1. religion and spirituality

OUR SAVIOR’S LUTHERAN CHURCH
LENTEN DEVOTIONAL 2011
Submissions by Members
Ash Wednesday, March 9
Lenten Psalm of Longing
I thank you, O God,
for the warming of the winds that brings a melting of the snow,
for daylight hours that daily grow longer and richer in the aroma of hope.
Spring lingers beneath the horizon
as approaching echoes of Easter ring in my ears.
I lift up my heart to you, Beloved,
in this season of Lent that gently sweeps across my sluggish and sleeping heart,
awakening me to a deeper love for you.
May the wind of the Spirit
that drove Jesus into the desert, into the furnace of prayer, also drive me with a passion
during this Lenten season to enkindle the fire of my devotion in the desert of Lenten love.
Birds above, on migratory wings,
signal me to an inner migration, a message that draws me homeward bound
on Spirit’s wings to the heart of my Beloved.
May I earnestly use this Lenten season
to answer the inner urge to return.
From Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim by Edward Hays
Bonita Bock
Gracious God, out of your love and mercy you breathed into dust the breath of life, creating us to serve you and our
neighbors. Call forth our prayers and acts of kindness, and strengthen us to face our mortality with confidence in the mercy
of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Prayer from Evangelical Lutheran Worship: Propers, p. 26
Thursday, March 10
Spirituality
Sometimes people get the mistaken notion that spirituality is a separate department of life, the penthouse of our
existence. But rightly understood, it is a vital awareness that pervades all realms of our being. Someone will say,
“I come alive when I listen to music, or “I come to life when I garden,” or “I come alive when I play golf.” Wherever
we come alive, that is the area in which we are spiritual. And then we can say, “I know at least how one is
spiritual in that area.” To be vital, awake, aware, in all areas of our lives, is the task that is never accomplished,
but it remains the goal.
--Brother David Steindi-Rast in The Music of Silence
An outburst of spirituality is evident in the volunteer work and political activism of me, women, and children
seeking to make a better world. These people find meaning and purpose in banding together with others to serve
a cause – whether feeding the homeless, helping people with HIV and AIDS, saving the whales (or the dolphins),
calling for the cleanup of toxic dump sites, supporting victims of domestic violence, or combating economic
exploitation of workers in global industries.
A world-encompassing spirituality is not only a challenge but a necessity. As the venerable thirteenth-century
monk Thomas Aquinas reminds us, “diversity is the perfection of the universe.”
Definitions of Spirituality as a Way of Being in the World:
“Spirituality is a measure of our humanity – personal depth, conscience, deep will.”
--Catholic Bishop Pedro Casaldaliga, poet of the Amazon Indians
“Spirituality is located in our human responses to the brokenness of our world, the threats to our planet home, the
crisis points in our own lives, and the pleas and plight of human beings around us.”
Sister Joan Pulls
“Spirituality is the journey toward wholeness: When we expand our awareness, strengthen our center, clarify our
purpose, transform our inner demons, develop our will and make conscious choices, we are moving toward
deeper connection with our spiritual self.”
--Psychotherapist Molly Young Brown
Quotes found in Spiritual Literacy by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Judith Lamb
Pray for our bishops, Mark and Allan, and all who serve in synodical and churchwide callings.
Friday, March 11
Lorna and Dana Found a Home
Dear Mr. Trast,
You may not remember me; my name is Lorna Kelly and my daughter, Dana, and I met you during our stay with
IHN about eight weeks ago. Dana hid in our room, refusing to come out unless there was school. I was sorting
through my business card collection and found yours. I wanted to let you know that Dana and I have been
sponsored by Most Precious Blood Catholic Parish. They have been very generous and helped us get back into a
home as well as replacing some of the things we lost during our ordeal (such as a bed and something to sit on,
etc.). Things are turning around for us. I am in the process of getting Dana some counseling to help her work out
her frayed nerves resulting from the experience of being homeless.
You are one of the people who will remain in my memory as a positive force in a world that can be hard to take.
Thank you for all that you do to help those in need.
Sincerely,
Lorna Kelly
A letter written to Mark Trast
Pray for the Interfaith Hospitality Network and the families they serve.
Saturday, March 12
Wait and See
There is hope, for me yet, because God won’t forget, all the plans he’s made for me
I have to wait and see, he’s not finished with me yet, he’s not finished with me yet
I never really was that good in school. Talked too much, broke the rules
My teachers thought I was a hopeless fool all right.
I don’t know how but I made it through, it’s one of those things you gotta do
I always had a knack for telling the truth.
There is hope, for me yet, because God won’t forget, all the plans he’s made for me
I have to wait and see, he’s not finished with me yet, he’s not finished with me yet
Still wonderin’ why I’m here. Still wrestling with my fear
But oh…He’s up to something,
And the farther out I go, I’ve seen enough to know that I’m not here for nothin’
He’s up to somethin’
So here’s my time to be a man, follow my heart as far as I can
No tellin’ where I’m ending up tonight
I never slow down or so it seems, but singing my heart is one of my dreams
All I gotta do is hold on tight.
There is hope, for me yet, because God won’t forget, all the plans he’s made for me
I have to wait and see, he’s not finished with me yet, he’s not finished with me yet
He’s not finished with me yet, He’s not finished with me yet.
Lyrics by Brandon Heath
Dan Tisdel
Pray for Narcotics Anonymous and for all who struggle with substance abuse.
Sunday, March 13
Daniel’s Gloves
I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town square. The food
and the company were both especially good that day. As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the
street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He
was carrying a well-worn sign that read, “I will work for food.” My heart sank. I brought him to the attention of my
friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of
sadness and disbelief. We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and
went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town
square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would
call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got
back in my car. Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: “Don’t go back to the office until you’ve at
least driven once more around the square.” Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the
square’s third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.
I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space
on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town’s
newest visitor.
“Looking for the pastor?” I asked. “Not really,” he replied, “just resting.” “Have you eaten today?” “Oh, I ate
something early this morning.” “Would you like to have lunch with me?” “Do you have some work I could do for
you?” “No work,” I replied, “I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.” “Sure,” he
replied with a smile. As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. “Where you headed?”
“St. Louis.” “Where you from?” “Oh, all over; mostly Florida.” “How long you been walking?” “Fourteen years,”
came the reply.
I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His
face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence
and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, “Jesus is The
[continued next page]
Never Ending Story.”
Then Daniel’s story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He’d made some wrong choices and
reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the
beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A
concert, he thought. He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those
services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God. “Nothing’s been the same since,” he said, “I felt
the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.” “Ever think of stopping?” I asked. “Oh,
once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me, but God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That’s
what’s in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.” I sat amazed. My
homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned
inside for a moment and then I asked: “What’s it like?” “What?” “To walk into a town carrying all your things on
your back and to show your sign?” “Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments.
Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn’t make me feel
welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people’s
concepts of other folks like me.” My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things.
Just outside the door, he paused. He turned to me and said, “Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the
kingdom I’ve prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a
stranger and you took me in.” I felt as if we were on holy ground. “Could you use another Bible?” I asked. He
said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite.
“I’ve read through it 14 times,” he said. “I’m not sure we’ve got one of those, but let’s stop by our church and see.”
