By Ammon Allen-Doucot, a sophomore at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: It may be a first-year college student problem, but of late I feel as though I have no free time. There are, of course, classes, which come with no small amount of work. I also have my job in the Campus Center for Young Children and daily practices for track. And then there are those little things that take a surprising amount of time: eating meals, cleaning the room, calls home, showering and that minor thing called sleeping. Upon realizing the time I "lost” to these things, I began to cut them out. First it was the occasional skipped dinner on Mondays, then it was a quick text to Mom: “I’ll call on Sunday, no time now.” As the workload increased, more things were removed. This culminated in the flu I caught the week before spring break. I became more or less incapable of doing anything without help. Help from my teammates at practice, help from my friends finding food and studying whilst having no energy, help from professors when all I wanted to do was sleep for a straight week. This dependence on others, especially in light of my recent “cut out” incidents, is what I was thinking and praying on before writing this devotional, which is focused around Jesus teaching the disciples about the importance of communal care. I guess an extension on an assignment, or a glass of water and an Ibuprofen aren’t exactly the same as feet washing, but I definitely have a better understanding of the relationship between disciples. I encourage you to remember to make time for the little things, which when combined create a big thing: community. I am unashamed in my need for my community and the Holy Spirit therein. SCRIPTURE: John 13:1-17, 31b-35 (NRSV)
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By Grace Parker, a senior at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: In our culture that is addicted to fast solutions and technological convenience, God offers something different— a long-term and transparent relationship. All too often, I find myself scanning Facebook statuses or reading friends’ blogs in the hopes of finding some relational connection. However, these mechanisms do not allow for the immediate and two-sided interactions with people who are physically present with me. God continually invites us into relationship. In today’s Scripture, the psalmist says that he loves and calls on the Lord because God heard his cry and prayers. God listens and we, yearning for authentic relationship, must respond with thanksgiving and humility as we hold up our side of the relationship. God’s companionship has been a comfort to me as I’ve felt the emotional distance from family and friends created by long-distance and international travel. During my semester abroad in Peru, I initially felt disoriented by my separation from so many people who I normally relied on for support. Turning to God for relationship, through reading the Bible, praising with the church I was working with, and moments of stillness, deepened my awareness of the mutuality expected by God. As we experience emotional alienation and yearn for true relationship, let us remember the Lord, who hears our voice and answers with love. SCRIPTURE: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 (NRSV) By Jenny Beer, director of counseling at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: What strikes me most about the 12 plagues inflicted on the Egyptians is God’s unswerving commitment to set the Israelites free. In spite of God’s anger at the Egyptians for their cruel treatment of the Israelites, God gave them chance after chance after chance to respond to his request. Each plague intensified the Egyptians’ misery until at last, in a final act of persuasion, God enacted the Passover, not because he wanted to take the lives of the firstborn sons, but because it was the only way. God demonstrated he was willing to do whatever it would take to free the Israelites from the Egyptians. Many years later when Jesus was sacrificed as the Passover Lamb, God demonstrated his unswerving commitment to us again, showing he was willing to do whatever it would take to free us from our sin and bring us into a right eternal relationship with him. Today, God is still prepared to do whatever it takes for you, with the same unswerving love and devotion. Know this – the Israelites weren’t protected from the tyranny of slavery – but they were delivered from it. Many of us know pain – pain that couldn’t be prevented because free will prohibits God from judging us for what we haven’t done yet –but also know the God of the universe is a God of justice and love, and is prepared to do what it takes to deliver you from your pain and suffering into a life of joy. We remember because it reminds us of an enduring quality of God – that God is devoted to us, and in return wants our worship, our love and our time. SCRIPTURE: Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14 (NRSV) By Annika Miller, a senior at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURES: DEVOTIONAL:
