Lent 2015: Week 6

Sunday, March 29 PALMS and PEACE

Mark 11:7-10  GNT

They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the animal, and Jesus got on.   Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches in the field and spread them on the road.  The people who were in front and those who followed behind began to shout, “Praise God! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord!   God bless the coming kingdom of King David, our father! Praise be to God!”

            A few days ago one of my cousins posted a writing class prompt urging the

developing writers to create a list of words that begin with P, words that had meaning for them at that time.  I was thinking of that today as my calendar devotion was to ponder Peace and it is also Palm Sunday.  My Prayer Picture is composed of how I can be a Piece of the Peace Puzzle.  Other words that came about from morning worship and a sermon about God’s Palm Sunday plans and our future:  People, pardon, plans, Prince of Peace, prayer, proclaim, palms, psalms, piece, peace, Presbyterian, parade, prelude, postlude, play, party, puzzle, and praise.  Wow!  What a list.   Ultimately I summarized my P-Worship Experience and Peace as follows:

            On this Palm Sunday, the Prince of Peace proceeded through town leading a procession or parade of people proclaiming praise.  But their plans for the Promise of Power didn’t come to pass.  God was preparing for a bigger resurrection party for peace.  How do I fit my piece into this Psalm Sunday puzzle? 

            THAT was a plethora of P's!

Monday, March 30  Homeward Bound - Heaven Bound

Fasting: No Treats or Desserts

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 MSG

Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it!  We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies!  The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead.  He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less….

            Today we turn north, heading our truck and trailer on a path that will lead us HOME.  It got me thinking about paths and directions and destinations and HOME.  I received news yesterday of the death of a longtime church member who has truly gone on to his eternal HOME.  What is it about this word that brings up warm thoughts, comfort and security, stability and community?  HOME is where we are unconditionally loved, where our routines are laid out but surprises are welcome. HOME is family and God.  I love the adventure of the road, but I also love the homecomings.  I can look forward to both the earthly home and the heavenly home.  ….  Time to pack up the trailer and say our goodbyes! 

Tuesday, March 31  Service:  Share the Prayer

Matthew 21:22 MSG

Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.

            To pray for someone every day is worthwhile.  It reminds God of a desire for intercession, it becomes persistent prayer.  But just as important is to give the other person the knowledge that prayers are being said.  That prayer-action provides comfort and support, encouragement to know that they are not alone.  Just as worthwhile.  While I often post my prayer drawings on-line, I don’t as often take the more direct action of the phone call -  The chance to say I’ve been thinking about you, praying for you, you’ve been IN my prayers. In other words, I don’t often ‘Share the Prayer’!  So many on the list I could call tonight, but perhaps foremost is a call to my brother.  And then perhaps a couple of emails….   

     

Wednesday, April 1  Prayer:  KINDNESS

1 Peter 2:1-3 MSG

Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness.  Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God.

Ephesians 2:7-10 MSG

Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus…..All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. 

Kind-ness.  /kin(d)nes/  the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

            Showing compassion, thoughtfulness, and benevolence. 

            Obviously today’s challenge is to prayerfully consider the word ‘Kindness’.  I like these two scriptures because they seem so fluid – we DRINK of God’s kindness and it RAINS down upon us.  Something liquid is always in action, it is hard to keep still.  It seems this is a good way to consider Kindness; we do it.  One can think kind thoughts incessantly, but until those thoughts are put into action, kindness doesn’t happen. 

            When I drink of God’s kindness and grace, when I fill myself to overflowing with this life-sustaining fluid, I cannot help but spill over and share it.  I cannot help but pour a shower of kindness on others.  What ACT of kindness (an RAK perhaps?) can I DO today?

            Speaking of RAKs….these random acts seem to have a way of multiplying when performed.  Kindness is contagious.  Liquids flow easily when shared. 

PS.  Spent most of the day on the road traveling over 500 miles to HOME!  But I did go next door later and tell my neighbor her dog was loose and heading down the road!   Does that count for an RAK?

Copyright Traci Smith 2015 www.traci-smith.com LENTEN PRACTICES CALENDAR FOR FAMILIES:  These activities are based around the traditional 'Three Pillars' of Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving or Service.  The pillars are rotated throughout Lent with simple activities.  On the prayer days, use the word provided to inspire a prayer you write, draw, or sing.  All of the activities are suggestions.  Modify as necessary or desired! 