I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful. “Where are you headed
from here?” I asked. “Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.” “Are you hoping
to hire on there for a while?” “No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there
needs a Bible, so that’s where I’m going next.” He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his
mission. I drove him back to the town square where we’d meet two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started
raining. We parked and unloaded his things. “Would you sign my autograph book?” he asked. “I like to keep
messages from folks I meet.” I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I
encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah: ‘I know the plans I have for
you, declared the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a future and a hope.’ [continued
next page]
“Thanks, man,” he said. “I know we just met and we’re really just strangers, but I love you.” “I know,” I said, “I
love you, too.” “The Lord is good!” “Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?” I asked. “A
long time,” he replied. And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I
felt deep inside that I had been changed. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, “See
you in the new Jerusalem.” “I’ll be there!” was my reply. He began his journey again. He headed away with his
sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, “When you see something that
makes you think of me, will you pray for me?” “You bet,” I shouted back, “God bless.” “God bless.” And that was
the last I saw of him.
Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I
bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them…a pair of
well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend
and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them. Then I remembered his words: “If you see
something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?” I see people in a new way, and they help me
remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. “See you in the New Jerusalem,” he
said. Yes, Daniel, I know I will… “I shall pass this way but once…Therefore, any good that I can do or any
kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.”
Author unknown; e-mail message received by Mark Trast
Pray for all seminarians preparing for ministry and service.
Monday, March 14
Lenten Psalm of the Royal Road
Lenten road,
four-laned royal way, lead me to my Beloved in these forty days of prayerful pilgrimage.
Royal and rich is the roadway
of earnest prayer and worship, and blessed are those who travel it.
They will find in the cave of their hearts
the One whom they seek.
Royal and treasure-filled
is the lane of study and reading, hours spent in feeding the soul
with food of knowledge, insights into the divine nature.
Royal and compassionate
is the avenue of alms-giving and of working for the poor.
Twice-blessed are those
who give of self and treasure as a Lenten work of worship.
Royal and fertile with life is the lane
of discipline, fast and abstinence which makes all disciples aware of their dependence
on the truest ground of being, carrying every pilgrim homeward bound.
Spirit of holiness, come to my aid,
that I might walk with prayerful passion during these forty days
on all four lanes of heaven’s Lenten royal road.
From Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim by Edward Hays
Bonita Bock
Pray for the Property Committee and their work to maintain and enhance our building so that it may continue to be
an asset for ministry.
Tuesday, March 15
Winter is the dry season in Africa, the time of safaris. We can learn from the dry seasons in life, and from life on
safari. “You could expect many things of God at night when the campfire burned before the tents,” Beryl Markham
wrote about safari life. “You were alone when you sat and talked with the others—and they were alone…What
you say has no ready ear but your own, and what you think is nothing except to yourself. The world is there and
you are here—and these are the only poles, the only realities. You talk, but who listens? You listen, but who
talks?”
A safari of the self and Spirit is at times lonely. But we know we are never alone. It is a comfort to realize that this
sense of isolation is necessary if we are to encounter Mystery, and mystery is very much a part of a safari. Each
day in the wilderness brings with it the struggle to survive and heightened awareness of how wonderful it is just to
see the sun set and rise again in the morning. Each day on safari is lived to the fullest because it is all that is
guaranteed. If only we could learn this lesson as well in our everyday lives.
Today, expect many things as you sit around the campfire of your heart. Someone is listening. Someone is
talking to you, encouraging you to take that next step as you embrace
the Mystery of the wilderness within.
Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life
do not last. The spring rains will come again.
From Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach
Linda Carlson
Pray for the Lydia Circle and the Women’s Evening Bible Study and their longstanding,
faithful commitment to study and fellowship.
Wednesday, March 16
Good Morning God
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18)
When praying for God’s guidance, do you ever feel that your prayers are not rising above the ceiling? Or do you
sometimes find it difficult to concentrate because your mind wanders all over the “wilderness” as it were?
I recall one occasion when I was badly wanting God’s guidance: before going to bed, I picked up my bedside
telephone and dialed 1-800-4heaven—from which I received a recorded message that said in a flat monotone
voice: “You are dialing the wrong number.” I was at least amused. It is true that (whether we feel it or not) God
does hear our prayers when they come from the heart. As the old ditty says: “I often say my prayers/but do I
really pray/and does the meaning of my heart/go with the words I say?” God doesn’t always answer our prayers
in the way we want, but he always answers them in one way or another. Sometimes his answer is “no,’
sometimes it is “yes,” and sometimes it is “wait a while.”
However, when having a difficult time praying, I have on many occasions written my prayers to God. This is
something that King David often did in his Psalms. I have found this very helpful and suggest that you try and
practice doing this oftentimes.
Today’s suggested prayer is an example: “Good morning, God, this is (your name) calling/writing. Thank you for
your promise that you always hear my prayers when I pray sincerely from my heart. Again today I commit and
trust my life and way to you. Please guide me in the way that I should go. I am available, so please use me to be
‘as Jesus’ in some way to every life I touch this day. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully,
in Jesus’ name, amen.”
From the ACTS International website, January 19, 2011
Mark Trast
Pray for Kathy Melies, Allen Pacheco, and all the staff and volunteers who work
to keep our church open and running.
Thursday, March 17
You are the peace of all things calm; You are the place to hide from harm
You are the light that shines in dark; You are the heart’s eternal spark
You are the door that’s open wide; You are the guest who waits inside
You are the stranger at the door; You are the calling of the poor
You are my Lord and with me from ill; You are the light, the truth, the way
Celtic oral tradition – 1st millennium
You are my Saviour this very day.
***
An important filter used to explain the relationship between God and the world is pantheism, which means “everything in
God and God in everything.”
This poem from an ancient Welsh text reveals that pantheism is certainly not a new idea:
I am the wind that breathes upon the sea, I am the wave on the ocean, I am the murmur of leaves rustling,
I am the rays of the sun, I am the beam of the moon and stars, I am the power of trees growing,
I am the bud breaking into blossom, I am the movement of the salmon swimming,
I am the courage of the wold boar fighting, I am the speed of the stag running,
I am the strength of the ox pulling the plough, I am the size of the mighty oak,
And I am the thoughts of all people, who praise my beauty and grace.
From The Black Book of Camarthan,
Quoted in Celtic Fire, edited by Robert Van de Weyer
Judith Lamb
Pray for the fellowship of the soup supper and evening prayer.
Friday, March 18
Who Am I?
Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth, Would care to know my name, Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star, Would choose to light the way, For my ever wandering heart.
Not because of who I am, But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done, But because of who you are.
I am a flower quickly fading, Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean, A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling, Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin, Would look on me with love, And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea, Would call out through the rain, And calm the storm in me.
Not because of who I am, But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done, But because of who you are.
I am a flower quickly fading, Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean, A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling, Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
Whom shall I fear Whom shall I fear
‘Cause I am yours…
I am yours…
Lyrics by Casting Crowns
Dan Tisdel
Pray for the staff and members of CHARG and for all who contend with mental illness.
Saturday, March 19
No Harsh North Winds
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness
and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11 (NIV))
James White wrote, “I once heard of a legend [that] originated in a small town in Germany that for a number of
years experienced poor harvests. The townspeople prayed at the beginning of a New Year saying, ‘God, our
harvests have been so poor and so scarce, for one year will you let us plan everything?’
God said, ‘All right, for one year.’
“they immediately set their plans for abundance into motion, and God complied with their every request.
