The theme this week is a powerful follow on from last week. The issues of suffering, judgment, repentance, compassion, and justice all come together in ways that are both comforting and disturbing.

I thought I would add one quick word of explanation for something I regularly do on this site. With many of the contemporary hymns (worship songs) that I suggest each week, I provide links to videos on YouTube. The main reason I do this, is that it is hard to know which songs are known by readers of this blog and which aren’t. And, since there aren’t really any sites that provide good free recordings of these songs to listen to and learn from, I offer the videos simply as a way of hearing the song, and learning how it goes, in absence of any other resources. I hope this is helpful.

May you continue to be drawn deeper into the mystery of grace as you journey through Lent in worship.

READINGS:
Isaiah 55:1-9: God’s higher thoughts: food and drink for those who have no money; forgiveness, influence and life for those who have sinned and are called back.

Psalm 63:1-8: A psalm of longing for God’s nourishing presence, and of thanksgiving for God’s satisfying care and life.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13: The disobedience and rebelliousness of the Israelites in the wilderness is a warning to us to resist the temptations we face. But, God provides, and strengthens us, if we will allow it.

Luke 13:1-9: Jesus confronts the idea that natural or human-initiated disasters only befall the sinful or the evil, and challenges the self-righteousness of his hearers, calling them to repentance, even as he reflects, in parable, on God’s mercy that gently waits for us to wake up and start bearing fruit.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
This week the readings move us very powerfully from last week’s theme, into a “next step”. Last week, we were challenged to recognise that faith, on one level, is not a protection from the world’s woes, but rather, it is a call to take up the cross, and embrace God’s life even when we have to suffer to do so. On another level, though, we were invited to celebrate that faith does lead us into a life that is deeper, richer and more meaningful than one of faithlessness. This week, we are taken one step further – we are to reject the idea that suffering is God’s punishment for sin, and blessing (or the avoidance of suffering) God’s reward. Rather, we are called to recognise our own need of God’s mercy and grace, and to respond by “bearing fruit” – manifesting the life of God’s reign, and bringing grace and mercy into the world. This week we are shocked out of our complacency, and challenged to be more determined in our commitment to follow Christ, even as we are assured of the gifts of God’s presence and God’s provision to fulfil our calling.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. – C.S. Lewis

GLOBAL APPLICATION: The significance of this week’s Gospel reading, while the Haiti earthquake remains fresh in our memories, while the suffering and chaos still remains, and while the work of rebuilding is still a future hope, is nothing less than obvious. While much can be said – and has been said – about whether this is God’s punishment or not, Jesus closes the book on that discussion very firmly. But, he doesn’t close the book on the significance of this event for every person – it reminds us that we all need God’s grace and mercy, and that we cannot stand off and debate the pain of others academically while ignoring the part our self-righteousness plays in their pain. There is a sense in which Haiti is not a judgement on the Haitians – it a judgment on those who have allowed the inequalities that made them vulnerable to this disaster. We cannot help but be challenged that in 1989 a major earthquake (7.0 on the Richter scale) hit California and left only 63 people dead, but this earthquake (also at 7.0 on the Richter scale) has left over 200 000 people dead. To read more of this analysis check Julie Clawson’s blog.

LOCAL APPLICATION: There is an unfortunate tendency in our world to turn away from pain – to stop looking, to avoid it and to distract ourselves. And when this doesn’t work, we sometimes turn to judgement and self-righteousness. But suffering is, as C.S. Lewis says, God’s megaphone to rouse us. Not that God creates suffering (we can debate that another time), but that God speaks very loudly through pain. And it’s not only our own pain that God speaks through. When others are in pain, God’s voice is clear and challenging – calling us repent of our avoidance and self-protection, and challenging us to bear the fruit of caring, compassionate action on behalf of the suffering. While Haiti is still on all of our minds, it may be that God is speaking to you through this disaster to be more aware of those who are suffering right on your doorstep. Who needs you to release your self-righteousness and complacency and offer them compassion and help right now in your community?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Sound Of Tears
Seeing
The Call Of Compassion

Hymn Suggestions:
The Voice Of God Is Calling
How Firm A Foundation
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
O Master Let Me Walk With Thee
We Shall Go Out With Hope Of Resurrection
God Of Justice (Link to YouTube video)
Forever (Link to YouTube video)
Your Grace Is Enough (Link to YouTube video)
God Will Make A Way (Link to YouTube video)
Consider It Joy (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy Of Compassion

Video Suggestions:
Invitation To The Thirsty
You Out There?

