By Michael Sherer, ITS director at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions Confidence. We know it when we feel it. We know it when we see it in others. But where does confidence come from? For the writer of Isaiah 50, his confidence comes from knowing the Lord, from serving the Lord. It’s really an amazing recital, bordering on boastful. Who among us could say anything quite like it? The prophet is confident in his gifts and vocation, confident that he is listening to God, confident that he is following the Lord, steely in the face of persecution and abuse, dauntless in his belief that God will help and sustain him. But the passage goes far deeper than mere confidence. The prophet’s confidence is buttressed and buoyed by the following attributes: Mission. Confidence without mission is aimless. The prophet’s determination grows out of knowing that God has something important for him to do. Who among us would endure persecution and danger for no particular reason? Righteousness. The prophet is confident in his righteousness. His persecution is not deserved. On the contrary, he wears it as a badge of honor, evidence of his persistence in the face of opposition and suffering. Determination. The prophet is a rock. He has ‘set his face like flint.’ You can feel his grit and determination oozing from every line of this passage. He’s going to get the job done or quite literally die trying. Spiritual sensitivity. According to the prophet, every day God wakens his ear “to listen like one being instructed.” My first impulse when writing this devotion was to focus on the first four attributes. Imagine a world where all of God’s people were suffused with confidence, mission, righteousness and determination. We would be an unstoppable force and so much good would be accomplished! But much damage might also be inflicted by God’s people in the absence of the spiritual sensitivity that comes from listening to God daily, continuously. God, this Lenten season, like the prophet, we pray that we might be equipped with the confidence, righteousness, determination and mission to do your work in the world. But we also pray for the spiritual sensitivity to do it with the grace, wisdom and compassion that comes from listening to you daily. Amen. Isaiah 50:4-9a (NRSV)
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By Joanna Epp, a junior at Goshen College
Reprinted from Lenten Devotions For many people, Lent is a time of fasting from something. From social media to meat, people choose to “give up” all sorts of things. However, it can also be life-giving to add a positive practice to your life. When I was in high school, my church youth group held a “Lenten Challenge,” with a new idea or practice added each week of Lent. Though I do not remember what each challenge was, there was one that really stuck out – being constantly thankful. This may sound like a daunting task, but once I stopped to examine my life a little more carefully, I became more and more aware of how many blessings I am constantly surrounded by. Friends, family, the beautiful outdoors, the opportunity to study, a steaming hot cup of coffee in the morning – I’ve realized I can find something to be thankful for at all times. Along with having a greater awareness of the blessings I was surrounded by, I’ve also tried to be more intentional about taking a moment to pause and say a word of thanks. It’s astonishing how much stopping to find something to appreciate and thank God for in a situation can improve my mood! This week’s theme focuses on how blessed we are. During this Lenten period, I challenge to you be more aware of the incredible amount of blessings you are surrounded by, to stop and reflect, and to give your thanks to the Lord, for He is good! By Paul Stuery, Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center K-12 education coordinator at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions Sometimes I feel like Martha and say, “But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Or maybe I say, “But, Lord, I know what the data is and I don’t feel optimistic.” Or “But Lord, they are so overwhelmed, they don’t want to learn and steward your creation.” Or “But Lord, even though there is fear around us constantly, why don’t they take better care of each other?” “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Sometimes I struggle with what we’ve done so far with this earth – meaning consuming more than what we give back. I have to have faith in those circumstances to know that humans will gain knowledge, then they will believe in what they know, and then they will want to change their behavior – and not just talk about it. I cannot just believe Jesus will take care of this earth without my help. But I can, hopefully, with God’s help, help resurrect – to bring back to life – urban and rural areas exploited, neighborhoods forgotten, waterways spoiled, and the respect of all creation. Daily my Lazarus is restored to life when I see prairies being restored, superfund sites being cleaned up by the Environmental Protection Agency and people growing their own food. I believe. Thanks be to God. ks be to God. By Ann Hostetler, professor of English at Goshen College