Whenever they asked for rain, God sent rain. Whenever they asked for sun, God sent sun. The corn had never
grown higher, and the wheat had never been thicker. But when the harvest came, they discovered that the tall
corn had no ears, and the thick wheat had no heads of grain.
‘God, you have failed us!’ they cried out. ‘We asked for sun, and you sent sun. We asked for rain, and you sent
rain. But there is no crop.’
‘You never asked for the harsh north winds,’ answered God. ‘Without the harsh north winds, there is no
pollination, and with no pollination, there is no crop.’”
As Seneca said, “Gold is tried by fire, brave men by adversity.”
Dear God, please help me to accept trials and hardships as discipline and opportunities to help me grow and
become more fruitful, and more like Jesus in every way. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.
From the ACTS International website, January 2, 2011
Mark Trast
Pray for the Assisting Ministers in their service in leading our worship.
Sunday, March 20
“God can
do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest
dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his spirit deeply and gently within us.”
Ephesians 3:20-21 from “The Message”
***
Before a painter begins a new work, she takes preparatory steps to get ready. She has probably made
preliminary sketches of the scene she is trying to capture. She mixes her pigments to achieve the right colors.
She has also prepared the canvas with a fixative coating so that the paint will adhere. All of this takes time. Of
course, we don’t see the preparations when we look at her completed work. We only see the entire vision. And
as artist Helen Frankenthaler once commented, “A picture that is beautiful or that works looks as if it was all made
at one stroke. I don’t like to see the trail of a brushstroke or a drip of paint.”
Preparatory steps are necessary in all the arts. They are also necessary in life if we want to live authentically.
Every twenty-four hours we are given a fresh canvas to prime, to make ready for the vision. Quieting our minds in
meditation, carving out time to dream and express ourselves with our daily dialogue and illustrated discovery
journal, becoming aware of our true preferences, slowing down to concentrate on completing one task at a time—
these are the preparatory steps we need to take if we wish to experience contentment.
But our preparation won’t have been in vain. For when we are in the flow of life, savoring the moment, the brush
strokes don’t show. Today, don’t rush through your inner preparations as you get ready to set down a piece of
your soul on life’s canvas.
From Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach
Linda Carlson
Pray for the SAGE program and those who strive for wellness.
Monday, March 21
Imagine a spring-fed stream flowing from deep underground,
Pure fresh water bubbling out to dance in the light for a while.
There is a quiet space inside you.
Picture yourself standing in that quiet space as though you were standing in a clearing in the woods,
Looking down at a stream that is dancing over the rocks.
There is a stream inside you, and it is your source.
It is a stream of energy that nourishes and inspires, and it bubbles up from a deep place, a sacred place.
This source feeds you always.
Some call this stream ‘God’s love.’
From “Remember Your Essence” by Paul Williams
***
I’m trembling, Lord, the world is shaky for me now.
Everywhere I turn I feel the doubt—
Which way is safe? Which way holds me firm? What small move could send me over the precipice
Into the emptiness with no way of return?
Hold me, Lord, steady me with your promises,
That I may touch them and believe them once more.
Untitled poem from “God is a Verb!” by Marilee Zdenek
Jan Molstad
Pray for the residents and staff at Emerson Gardens, a sign of community and caring.
Tuesday, March 22
ohn 3:16—I Don’t Understand It
A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner; the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so
cold that he wasn’t trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, “Mister, you wouldn’t
happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight, would you? You see, I sleep in a box
up around the corner there and down the alley and it’s awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have
a warm place to stay.”
The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, “You go down the street to that big white house and you
knock on the door. When they come out the door, you just say ‘John 3:16’ and they will let you in.”
So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said, “John
3:16.” The lady said, “Come on in, Son.” She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of
a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: John 3:16…I
don’t understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm. Later she came back and asked him “Are you hungry?”
He said, “Well, just a little. I haven’t eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food.” The
lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn’t eat
any more. Then he thought to himself: John 3:16…Boy, I sure don’t understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy
full.
She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a
while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: John 3:16…I sure don’t understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy
clean. You know, I’ve not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in
front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out. The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room,
tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out
the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he
thought to himself: John 3:16…I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy rest.
The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate,
she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible.
She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face. “Do you understand John 3:16?” she asked gently.
He replied, “No, Ma’am, I don’t. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it.”
She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there, in front of that big old
fireplace, he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought: John 3:16…I don’t understand it, but it
sure makes a lost boy feel safe.
You know, I have to confess I don’t understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and
how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don’t understand the agony of the Father and every angel in heaven
as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don’t understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till
the end. I don’t understand it, but it sure does make life worth living…John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
An e-mail message forwarded to Mark Trast
Pray for the Finance Committee as they guide us in faithful stewardship of our fiscal resources.
Wednesday, March 23
Psalm 43: 3-5 (The Message)
Give me your lantern and compass, Give me a map,
So I can find my way to the sacred mountain,
To the place of your presence, To enter the place of worship,
Meet my exuberant God, Sing my thanks with a harp,
Magnificent God, my God.
Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
Soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.
Linda Carlson
***
I heard the piping but did not dance; I heard the wailing but did not mourn.
Wrapped up tightly in my own world, I heard with my ears—but not with my heart.
Forgive me Lord.
In your whole symphony of life, I want to go with the high notes and the low,
Responding to each sound in the total song, playing your music, letting the sound of your love
Be the refrain that repeats itself in my life—
Extending to all the lives that my life touches.
Untitled poem from “God is a Verb!” by Marilee Zdenek
Jan Molstad
Pray for the Ushers and Greeters who are the welcoming face of our congregation.
Thursday, March 24
Never Alone
I waited for you today, But You didn’t show. No. No. No.
I needed You today, So where did You go?
You told me to call, You said You’d be there
And thought I haven’t seen You, Are You still there?
I cried out with no reply and I can’t feel You by my side.
So I’ll hold tight to what I know. You’re here and I’m never alone.
And though I cannot see You and I can’t feel You by my side.
So I’ll hold tight to what I know. You’re here and I’m never alone.
And though I cannot see You and I can’t explain why.
Such a deep, deep reassurance You’ve placed in my life, oh
We cannot separate ‘Cause You’re part of me
And though You’re invisible, I’ll trust the unseen
I cried out with no reply And I can’t feel You by my side
So I’ll hold tight to what I know; You’re here and I’m never alone
We cannot separate, You’re part of me
And though You’re invisible I’ll trust the unseen
I cried out with no reply and I can’t feel You by my side
So I’ll hold tight to what I know, You’re here and I’m never alone
Lyrics by Barlowgirl
Dan Tisdel
Pray for Pastor Tina Yankee and the staff and clients of the Turnabout ministry.
Friday, March 25
Give Me Your Eyes
Looked down from a broken sky, traced out by the city lights,
My world from a mile high, best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tar, hold on for the sudden stop
Breathe in the familiar shock, of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere, Why have I never cared?
Give me Your eyes for just one second Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken hearted The ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten Give me Your eyes so I can see
Step out on a busy street, see a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me, to hide what’s underneath
There’s a man just to her right, black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife, he’s out of work, he’s buying time
All those people going somewhere, why have I never cared?
I’ve been there a million times, a couple of million eyes just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well, I want a second glance, so give me a second chance
To see the way You see the people all alone
Give me your eyes for just one second Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken hearted the ones that are far beyond my reach?