Thursday, Apr 2  Maundy Thursday: This is the night of love.
1 Corinthians 11:26 VOICE
Every time you taste this bread and every time you place the cup to your mouths and drink, you are declaring the Lord’s death, which is the ultimate expression of His faithfulness and love, until He comes again.
            I deliberately waited today to write my thoughts until AFTER the Maundy Thursday service; partly because I wanted to reflect on it, and partly because I didn't like what the calendar was calling me to consider!  I'm glad I waited!  The theme of tonight's service was LOVE; "This is the night of love" was repeated over and over during the opening Call to Worship.  An interesting thought because many call it the night of betrayal; the beginning of the end for Jesus.  (Can you turn that around to the beginning of the end which is a new beginning?)  It is the night of love...love to wash the unclean, love to welcome the wanderer, love to encourage the lost, love to remember our Lord, love to share bread and wine.  
            I also like this theme because I have just started reading a new book titled Love Does by Bob Goff. While an entertaining storyteller, Goff also shares a basic truth. 'I don't care about religion.  I care about love.  I care about DOING love.'  I think Maundy Thursday is the start of such love in action - foot washing, nourishment, welcome, remembrance. 
            "When we drive toward isolation and indifference, may we remember this night of communion and your ever new commandment of love.  May our love and sharing be signs of hope for the world."  (Final words of Confessional Prayer)
                
Friday, Apr 3  Holy Friday   Service: Plant a tree or flower
1 Corinthians 15:39-41 MSG
You will notice that the variety of bodies is stunning. Just as there are different kinds of seeds, there are different kinds of bodies—humans, animals, birds, fish—each unprecedented in its form. You get a hint at the diversity of resurrection glory by looking at the diversity of bodies not only on earth but in the skies—sun, moon, stars—all these varieties of beauty and brightness. And we’re only looking at pre-resurrection “seeds”—who can imagine what the resurrection “plants” will be like!
          Today's challenge couldn't have worked out more perfectly.  The big barrel planters in front of the church are caught in the pine boughs and cones of winter still.  They need the resurrection planting for Sunday's Easter service.  I have bought the flowers and have a date with a friend to put them into the ground.  We are planting snapdragons and pansies - two winter hardy flowers for our sub freezing nights.  The prayer design today is a mix of the hope of resurrection with the darkness of Holy Friday...the crosses on the hillside, the rending of the curtain in the temple.  The pre-resurrection seeds are tucked into the center with the Epiphany star.  We are on the brink of something so totally new we can't imagine it!  


Saturday, Apr 4  Considering Spiritual E Words....
Luke 23:55-56 MSG
The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus’ body was placed. Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes. They rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded.
            It is Saturday.  In Biblical times, it would be the Sabbath, a day of rest.  Jesus has been moved from the cross to a tomb.  All is quiet.  The pain and terror of the crucifixion is over, the disciples huddle together in confusion and despair.  What happens next?
           My cousin, the writer, posted another letter for this week: E.  (She is gradually spelling the word PEN - a tool for writing!)  P for Palm Sunday; E for Easter?  It works for me.  So I compiled my E-word list this week.  I came up with the following:         

Evening, Easter, Ego, Ecumenical, Eternal, Everlasting, Exodus, Elder, Ethical, Evil, Evolution, Exegesis, East, Enthusiasm, Eucharist, Excellence, Exercise, Energy, Excitement, Entrance, Exit, Eagles, Ear, Earth, Early, Eat, Echo, Encourage, Example, Endure, Enemy, Enjoy, Envy, Equality, Error, Escape, Establish, Exalt, Examine, Exceed, Execute, Extinguish, Exile, Extreme, Epiphany, Egalitarian, Evoke.

            So, what do I do with such a list of E words.  The obvious is EASTER!  But I love a good challenge.  How to describe the Events of the Easter weekend with E-words.....

          After the evening of the Eucharist, we encounter extreme fear as we endure the evil of the enemy; the execution of Emmanuel.  But we are encouraged and excited -  for Easter enters with energy and enthusiasm.   Easter brings an epiphany of egalitarian equality, the establishment of eternal ethics, and the extinction of evil and envy.  It exceeds all our expectations and evokes everlasting exaltation!  

          When I sat down to draw my prayer picture, I used the same template I had created for Friday's drawing.  I emphasized four of the E's, the four that tell the whole weekend story.  Eucharist for Thursday night's Passover meal, Execution for Friday's crucifixion, Easter for Sunday's resurrection, and Emmanuel for the reminder that Christ is continually with us and in us.  (The design in that space contains the Hebrew word for Emmanuel). 



Sunday, Apr 5  Prayer: RESURRECTION!!  
Matthew 28:5-6 GNT
The angel spoke to the women. “You must not be afraid,” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has been raised, just as he said.
Mark  16: 6 VOICE
“Don't be alarmed,” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is not here—he has been raised!" 
Luke 24:5-6 MSG
The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up.
John 20:15-16 NIV
He asked her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means 'Teacher').

res·ur·rec·tion

rez-uh-rek-shuh n 

noun

1. the act of rising from the dead

2. (initial capital letter) the rising of Christ after His death and burial.

3. (initial capital letter) the rising of the dead on Judgment Day. 

4. a rising again, as from decay, disuse, etc. a revival.  

