By Jeff Hochstetler, apartments manager, Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: Standing at an intersection of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, last summer, I finally saw some German-speaking colony Mennonites. Plainly dressed, many of these Mennonites had come into town to shop and gather supplies to take back to their colony. I had been living in Bolivia for a couple of weeks with an urban, Spanish-speaking Mennonite family. Most of the German-speaking Mennonites lived in rural areas. In contrast, Spanish-speaking Mennonite churches are largely urban. Rarely did the two-different Mennonite groups relate to each other. Eager to meet some other fellow Mennonites, I was curious about them. Yet as I walked in the market toward some of the German-speakers, I found that none made eye contact with me. I tried to greet another Mennonite next to me, but was met with silence. Bolivian colony Mennonites have had good reason in the past to be wary of outsiders. Still, the cold greeting I received from many that day sharply contrasted with the warm welcome I had received from my host family. In today’s Scripture, Paul boasts about his righteous heritage. In a twist of irony, Paul’s “boast” clearly becomes a confession – an honest assessment of owning up to past wrongs as a persecutor of the church. Moreover, he writes that past things that he once counted for status he no longer counts as privilege. While Paul acknowledges his mistakes, he does not dwell on them. Instead, Paul seems intent to focus on the transformative power of Christ to adopt us in faith. SCRIPTURE: Philippians 3:4b-14 (NRSV)
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By Becky Snider, a sophomore Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: Restore our fortunes, O Lord. Restore our energy. Restore our motivation. Restore our vision for the future. At this point in the semester, I think most college students would agree that they need some restoration. You start the semester excited for new classes and new opportunities, but after two months that motivation starts to slip away. It takes more effort to get out of bed in the morning. It takes more effort to write the reflection that your professor assigned as homework. It takes more effort to go over your notes one more time before you go to bed. The carrot dangling ahead that keeps you going is spring break. It doesn’t matter whether your plans for break are to go to the beach with your friends, to go home and be with your family, or to stay on campus; the idea of no classes, no assignments and no real commitments pushes you through. Okay, so probably the majority of you reading this aren’t college students, but everyone needs breaks. It could be that your work schedule doesn’t allow for you to take off for long stretches of time or you’re a parent and you can’t put your children’s needs on pause while you go on a vacation. But that’s when God comes into the picture. “Restore our fortunes, O Lord,” the psalmist pleads. In those times when you’re burnt out and it seems like there’s no way to revive your desire to keep moving forward, may God restore you. SCRIPTURE: Psalm 126 (NRSV) By Paul Steury, assistant professor at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: Quite often we are told to be humble. My mom always said “pride cometh before fall.” But we must take pride in who we are – body and soul! In today’s text it says, “the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.” Wow! All of us – all 7 billion people were made for God and it says we need to acknowledge that. This is the same Creator that made the owls and jackals, the deserts and the rivers, the cardinals and the black squirrels. It is the Creator that made our muscles and our reflexes so we can be mobile and blink. It is God that made chlorophyll so plants can create sugar and so we can breathe. They are, what I say, amazing daily miracles. But often we just take those simple day-to-day things that surround us for granted. We get into our routines and grinds and we sure know how to complain some days! We need to daily exclaim, “Wow! God you are amazing to create all these things that I need – thank you soooooo much!!” Be proud that you are an amazing miracle – all of us – every single thing! Because God reminds us in verse 21 that we are “the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.” Be proud. You are a miracle! SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 43:16-21 (NRSV) By Quincy Brown, Vice President at LaGrange College