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten Give me Your eyes so I can see
Lyrics by Brandon Heath
Dan Tisdel
Pray for the staff and volunteers of Metro CareRing, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry,
and other organizations in their efforts to promote social justice.
Saturday, March 26
Journal of the Movement of the World No. 4
A choir is a beautiful thing
Yesterday afternoon was my school’s choir performance. In my posh neighborhood school, there is a choir: nobody thinks
it’s square and everyone competes to join but it’s very exclusive: Monsieur Trianon, the music teacher, hand picks his
choristers. The reason the choir is so successful is because of Monsieur Trianon himself. He is young and handsome and
he has the choir sing not only the old jazz standards but also the latest hits, with very classy orchestration. Everyone gets
all dressed up and the choir performs for the other students. Only the choir members’ parents are invited because otherwise
there’d be too many people. The gymnasium is always packed fit to burst as it is and there’s an incredible atmosphere.
So yesterday off I headed to the gymnasium at a trot, led by Madame Fine because as usual on Tuesday afternoon first
period we have French class. “Led by” is saying a lot; she did what she could to keep up the pace, wheezing like an old
whale. Eventually we got to the gym, everybody found a place as best they could. I was forced to listen to the most asinine
conversations coming at me from below, behind, every side, all around (in the bleachers), and in stereo (cell phone, fashion,
cell, who’s going out with who, cell, dumb-ass teachers, cell, Cannelle’s party) and then finally the choir arrived to thundering
applause, dressed in red and white with bow ties for the boys and long dresses with shoulder straps for the girls. Monsieur
Trianon sat down on a high stool, his back to the audience, then raised a sort of baton with a little flashing red light at the
end, silence fell and the performance began.
Every time, it’s a miracle. Here are all these people, full of heartache or hatred or desire, and we all have our troubles and
the school year is filled with vulgarity and triviality and consequence, and there are all these teachers and kids of every
shape and size, and there’s this life we’re struggling through full of shouting and tears and laughter and fights and break-ups
and dashed hopes and unexpected luck—it all disappears, just like that, when the choir begins to sing. Everyday life
vanishes into song, you are suddenly overcome with a feeling of brotherhood, of deep solidarity, even love, and it diffuses
the ugliness of everyday life into a spirit of perfect communion. Even the singers’ faces are transformed: it’s no longer
Achille Grand-Fernet that I’m looking at (he is a very fine tenor), or Déborah Lemeur or Ségolène Rachet or Charles SaintSauveur. I see human beings, surrendering to music.
Every time, it’s the same thing, I feel like crying, my throat goes all tight and I do the best I can to control myself but
sometimes it gets close: I can hardly keep myself from sobbing. So when they sing a canon I look down at the ground
because it’s just too much emotion at once: it’s too beautiful, and everyone singing together, this marvelous sharing. I’m no
longer myself, I am just one part of a sublime whole, to which the others also belong, and I always wonder at such moments
why this cannot be the rule of everyday life, instead of being an exceptional moment, during a choir.
When the music stops, everyone applauds, their faces all lit up, the choir radiant. It is so beautiful.
In the end, I wonder if the true movement of the world might not be a voice raised in song.
From The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Kim Zietz
Pray for Dr. Donald Zimmermann, the Choir, and all who contribute to the beauty of our worship with gifts of music
and song.
Sunday, March 27
Forgiven
Well the past is playing with my head, and failure knocks me down again
I’m reminded of the wrong that I have said and done
And that devil just won’t let me forget
In this life, I know what I’ve been but here in your arms, I know what I am
I’m forgiven, I’m forgiven And I don’t have to carry the weight of who I’ve been
‘Cause I’m forgiven
My mistakes are running through my mind,
And I’ll relive my days, in the middle of the night
When I struggle with my pain, wrestle with my pride
Sometimes I feel alone, and I cry
In this life, I know what I’ve been, but here in your arms, I know what I am
I’m forgiven, I’m forgiven And I don’t have to carry the weight of who I’ve been
‘Cause I’m forgiven
When I don’t fit in and I don’t feel like I belong anywhere
When I don’t measure up to much in this life
Oh, I’m a treasure in the arms of Christ ‘cause
I’m forgiven.
Lyrics by Sanctus Real
Dan Tisdel
Pray for the Sing a New Song group and their ministry at the Denver County Jail.
Monday, March 28
This is the Stuff
I lost my keys in the great unknown and call me please
Cause I can’t find my phone
This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that’s getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess, I forget how big I’m blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin.
But I’ve gotta trust You know exactly what You’re doing
Might not be what I would choose but this is the stuff You use
45 in a 35
Sirens and fines
While I’m running behind
To break me of impatience, conquer my frustrations
I’ve got a new appreciation, it’s not the end of the world…
This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff, someone save me
In the middle of my little mess, I forget how big I’m blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I’ve gotta trust You know exactly what You’re doing
Might not be what I would choose but this is the stuff You use.
Lyrics by Francesca Battistelli
Dan Tisdel
Pray for Nicotine Anonymous and for all who suffer ill health from their tobacco addiction.
Tuesday, March 29
What to Give Up – a Lenten Reflection
Give up complaining—focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism—become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments—think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry—trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement—be full of hope.
Give up bitterness—turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred—return good for evil.
Give up negativism—be positive.
Give up anger—be more patient.
Give up pettiness—become mature.
Give up gloom—enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Give up jealousy—pray for trust.
Give up gossiping—control your tongue.
Give up sin—turn to virtue.
Give up giving up—hang in there!
By Chad Pittman
Judith Lamb
Pray for those who sell the Grocery Certificates and Fair Trade items, which provide financial support to our
church, and also to the workers.
Wednesday, March 30
The fruit of silence is prayer.
The fruit of prayer is faith.
The fruit of faith is love.
The fruit of love is service.
The fruit of service is peace.
Mother Teresa Cited in the Urban Servant Corps brochure—2009-2010 Annual Report
Pat Bjerke
***
The light that flows from you
Has a special flavor all its own.
No one else can spread your light in the world.
Those of us who drink from your fountain
Depend on you.
You enrich our lives.
You support us and bring life to us
By being yourself,
And letting God’s energy flow through you.
From “Remember Your Essence” by Paul Williams
Jan Molstad
Pray for the Urban Servant Corps and all volunteers in service to the poor and marginalized.
Thursday, March 31
Limitless love, from the depths to the stars: flooding all, loving all.
It is the royal kiss of peace.
***
The sun is set in the firmament of heaven. It watches over earthly creation, letting nothing perish.
God watches over us in just such a way.
In no way, can a believer that sets heart and being on God, ever be forgotten by God.
The sun climbs its course and at mid-day burns in full glow.
This is how it is with those who are just.
They demonstrate fullness and justice. They cannot be hindered, just as the sun
cannot be hindered in its ascent.
No warmth ever goes to waste.
***
The marvels of God are not brought forth from one’s self.
Rather, it is more like a chord, a sound that is played. The tone does not come out of the chord itself,
but rather, through the touch of the musician.
I am, of course, the lyre and harp of God’s kindness.
From Meditations With Hildegard of Bingen-versions by Gabriele Uhlein
(A Benedictine, who wrote in the 12th century)
Jan Molstad
Pray for St. Luke’s Ministry and the students preparing for new opportunities and careers.