When I was in junior high, my family took a four-week summer vacation, driving from Pennsylvania to California to visit my aunt and sightsee along the way. Early on in the first week, we heard a family friend preach about “God things.” “God things” start out as situations that aren’t too favorable, but somehow turn around in the end. They can also be an outcome or gift that you didn’t even realize you needed. My family realized we had already encountered several “God things” and then became more and more aware of them as we looked. One such experience was when we were in danger of being stranded after having engine problems with our van in Wyoming. We were able to make it to a small gas station in the middle of nowhere, which happened to have a full-time mechanic who willingly ran a diagnostic test despite it being near the end of his shift. After replacing a faulty wire for next to nothing, we were on our way, having met a compassionate stranger. God took our bad situation and worked through it. At the time of Jesus’death, I’m sure it was next to impossible for Jesus’ followers to imagine any good coming out of the situation. Knowing now of the resurrection, however, it’s easy to see Jesus’ death as the beginning of a “God thing” as God worked through the hopeless situation and brought about life-giving good. By Eva Lapp, a sophomore at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: Growing up, memorizing Bible passages never made sense to me. My experience at church and school was that I would repeatedly stumble through a passage until the words stayed in my mind and on my tongue just long enough that I could receive a golden sticker or a shining A+. Occasionally I would convince myself that the next time I would really study the passage and become a good Christian who could rattle off any number of memorized verses. But this spiritual discipline never became my “thing.” Then this past fall I took a required Bible course here at Goshen College and, lo and behold, we had Scripture memorization quizzes. What a joy, I thought sarcastically. After slogging my way through several passages and fulfilling my grade expectation, I came across today’s passage, the Christ Hymn. I went through the same motions: memorize, take the quiz, get an A, forget the passage. But, a few weeks afterwards, I came across the passage again and wrote it in my journal. The next day I looked at it again and tested my memory skills to find that I could recite most of the passage! The lilting nature of this hymn speaks to my poetic sensibilities. Memorizing this passage was natural and in these days and weeks of Lent I recover this passage each day as a reminder of my faith. It is a reminder of my decision in life to follow Christ and what that entails. It is a reminder that Christ comes in the name of God, that Jesus is God and thus his actions reflect God’s vision for humanity. As I relish each word and savor the gentle prayer-like movement of the verses, I remind myself that…. The blessed one comes in the name of the Lord and thus, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (2:5). SCRIPTURE: Philippians 2:5-11 (NRSV) By Jessica Gotwals, a senior at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: Many of the people who are most important to me in my life are teachers by profession: my mother, my siblings, my cousins, my aunts and multiple friends from high school and college. Because of these relationships, I’ve seen the time that goes into lesson planning, the energy that goes into building relationships with students and the hope teachers have for the ones they teach. And since I admire the teachers in my life, it is not surprising to me that I often conceptualize God as a teacher. There are two main things that I appreciate about today’s passage in Isaiah. First, I love the beginning verses, because they remind me that God is also a teacher, committed to challenging us and making us Christ-like. Verses 4 and 5 say that God has “opened our ears”and helps us to listen “like one being instructed.” Understanding God as a teacher is particularly helpful to me during Lent. Lent is a time to clear the excess from our lives and expose the things that block us from the Divine. There is something about being emptied that leaves us more open to the possibility of learning and gaining the new wisdom God has to offer us. What have you removed from your life this Lenten season? What wisdom have you gained in turn? The second thing I appreciate about this passage in Isaiah is the striking assurance the author has in his faith. In verses 6-9, he is not phased by oppression or by the opinions of others. This passage encourages us to be assured that the teachings of the Lord are good. Once we open ourselves to receive God’s teachings, we cannot ignore what we have learned, and our lives are inevitably changed. The convictions we have for our lives as people of faith may not always make us more well-liked, more wealthy or more successful by the world’s standards. However, these things are not our highest priority. God equips us with the Holy Spirit to be more like Christ. And, when we walk in the way of the Lord, we are not ashamed. During the remainder of the Lenten season, may you be receptive to the teachings of the Divine, and may you be confident that the direction you are going is blessed. May you be made aware of the ways you fall short, but be reassured that you are learning to embody shalom. Praise to the God who teaches us patiently. SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 50:4-9a (NRSV) By Saralyn Murray, a senior at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: In the midst of an Ohio winter, nothing expresses love like a singing valentine. As a high school student I had the privilege of traveling all over the community singing to unsuspecting recipients on that annual holiday. We would walk into different businesses, schools or homes unannounced and sing a love song. We surprised each person and it was so fun to see the reaction on their faces. Then, just as quickly as we arrived, we were gone. “Flash mobs” are everywhere. In our Scripture today, a common Nazarene named Jesus entered the city riding on a colt, and it took the crowd by surprise. But just as quickly as the parade started, it was over. Often life seems normal and ordinary, and suddenly love appears out of nowhere. I wonder if the bystanders were left with the warm glow of having witnessed the Messiah. SCRIPTURE: Luke 19:28-40 (NRSV) By Mara Weaver, a senior at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: “Give thanks to the