Other Resources:
GBOD Worship Planning Helps

This week is a challenging one. There are so many possible angles from which to approach these passages – which is always exciting, because of the creative possibilities, but also tough, because of the difficulty of finding a strong focus. I’ve tried to explore a few of the possibilities, but I hope it hasn’t come out too scattered. Here are some of the ideas I’ve had in mind:

• Does faith protect us? What about those who aren’t protected?
• To what extent do we view disasters and suffering as judgment?
• How do we move away from division and judgment to mercy, compassion and awareness of our shared humanity?

I think these issues are all connected, and so I’ve tried to treat them as parts of one idea – which can be summarised in the word “Grace”. I hope it works for you!

READINGS:
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18: Abram’s faith leads him into relationship with God (righteousness) & God makes a covenant with Abram, promising him that he will have a son to be his heir, and descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Psalm 27: A song of assurance for God’s protection and care, and a plea to live in God’s sanctuary and find refuge there.

Philippians 3:17-4:1: Paul’s encouragement for believers to stay true for the sake of Christ, and to remember their heavenly priorities.

Luke 13:31-35: Jesus is warned that Herod wants to kill him, and dismisses this as his face is set toward Jerusalem. Then he laments over the city which fails to heed the prophets (including Jesus).

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
This week’s readings paint a picture of contrasts. On the one hand we see those who live by expediency and self-sufficiency, and who ultimately have no safe place to stay. On the other hand, are those who like Abram, David, those who follow Paul’s teachings, and Jesus, put their faith in God and find deep and close relationship with God. These are the ones who are sheltered in God’s care, and find their home, and their hope in God’s purposes. This contrast is both a promise – whatever we may have to endure, we will ultimately find our comfort and security in God – and a warning – a life lived outside of reference to God will ultimately lead to emptiness, strife and disappointment.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: It is easy to stereotype ourselves as good and others as bad. We speak easily of “Christian nations”, of “Christian communities”, of “Christian leaders”, and we so easily label those who disagree with us as the enemy. Jesus refuses to buy into this partisan power game. He won’t allow people to believe that God brings judgment on others to punish them for sin, and he won’t allow those who follow him to take on the role of agents of judgment. Rather he calls all people to turn to God and find grace – for we all need it. What might our world look like if, instead of working so hard to identify and protect ourselves from our “enemies”, we began to understand that they have the same hopes, dreams and struggles as we do, and that they too are loved by God. How can we begin to shift our world from opposition and conflict to mutual grace and compassion. It would appear, if we are to follow Jesus, that this prophetic act may need to begin by releasing our “right to protect ourselves” and like Jesus risking that we might be crucified even as we seek to reach out to those who hate us.

LOCAL APPLICATION: There are two truths that we need to balance in our personal journey and as communities of faith. The first is that relationship with God, is a “protection” of sorts from the woes of the world. When we follow Christ, we learn ways to live well – we learn to love others and ourselves, which inevitably creates deeper and more stable relationships; we learn to devote ourselves to God and God’s purposes, which offer us meaning and fulfilment; we learn to refuse to play the games of greed, revenge and abuse of power, which controls our appetites and keeps us from self-destruction; we learn spiritual disciplines which increase our self-care and health. But, there is also a second truth – people who follow Christ are not “better” than others. God’s “blessing” is not a reward for goodness, and suffering and difficulty are not God’s judgment or curse for our sinfulness. The Gospel offers us doorways to life, while ensuring that we know that God has no favourites, and that our call is to invite all others to find life in Christ with us. How do we celebrate the gifts of following Christ, while avoiding the self-righteousness that so often characterizes people of faith? Perhaps you can explore that this week.