Reprinted from Lenten Devotions “When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is put down the shovel.” A friend shared this saying a few years ago, and it has stayed with me as a reminder to stop, when I find myself in difficult circumstances, and take stock of the situation. How often we blame others for our troubles. How often we get in our own way when we take matters into our own hands, forgetting to ask for divine guidance. Sometimes we find ourselves in a pit not of our own making—as Joseph found himself in a pit as a result of his brothers’ jealousy, or religious martyrs found themselves thrust into an oubliette—an underground prison cell shaped like a burial pit, its only opening at the very top, out of the prisoner’s reach. But in Psalm 130 it’s pretty clear that the writer has created his own troubles. The pit of our own making burns deep in the belly with shame. Asking for help makes us vulnerable. Thus the cry from the depths in this Psalm is also a cry of hope, because the speaker has already reached the turning point, in his state of despair, when he realizes that he can call upon a God who forgives. If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you . . . No matter how low we sink, once we turn to God for help, we are no longer alone. Instead, the dark places and moments in our lives offer us an opportunity to enter into a conversation with a living God of forgiveness. The attitude of the Psalmist is one of vigilance. He waits for God more eagerly “than those who watch for the morning,” and he repeats the line for emphasis. Perhaps he waits so earnestly because he needs to feel God’s forgiveness in order to forgive himself. In the Northern Hemisphere, Lent takes place during late winter, a time of transition and waiting. We have all experienced the depths of winter. Just when we think it’s over, the snow returns. We venture out into spring-like weather one day, only to be thrust back indoors by the chill of the next. But through it all we know, deeply, that spring will eventually arrive, just as we trust in God’s forgiveness to patiently transform our lives. By Angeliky Santos, a senior at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions The speed and business of everyday life can lead any Christian to forget who they are to be in the world and in relationship with God. As part of the body of Christ, we are to remind ourselves daily of what is our ultimate goal, and what should be the main task of our everyday life—which is to commit our lives in following Christ. In Romans 8:6-11, Apostle Paul reminds us that the supernatural presence of the living God enters our lives once we accept Jesus Christ in our hearts as our Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit within us is the same supernatural presence that resurrected Christ from the dead—the same rushing mighty wind that filled the place where the apostles were gathered, placed burning tongues above their heads, and allowed them to speak in tongues. It is the same presence that lives within us. The supernatural power brings us nourishment, healing and power to overcome sin and evil in the world. We will encounter hardships in our lives, but we know that the Holy Spirit within us will strengthen us, so that we will stand firm and face what is to come in the future with courage. If we are standing upon the rock and remember that the Holy Spirit of God is inside of us, nothing can shake our ground, because our hearts will be focused on God. Therefore, if you feel weak, discouraged and spiritually emptied, remember that the Spirit of the Living God is inside of you! The supernatural power of the Almighty is in you! Declare it, believe it, and you will see the Holy Spirit working in miraculous ways within your life. Romans 8:6-11 (NRSV) By Paul Keim, professor of Bible and religion at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions “Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones, now hear the word of the Lord.” It is one of the most powerful and enduring of all biblical images. The prophet Ezekiel is plucked from his station among the exiles in Babylon and taken up by the power of God on a visionary journey. Through his poetic description we see the piles of bones covering the valley floor. We hear the rattling as they reconnect and become reconstituted bodies. Then Ezekiel prophesies to the breath in the wind and the bones come alive. Our imaginations are held captive to this image and we dwell upon it. But the interpretation of the vision follows, and should not be neglected. These bones are the house of Israel, those living in exile, mumbling to themselves that their bones are dried up, their hope is burned out, life as they knew it – over. Once a people, now No People. Survivors whose fate seems death-like. They might as well be lying in their graves. But, like the reconnected and revivified bones, they too may come to breathe again, to believe again, to live again. Plucked from their tombs of despair, these exilic zombies receive God’s breathy resuscitation. They are no longer grist for the boneyard but living signs that God is with them, has never abandoned them. All of us will die someday. But while we live, we should live as living, breathing beings, with all the rights, privileges and obligations pertaining thereto. Ezekiel 37:1-14 (NRSV) |
Chad Hill
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April 2015
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