SYNONYMS:     rebirth, revival, reawakening, raise up

     He is not here.  He has been raised up.  Just as he said.  That is the message of Easter morning.  That is the Resurrection (with the capital R!)  There is hardly a synonym to be found that doesn't start with the prefix re- which means again or do over.  The Resurrection gives us another chance, an opportunity to 'do over' our life in a new way.  It is our rebirth in Christ. 

     And what about the 'not here'?  That's only the empty tomb, the empty cross.  Christ is not longer in those places of darkness because he lives in you and in me.  He lives in each God-moment we encounter or glimpse during our day.  He lives!  

     My prayer drawing today captures the major symbol of rebirth and change, the butterfly.  May our new lives in Christ continue to reflect the beauty and wonder of God revealed in us.  

Alleluia!  He lives!  

       

Lent 2015: Week 5

SUNDAY, March 22 

THANK YOU!  Service: Send a Thank You Card

Psalm 138:1-2  MSG

Thank you!  Everything in me says ‘Thank you!’  Angels listen as I sing my thanks.  I kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again: ‘Thank you!’  Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness….

            We cannot say this word often enough – to God and to each other.  Today’s service challenge is to send a thank you card.  Such a simple act, yet one when repeated on a regular basis can create an attitude of gratitude that can be life changing.  Multiple times to say thanks to God, multiple opportunities to say thank you to each other.

            Today in talking with my mother, I learned that her neighbor will be undergoing surgery tomorrow.  This neighbor has been a God-send to our family in looking out for my elderly mother, providing rides to town when necessary and in general serving as a surrogate daughter ‘in town’.  I think she will be the recipient of my thanks….as well as healing thoughts for her health.  

Monday, Mar 23   Prayer: GOD
Psalm 8:1 MSG 
God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.
      I confess.  This is a 'remake' of a GOD-Prayer I drew a couple years ago, reflecting on the Triune God - God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.  It incorporates many different faces of our God.  I added my daily prayers to the image this morning.

TUESDAY, March 24 

Service: Learn something new about a different culture

Ephesians 3:6 MSG

The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I’ve been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God.  They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus.  The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.

  

          Today’s Lenten challenge is a little different.  It calls for me to learn something new about a different culture, outsiders as the Message puts it.  Since it has been in the news a lot lately, I chose the country of Syria.   I know very little about this predominately Arab and Muslim country.  Here are a few of the ‘facts’ I gleaned from the internet:

• ·       Of the 23 million population, 74% are Sunni Muslims, 12% are the ruling Shite Muslims, and 10% are Christians.
• ·       The city of Aleppo may be the oldest continuously occupied city in the world, dating back to 6000 BC.
• ·       Syria gained its independence in 1946.
• ·       Current civil war began in 2011 when the government suppressed pro-democracy demonstrations.  The UN estimates 100,000 have been killed in the crisis.

            Insiders and Outsiders, Jews and Gentiles.  The divisions are strongly marked in the Old Testament, but the Gospel Message declares a new concept.  It is important for use even today to understand all cultures – inside and out.  

Wednesday, March 25 

Service: Learn and Share a New Lenten Custom

Psalm 96:4  MSG

For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs.

            This was a fascinating challenge as I discovered a Lenten custom, common in Catholic and Episcopal Churches, that I had never heard of before:  The Alleluia Egg and/or ‘Burying the Alleluia’!

            For starters, Alleluia is the Greek and Latin translation of the Hebrew Hallelujah.  The Bible probably uses the word Hallelujah much more often, but the meaning is the same: Praise God!  Alleluia itself is commonly associated with the Easter celebration and the many hymns and songs that proclaim Alleluia, Christ is Risen! 

            For Lent, the Alleluia is buried, figuratively and literally.  The word is not spoken, not in churches, not in homes.  Hymns with Alleluias are not sung.  An Alleluia banner may be buried, or the words to a song might be hidden, but it seems most often the Alleluia is hidden in the form of an egg – a beautifully decorated egg with the word written on it.  On Shrove Tuesday, during a Mardi Gras type celebration, Hallelujahs are proclaimed joyfully, gradually lowering to a whisper as the egg (or symbol) is hidden or buried.  It remains suppressed throughout Lent.  And then….on Easter morning, the Alleluia returns in celebration of the resurrection.  In some cultures, the child who finds the hidden egg on Easter gets a special sweet treat baked for the occasion. 

THURSDAY, March 26  Prayer: MERCY
Luke 1:50 MSG
His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him...

