Day 35 of Lent +++ Be steadfast in prayer

Psalms 35   Psaumes 35   Psalmen 35

Exodus 8.20-32   Hebrews 11.32-12.2  John 11.45-57

Exode 8.20-32   Hébreux 11.32-12.2   Jean 11.45-57  

Exodus 8.20-32   Hebreeën 11.32-12.2   Johannes 11.45-57

A lot of conflicting thoughts pop up when reading this passage. Are we praying for revenge or mercy?

Popular speculation links the composition of this Psalm to the time when David was persecuted by Saul. Here David pleads to the Lord to fight for him, save him from his enemies, and ultimately destroy them. David complains that his enemies have repaid his good with evil. He is steadfast in his prayer and believes that the Lord will save him and give him an opportunity to glorify His name.

We can draw parallels to our own life situations where we seek to payback those who wronged us. It starts as a reflexive instinct and grows into a full-blown plan for revenge, or at the very least we cut off the ‘oppressor’ from our lives. What should be the ‘ideal’ Christian reaction?

I may not have the answer, but here’s my take on the issue: ‘An eye for an eye, makes the whole world blind’. 

David like us had doubts, fears etc.  But he was tolerant and depended on God. He needed to hear again and again God saying to his soul “I am your Salvation”.  This is a request for renewing our inner communion with God. In this Psalm, David prayed for freedom against oppression. He did not seek revenge, but justice and deliverance. Such an approach is easier said than done. The next step is more difficult; ‘But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you’; (Matthew 5:44).

God’s commandment is to love one another.  Intolerance leads to extremism and destruction which is happening in the world around us. As we observe the Lenten season, can we learn to respect the views of other people?  We may not agree to their views, but we can try to be tolerant and live in harmony instead of trying to seek revenge against those who have wronged us. 

I know from my own experiences that it’s difficult to put the preaching into practice on my own strength. That’s where Prayer plays an important role.  It is the source of all strength and miracles. Prayer has held my family through tough times, and I have witnessed this as a part of my upbringing. It reminds me of what my mother would say, ‘pray not only in times of difficulties but also give thanks for all the blessings’ (translated). 

My key takeaways from this passage are:

-                  Seek justice, not revenge

-                  Be steadfast in prayer.

Like David, let us surrender our feelings of fear, anger, anxiety and doubt into the hands of our Lord. Pray so that He may strengthen us and give us the opportunity to glorify His name.

Ann John and Sunil George

Saul's anger at David, Antoni Brodowski, 1784-1832, National Museum in Warsaw, Poland.

By Antoni Brodowski - cyfrowe.mnw.art.pl, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10592147

Day 34 of Lent +++ Move the stone away

John 11.28-44   Jean 11.28-44   Johannes 11.28-44

Psalm 73    Exodus 8.1-19   Hebrews 11.17-31

Psaumes 73   Exode 8.1-19  Hébreux 11.17-31

Psalmen 73   Exodus 8.1-19 Hebreeën 11.17-31

Move the stone away

Here is a foretaste of Jesus death and resurrection, Easter is in the air. Lazarus in the tomb and his family upset crying about the loss of their brother and husband. Jesus asks to move the stone away and to recognise (see) the deeds of the gracious Lord.

Can we dwell a moment on this passage?

Our Lord Jesus is both God and man. He never stopped being God, however, during His time here He submitted His divine authority to the Father. As Martha, Mary needs to see her Saviour. Christ asked after her, desired to see her, and ordered her to come to Him, which was probably an instance of his respect for her.

Sometimes we may forget that while being God, Jesus was also a man. We may forget that it was through tears and deep groaning that Jesus commanded Lazarus to rise from the dead. It was through deep human emotion that the Son of God would bring Lazarus from the tomb.

Jesus asks us:

•        To do the unusual and even unrealistic in our lives: to move the stone away.

•        To see and believe in the darkest of our hours, even when God’s face is hidden to us.

•        By obedience (listening) and prayer (stillness) with the Lord, when we abide in Him fully.

Let us walk in faithfulness and obedience, through tears and fears, to meet the risen Lord at Easter.

