LENT 2021 SHALOM

 LENT 2021

SHALOM!

This Lenten Season my devotions are based on two different resources, both coming from the PCUSA.  The primary resource is SHALOM, published by PCUSA.  Unless noted, devotions draw from this resource. The second, which only highlights certain days of the season (Sundays and Holy Week) is published by Presbyterians for Earth Care.  The latter resource was brought to my attention by our son, Luke, who wrote the First Sunday material.  Of course, then, I HAD to use this resource as well!  I like to think the two meld together in PEACE between humanity and also with our created world.  

As the season of Lent continued, daily I added a new translation for the word PEACE to my prayers.  By Easter, I will be able to say PEACE in over 30 languages!  SHALOM!

ASH WEDNESDAY 2.17.21     (Presbyterians for Earth Care - PEC)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… Revelation 21:1

THURSDAY 2.18.21  

GREETING OTHERS WITH PEACE IN SPITE OF DIVISIONS 

Salam - Arabic

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. — Matthew 5:9 

The flags of Israel and Palestine come together in this prayer for accord.

FRIDAY 2.19.21   

JUSTICE REPAIRS BROKEN PROMISES

 Dohiyi  (Cherokee)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. — John 14:27 

The design for this prayer is an adaptation of a Cherokee symbol.

SATURDAY 2.20.21   

PEACE  FOR IMMIGRANTS

Pax (Spanish)

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy. — Proverbs 12:20 

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT 2.21.21    (PEC)

THE BREATH OF DUST and VIRUSES

By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return. Genesis 3:19 

Luke chose a photo from White Sands NM for his entry, so I did likewise from our visit in 2012

MONDAY 2.22.21  

PEACE for INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Wolakota (Lakota)

Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace — in peace because they trust in you. — Isaiah 26:3 

Prayer background image is the tribal flag of the Oglala Lakota Sioux

TUESDAY 2.23.21

PEACE  for KOREA

Pyonghwa (Korean)

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:7 

Background image is one of many symbols of Korea, plus the hibiscus flower, or rose of Sharon, which is the national flower - a symbol of wholeness and peace. 

WEDNESDAY 2.24.21

PEACE for the CONGO

Nye (Congolese)

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Psalm 85:10

Background is a fractured image of the Congolese flag.

THURSDAY 2.25.21

PEACE GRANTS UNITY 

 (ငြိမ်းချမ်းရေ - Burmese)

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. — Colossians 3:15 

Whenever I think of interconnected unity, I find myself going back to the Celtic designs interwoven together.  Each prayer now contains the many words for peace I am learning in various languages - especially those in regions of conflict.  While it didn't necessarily go with the text, I chose the Burmese language - or Mynamar - for today, which is currently in a state of Civil War with many refugees. 

FRIDAY 2.26.21

GOD'S PEACE EVEN WHEN WE ARE ALONE   

(تىنچلىق -Uyghur)

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me,... so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house;... — Genesis 28:20 

Alone in the wilderness, Jacob built a stone pillar to recognize God's presence.
In a region of NW China, the Uyghur people, mostly of Muslim faith, has been interred in
camps, children separated, and the fear of mass genocide prevails. 

SATURDAY 2.27.21

PEACE SOMETIMES MEANS SAYING GOOD-BYE

мир - Myr (Ukrainian)

Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me go back to my kindred in Egypt and see whether they are still living.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” — Exodus 4:18 

The Ukrainian word for peace, MYR, is included above as this region of Russia has been an area of conflict for years now.  I originally searched for the Russian word (Mir) not realizing the Ukrainians had their own language.  The word is similar but unique! 

INTERLUDE!  Sometimes I come across a passage I want to remember...I can't recall where I read this or who spoke the following words, but it seems like they are a blend in our call to peace for the human world AND the created world. 

God speaks peace to his people. God’s speech is a creative act. For God to speak peace is for God to create peace. From God’s original creation itself comes faithfulness springing up from the ground, nurtured by the righteousness coming down from the sky — perhaps like the rain kissing the ground and the land yielding food.

 

SUNDAY 2.28.2021

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT  (PEC)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible… Colossians 1:15

• "We stopped near a tree. A fellow hiker paused as well, staring at the tree. Before long he reached out to touch the weathered wood, and exclaimed, “This tree was living when Jesus lived. Can you imagine that?” I thought about those trees. How old were they before the first human ever touched them? How long were they here converting carbon dioxide back into oxygen before the first human breathed in that oxygen? Here was a living tree whose life spanned centuries. I felt in the presence of something holy, enduring, and precious to God."

  -Rev. Bill Somplatsky-Jarman 

MONDAY 3.1.21

DO NOT BE AFRAID

和平 Hépíng  (Taiwan-HongKong)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your
hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. — John 14:27

The Chinese characters and words for Peace, used in the island nation of Taiwan and also in HongKong are included as these nations face a constant threat from mainland China.