Mercy and Grace.  We hear these words of comfort constantly throughout the Old and New Testaments.  Just what do they mean?  What is the difference between the two?  Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.  Mercy is deliverance from God's judgment.  It figures extensively in the Old Testament.  Grace, on the other hand, is defined more as extending kindness to the unworthy, the free and unmerited favor of God.  Grace is more common perhaps in the New Testament.  Some modern theologians argue that we are more of a GRACE-filled faith now as we seek the "Good Guy God" rather than the MERCIFUL God of the Old Testament who rendered judgment when judgment was due.  
          The scripture is an excerpt from Mary's Song following the knowledge that God is blessing her with the birth of His son.  I rather liked the sense of 'wave upon wave of mercy'.  I like the idea of a God who has the capacity to punish, but chooses instead to shower us with mercy and grace.  Amen. 

FRIDAY, March 27  Fasting:  No Social Media/Blogging
Proverbs 26:22 MSG
Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you want junk like that in your belly? 
      Sometimes social media is used for nothing more than idle gossiping, passing on inane stories and jokes, or sharing information that is not based in truth.  This is the kind I will fast from today.  And just to be sure...my challenge is to go a whole day WITHOUT checking my Facebook page or posting to my blogs.  So,....in preparation, I am writing this particular blogpost a day early!  

       Social media, whether FB, instangram, Twitter, Blogger, or whatever can become addictive.  It can pull one in and use time that could be an opportunity to make space for God.  Perhaps the key today will be to used those moments when I might have logged in to social media to log in to God instead - in a deliberate, intentional manner.  

Saturday, March 28  Reflection: GOD-GLANCING

2 Corinthians 4:18 MSG

The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

Hebrews 12:2 MSG

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.

            Keep our eyes on God, on Christ – that is our reminder if we wish to live a life of unceasing prayer according to Sue Monk Kidd in the latest chapter I’ve read from God’s Joyful Surprise.  Kidd refers to this as taking loving glances at God constantly throughout the day.  Small events or moments might be the tangible reminders of the intangible presence of God.  The chiming of a clock, repeated trips up stairs, a bracelet around our wrist, a cross on the wall, the melody of a particular bird – all might be reminders to take a moment and focus on God;  to FEEL God’s presence in that moment. 

            This reminds me somewhat of the Joshua stones, reminders of God’s power and acts to the Hebrew people.  Or the Hebrew custom of touching the door lintel as they enter a house, a tangible touch of God’s presence.  What might I establish (or already find present) in my home and life that will cause me to stop and remember God’s presence, faithfulness, and action in my life?  We fill our homes with ‘things’ that are special to us.  How much of that ‘stuff’ reminds us of God? And if it does cause us to take a glance at the Holy, do we pause?  Do we remember?  Or does our reminder fade away into the jumble of clutter, the chaos of everyday life? 

            What causes me to repeatedly give God a glance?  How can I improve my focus?

PS.  Several days ago I wrote about the Alleluia egg as a Lenten custom with which I wasn’t familiar.  Now, for the life of me, I cannot find WHERE on the Lenten calendar I saw the suggestion to learn a new Lenten custom.  It just isn’t there!  Not for that particular day or ANY day!  God? Are you speaking to me?  Shall I make an Alleluia egg?  

Copyright Traci Smith 2015 www.traci-smith.com LENTEN PRACTICES CALENDAR FOR FAMILIES:  These activities are based around the traditional 'Three Pillars' of Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving or Service.  The pillars are rotated throughout Lent with simple activities.  On the prayer days, use the word provided to inspire a prayer you write, draw, or sing.  All of the activities are suggestions.  Modify as necessary or desired! 

  

Lent 2015: Week 4

Saturday, Mar 14  Prayer: JOURNEY
1 Peter 1:18
Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God.  
          A couple weeks ago I wrote of conversion as a journey of deepening faith based on a selection from Sue Monk Kidd's book, God's Little Surprise.  Today, the Lenten calendar calls us to consider the word journey again.  I looked up the definition of journey and found a variety of meanings.  We generally think of a journey as traveling from one place to another, perhaps over time.  It is a matter of location.  But the fourth definition concerns time-travel in terms of a spiritual location, a passage from one state of being to another.  This is how we FAITH JOURNEY.  
         This weekend we have journeyed to Bisbee, AZ for my birthday celebration.  A Bisbee Birthday Bash I have called it.  Birthdays mark the passage of time.  Do birthdays also mark the passage of consciousness, the evolving of who we are in terms of our relationship to God?  Bisbee itself is a journey back in time or a journey forward.  I'm not sure quite how one describes this very historical, yet quirky, artsy, hippie-induced community.           As we wander the artwalk streets today, I shall search for evidence of God, I shall walk with a consciousness of God's presence....in the people, the experience, and the place. 
          Addendum....at one of our first stops today, we walked back into the back room of a dusty antique store.  I wasn't even going to stay at this shop, but Rick had gone on in and was looking around.  The first book I saw on a shelf had the following title: The Journey Toward God.  Somehow I just felt it was a God-moment and a book I needed to purchase.  I'll let you know how it reads.   