Friday, April 1
Here With Me
I long for your embrace every single day
To meet you in this place and see you face to face
Will you show me?
Reveal yourself to me
Because of your mercy
I fall down on my knees.
And I can feel your presence here with me
Suddenly I’m lost within your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of your touch
Here in this moment I surrender to your love
You’re everywhere I go
I am not alone
You call me as your own
To know you and be known
You are holy and I fall down on my knees
I can feel your presence here with me
Suddenly I’m lost within your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of your touch
Here in this moment I surrender to your love
I surrender to your grace, I surrender to the one who took my place
Lyrics by MercyMe
Dan Tisdel
Pray for the Lutheran AIDS Network and all who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Saturday, April 2
Psalm 91 (NRSV)
You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My
refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his
pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the
terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that
wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look
with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no
scourge come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you
up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and
the serpent you will trample under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer
them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show
them my salvation.
Kim Zietz
Pray for our Sunday School—our teachers and students—that we may continue to share with each other and
learn from each other.
Sunday, April 3
Spiritual Literacy
Life is a sacred adventure. Every day we encounter signs that point to the active presence of Spirit in the world
around us. Spiritual literacy is the ability to read the sign written in the texts of our own experiences. Whether
viewed as a gift from God or a skill to be cultivated, this facility enables us to discern and decipher a world full of
meaning.
Spiritual literacy is practiced in all the world’s wisdom traditions. Medieval Catholic monks called it “reading the
book of the world.” Muslims suggest that everything that happens outside and inside us is a letter to be read.
Native Americans find their way through the wilderness by “reading sign.” From ancient times to today, spiritually
literate people have been able to locate within their daily life, points of connection with the sacred.
…Many of us recognize the presence of Spirit moving in our lives through encounters with things, places, nature,
and animals. Our activities also put us on a spiritual path. When we see the world with a spiritual focus, we
frequently find ourselves moved to service. A spiritual perspective is perhaps most evident in our relationships,
and we also see how Spirit moves through our ordinary activities and becomes known to us.
Spiritual literacy means being able to find sacred meanings in all aspects of life. The more adept we become at
reading the world spiritually, the more comfortable we will be with different images of God. When we are
spiritually literate, we discover that the whole world
is charged with sacred meaning.
Protestant theologian Samuel H. Miller said – “In the muddled mess of this world, in the confusion and the
boredom, we ought to be able to spot something – an event, a person, a memory, an act, a turning of the soul, a
flash of bright wings, the surprise of sweet compassion – somewhere we ought to pick out a glory to celebrate.”
From Spiritual Literacy by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Judith Lamb
Pray for Metropolitan Organizations for People (MOP), our OSCOM members,
and their efforts to build community.
Monday, April 4
Word of God Speak
I’m finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it’s okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You’re in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak
I’m finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice
I’m finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it’s okay
Lyrics by MercyMe
Dan Tisdel
Pray for the lectors, those who read the scripture in our worship and bring the written Word into our hearing.
Tuesday, April 5
Faithful to the Message
If we 21st-century disciples would practice the depth and breadth of hospitality that our ancient brothers and
sisters practiced, our witness to the world would be so much stronger. For ultimately, as Andrew Arterbury has
said in his book, Entertaining Angels: Hospitality in Luke and Acts, “This passage teaches that Jesus’ disciples in
all generations must allow God to move them past their prejudices. Through the ministry of Christian hospitality
God can forge permanent, interdependent bonds among his followers and with those who have previously been
seen as ‘strangers.’”
Who is it that you or your congregation struggles to receive or include?
What might the story of Peter and Cornelius say to you as you wrestle with being faithful to the message of
Scripture and at the same time, faithful to the spirit of the living Christ who continues, as Luther’s Small Catechism
says, “to call, gather, enlighten, and sanctify the whole Christian church on earth’?
One of my favorite hymns in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW 641) sums up the thrust of this passage
beautifully. Written by Marty Haugen, “All Are Welcome” encourages the same gospel reception and sense of
hospitality that Peter discovered in this story from Acts 10. Haugen’s words echo the yearnings of many:
Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live, a place where saints and children tell
how hearts learn to forgive. Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace; here
the love of Christ shall end divisions; All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone to heal and strengthen, serve
and teach, and live the Word they’ve known. Here the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God’s
face; let us bring an end to fear and danger: all are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this
place. [continued next page]
Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard and loved and treasured, taught
and claimed as words within the Word. Built of tear and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of
grace, let this house proclaim from floor to rafter: All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this
place.
As we lean into the ways of God and seek to be faithful to God’s radically inclusive vision, we might well
remember, as did the early church, that we should never go it alone. When Peter went from Joppa to Caesarea
he took some of the circumcised believers with him-namely, some Jewish Christians. And when Cornelius
welcomed Peter to his home, his relatives and friends were there also.
May the circles of our inclusion continue to expand outward until the whole world lives under the umbrella of God’s
all-encompassing love.
By the Reverend Gladys G. Moore—article from the periodical Lutheran Woman Today (January/February 2011
issue)
Pat Bjerke
Pray for the Hospitality Committee and their work to build and nurture our relationships in community.
Wednesday, April 6
We must remember that life is all we have. If we leave it empty, it will remain empty. If we fill it with all our being,
heart, mind, and soul, it will be full of all the marvels of heaven and earth. As for myself, when the moment will
come to close my eyes on this beautiful planet, my heart will thank and honor all those who gave me life and the
warmth of love, and Him who permitted me to devote my earthly sojourn to peace, justice, and the betterment of
the human condition in one of the noblest organizations ever born from the heart of man. I will go in peace and
joy, thankful for having been blessed with the miracle of life.
I will have loved my life with passion, embraced it with fervor, cherished every single moment of it. I will have
contemplated with wonder the sky and its running clouds, my brethren the humans, my sisters the flowers and the
stars. I will have feasted unceasingly on the treasure of life in all its forms. I will not have dwelled in mediocre
ambitions, vain hatred, and useless complaints.
I will depart with the belief that there is no end to the flow of life in the universe, that there is no death but only an
unceasing change of worlds.
My conclusion would therefore be: decide to be happy, render others happy, proclaim your joy, love passionately
your miraculous life, do not listen to promises, do not wait for a better world, be grateful for every moment of life,
switch on and keep on the positive buttons in yourself: those marked optimism, serenity, confidence, positive
thinking, love;
Pray and thank God every day, meditate, smile, laugh, whistle, sing, dance, look with fascination at everything, fill
your lungs and heart with liberty, be yourself fully and immensely, act like a king unto death, feel God in your
body, mind, heart, and soul, and be convinced
of eternal life and resurrection.
From Most of All, They Taught Me Happiness by Robert Muller (who served for 30 years as the Under-Secretary
General of the United Nations)
Jan Molstad
Pray for the New Life Centre (Malawi) and all compassionate ministries around the world.
Thursday, April 7
A major block to spiritual literacy is the inability to embrace our own experiences.
“Where shall I look for Enlightenment?” the disciple asked. “Here,” the elder said.
“When will it happen?” the disciple asked. “It is happening right now,” the elder answered.
“Then why don’t I experience it?” the disciple persisted. “Because you do not look,” the elder said.
“But what should I look for?” the disciple continued. “Nothing. Just look,” the elder said.
“But at what?” the disciple asked again. “At anything your eyes alight upon,” the elder answered.