Reprinted from Monday Morning in North Georgia When I was a child, there were adults in my neighborhood who played special roles. They were characters who entertained and taught us in their own special way. There was Mr. W.T., who sat on his front porch and threw candy at us like it was a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Isiah, whom we called “Wise,” always had a sing-song rhyme of a wisdom saying that sounded more like “pool hall banter” than a proverb. And then there was Mr. Alvin, who was the self-proclaimed Sheriff of the neighborhood. He actually walked around with a toy badge and an unloaded Colt 45. He saw his job as making sure that things were running smoothly in the neighborhood. But if there were any signs of conflict, like Barney Fife of Mayberry, he would often complicate matters and someone else would have to come in and clean things up. Mr. Richard, who drove his 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville like Richard Petty in the Daytona 500, played rule enforcer. He had the keys to the neighborhood park and wouldn’t allow profanity, violence, or mischief to occur on park grounds. And there was Mrs. Patterson, who made homemade cupcakes and had a choice selection of grape, orange, or strawberry soda. We could buy a cupcake and soda for a quarter at her house - and get a lecture on the importance of saving money while we were there. Many of the lessons I learned in childhood seemed to center around the basketball court in the neighborhood park. I watched my adult neighbors practice fairness, responsibility, and doing their share to make our community better. I learned about honesty, patience, compassion, generosity, courage, gratitude, forgiveness, loyalty, and respect by walking up and down the streets. But it didn’t stop there. I saw many of the same adults in church on Sunday mornings worshipping God. They were ushers, greeters, lay speakers, Sunday school teachers, confirmation class mentors, and choir members. Like the mentors who trained their protégés by walking around using hands-on teaching; I was taught that character is about who we are and what we do when people aren’t watching us. I learned how to “walk the walk” of Christian character. Prayer Focus for the Week Gracious God, we are grateful for the people in our communities. Help us learn from the Christians "walking the walk" around us. Amen. - Bishop Mike Watson By Brook Hostetter, a senior at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. When I read in today’s Scripture about how the son was “still a long way off,” I imagine him in rags, perhaps with a small sack of belongings, limping down a path towards his father’s house. The father, working outside, recognizes the familiar stride of his son from a distance, and runs to greet him. I have been in the son’s position, and I’ve seen friends in the son’s position as well. We stray away and begin to search for fulfillment in the world. After some time, we realize that home was better, so we turn and take a step back toward the Divine. Maybe the step is just a simple prayer, but God sees the desire, and therefore runs, grabs us and embraces us in love and compassion. I’m comforted in knowing that although we may turn away at times, God waits in expectation of our return. God allows us to remember, and then welcomes us home, even though we don’t deserve it. SCRIPTURE: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 (NRSV) By Maria Koshmider, a senior at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: “Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The Word of God reminds us, or maybe even comforts us, that we are not alone in our sin. When I have felt ashamed or convicted of my sins, I think to myself that this is a reminder of how much I love God, and how much God loves me. If I am feeling convicted, obviously there is something more God has intended for me. There must be something better. I can be assured that the sorrow in my heart will not last forever. Still, ahead lies the daunting task of confessing my sins and seeking forgiveness. Why is it so difficult and painful to humble ourselves before the Lord and confess our sins directly? What do we fear? Does the Lord not assure us that our conscience will be clear and we will have peace in our hearts? As Psalm 32 tells us, we will be blessed if we are forgiven. We will be set free when our sins have been covered with God’s mercy and grace. God desires for us to seek him in prayer and confess our sins. God does not wish for his children to live in the bondage of sin. By his love we have been set free, and God assures us that he will never take this away from us. Now is the time. Set yourself free from the bondage that is keeping you from experiencing the freedom God has intended. And may peace be with you. SCRIPTURE: Psalm 32 (NRSV) By Jodi H. Beyeler, communications/marketing asst.director at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: Changes coming upon us It keeps moving, moving around us Got to keep dancing knowing He loves us Got to keep joy in our hearts – song lyrics from “Changes” by Jim Croegaert (listen to the whole song here) The winds of change are indeed swirling around us on every level. You can notice it in your own decreased energy. You can feel it after a telephone call from a friend who just lost her job. You can hear it in the news from Wall Street and the White House. You can wonder about it as flowers begin to bloom and robins appear in January in Northern Indiana. The fear of change can overwhelm us, paralyze us and keep us from living. But that is not our only option. Changes