Sunday, Mar 15  Fasting: No Snacks Today
Tobit 12:8 CEB
Prayer with fasting is good, and so is giving to the poor with righteousness.  The possession of a little with righteousness is better than much with injustice.  
          Today is another Lenten Fast day, with the objective of no between-meal snacks.  Three meals.  That's all.  Again, what's the purpose of fasting?  To focus on God and our relationship with God. Since I have used the more popular fast scriptures from Matthew, I went to the Old Testament and found an apocryphal scripture from Tobit.  The Apocrypha is the portion of Old Testament canon used in Catholic and Orthodox churches but not Protestant.  Tobit was written during the 2nd century BC. with an emphasis on 'doing good' in terms of alms-giving, etc.  
           I should be able to withstand snacks today.  We are eating lunch out with the SOOPs at a Chinese restaurant and then meeting Mike Virga at 4 at Cafe Passe on 4th St.  He called last night apologizing for not seeing us again and he heads out to work again tomorrow for 8 days.  We were touched by his desire to see us!  
           I haven't drawn a mandala yet on this trip, so decided I was due.  Obviously desert inspired! 

Monday, Mar 16  Service: Give Flowers to Another
Luke 6:38 MSG
Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back - given back with bonus and blessing.  
       The Message version of this speaks of giving away our life, others just translate give and it will come back to you.  I like the thought that it matters not WHAT we give, if we are giving something of ourselves to another person - that's what counts.  For many recipients, WHAT the gift is doesn't really matter.  It is the realization that someone was thinking of them and cared enough to express it in a tangible way.  
       I actually did the service portion for today last Monday.  I made my recycled paper flowers and placed them in the CHRPA office on the computer keyboards of the three office ladies, often the unrecognized and under-appreciated part of the CHRPA team.  I did not sign the note that simply expressed thanks for all they do to make CHRPA such a special place.  
       I think I will draw another mandala today and give away flowers of the desert in my prayers!  

Tuesday, Mar 17   Prayer: SERVICE

Romans 15: 1-2 MSG

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us.  Strength is for service, not status.  Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, ‘How can I help?’

        We who have much cannot isolate ourselves in our plenty and ignore the world around us.  I really like Peterson’s translation of this verse: Strength is for service, not status.  The point is that the needs of the community, the strength of the community, hinges on the strength of the weak.  This adage applies in many situations and the Christian community is one.  The global community is affected.  The strength we have as a nation, the freedoms we enjoy, are not ours to coddle in isolation, but tools to use for the benefit of the whole world.  Service.  How can I help?  A good question to ask….everyday.

Wednesday, March 18  Fast: Water Only

John 4:14 MSG

Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again.  Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst – not ever.  The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.’

            Back to another ‘water-only’ fast day, which doesn’t mean I can only have water today, just that my drink of choice should be water (in lieu of soda, etc.) 

            But I liked the opportunity to ponder once again about life-giving water.  Margaret Atwood wrote the following selections about water in The Penelopiad:

            Water does not resist.  Water flows.  When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress.  Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you.  But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it.  Water is patient.  Dripping water wears away a stone.

            When we take the leap of faith and dive into the living water of faith in the love of God, do we feel a caress?  Do we feel empowered by a love that is unstoppable?  God is persistent.  Is God’s love slowly eroding away the stone of our hearts?  It is a rare day in the Arizona desert – rain is falling.  Drops of God-love to wash us clean, rejuvenate us, and fill us with the living water of God.  

THURSDAY, March 19 

SERVICE: Draw a picture to give to someone.

Matthew 5:45 MSG

This is what God does…He gives his best….to everyone, regardless.

            Today I am working on a couple of CHRPA drawings to GIVE to the office for use however they wish.  One is a mandala.  The other a cartoonish Saguaro cactus CHRPA worker ready to give assistance to some young cacti that are drowning, sweltering, falling, etc. in a home that needs repair.  I’m afraid the gift won’t get given today, but I’m working on it! 

 

            Currently my drawings, both prayer and otherwise, seem to be my ‘best’ – a gift God has given to me to share with others.  I can hammer and cut, screw in decking screws, etc. adequately and be helpful, but that isn’t what I am necessarily good at (but getting better!).  God wants us to take the best within us and use it in service to others.  What is your best?  Are you using it for God?  Am I?

FRIDAY, March 20  Prayer:  FRIENDSHIP

2 Corinthians 13:14 MSG

The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.

            What does it mean to be in an intimate friendship, where you are able to speak without words, to understand through a touch, to empathize with sincerity?  What does it mean to be in such a friendship with the Almighty Creator of the Universe through the presence of the Holy Spirit?  What does it mean to know that God, who can cover the expanse of infinity in the blink of an eye, loves ME – individually and specifically?  Such a friendship is absolutely mindboggling, yet that is what we have been given. 