“But must I look in a special kind of way?” the disciple went on. “No. The ordinary way will do,” the elder said.
“But don’t I always look the ordinary way?” the disciple said. “No, you don’t,” the elder said.
“But why ever not?” the disciple asked. “Because to look you must be here.
You’re mostly somewhere else,” the elder said.
--Joan Chittister in There is a Season
***
God decided to become visible to a king and a peasant and sent an angel to inform them of the blessed event.
“O king,” the angel announced, “God has deigned to be revealed to you in whatever manner you wish. In what
form do you want God to appear?” Seated pompously on his throne and surrounded by awestruck subjects, the
king royally proclaimed: “How else would I wish to see God, save in majesty and power? Show God to us in the
full glory of power.” God granted his wish and appeared as a bolt of lightning that instantly pulverized the king and
his court. Nothing, not even a cinder remained.
The angel then manifested herself to a peasant, saying: “God deigns to be revealed to you in whatever manner
you desire. How do you wish to see God?” Scratching his head and puzzling a long while, the peasant finally
said: “I am a poor man and not worthy to see God face to face. But if it is God’s will to be revealed to me, let it be
in those things with which I am familiar. Let me see God in the earth I plough, the water I drink, and the food I eat.
Let me see the presence of God in the faces of my family, neighbors, and – if God deems it as good for myself
and others – even in my own reflections as well.”
God granted the peasant his wish, and he lived a long and happy life.
--Quoted in Peacemaking Day by Day
Judith Lamb
Pray for the MARCH Center and those who are nourished in body and spirit there.
Friday, April 8
God Speaking
Have you ever heard a love song that set your spirit free?
Have you ever watched a sunrise and felt you could not breathe?
What if it’s Him, What if it’s God speaking?
Have you ever cried a tear that you could not explain?
Have you ever met a stranger who already knew your name?
What if it’s Him, What if it’s God speaking?
Who knows how He’ll get ahold of us?
Get our attention to prove He is enough.
He’ll do, and He’ll use whatever He wants to, to tell us, “I Love You.”
Have you ever lost a loved one, who you thought should still be here?
Do you know what it feels like to be tangled up in fear?
What if He’s somehow involved? What if He’s speaking through it all?
Who knows how He’ll get ahold of us?
Get our attention to prove he is enough.
He’ll do and He’ll use whatever He wants to, to tell us, “I love you.”
His ways are higher, His ways are better, though sometimes strange
What could be stranger than God in a manger?
Who knows how He’ll get ahold of us
Get our attention to prove He is enough.
Who knows how He’ll get ahold of you?
Get your attention to prove he is enough.
He’ll do and He’ll use whatever He wants to, to tell us “I love you”
God is speaking, “I love you.”
Lyrics by Mandisa
Dan Tisdel
Saturday, April 9
Mother had told me not just once, but often, that she was afraid to die. Many people will say the same, but Mother meant
something very concrete, very specific, very unambiguous. Three weeks before her death she said to me, “I am afraid to
die, not to go the hospital, not to undergo surgery, not to suffer pain. I am afraid to appear before God and show him my
life.” It was this great encounter that frightened her. She was so deeply impressed by God’s awesome greatness and had
become so aware of her own nothingness that the encounter could only frighten her.
Maybe ‘fear’ was not the best word; perhaps she meant ‘dread,’ the overpowering knowledge of that great abyss between
God and his creatures. That awesome awareness meant a momentous struggle, a battle, a fight. How can a human being
face God and live? What is there to hold on to except faith, hope, and love? Everything else seems to vanish in this
terrifying hour – even husband, children, grandchildren, and a beautifully lived life with its joys and pains. At the moment of
death only God matters.
The struggle is a lonely one.
From In Memoriam by Henri J.M. Nouwen
Jan Molstad
Sunday, April 10
Now there was no doubt that she was dying; it was so clearly written on her face. I knew that we both
knew. But there were no words. I bent over her face. So close, so intimate, so gentle, so painful. The tears in
her eyes made me realize that while she was glad I had come, she was also sad that we could now do no more
than just look at each other – and pray.
“Shall I pray?” I asked softly. She seemed pleased and nodded. Knowing she would have asked me this
if she had had the strength to speak, I realized that the words of the psalms would make it possible to
communicated with each other in new ways. When I opened the book it was all so very normal, familiar
and safe.
Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God.
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life; when can I enter and see the face of God?
My tears have become my bread, by night, by day, as I hear it said all day long: “Where is your God?”
These things will I remember as I pour out my soul: how I would lead the rejoicing crowd
into the house of God.
Why are you cast down, my soul, why groan within me? Hope in God; I will praise him still, my savior and
my God. (Psalm 41)
As these words were slowly shaped by my lips, covering her like a gentle cloud, I knew that we were
closer than ever. Although she was too ill to smile, too weak to say thanks, too tired to respond, her eyes
expressed the joy we felt in simply being together. The psalms had a power which I had not recognized
before. They lifted the veil of sentimentality. As soon as the words of the psalms were spoken, there was
a strength, a power, and a divine realism between us. There was a joyful clarity. A mother was dying,
her son was praying, God was present and all was good.
From In Memoriam by Henri J.M. Nouwen (written about his mother’s death)
Jan Molstad
Pray for those who have recently lost loved ones.
Monday, April 11
When my friend, Rob, was dying, his youngest brother was concerned because Rob was refusing to discuss God or religion
with him. As we sat in the hospital waiting room during Rob’s surgery, this brother told me about growing up in their family.
He said that when Rob and his other brother were young, their parents had made a valiant effort to take them to church and
teach them about God. Unfortunately, the God they found in their church was an angry, judgmental, punishing God.
Nothing anyone said or did was ever “good enough’ and the constant threat of eternal hellfire and damnation made going to
church a very unpleasant experience which the boys tried to avoid. Finally, Rob’s parents got tired and stopped dragging
the boys to church.
When the third soon came along, he grew up in a home where God was not mentioned. In college, he began to search for
some “meaning” in life. Did he find God…or did God find him? Ironically, this brother became a Baptist preacher. And he
was very concerned that his brother was (stubbornly?) going to his grave without any relationship with God.
Rob was a quiet, gentle man who avoided any conflict or unpleasantness. Although I had known him for 25 years, and he
knew I was a Christian, we had never discussed God or religion. He had always been an enigma. He avoided religion and
God, but yet, he was one of the most generous, giving people I knew. He volunteered at several organizations 6 days a
week, and I knew he regularly donated substantial sums of money to worthy organizations. (I found out later that he
regularly donated to over 100 different organizations!)
I thought about this new information and my new understanding, and asked God what I should do. I couldn’t blame the
family for rejecting a relationship with the God they had known. Who would want to be “friends” with a God like that? On the
other hand, it grieved me also to see Rob dying without the comfort and reassurance God could give him.
I waited for the right time, and I brought up the subject of God. I told him what his brother had told me about their childhood
experience with God and with going to church. Then I offered a guess that from his experience going to church as a child,
he believed in God, but he didn’t like the God he believed in.
Because of his brain tumor, Rob was barely able to speak any more, but his response to me was an emphatic “Durned
right!” Relieved, I said, “I think God understands about that, and He loves you anyhow.” Two weeks later at the hospice, I
was singing him the most healing, comforting hymn I know as he took his final breath. A hymn “spoken” by a God of love
and grace.