Birte Marianne Day

The Raising of Lazarus after Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh, 1853-1890.

http://www.wikiart.org/en/vincent-van-gogh/the-raising-of-lazarus-after-rembrandt-1890, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42334240

Day 33 of Lent +++ Fifth Sunday of Lent

Ezéchiel 37.1-14   Ezekiel 37.1-14   Ezechiël 37.1-14 

Psaumes 130    Romains  8.6-11   Jean 11.1-45

Psalm 130   Romans 8.6-11    John 11.1-45

Psalmen 130   Romeinen 8.6-11   Johannes 11.1-45

En effet, Dieu ne nous a pas destinés à subir sa colère, mais à posséder le salut par notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ. Le Christ est mort pour nous afin de nous faire vivre avec lui, que nous soyons vivants ou morts quand il viendra. Ainsi, encouragez-vous et fortifiez-vous dans la foi les uns les autres, comme vous le faites déjà.

Pourtant, Dieu demanda une question choquante à Ezéchiel : « fils de l’homme, les ossements peuvent-ils revivre ? » Dieu nous demande la même question aujourd’hui : « Dieu peut-il ressusciter les morts, peut-il restaurer notre foi ? »  La réponse qui peut sembler évident est non, mais pourtant Ezéchiel a appris à ne jamais sous-estimer les intentions et la puissance le Dieu. Donc, il a répondu, « seigneur Dieu, c’est toi qui le sais. »

Dieu dit à Ézéchiel de « prophétise sur ces os » en d’autres mots, de les prêcher ! Dieu veut que Ézéchiel et toute la nation d’Israël, sachent que c’est sa parole qui apporte la vie. Dans les situations les plus désespérées, même dans la vallée de la mort, pour les gens désespérés, la parole de Dieu est puissante et ramener à la vie. (Nous entant que chrétiens, pouvons prendre nos cœurs, même avec nos péchés les plus sombre, il les transformera comme il a donné la vie toutes choses juste avec sa parole, ou comme Jésus à appelle Lazare de sa tombe juste avec un mot, comme Ezéchiel a prêché aux os secs. « La parole de Dieu donne la vie »  

La parole suprême de Dieu, le message évangélique lui-même, ne nous dit pas ce que nous devons faire pour donner la vie, mais ce que Dieu a fait, en Christ, pour donner la vie.

Dieu explique la vision des os secs. Ce n'est pas simplement que Dieu donne la vie physique, c'est qu'il donne la vie spirituelle au milieu de la mort. C’est dans le genre de message de l'évangile de Jésus-Christ. Le christianisme n'est pas à l'origine d'un enseignement éthique ou d'un engagement social ; c'est le message selon lequel, bien que nous soyons morts dans nos péchés, Jésus nous donne la vie par sa propre mort. Sa mort et sa résurrection en notre faveur, nous donner l’assurance qu’il a donné sa vie pour nous (Rom 6.1-4 ; Tite 3.4-7, Eph 2.8-10)

Ce passage devrait également encourager aux chrétiens qui auraient abandonnés l’espoir, à se rappeler que Dieu peut restaurer et renouveler certains aspects de leurs vies.

Que ça soit dans nos difficultés faces au pèches, ou les problèmes dans nos relations. Beaucoup de choses peuvent nous rendre aveugle et nous faire oublier que c’est en Dieu que nous trouvons la Force. La vision des os secs devrait nous rappeler que le pouvoir de Dieu peut se manifester dans les moments ou tous semblent être morts.

Charles Kabera

Vision of Ezekiel, Francisco Collantes, 1599-1656, Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain. From Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55840 [retrieved March 14, 2020]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Collantes,_Francisco_-_The_Vision_of_Ezekiel_-_1630.jpg.

Day 32 of Lent +++ I believe

John 11.17-27  Jean 11.17-27   Johannes 11.17-27

Psalm 32   Exodus 7.8-25    Hebrews 11.1-16
Psaumes 32   Exode 7.8-25  Hébreux 11.1-16
Psalmen 32   Exodus 7.8-25 Hebreeën 11.1-16

I believe

4 days death. Sisters’ hearts were torn, tears were shed, and a disappointing fact was being gradually integrated into their reality—their beloved brother was gone.

People came together and mourn.

Then Jesus appeared.

This time, Martha was the one who went to Jesus, poured out her thoughts and pain. “If you were here, he wouldn’t have died.”