SATURDAY, March 21  Prayer:   CREATOR GOD         

Romans 1:25  CEB   They traded God’s truth for a lie, and they worshipped and served the creation instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever.

            Another ‘prayer’ day today as I am skipping my Lenten calendar recommendation for simple home meals.  We are visiting Jed and I KNOW we will be eating out at least once! Not simple!

            So I have chosen the word CREATOR GOD to ponder today as we take a hike in the realm of God’s glory.  It seems many people admire, love, enjoy the nature beauty of our world without stopping to give thanks and praise for the ONE who made it all.  The two seem to go hand in hand with Rick and I.  When we hike and witness moments of God-glory (which is frequently!) the ‘thank you, God’ escapes from our lips.  As it should!  Sometimes the hike itself becomes a series of constant prayer: of praise and thanksgiving, for safety and protection, and awe and wonder! 

            We hiked today in San Lorenzo Canyon, just north of Socorro.  A few of my God-moment entries to help describe the Creator God include:  sunlight through the cottonwood leaf hundreds of yard away from the tree; a clump of tiny pink flowers marking the top of a difficult patch of ‘trail’; faces in the rocks smiling down as me; colorful patches of lichens; new growth on desert plants; helping hands over the ‘big steps’; hoodoos, mini slot canyons, and weathering lines sculpting stone; sand patterns on the stone.  At one point we found a nice bridge of gray stone connecting our path.  I said thanks to whoever made such a nice span.  Jed simply said, ‘God did.  It’s his bridge.’  Good words to remember.  GOD-words.  

Copyright Traci Smith 2015 www.traci-smith.com LENTEN PRACTICES CALENDAR FOR FAMILIES:  These activities are based around the traditional 'Three Pillars' of Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving or Service.  The pillars are rotated throughout Lent with simple activities.  On the prayer days, use the word provided to inspire a prayer you write, draw, or sing.  All of the activities are suggestions.  Modify as necessary or desired! 

Lent 2015: Week 3

Thursday, Mar 5  Prayer:  HOLY

Joshua 3:5 CEB

Joshua said to the people, 'Make yourselves holy!  Tomorrow the Lord will do wonderful things among you.'

         What does it mean to make myself holy?  I looked up the word online and found the following meanings…”dedicated or consecrated to God, sacred, having a religious purpose, exalted, worthy of complete devotion, divine.”  I found that the Hebrew word for holy is ‘qodesh’ which means ‘apartness, separateness or sacredness’.  In the Old Testament, God says ‘You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy’. 

          So again I ask, what does it mean to make myself holy?  I thought of this word in terms of last week's concept of being centered in God.  I like the idea of blending the two together.  To make myself holy is to so dedicate myself to God that I am completely centered in God.  It means seeing the holy in everything around me, in seeing God all around.  A good word to ponder on this final CHRPA day of work.  Where will I find ‘HOLY’ today? 

          My prayer drawing for holy concentrates on the Last Supper, partially because the word fit into a goblet so well, but also this meal is a reminder of holy within us, Christ within us, God within us.   

Friday, Mar 6  More on Holy...
Exodus 3:5 VOICE
Eternal One: Don't come any closer.  Take off your sandals and stand barefoot on the ground in My presence, for this ground is holy ground.
      Last night I picked up Sue Monk Kidd's book again to read the next chapter.  It soon became apparent that God was once again at work, for her words echoed my morning thoughts on HOLY - the concept of Emanuel, my practice of finding holy God-moments throughout the day.  I will share some excerpts:

“God is not partial to stained glass.”   Had I unknowingly limited God’s presence to what I perceived as sacred – to holy places and church-sponsored moments?....  I hadn’t really expected Him in the common events of daily life.

Life doesn’t stop for the holy to happen.  Holiness occurs in the course of life – or never.   What I am talking about is a way of seeing all of life as incarnation, seeing God in it.  And even beyond that, to an Emmanuel-way of approaching all of life – being WITH God in it.

Every moment of our day holds the possibility of encountering God’s love.  Every ground, even the ground of common experiences, is holy.  I think it we ever grasped that fact, we would go barefoot all the time.

Perhaps this is what our church needs to understand Luke's desire to be barefoot much of the time!   And a couple of quotes from other sources...

“There is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred.” (Madeleine L’Engle)

“God is he whose center is everywhere and circumference is nowhere." (Nicolas of Cusa)

Saturday, Mar 7  Prayer: SHALOM
Harmony, Unity, Wholeness and Justice. 
Peace and Salvation, all are Shalom. 
(Song sung last Sunday at Shalom Mennonite Fellowship to the tune Dona Nobis)

The dove is superimposed on top of the full moon.
The Hebrew letters at the bottom spell Shalom also. 