RESOURCES FOR WORHSIP:
Prayers:
The Shelter of Grace
We’re Not That Different

Hymn Suggestions:
And Are We Yet Alive?
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
O God Our Help In Ages Past
How Firm A Foundation
O God Our Help (Link to YouTube video)
Blessed Be Your Name (Link to YouTube video)
God Of The Moon (Link to YouTube video)
You Are (Link to CD site where this song be downloaded free. There is also a video version available there.)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Breaking of Bread

Video Suggestions:
Land Of The Living
Judging Others
A Love Issue

Drama:
You’re Not Like Me

Other Resources:
21st Century Worship Resources
GBOD Worship Planning Helps
Lent Liturgy

As we move into Lent, it is tempting to make services solemn and dark, to preach hellfire and brimstone and to focus on all the evil in the world that we must oppose. This is certainly necessary, and the first week in Lent gives much to support this approach. However, there is also a lot to inspire celebration and joy. This first week in Lent offers us an invitation to a life of abundance – found in the practice of spiritual disciplines and in the freedom of taking responsibility for our own light and darkness. And it assures us of God’s care and protection throughout. So, perhaps Lent can be a little lighter this year, and lead us into dispelling the darkness by simply lighting our little candle.

READINGS:
Deuteronomy 26:1-11: Instructions to bring the first produce from each crop as a thanksgiving offering to God, and a recognition of God’s care and provision for God’s people in the past and the pesent.

Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16: A psalm celebrating God’s care and protection of those who dwell in God.

Romans 10:8b-13: The message of faith in Christ that ensures that we will never be disgraced and that we are saved.

Luke 4:1-13: Jesus is tempted by the devil in the wilderness, and uses God’s Word to stand firm.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
What is interesting about the readings for this week is that the focus, rather than being on Jesus’ temptation, is on God’s care, protection and provision for God’s people. When the temptation narrative is placed in that context, our focus shifts dramatically – and importantly – away from fear of failure or succumbing to evil, and on to God’s resources that are at our disposal to keep us strong and faithful. Perhaps the great temptation of this week in the lectionary is to make it all about evil and it’s attack on us and our world. The Lectionary, however, rightly calls us to make this week about God – God’s care, God’s Word, God’s protection, God’s provision – which means that we can rest assured that whatever we may face, “the best of all is ‘God is with us’” as Wesley said.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: With little scratching of the surface, the three temptations of Jesus are no different than the ones we wrestle with in the world today – power & influence, wealth & consumption, personal appetites and greed. Are there any of the big justice issues that don’t fall into one of these general categories? But, this is where God’s care and protection is so important for us to focus on, or we can easily fall into the trap of fighting this evil on its own terms. Jesus refuses to do so. Trusting in God, and immersing himself in God’s word, Jesus simply embraces a different set of values – self-giving, humility and servanthood, fasting and self-control. Even in the big global issues, simply working to create communities of trust in God’s ways that live out these alternative values is a significant way to contribute and to push back the forces of evil. How can your community embody the values of Christ more visibly and publicly?

LOCAL APPLICATION: There are so many things at issue in this week’s readings, and similarly in our lives today: issues of identity; issues of security; issues of power; issues of appetite and consumption. It is out of these issues – and the knowledge that it is only “under the shadow of God’s wing” that we can hope to face them satisfactorily – that the three Lenten disciplines emerge – fasting (to confront our consumption and appetites); giving of time, abilities and resources (to confront our love of power and pride); prayer (to confront our self-dependence & security issues). As individuals, and as faith communities, embracing these practices – not just in Lent – is the easiest way to confront the evil within and without. As Mother Teresa famously said: “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Darkness And Light
Overcoming Temptation

