottle of costly perfume upon Jesus’ feet. Some have seen it as a wasted gesture. After all, it could have been sold and the money given to help the poor. However, Jesus honored her gift, knowing that it would be her last act of great devotion before his death. And the recounting of this self-less and humble act of devotion has filled the whole church with a sweet fragrance for centuries.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, as we begin this Holy Week journey, we confess that our words and actions do not always match. We offer praise and thanksgiving on Sunday but our actions often fall short of the devotion we profess. Like Mary, may our actions be pleasing in your sight and a source of light and inspiration to others. Amen.

Bill Britt

Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and other spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”. Mark 11:8-9

Hosanna in the highest,

We prepare a place for you. Today we celebrate your arrival in Jerusalem. We celebrate because you upset the ways of the world.

The world expected you to come as a king, as one with political and military rule. The world expected you to come and solve problems with a sword; to dine with princes and priests; to accumulate wealth and land.

And yet here you come, startling our expectations. Surprising us with love far greater than we could ever anticipate.

Because you come as one on a lowly animal. You come as one who ate with sinners and tax collectors and prostitutes. You proclaimed favor on the poor, the prisoner, the sick. You concerned yourself with peace and reconciliation, though this did not confer power upon you.

Blessed is this one, we cry. Blessed is this one.

Blessed be your holy and unsettling and subversive ways.

With blessings we offer,

Amen.

Kate Floyd

Enduring Love

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. –Psalm 118:28-29

God of goodness,

Your love endures. Endures when our love fails and when we turn away from you.
You remain steadfast. Your covenant knows no end.

Help us, this Lent, to believe in your goodness. To know we are loved. To trust that you are always faithful. May we say to ourselves until we believe:
Your love endures forever. Your love endures forever. Your love endures forever.

For when we know this in our hearts, we can’t help but change. We will become more forgiving, because we know you forgive. We will become more generous, because we know of your generosity. We will become more grace-filled because of your graciousness.

The world is filled with hate, in spite of your love. Help us to believe in your love so much that we stop hating, speak out for justice, and carve the path of peace.
May we extol you in all that we do, by spreading the word of your love.

In your name, which is love, we pray,
Amen.

Kate Hurst Floyd

Bestower of Blessings

Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. Psalm 118:25-27

Bestower of blessings,

You bless us each and everyday. You shower upon us unconditional love, merciful forgiveness, and boundless grace. You bless us with the gift of your presence on earth, Jesus Christ, and your continued Spirit among us.

It is our Lenten hope to remember, each and everyday, to offer blessings of thanksgiving in return.

The Psalmist prepares a procession to praise you, filled with branches at the altar. Jesus will enter Jerusalem, and his followers will praise him with branches of palms. May we, too, praise you with what we have. May we offer love with our hands and feet, by serving those in need. May we offer repentance with our tongues, asking for forgiveness and changing our ways. May we offer grace with our ears, as a listening presence to someone in pain.

May we return our blessings back to you, and in turn bless the world.

In your blessed name we pray these things,
Amen.

Kate Floyd

This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! –Psalm 118:23-24

Maker of days,

We rejoice in your creation, are glad for each and every day. We know that all that we have, all that there is, and all that there ever will be comes from you. For this, we give thanks. We confess, though, that it is easy to become despondent and turn away from you. To doubt your presence among us when our journey is difficult.

But we know, that even on Jesus’ journey to the cross, even during his crucifixion, you were there. You were there. You were there.

And so you are here. Here with us as we grieve, as we cry, as we face illness and loneliness. In our darkest days, you are here with us, wrapping us in your abundant arms. You are here.
Help us, this Lent, to remember to call on your presence each and every day. Even, and especially, the darkest days. And let us say with confidence: This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Gladly we pray,

Amen.

Kate Floyd

I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. –Psalm 118:21-22

Holy Savior,
You are, indeed, our salvation.

We repent that too often we seek salvation elsewhere. Like the builders in the Psalm, it is easy to overlook your stones. We become distracted by the shinier and bigger stones of the world. We forget that our foundation rests in you.

As we walk with Jesus towards Jerusalem, towards the cross, we are all too aware that we are like those who crucified him. We welcome him with waving palms, and then we turn around and deny knowing him.

Help us, this Lent, to keep you as our cornerstone. To build our lives upon your foundation: a foundation of mercy, humility, and grace. A foundation of forgiveness, courage, and wisdom.

Help us to center our lives in your goodness and share that cornerstone of goodness with a world in desperate need of a solid foundation.

Through your Spirit we pray,
Amen.

Kate Floyd