Does it also meant---“God, if you had interfered, I did not need to bear such pain.” Or “where were you when I needed you the most?”

God, it is just too late and too disappointing!

However, you say, “Things can still be changed!” Then you proclaimed who you are and asked me if I believe. You want to hear my confirmation and faith, BEFORE I witness a miracle.

Martha said, I believe.

I guess Jesus’ gaze towards her must have invited the boldest part of hers. The gaze, which is powerful yet not imposing, gentle yet not pleasing, beams onto Martha’s deepest unshaken truth.

That is a challenging logic. My bystander logic-“Solve my problem now and I can be convinced that you are Lord.” In my doubt, bitterness, disappointments, shattered moments, you asked me who you are to me. In the midst of my despair, you want to me to reach out to you (while you are walking towards me and my mess) ran to you, looked into your eyes and said, I BELIEVE.

And, your salvation comes true again.

Esther Ting Sing See

Bethany, the Town of Mary and her sister Martha.  From OSU Special Collections & Archives -  No restrictions, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20162449

Day 31 of Lent +++ Help, Lord ! I’m having a really bad time!

Psalm102|Hebrews 10.26-39  Psaumes 102 |Hébreux 10.26-39   Psalmen 102 |Hebreeën 10.26-39

Exodus 6.2-13  John 11.1-16

Exode 6.2-13  Jean 11.1-16

Exodus 6.2-13  Johannes 11.1-16

Help, Lord ! I’m having a really bad time!

The Psalmist says it all for us when life gets tough, over and over again.  Do you remember not feeling up to eating a thing?  Or wanting to screech like an owl with frustration at it all;  or wanting to scream with anger against the unfairness of your situation? The Psalms say it, somewhere, every time! 

Read on . . .

Then in verse 12 comes that gentle reminder as to who’s really in charge and has been all along. And that claim to God’s loving mercy and protection. Then finally comes rejoicing; joy and delight in the opportunity to praise and worship Him, in the company of generations yet unborn. And the certainty that those who serve Him live on in his presence, whatever else is going on.

Then again, we read of the terrible persecutions going on today, of Christian folk in so many lands. We flinch in horror at their sufferings. It was just such horrific torture that Paul was remembering in his letter to the Hebrews; those early Christians had endured it all because they stood by their Lord and declared their belief in the risen Jesus. This was not suffering meted out as punishment for some sinful behaviour, but the direct result of following our Lord.

When we are going through a ‘bad patch’, help us to find guidance in the Scriptures, to persevere, and to “keep faith until our souls are saved”.

Pam Clements

The story of our Christianity; an account of the struggles, persecutions, wars, and victories of Christians of all times, Frederic Mayer Bird, 1838-1908 Benjamin Harrison, 1833-1901, Battle of Coutras. By Geo F Lasher, https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14803906653/Source book page: https://archive.org/stream/storyofourchrist00bird/storyofourchrist00bird#page/n436/mode/1up, No restrictions, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42596260

Day 30 of Lent +++ Believe, doubt, disbelieve

John 10.22-42   Jean 10.22-42   Johannes 10.22-42

Psalm 86   Exodus 4.27-6.1   Hebrews 10.19-25

Psaumes 86  Exode 4.27-6.1   Hébreux 10.19-25

Psalmen 86   Exodus 4.27-6.1   Hebreeën 10.19-25

             

Believe, doubt, disbelieve

People asked Jesus to tell them if He is the Christ.

Our God is good, compassionate and  slow to anger. He will not destroy us for our ignorance.

Some people instantly BELIEVED  in Jesus when they saw Him because of:

-        Foretold about Him in the  Old Testament (Micah 5.2)

-        His conception - A virgin found pregnant (Matt. 1.18)

-        His birthday, childhood and escape to and from  Egypt (Mtt.2.1-15).

Some were DOUBTING because they were afraid of believing a wrong person but when they saw Christ's Ministry,  the teaching and the miracles He performed in the name of God; either by laying hands, saying few words or even sending words to the  sick. He healed many. The people who were doubting became believers.

Some definitely DISBELIEVED because of their personal assumption that Jesus couldn't be the Christ they are waiting for.  This group of people could be practically impossible to convince therefore,  Christ just referred them to His teaching and the miracle He performed in the name of God.