Lord, for God is good. God’s steadfast love endures forever.” These words, the first two verses of Psalm 118, were the last thing I saw when I went to sleep and the first thing I saw when I woke up as a child. They quietly, patiently, hung on the wall at the foot of my bed in the form of a simple cross-stitch my grandma had given me. In addition to the pure utility of this passage — being the only Bible verse I had memorized when I was in elementary school — this verse has also been a holy reminder to me for all these years. God is good, and we should not forget that. If nothing else, we must trust that God is good. However, as I have grown, left my home and that small wall hanging, the lens through which I see God has also grown. Now, not only do I trust that God is good, but I know why I believe that. The Psalm says, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” And how marvelous it is! Not only did God choose the rejected people of Israel in the Old Testament, but again and again God used that which was scoffed at by society to do the holiest of work — Mary, a woman both young and poor, wicked rulers, lowly shepherds, children, lepers and Jesus, who was himself a homeless, wandering, outspoken, dirty radical. In this season of Lent, in the midst of all of the pain and suffering in our world, I give thanks to the Lord that our God acts in unexpected ways. Just as Jesus was shunned by the masses yet rose again and lives as our cornerstone, I pray that those on the margins will be received by their oppressors as the cornerstone and help us all to rise again with a new love, new life and new understanding of what it means to do God’s work and live into God’s Beloved Community. SCRIPTURE: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 (NRSV) By Launa Rohrer, associate dean of students at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURES: DEVOTIONAL:
During midterm break recently, I had the opportunity to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity alongside students and fellow college employees. Some of us cut and installed trim work, others hung doors. Another group installed counter tops and towel rods. All of us had a good day; but the construction wasn’t the best part. The highlight of the day was when we met Mr. Jake, the grandfather of the homeowner. He came to personally thank each of us for our work. At 75, he told us how many grandchildren and great-grandchildren he had and deeply enjoyed. Construction Manager Aaron Lehman then invited us to join in prayer for Mr. Jake in anticipation of his open-heart surgery the next day. As we gathered in a circle, Mr. Jake asked if he could “hold on to” us. We laid hands on him; we prayed for the surgeons, peace of mind and ultimately for Jake’s healing. He joined us in offering a heartfelt “in Jesus’ name” to close our time together. This week’s theme is “The Blessed One Comes in the Name of the Lord.” Who is blessed among us? As I reflected on this theme, Mr. Jake came to mind as one who showed me first-hand how to ‘come in the name of the Lord.’ Mr. Jake had much to be worried about, but he drew strength by asking for God’s presence “in Jesus name” — coming in the name of the Lord. Mr. Jake modeled gracious acceptance and gratitude; he allowed us to join him in his moment of vulnerability. We were all blessed as we reached across all our perceived differences to join as human beings needing each other. The passages this week describe the humility Jesus modeled by assuming life as a human being and his entry into Jerusalem. The passages range in the intensity of human emotion, in victory and defeat. Regardless of where this week takes you, may you be blessed as you come in the name of the Lord: fully human, needing one another. By Hillary Harder, a junior at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: Extravagance. This can be found everywhere in Western culture, from the billions of dollars spent on producing a blockbuster movie to the heaping platters of food served in restaurants to the amount of time and energy the average person spends in stores or on the Internet looking to purchase more stuff. I know I’m guilty of taking advantage of all of these things. We’re surrounded by consumption; everywhere we look there are more opportunities to spend money and time. And yet, too often we aren’t extravagant when it comes to giving to God. In this story from the Gospel of John, we encounter Mary, a woman whose generosity knows no bounds when it comes to honoring Jesus, her friend and Lord, the man who raised her brother from the dead. Although the perfume Mary buys could have earned a year’s wages for a laborer, she pours it out freely over Jesus’ feet. This was outrageous in the eyes of the others in the house. How could this woman foolishly squander expensive perfume on a dirty, travel-weary pair of feet? And yet, Mary knew without a doubt that honoring the presence of Jesus with a burst of extravagance had far more integrity than putting her money into the hypocritical system Judas suggested. What if we too could practice this kind of extravagance – one that makes no sense in the midst of cultural norms? Sure, every day we participate in a system of consumption, but we too could be like Mary. Unlike her story in the Gospel of John, the flesh-and-bone Jesus may not be standing before us: God’s presence could appear in giving money to a homeless person who asks for it, or stopping by to spontaneously visit a lonely friend, or writing a check for a non-profit that may be bigger than we think is wise. These too are examples of a different kind of extravagance, one that I believe brings us closer to God. SCRIPTURE: John 12:1-8 (NRSV) |
Melanie Stanley-Soulen pastored Allen-Lee United Methodist Church from 2007 until 2013. Archives
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