TUESDAY 3.2.21

MOVING CLOSER TO GOD

Heping (Chinese)

...We wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish. — 2 Peter 3:14

WEDNESDAY 3.3.21

PEACE DOESN'T COME WITH POWER

سلام  Arabic  

Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him”. — 1 Samuel 1: 13–17

THURSDAY 3.4.21

HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS TO PROCLAIM PEACE

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” — Isaiah 52:7

FRIDAY 3.5.21

FLOURISHING

Nabad    Somali

Deceit is in the mind of those who plan evil, but those who counsel peace have joy. — Proverbs 12:20

SATURDAY 3.6.21

PEACE IS A GIFT FROM GOD

Vrede   Afrikaans

He called that place Bethel... Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.” — Genesis 28:19–21

SUNDAY 3.7.21

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT (PEC)

CREATION MIRACLES

When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was felling a log, his ax head fell into the water; he cried out, “Alas, master! It was borrowed.” Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and made the iron float. He said, “Pick it up.” So, he reached out his hand and took it. 2 Kings 6:1-7 

I have to admit - the story of the floating axe head from the book of 2 Kings was one I did not remember from the time when I read through the Bible.  

MONDAY 3.8.21

SHALOM: The Way to Healing

SIMPLE FIXES CAN HEAL DIFFERENCES

ཞི་བདེ  Tibetian  (zhi-bde)

So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Romans 14:18-19 The devotional carried the message of an ecumenical worship team that bridged the divide among the faiths and simply welcomed the prayer rugs into the church so their Muslim friends could participate.  Sometimes a willingness to make a small change can reap rewards of reconciliation!  TUESDAY, MARCH 9 Peace Builds Us Up Friede - German But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. — 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13  WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 Peace Settles Us Down Pace - Scottish By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. — Luke 1:78–79  THURSDAY MARCH 11 REPRIORITIZING THE PARTS OF OUR LIFE Baké - Basque Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding, for her income is better than silver, and her revenue better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called happy. — Proverbs 3:13–18 FRIDAY MARCH 12 WAITING FOR THE LORD Santipap - Thai And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. — Psalm 39:7  SATURDAY MARCH 13 TRUE FRIENDSHIP 平和 heiwa    Japanese No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ... I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. — John 15:13,17  FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT - MARCH 14  (PEC) Seeking the Wisdom of Sophia The LORD created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. Proverbs 8:22-23 I knew nothing of Sophia - the female divine personification of Wisdom (the name comes from the Greek word for wisdom), also interpreted in many situations as the essence of Creation or having an integral link with the natural world and what it teaches us of God.  The image is one of many icons of Sophia.  MONDAY MARCH 15 BEHOLDING THE BEAUTY Hindi:  शांति  śānti) One thing I ask of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. — Psalm 27:4  Photo taken last week at the outer pond of Crystal Crane Hot Springs near Burns, OR. TUESDAY MARCH 16 HOPE REMAINS Tutkium  (Inuit) And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” — Revelation 21:1–5  WEDNESDAY MARCH 17 SEEING THINGS THROUGH Hetep (Egyptian) Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock. — Isaiah 26:4 THURSDAY MARCH 18 A LIVING HOPE Pokoj  (Polish) By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you. — 1 Peter 1:3b–4 FRIDAY MARCH 19 RECONCILIATION Solh  (Farsi) So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. — 2 Corinthians 5:17–18  SATURDAY MARCH 20 FORGIVENESS and RENEWAL Amani  (Swahili) Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but I tell you, seventy-seven times. — Matthew 18:21–22 FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT - MARCH 21 (PEC) A NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  Revelation 21:1 Monday March 22 SHALOM: The Way to Repairing REPAIRERS ALWAYS FACE OPPOSITION Rauha (Finnish) When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. — Proverbs 21:15  Tuesday March 23 FINDING FAITH TO STAND UP FOR JUSTICE Baris (Turkish) For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” -Excerpt from Esther 4:4-16  Wednesday March 24 JESUS the LIBERATOR and PROTESTOR Ukuthula  (Zulu) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free. — Luke 4:18  Thursday March 25 BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE Nyeinjanyei (Burmese) He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? — Micah 6:8  Friday March 26 A NEW REALITY Rukun (Javanese) But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. — 2 Peter 3:11–13  Saturday March 27 UNITY Wookeyeh (Sioux) Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. — 1 Corinthians 1:10  Palm Sunday March 28 (PEC) NEEDS and WANTS When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you ... you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” ... Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” Luke 19:29-39 Monday March 29 SHALOM: The Way to Reconciliation SEEKING RECONCILIATION WHEN HOPE SEEMS LOST If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. — Romans 12:18  Tuesday March 30 RADICAL RECONCILIATION So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. — Matthew 5:23–24  Wednesday March 31 THE WORK OF HUMILITY He himself went on ahead of them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. — Genesis 33:3–4  Maundy Thursday April 1 LOVE ONE ANOTHER I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” — John 13:34–35 Good Friday April 2 THE CROSS OF RECONCILIATION For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. — Romans 5:10  Holy Saturday April 3 DOING WHAT IS RIGHT When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. — Matthew 27:57–61  EASTER SUNDAY April 4 CHRIST IS RISEN! “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” Luke 24:5-6