And we sang it again a week later at his memorial service…
I was there to hear your borning cry,
I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized
To see your life unfold…
When the evening gently closes in,
And you shut your weary eyes,
I’ll be there as I have always been,
With just one more surprise…
Personal reflection written by Judith Lamb
Pray for those who intercede for others through the Prayer Chain.
Tuesday, April 12
The Voice of Truth
Oh, what I would do to have the kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I’m in onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is, and he’s holding out his hand
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me, reminding me of all the times I’ve tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me time and time again, “Boy, you’ll never win, you’ll never win”
But the Voice of truth tells me a different story; The Voice of truth says “do not be afraid!”
And the Voice of truth says “this is for My glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth
Oh, what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors shaking in their armor, wishing they’d have had the strength to stand
But the giant’s calling out my name and he laughs at me, reminding me of all the times I’ve tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me time and time again, “Boy, you’ll never win, you’ll never win.”
But the voice of truth tells me a different story; the Voice of truth says “do not be afraid!”
And the Voice of truth says “this is for My glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth
But the stone was just the right size to put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don’t seem so high from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus singing over me
But the Voice of truth tells me a different story; the Voice of truth says “do not be afraid!”
And the Voice of truth says “this is for my glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth
Lyrics by Casting Crowns
Dan Tisdel
Pray for the Church Council in its work on behalf of the entire community of Our Savior’s.
Wednesday, April 13
As long as Jesus was present to [the disciples] in the flesh, they did not yet recognize his full presence in the Spirit….Jesus
sends the Spirit so that we may be led to the full truth of the divine life. Truth does not mean an idea, concept, or doctrine,
but the true relationship. To be led into the truth is to be led into the same relationship that Jesus has with the Father; it is to
enter into a divine betrothal. …When the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples and dwells with them, their lives are
transformed into Christ-like lives, lives shaped by the same love that exists between the Father and the Son. The spiritual
life is indeed a life in which we are lifted up to become partakers of the divine life….those who have entered into the spiritual
life are precisely the ones who are sent into the world to continue and fulfill the work that Jesus began.
From Making All Things New by Henri J.M. Nouwen
Scott Zimmerman
***
Definitions of Spirituality:
“That attitude which puts life at the center, and defends and promotes life against all the mechanisms of death, dislocation of
stagnation.”
--Latin American liberation theologian Leonardo Bogg
“The spiritual life is, at root, a manner of seeing. It is all of life seen from a certain perspective. It is waking, sleeping,
dreaming, eating, drinking, working, loving, relaxing, recreating, walking, sitting, standing, and breathing. Spirit suffuses
everything, and so the spiritual life is simply life, wherever and whatever seen from the vantage point of Spirit.”
--John Shea, a contemporary Catholic theologian
Found in Spiritual Literacy by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Judith Lamb
Pray with thanksgiving for the Altar Guild, the Communion bread bakers, and their service in preparing our community for
worship.
Thursday, April 14
Paying Attention
Spiritual literacy is about paying attention. All kinds of wonderful and important things are going on directly in front
of us but we miss most of them because we are not awake.
Remember Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? “Watch here and wait with me,” he tells his disciples.
They cannot do it.
God is in the details. Paying attention requires discipline and practice.
People who meditate are on the right track, according to writer Catherine Bateson: “They are seeking therapy for
a wounded capacity to attend.”
“Attention,” clinical psychologist Timothy Miller observes, is the intention to live
without reservation in the here-and-now.”
Moments of grace, epiphanies, and great insights are lost to us because we are in too much of a hurry to notice
them. Slow down or you’ll miss the good stuff.
It is reported that the poet and doctor William Carlos Williams used to carry a notepad around with him. On it was
written: “Things I noticed today that I’ve missed until today.”
Be prepared to look long and steadily at things. They will speak to you and reveal themselves. “The moment one
gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass,” writer Henry Miller observes, “it becomes a mysterious,
awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.”
Pay attention. Stay awake.
From Spiritual Literacy by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Judith Lamb
Friday, April 15
For the Moments I Feel Faint
Am I at the point of no improvement? What of the death I still dwell in?
I try to excel, but I feel no movement. Can I be free of this unreleasable sin?
Never underestimate my Jesus.
You’re telling me that there’s no hope.
I’m telling you you’re wrong.
Never underestimate my Jesus
When the world around you crumbles
He will be strong, He will be strong
I throw up my hands, “Oh, the impossibilities”
Frustrated and tired, where do I go from here?
Now I’m searching for the confidence I’ve lost so willingly
Overcoming these obstacles is overcoming my fear
Never Underestimate my Jesus.
You’re telling me that there’s no hope. I’m telling you you’re wrong.
Never underestimate my Jesus
When the world around you crumbles
He will be strong, He will be strong
I think I can’t, I think I can’t
But I think you can, I think you can
I think I can’t, I think I can’t
But I think you can, I think you can
Gather my insufficiencies and
Place them in your hands, place them in your hands, place them in your hands
Lyrics by Relient K
Dan Tisdel
Pray for New Beginnings Ministry, a sign of life for women in prison.
Saturday, April 16
HUMILITY
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve –
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for help that I might do greater things –
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy –
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life –
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for –
But everything I had hoped for.
Despite myself, my prayers were answered.
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.
Anonymous
Karleen Schofield
***
“It is true. We’re beggars.” -- Luther’s last written words: February 16, 1546. This is Luther’s final testimony to
humankind’s total dependence on the grace and mercy of God and to life’s character as an absolute gift.
The Lutheran Handbook 2005 (Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis, Mn., p. 57)
Tim McAuliffe
Palm Sunday, April 17
Complete in Jesus
“…Though He be not far from every one of us: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being: as certain also
of your own poets have said, for we are also His offspring.” (Acts 17:27-28 KJV) The entire creation reveals God.
And since we are His offspring, He has a very close relationship with us. But separation from Jesus causes us to
be incomplete and separate from God our Father in heaven. We are in relationship with God if we are complete in
Jesus and He in us. Jesus and we are complete together and hence inseparable. We are incomplete when we
are separate. We need to know who Jesus is intimately and be complete with Him. Therefore, meditate on what
He said for Himself and what others have said. He is:
The Author and Finisher of our faith, and Advocate, Mediator, Intercessor, the Life, Light, Bread, Living Water, the
Lawyer, Judge, the Counselor, our Captain, Defense, Deliverer, a Friend, Kinsman, Brother, Priest, Prophet,
Sacrifice, Pure, Holy Redeemer, Saviour, King, Lord, Master, Sun of Righteousness, Healer, Lover of our souls,
Full of Mercy, Compassion, and Grace. Above all He is our God and Creator.
Dear Lord! Permit us to be close to Thee, and be Thou complete in us and help us to be complete in Thee.
Without Thee we are nothing. Thou art our All in All. Amen and Amen.
Daisy Marion Hamesh-Das
Pray for strength and renewal as we begin the journey of Holy Week and recall Jesus’ entry
into Jerusalem to complete his ministry.
Monday, April 18
“In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there.”
In the middle of sentences loaded with action – healing suffering people, casting out devils, responding to
impatient disciples, traveling from town to town and preaching from synagogue to synagogue – we find these quiet
words: “In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed
there.” In the center of breathless activities we hear a restful breathing. Surrounded by hours of moving we find a
moment of quiet stillness. In the heart of much involvement there are words of withdrawal. In the midst of action
there is contemplation. And after much togetherness there is solitude. The more I read this nearly silent sentence
locked in between the loud words of action, the more I have the sense that the secret of Jesus’ ministry is hidden
in that lonely place where he went to pray, early in the morning, long before dawn.