       Our first thought when we hear the word Shalom is Peace.  Shalom means peace!  It is also used as a greeting, a hello and goodbye, 'Peace be with you.'  But Shalom means so much more.  In its Hebrew roots Shalom means "completeness, wholeness, health, welfare, safety, tranquility, prosperity, fullness, perfectness, and the absence of discord.  This was the subject of the sermon last week at Shalom Mennonite Fellowship where the preacher discussed 'What's in our name?"  As today's Lenten Calendar encouraged the service of asking another to a meal and we are leaving early this morning to take a hike down on Mt. Wrightson, I realized it might be a good day to finally consider Sunday's Sermon!  Unless we decide to invite a hiker we meet to dine with us! 
      As I awoke this morning, the thought occurred to me that shalom really does blend in with some of my recent thoughts.  To be centered in God is to be one with God.  Our whole life is complete in God.  We begin and end our day, hello and goodbye, with the fullness of God in our whole being.  We see God in the perfectness of Creation and the healing of broken relationships.  To practice Shalom, to be shalom, we are walking on holy ground.  
     I am watching a full moon slowly sink into the western sky.  There is something perfect, something filled with God-grace, about such a Shalom moon at this moment in time.  
     Later.....As we hiked the trail today that winds down the slopes of Mt. Wrightson, I thought of Sue Monk Kidd's latest chapter about seeing God, about having to actively LOOK.  So I thought, I'm going to LOOK for the word Shalom, God's Shalom, as I hike back down.  It only took me a half mile to find my answer...

Sunday, March 8  Prayer: PATIENCE

James 1:2-8 MSG

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors….If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father…..Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.

            How patient am I to wait for God to work HIS answer to my prayers? We want a quick fix, instant resolution to our problems.  Yet our prayer should always be, “Thy will be done” not “Do it this way, God!”  And sometimes, it involves a great deal of faith and trust to WAIT for Thy Will to happen.  I found a number of ‘patience quotes’ online, but my favorite one comes from Adel Bestavros:

            Patience with others is LOVE.  Patience with self is HOPE.  Patience with God is FAITH. 

            Many moments of our lives demand a sense of patience. We tend to be more patient with others than with ourselves.  And definitely more patient with both others and ourselves than with God!

  

Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. (www.sausedo.net)

Patience is a spirit that holds you up until the Glory comes.  (successimg.com)

Patience is a loyal friend that brings peace to any situation. (runninghutch.com)

A moment of patience in a moment of anger saves a thousand moments of regret. (myincrediblewebsite.com)

Monday, Mar 9  Fasting:  No Desserts or Treats Today
Mark 2:18 MSG
The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees made a practice of fasting. Some people confronted Jesus:  "Why do the followers of John and the Pharisees take on the discipline of fasting, but your followers don't?"

         At the time of Jesus many Jews made a practice of prayers daily and fasting several times a week.  They ask a good question for then and still for now?  Why IS fasting a practice common during Lent?  Exactly what does fasting mean?  From what?   How does the practice vary among different denominations?  
         The 40 day period of Lenten fast is associated with Moses' time on the mountain, the 40 year journey in the wilderness, and Jesus' 40 days of fasting and temptation in the desert. Lent is a period of self-examination and prayer, and fasting is a spiritual discipline that can take our focus away from the common  and secular to focus on God.  
         I found a website for a rather conservative Catholic site, the sect of Christianity that perhaps still observes strict rules of fasting.  And what I read seemed much to me like reading Leviticus and the rules of diet common to the Hebrews.  All must fast age 14 to 59.  Fasting means one meatless meal a day with a common of much smaller snacks allowed.  Meatless can include broths and eggs, but nothing else 'from the land'.  Fish is allowed.  Fasting must be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and every Friday during Lent.   Whew!  Too many RULES!  
          So...why do we fast?  I found the following explanation of the fasting practices among various Christian denominations interesting:

Most Protestant churches do not have regulations on fasting and Lent. During the Reformation, many practices that might have been considered "works" were eliminated by reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin, so as not to confuse believers who were being taught salvation by grace alone.
In the Episcopal Church, members are encouraged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting is also to be combined with prayer and alms giving.
The Presbyterian Church makes fasting voluntary. Its purpose is to develop dependence on God, prepare the believer to face temptation, and to seek wisdom and guidance from God.
The Methodist Church has no official guidelines on fasting but encourages it as a private matter. John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism, fasted twice a week. Fasting, or abstaining from such activities as watching television, eating favorite foods, or doing hobbies is also encouraged during Lent.
The Baptist Church encourages fasting as a way to draw closer to God, but considers it a private matter and has no set days when members should fast.
The Assemblies of God consider fasting an important practice but purely voluntary and private. The church stresses that it does not produce merit or favor from God but is a way to heighten focus and gain self-control.
The Lutheran Church encourages fasting but imposes no requirements on its members to fast during Lent. The Augsburg Confession states, "We do not condemn fasting in itself, but the traditions which prescribe certain days and certain meats, with peril of conscience, as though such works were a necessary service."
(Sources: catholicanswers.com, abbamoses.com, episcopalcafe.com, fpcgulfport.org,umc.org, namepeoples.imb.org, ag.org, and cyberbrethren.com.)