This Gospel reminds me of one of my questions in the bible class when I was a young Christian. One day I asked my Pastor,

"why didn't Christ ask God to make all the nations His followers while He was on the cross? " After all He was going to lay His life for them. Pastor Gregg replied,  "No Caroline,  Christ would not do that  because His knew that God did not  create us like robots. He made us to know  what is good and what is bad. Now the choice is ours".

Christianity is not by force but by choice, we believe.

My prayer for all of us is that  the almighty God in heaven by His mercy help us to make good choice and stick to it to the end.

Caroline Owoeye

Hanukkah in Old Jerusalem, 2016 By Ricardo Tulio Gandelman from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85239612

Day 29 of Lent +++ Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Psalm 40.5-11│Isaiah 7.10-14│Hebrews 10.4-10│ Luke 1.26-38

Psaumes 40.5-11| Esaïe 7.10-14 | Hébreux 10.4-10| Luc 1.26-38

Psalmen 40.5-11| Jesaja 7.10-14 | Hebreeën 10.4-10 | Lukas 1.26-38

Today’s readings mark the Feast of the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her she would bear Israel’s Messiah and the Saviour of the world.

If we want information about these events beyond what the gospels teach, then we must turn to the Infancy Gospel of James. This remarkable text claims to be written by James the brother of the Lord, who was present at the birth of Jesus. It is accepted as scripture by the Orthodox churches. However, in the west, Pope Gelasius dismissed it as not a genuine apostolic text. But James’s Infancy Gospel is not at all to be compared with other infancy gospels, like the Gospel of Thomas or Peter. The latter bear all the marks of being Gnostic pseudepigraphical works. But the Infancy Gospel of James looks to me, from internal evidence, to be the work of a kohen (temple priest) from the mid-first century. Therefore it could indeed be by James, who was a kohen.

Its story runs a little as follows: Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anna, was given to the temple as a consecrated virgin from the age of three. A team of these young girls lived in the temple buildings to sew and repair the vestments and other fabrics in the holy house. Before she reached puberty, she was given into the care of Joseph, a distant relative, who already had sons of his own. She was to live with him, still a consecrated virgin, fulfilling the duties of a wife, and running his household. She was also to spin yarn for a new curtain for the temple. Joseph, being no longer young, demurred, fearing ridicule. But he was told he must take her into his care or suffer divine displeasure. She duly moved into his house and cheerfully performed her duties. One day, when she was drawing water at the well, she heard a voice call her name. Seeing no one, she was afraid and ran back home. But when she arrived home the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would bear the Saviour. She was sixteen at the time.

At this point, Matthew and Luke fill in the most important parts of the story. But the Infancy Gospel still has some fascinating details which go beyond the space available to me here. You can find it here:

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0847.htm.

It will take you about 15 minutes to read. I warmly recommend it.

David Mitchell

Annunciation, Greco, 1541-1614, Galleria estense di Modena, Modena, Italy.

From Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48060 [retrieved March 14, 2020]. Original source: http://www.yorckproject.de.

Day 28 of Lent +++ Talking to God

Exodus 2.23-3.20  Exode 2.23-3.20   Exodus 2.23-3.20

Psalm 79   Hebrews 9.15-28   John 10.1-10

Psaumes 79  Hébreux 9.15-28   Jean 10.1-10

Psalmen 79   Hebreeën 9.15-28 Johannes 10.1-10

Talking to God

           

Exodus 2.23-3.20 shows a God determined to resolve the suffering and save the people of Israel, slaves in Egypt. God sees the pain of its people and has heard their prayers. To save the people of Israel, He chooses not to act alone. He chooses to engage with Moses as an instrument to end suffering.

God takes the initiative and finds a man willing to listen to the call coming from the burning bush. Moses is full of concerns but is open to God's words. The dialogue between them is not a one-way conversation. Moses challenges God’s commands and does not immediately agree with the instructions received. God welcomes Moses’ doubts and reassures him of His presence.

In our daily prayers, we shouldn’t just wait for God to act from His highness and end our pain. We should listen carefully to the call that invites us to act with God, to be his instrument on Earth. Like with the people of Israel, God is listening to our prayers and acknowledging our suffering. It’s up to us to keep an open mind and engage in the conversation, even if we have doubts. With patience, we need to let God work in and through us.

