It's really not about you. It's not. It's about God. Whether anyone might describe you as religious, or pious, or even good, none of these has meaning apart from the maker of all that is good and right. We are dependent on the one who made us to make us better. But we can give in to the process; we can be willing to become more what God has in mind.
Such a moment as this - now - provides one such opportunity for the change to continue.
SATURDAY, March 8 Treasures
Matthew 6:19-21 MSG
Don’t hoard
treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or – or
worse! – stolen by burglars. Stockpile
treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the
place you will most want to be, and end up being.
I have always read this
passage in a traditional manner: treasure is material wealth. And this is probably what Jesus meant. If we base our happiness on what we
physically HAVE or gave get, it is worthless.
If we concentrate on heavenly blessings, it is a whole different
story.
But perhaps there are earthly treasures we
CAN stockpile…. One of the exercises I have my stress management students complete
is to make a list of blessings. Often
stress builds when we focus on what we don’t have or what is going wrong. For those in the class who balk at ‘spiritual’
terms, I say ‘make a list of those things that bring a smile to your face and
happiness to your heart’ (Blessings!).
Anne Voskamp’s 14,000 Things That
Make Me Happy is just one of many books compiling such lists. Our blessings
may be somewhat material in terms of food and shelter, but often they are more heavenly
in scope: laughter, sunshine at daybreak, alpine wildflowers, birds singing, a
child’s giggle, friendships, community, companionship. These are treasures of the heart, treasures
of God. These are moments when God
touches us, moments when we witness God’s presence. These are treasures we CAN stockpile. FRIDAY, March 7 Public or Private?
Matthew 6:16-18 MSG
When you
practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t
make a production out of it. It might
turn you into a small time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act
normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your
hair, brush your teeth, wash your face.
God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll
reward you well.
Mardi Gras is a huge public festival right before Lent. Now we are IN the season of Lent. I have heard comments on morning radio of who
is fasting, who has given up what and in this or that manner, everyone making a
big deal of it all. Lent a time to
reflect on who we are and our relationship to God, but it is not the time to do
so on the surface and publicly. It is an opportunity to dive deep into
ourselves and our life. Are we living
openly and honestly? Are we a truthful
reflection of God’s Spirit breathing within?
We all have flaws, but are we working to better ourselves? Fasting is simply a reminder. To ‘give up’ a favorite is a reminder that
God gave up his Son. But other reminders
can be just as effective. I ‘gave up’
TIME 5 Lents ago when I promised God a half hour every morning. It has been one of the most blessed Lent
actions I’ve ever taken and it had nothing to do with food! But it does serve as a private God-reminder
each morning and puts my public day into perspective.
God wants us to live in a complex community of public relationships, but
always with God as the unseen private
partner in each one. Have a great day!
THURSDAY, March 6 Praying with Simplicity
Matthew 5:5-6 MSG
“And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?
“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
I'm confused, Lord.
You told us to PROCLAIM the Good News;
To SPREAD the Gospel message,
You said to not be ashamed of our faith,
To be public and joyful,
To praise in exuberance.
And now...PRAY in secret?
I don't understand.
It's the focus that's important.
It's who is at the center of your action;
The purpose of the 'show'.
Are YOU more concerned with the flow or your words,
the eloquence of verbiage?
Are you worried about how it sounds or if
you won’t know what to say?
Then I am not the reason you are praying.
Got it, God.
It's not about me. It's about you.
I'm not the attention, I'm not out to impress.
Prayer is a time to visit,
Just a time to chat together,
And gain strength, insight, and courage.
To make the proclamation in your name,
To act on your behalf.
Stealth prayers:
Silent, quiet, yet strong.
Joel 2:12-17 GNT
“But even now,” says the Lord,
“repent sincerely and return to me
with fasting and weeping and mourning.
13 Let your broken heart show your sorrow;
tearing your clothes is not enough.”
“repent sincerely and return to me
with fasting and weeping and mourning.
13 Let your broken heart show your sorrow;
tearing your clothes is not enough.”
Come back to the Lord your God.
He is kind and full of mercy;
he is patient and keeps his promise;
he is always ready to forgive and not punish.
14 Perhaps the Lord your God will change his mind
and bless you with abundant crops.
Then you can offer him grain and wine.
He is kind and full of mercy;
he is patient and keeps his promise;
he is always ready to forgive and not punish.
14 Perhaps the Lord your God will change his mind
and bless you with abundant crops.
Then you can offer him grain and wine.
15 Blow the trumpet on Mount Zion;
give orders for a fast and call an assembly!
16 Gather the people together;
prepare them for a sacred meeting;
bring the old people;
gather the children
and the babies too.
Even newly married couples
must leave their homes and come.
17 The priests, serving the Lord
between the altar and the entrance of the Temple,
must weep and pray:
“Have pity on your people, Lord.
Do not let other nations despise us and mock us
by saying, ‘Where is your God?’”
give orders for a fast and call an assembly!
16 Gather the people together;
prepare them for a sacred meeting;
bring the old people;
gather the children
and the babies too.
Even newly married couples
must leave their homes and come.
17 The priests, serving the Lord
between the altar and the entrance of the Temple,
must weep and pray:
“Have pity on your people, Lord.
Do not let other nations despise us and mock us
by saying, ‘Where is your God?’”
Sometimes God is hard to find in the rubble of war;
The eyes of children abused and abandoned;
Homeless on streets eating garbage and filth.
Sometimes God is hard to find in our materialism
Our race to be the biggest, the best, the most successful.
Where is my God?
Sometimes I might keep God hidden with actions unholy,
Sometimes I fail to live the God I proclaim.
Forgive me, Lord, that I cover your light and glory.
Where is my God?
God lives in the faces of the Care-a-Vanners as we gather each morning.
God lives in the swing of the hammer, the swish of the brush.
God lives with each donor walking through the doors of the Re-store,
The volunteers who show up weekly to lean a hand.
See God working side by side with each of us.
See God changing lives and building hope.
See God in me, and in you.
Where is my God?
May I live a life where the question need not be asked.
May I live to proclaim God's presence every day.
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