Hymn Suggestions:
I Know Whom I Have Believed
I Cannot Tell Why He Whom Angels Worship
Be Thou My Vision
Saviour, Like A Shepherd Lead Us
Heart Word
How Long? (Link to Amazon.com Mp3 preview)
Thy Word (Link to YouTube video)
Blessed Be Your Name (Link to YouTube video)
Your Grace Is Enough (Link to YouTube video)
Everlasting God (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Celebation of Sacrifice

Video Suggestions:
Tempted By The Devil
Temptation
Shine Your Flashlight

After the Epiphany journey which teaches us a little more of who Jesus is, the Lenten season leads us still deeper – from knowing about Jesus, to following him, especially as we face temptation, the call to serve and the approaching cross. It is a dark journey, but also a celebratory one – for even as we face the evil within us, we are offered the hope of forgiveness and life. And, of course, as always, Ash Wednesday is the point which marks the change of seasons at this time.

READINGS:
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17: A proclamation that the Day of the Lord has arrived, with a call for repentance, and a plea for God’s mercy.
OR Isaiah 58:1-12: True fasting requires repentance and justice, not just going through the motions.

Psalm 51:1-17: David’s plea for God to cleanse him after his adultery with Bathsheba is exposed by Nathan the prophet.

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10: Paul explains the suffering he and other apostles have endured in order to proclaim God’s appeal for repentance, and God’s offer of salvation.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21: The most authentic way to give, fast and pray – Jesus explains the true practice of the Lenten disciplines.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The Ash Wednesday theme is easy to identify – Our lives, like David’s, are on a trajectory of self-destruction and harm to others. God calls us to hear his warning and convicting voice, and to turn back to the ways of mercy, justice and humble service. The way God offers is not an easy or comfortable way, but it is the way of life. And so, while Ash Wednesday is a day of solemnity and repentance, recognising that we are “sinners in need of a Saviour”, it is also a day of celebration, because what is offered to us is a path that leads to life. And so, as we begin the metaphorical  journey of following Jesus through the wilderness, we are given. already now – right at the beginning – a glimpse of the resurrection that awaits.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: It seems to have become a normal practice to deny responsibility or to avoid acknowledging when our actions are destructive or harmful. Little true repentance has followed the economic crisis, a lot of work is being done to deny human responsibility for climate change, and the broken systems that burden developing countries with debt that outweighs whatever aid they receive are not easily acknowledged in the corridors of power. Yet, before we can possibly begin to create the world we long for, we must admit our sin – our greed, our carelessness, our ignorance, our self-centredness, our idolatry, our consumption. And to do this work of repentance effectively, we need a global spiritual revival, for only in the light of God’s reign can we see our need, and get a vision for what we, as a species, can become.

LOCAL APPLICATION:
While David’s repentance after the Bathsheba incident is famous, it’s always bothered me that it took a confrontation by Nathan the prophet to bring out this repentance. What would repentance look like if we made it a habit that we practiced without confrontation? Ash Wednesday offers us a doorway into developing the discipline of confession and repentance, which not only builds our spiritual connection with God, but which also strengthens our relationships, gives us a clearer and more humble perspective on ourselves, and which leads us to live well in the world, bringing life, rather than bringing pain. Where in our communities and churches could we use a more consistent practice of repentance?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Wisdom of Ash
Dust

Hymn Suggestions:
Blow Ye The Trumpet, Blow
Jesus, Priceless Treasure
Just As I Am
No Sack Cloth
Lord Have Mercy (Link to YouTube video)
Change My Heart, O God (Link to YouTube video)
Show Us The Ancient Paths (Link to YouTube video)
In Your Mercy, Lord (From my CD Songs for the Road. Preview it here)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Ash Wednesday

Video Suggestions:
Lenten Reflection
Psalm 51

Additional Resources:
The Sacredise Lent Page
GBOD
A Contemporary Ash Wednesday Service (from the GBOD)