During this Lent, may we always be willing to listen to God's call and may we be reassured of God's presence throughout the journey.

Anna De Marchi

Burning Bush, Rudolf von Ems, ~ 1360, Hockschule Fulda, Fulda, Germany  From Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55958 [retrieved February 22, 2020]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Weltchronik_Fulda_Aa88_087r_detail.jpg.

Day 27 of Lent +++ Wonderful Design

Hebrews9.1-14    Hébreux 9.1-14   Hebreeën 9.1-14

Psalm 77  Exodus 2.11-22   John 9.18-41

Psaumes 77  Exode 2.11-22   Jean 9.18-41

Psalmen 77  Exodus 2.11-22  Johannes 9.18-41

Wonderful Design

“A mighty maze!” wrote poet Alexander Pope, “but not without a plan”, and the whole immense project of our universe seen in the innumerable stars in the sky and permutations of the geological record is condensed into two marvellous complimentary chapters at the start of the first book of the Bible. A mighty maze, but behind it all a plan. No lectures on human anatomy but its climax the wonderful design of the human body: Genesis 1.27, 2:7, 20-24 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139.14.

But whilst all of this is confined to these two solitary chapters, once we get into the middle of the next book of the Bible and keep on digging into the Pentateuch, we are presented with chapter after chapter after chapter, detail after detail after detail, on the Mosaic Tabernacle and the services that took place there. “See that you make [everything] according to the pattern shown you on the mountain,” Ex 25.40 the writer to the Hebrews has just quoted, Heb 8.5 but here he adds, “we cannot discuss these things in detail now”. 9.5 Before all else, he needs to get to the heart of this wonderful design: Christ, our High Priest, True God and True Man, has pierced through the veil that separated God and man and entered the Most Holy Place it was all pointing to, “thus obtaining eternal redemption” v.12 “so that we may serve the living God.” v.14. Like His universe and our body, it all points to Him.

James Pitts       

Figure of the heavenly bodies - Illuminated illustration of the Ptolemaic geocentric conception of the Universe by Portuguese cosmographer and cartographer Bartolomeu Velho (?-1568). From his work Cosmographia, made in France, 1568 (Bibilotèque nationale de France, Paris). Notice the distances of the bodies to the centre of the Earth (left) and the times of revolution, in years (right). The outermost text says: "The heavenly empire, the dwelling of God and of all of the elect".  Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3672259

Day 26 of Lent +++ Mothering Sunday +++ A Tale of Two Mothers

Exodus 2.1-10 │Luke 2.33-35, Exode 2.1-10|Luc 2.33-35, Exodus 2.1-10|Lukas 2.33-35

Psalm 34.11-20  2 Corinthians 1.3-7

Psaumes 34.11-20 2 Corinthiens 1.3-7

Psalmen 34.11-20 2 Corinthiërs 1.3-7

A Tale of Two Mothers

For many of the British among us, today is Mothering Sunday, a day when we celebrate women who raised us and gave us life. It feels right, then, that today’s passages contain mirroring stories of sacrificial motherhood. Two stories at vastly different times, where God asks a follower to give up her greatest treasure, her child, to God’s will.

I wonder how they felt in these moments? The mother of Moses, unsure if she would see her son again, attempting to save him from death by giving him up? Mary, the mother of Jesus, consecrating her firstborn to God, told that a sword would pierce her own soul, too. God would ask her to give him up, too.

It’s easy to see from where I sit that God was faithful to these mothers and their sacrifices. Each of them was used to save the people of God! And yet, I feel cold sweats coming on as I think about what God might ask me to give up from my treasures. One of my children? My partner? Dreams? Career? Stability?

I wonder if you’ve been holding back something you need to give up to God’s will. It’s a dangerous thing - we lose control of what we give up. We might not recognise what comes back to us. It or they might look less like us and more like God. It could feel unsettling, scary, unsafe.

And if that does happen, I wonder how God might meet you there?

Natalie Jones

Alternate Collect

God of compassion,

whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,

shared the life of a home in Nazareth,

and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself:

strengthen us in our daily living

that in joy and in sorrow

we may know the power of your presence

to bind together and to heal;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen

The Finding of Moses, Alexander Francois Loemans, 1870, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA. From Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=50256 [retrieved March 14, 2020]. Original source: http://www.mfa.org/.