     Whew!  Today's Lenten challenge is to FAST from treats and desserts.  Considering that a pile of chocolate muffins were put behind me last night at the SOOP Gathering and I did NOT fast from them, today is a good day for this practice.  
http://christianity.about.com/od/easter/a/JZ-Lent-And-Fasting.htm

Tuesday, Mar 10
Service: Say Something Nice About Family Members
Matthew 12:35 MSG
A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. 

      Today's challenge will take some thinking.  I am to write a positive trait about each family member. It doesn't need to be an all-encompassing description, just ONE nice thing.  I find it interesting that the radio is having a 'call in' right now asking listeners to tell them 'something good'.  God at work.  I think the important thing for me will be not only to write this out, but then to send it to my family as a way of encouragement and love.  Can't keep nice things hidden!  

RICK: Faithful and consistent, dependable. 
JED: Devoted and loyal, unassuming strength, gentle.
LUKE: Energetic and passionate, intuitive, perceptive 
JACK: Joyful,  spontaneous
MOM MAC: Selfless and caring.
MOM R: Accepting, kind
MARG: Adventuresome, strong
LIZ: Adaptable, generous
MAC: Gentle and big-hearted

Wednesday, Mar 11 Prayer: DESERT
Mark 1:12  GNT
At once the Spirit made him go into the desert, where he stayed forty days. 
          When I looked for a scripture passage with the word desert, I found many translations that used the term deserted place or wild place instead.  But often this place we conceive as forbidding, uninhabitable, was used as a refuge, a place of safety, a place for solitude and reflection.  The desert SEEMS to be a vast empty wasteland, where God might be the ONLY thing you could encounter, but in reality it is alive with life.  Life that knows struggle, life that can adapt to change and hardship.  God has much to teach us in the desert AND in the deserted places of our lives.  

Thursday, March 12  Prayer: BIBLE

2 Timothy 3:16-17 VOICE

All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right so that God’s people may be up to the task ahead and have all they need to accomplish every good work. 

            Since today’s ‘fast’ is supposed to be from TV and monitors which I can’t easily do while on the road (I didn’t even BRING a Bible with me!), I am going to post some notes today from last Sunday’s Sermon, which was on Scripture and The Word, delivered by Vic Stoltzfus. 

• ·       What is your first impression of the Bible?  Is it wisdom or law? Answers to Questions? The Promise of Hope? A story of transformation and joy?  Hopefully not DUST!
• ·       The Bible is GOD SPEAKING, GOD’S PEOPLE RESPONDING (Sometimes well, sometimes poorly.)
• ·       In these 66 books we find…
• o   God, Greed, and Grace.
• o   Life, Lust, Laughter, and Love.
• o   Siblings, Squabbles, and Sex.
• o   Power, Prayer, and Prison.
• o   Creation, Crucifixion, and Compassion.
• ·       “The Bible is powerful…handle with care!”
• ·       Out of context, individual verses can be dangerous and deadly.  In its totality, it brings grace.
• ·       In the course of history, Christians have used the Bible wrong with the intent to justify violence.  Today, Isis uses the Koran wrong to justify violence.   We learn the Bible ‘self-corrects’ the OOPS moments if we read the WHOLE story, the ‘rest of the story’.    
• ·       Are we in Satan’s pocket sometimes, doing good works for the wrong reasons?

            Overall, the point of the sermon was that we can’t take isolated scripture and use it to justify isolated situations.  We must know and understand the whole story. 

  


Friday, Mar 13  Service: Invite Another to Dinner
Acts 2:46-47
Day after day they met as a group in the Temple, and they had their meals together in their homes, eating with glad and humble hearts, praising God, and enjoying the good will of all the people. 
           This was a perfect 'service' for today!  We are taking Walter and Lorene out to breakfast this morning before we head off for Bisbee, AZ and a Birthday Bash weekend.  The Mennonite SOOP crew often gathers for a meal after worship on Sundays.  Meals together in community BUILD community.  Especially meals where people are open to share experiences, concerns, and dreams, to share God-moments and God at work in their lives.  Hopefully we will make an opportunity to share some of our faith with Walter and Lorene and hear more about theirs.  



Copyright Traci Smith 2015 www.traci-smith.com LENTEN PRACTICES CALENDAR FOR FAMILIES:  These activities are based around the traditional 'Three Pillars' of Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving or Service.  The pillars are rotated throughout Lent with simple activities.  On the prayer days, use the word provided to inspire a prayer you write, draw, or sing.  All of the activities are suggestions.  Modify as necessary or desired!