on this journey to the Promised Land – even when the rules change and nothing is predictable anymore – also mean that everything is about to become new. Life is about to emerge from death. That is God’s promise. Even as change sweeps over us, can we be ashamed no more? Can we give up what is holding us back or holding us down? Can we move towards the Good News of Jesus Christ? Can we keep joy in our hearts? SCRIPTURE: Joshua 5:9-12 (NRSV) By Luke Gascho, executive director of Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURES: DEVOTIONAL: Today I turned a bowl from two pieces of discarded wood. While I was doing this project on the turning lathe, I thought about this Lenten theme and realized what I was doing paralleled messages found in the Scriptures for this week! I started with two chunks of wood that had been deemed “worthless.” The piece of black walnut was considered too small to be of any use in a large shop. The cherry was from a log that loggers had left behind since it didn’t have any value to be sawn into boards. One could say that the wood had been “disgraced” – or kept from a grace-filled purpose. But I could see great value in both pieces. I smoothed the two chunks, glued them together and was ready to start a new creation. As I began to turn the wood, I imagined the bowl that would emerge. With sharp tools, I shaped what had once been undervalued into a pleasing design. I appreciated how the two different kinds of wood had been “reconciled with each other,” as their colors complemented each other. The bond between them had become strong physically and visually. The newly created bowl reclaimed and preserved beauty in wood that been discarded. Consider these questions as you reflect on my woodturning story and read the passages for this fourth week of Lent:
By Liz Core, a senior at Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions DEVOTIONAL: The word “repentance” is daunting. This probably has something to do with the not-too-uncommon depiction of a lofty God furrowing his brows down on a Sodom-esque community, commanding “Repent, sinners!” in a booming tone. The broader Christian tradition has also had its own unfortunate history of preachers and people shouting from pulpits or street corners: “Repent, for thou art lowly!” This constant reminder of our sinfulness can do only harm. And, as I have learned from my own past feelings of self-loathing because I believed sermons that told me God does not accept me, I am not sure if dwelling in disgust for ourselves is holy at all. Not one bit. Though, this is not to say that repentance is unimportant. After all, the theme of repentance occurs numerous times in Scripture. Even Christ reminded a crowd that “Unless you repent, you will all perish” in Luke 13:5. Again, this is scary. But, real repentance is not a threat. It is an invitation to allow more of God’s goodness into ourselves by giving up the fight to hide our sinfulness. Repentance allows God to dig through our bulky, embarrassing baggage that we’ve been hiding or avoiding. This is a step towards more growth, so that we may thrive. And, this is far from a command to cower before an angry throne. After all, we all know that we are sinners already. But it is when we are ready to admit this and move on, through repentance, that we grow and bear the fruit. And this kind of repentance is not scary. It is lovely. SCRIPTURE: Luke 13:1-9 (NRSV) By Heather Goertzen, resident director, Goshen College Reprinted from Lenten Devotions SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (NRSV) DEVOTIONAL: Most of my life I have known the protection of the Cloud. I have poignant stories to tell about seas parting for both myself and those I love. I have lived in various communities who drink from (and draw me back to) the Rock who is Christ. Sometimes – even usually – it’s easy to feel caught up in the current of these “in-groups,” all chosen and royal, you “Children of the Most High God” you. This is precisely why I need the Church calendar to bring me to the Savior-waiting season of Advent and today, to the self-excavation of Lent. The fasts and feasts make monotony impossible and make way for both gratitude and humility. So if you think you’re standing – all satiated by the spiritual and tucked into the cozy hug of that cloud – not so quick. Watch your step. In fact, you might already be down. These are the messages of Scripture that startle me from the secure (along with Matt. 21:31 and Rev. 3:17). The plot switches and we, chosen cloud-dwellers, have to take pause. Just being here, at this table, just having the right juice in my chalice may not be enough? Have my hymnsings become more lullaby than worship? Is my service more about me than the Other? What I do when I get up from this table, the places I crawl for comfort, distraction, ego-soothing may reveal more about my gods than I care to let on. So if you think you are standing… |
Melanie Stanley-Soulen pastored Allen-Lee United Methodist Church from 2007 until 2013. Archives
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