In the lonely place Jesus finds the courage to follow God’s will and not his own; to speak God’s words and not his
own; to do God’s work and not his own. He reminds us constantly: “I can do nothing by myself…my aim is to do
not my own will, but the will of him who sent me” (Jn 5:30). And again, “The words I say to you I do not speak as
from myself: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work” (Jn 14:10). It is in the lonely place, where Jesus
enters into intimacy with the Father, that his ministry is born.
I want to reflect on this lonely place in our lives. Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our lives are in
danger. Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, that without listening speaking no
longer heals, that without distance closeness cannot cure. Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our
actions quickly become empty gestures. The careful balance between silence and words, withdrawal and
involvement, distance and closeness, solitude and community forms the basis of the Christian life and should
therefore be the subject of our most personal attention.
From Out of Solitude by Henri J.M. Nouwen
Jan Molstad
Tuesday, April 19
Praise You in This Storm
I was sure by now, God, that You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen, and it’s still raining
As the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain, “I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.
And I’ll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands
For You are who You are no matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried You hold in your hand
You never left my side and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when I stumbled in the wind, You heard my cry to You
And raised me up again. My strength is almost gone, how can I carry on,
If I can’t find You and as the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away
And I’ll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands
For You are who You are no matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried You hold in your hand
You never left my side and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I lift my eyes onto the hills where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
Lyrics by Casting Crowns
Dan Tisdel
Wednesday, April 20
By Your Side
Why are you striving these days? Why are you trying to earn grace? Why are you crying?
Let me lift up your face, just don’t turn away
Why are you looking for love? Why are you still searching as if I’m not enough?
To where will you go child? Tell me where will you run, to where will you run?
‘Cause I’ll be by your side wherever you fall, In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don’t fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Look at these hands at my side, they swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world’s sin, so I could carry you in and give you life
I wanna give you life
And I’ll be by your side wherever you fall, In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don’t fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Here at my side wherever you fall, In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don’t fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
‘Cause I, I love you, I want you to know
That I, yeah I love you, I’ll never let you go
No, no
Here at my side
My hands are holding you
Lyrics by Tenth Avenue North
Dan Tisdel
Maundy Thursday, April 21
NIGHT WITH ITS TIREDNESS
This is the kind of night it was, Lord, when You gathered Your Twelve for the supper – to many people in many
places just another night: a night that followed a day that was long or exciting or tedious or painful or tiring, but
night with its tiredness and darkness.
But for the Twelve it was a strange and awesome night, when You washed their feet and You spoke of betrayal
and You broke bread and poured wine, and You offered forgiveness and strength as You passed the cup.
Strange night as You agonized about what You must do to grasp our wretchedness from us – as You uttered
groaning prayers for those You love.
Could this be such a night, O Lord, a night in which You care so deeply for us who claim to be disciples? Is this a
night for contemplating our own feet – how they have strayed in grime and waste from paths which You had
made; -- how much they need cleansing? Is this a night to recall our broken promises and betrayals? Is this a
night when we might look, not at our neighbors’ sins but at ourselves and humbly say: “Lord, is it I?”
Is this a night to look deep into the cup where love is poured and, beyond the bread and wine, see You, Your love,
Your power, and Your life? Oh, let my lips speak words from my deepest heart, words that are Your very own:
“Your will be done with me and by me!”
Amen.
From Forgive Our Forgettings, LORD! By Karl E. Lutze
Pat Bjerke
Pray for the building of our community through our sharing of Holy Communion.
Good Friday, April 22
Psalm of My Cross
With wisdom deeper than the oceans,
you have fashioned with great love a special cross for each of us.
May my Lenten gift this year
be to more clearly see my cross as a Jacob’s ladder,
rising to you out of my painful, troubled sea.
I place my hand with trust,
into the hand of my Gethsemani Guide, so that I might joyfully embrace
everything that I would gladly prefer to discard as disgrace
everything that makes up my cross, my way to you, Beloved God.
Open my heart this day
that I may see with eyes of truth whether the painful cross I bear as mine,
claiming it as holy burden, does indeed come from you, my God—
or if by chance my cross is one of my own creation.
Teach me this day
not to carry my cross but rather the Jacob’s ladder of your will.
Guide me as I seek with all my heart
to climb it daily as a sacred spiral staircase, spiraling in sacrificial splendor,
winding ever wider, ever higher, opening me more and more
to your wisdom and will, to becoming one in you.
From Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim by Edward Hays
Bonita Bock
Pray for all who suffer crucifixion in every form in our age.
Saturday, April 23
As Jesus approached the end of his physical endurance on the cross, he cried out, “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?” With these words, he revealed the fact that the act of taking upon himself the entire weight of
human sinfulness had cost him the loss of his personal union with the Father. It is the final stage of Jesus’
spiritual journey. This double-bind (an agonizing problem of facing two opposing goods), when it was resolved at
the moment of his resurrection, catapulted him into a state of being beyond the personal union with the Father
which had been his whole life until then. While his sacrifice opened up for the whole human family the possibility
of sharing in his experience of personal union of being. His humanity was glorified to such a degree that he could
enter the heart of all creation as its Source. Now he is present everywhere, in the inmost being of all creation,
transcending time and space and bringing the transmission of divine life to its ultimate fulfillment. (MC,61)
Christ…is everything and he is in everything. Colossians 3:11 NJB
Excerpted from “Jesus’Sacrifice”—The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living by Father Thomas Keating
Linda Carlson
***
Mary Magdalene, remembering:
All time is holy. We move through the dark following his footprints by touch. He walked the lonesome valley. His
time is holy.
We will break bread together. We will move through the dark. He has gone away from us.
The wine is poured out. We will eat broken bread.
That Friday was good. We will move through the dark. Death died on Friday.
The blood-stained cross bore hope. His Friday is good.
We will hold hands as we move through the dark. Saturday he walked through hell, making all things new. We
will hold hands.
This is the meaning of our walk through the dark. Love’s light will lead us through the stone at the tomb.
He is the meaning.
He called me by name as I stood in the dark. Suddenly I knew him. He came.
Then he left us, he will come again.
From A Cry Like a Bell by Madeleine L’Engle
Judith Lamb
Pray for all who wait in expectation of new life and of resurrection power.
Easter Sunday, April 24
NOW ALL THE VAULT OF HEAVEN RESOUNDS
Now all the vault of heav’n resounds in praise of love that still abounds:
“Christ has triumphed! He is living!” Sing, choirs of angels, loud and clear!
Repeat their song of glory here: “Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Eternal is the gift he brings, therefore our heart with rapture sings: “Christ has triumphed! He is
living!” Now still he comes to give us life and by his presence stills all strife. “Christ has
triumphed! He is living!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Oh, fill us, Lord, with dauntless love; set heart and will on things above that we conquer through
your triumph; grant grace sufficient for life’s day that by our lives we truly say: “Christ has
triumphed! He is living!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Adoring praises now we bring and with the heav’nly blessed sing: ‘Christ has triumphed!
Alleluia!” Be to the Father, and our Lord, to Spirit blest, most holy God, all the glory, never
ending!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!