Simply Soul Searching

THE ‘LET’ OF LENT – Wednesday, February 24th

Read Matthew 3:1-17.

But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way
to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
Matthew 3:15 (NRSV)

People were coming from Jerusalem and beyond to be baptized by John the Baptist. John’s powerful call for people to repent, as well as his critical warning for the Pharisees and Sadducees, stemmed from his humble awareness that “the one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize… with the Holy Spirit and fire” (verse 11). So we can imagine John’s surprise when Jesus comes to ask John to baptize him!

When John questions Jesus, we hear Jesus’s invitation for us today: Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus gives several gifts in this. Jesus honors John by affirming all that John has been doing and saying. He also becomes one with us by participating in the sacraments that we are called to practice. And Jesus honors God by fulfilling God’s purpose and God’s call to righteousness. In the same way, we are to follow his example. We are to honor one another; we are to keep the sacraments and other spiritual practices that deepen our love for God and humanity; and we are to fulfill God’s purpose and call to righteousness.

Perhaps our greatest invitation is to see how Jesus never took advantage of God’s favor, nor did he seek any privileges over the rest of us. Jesus became one with us; he was never concerned about himself or his personal gain. In many ways, Jesus lived a life that was more difficult than the lives we are privileged to live. In a few weeks, we will even remember how he became one with the criminals who were being crucified.

Today, our “Let it be so now…” invitation is to keep the practices and sacraments that draw us closer to God; that bond us as equals in this community of humanity. Our invitation is to examine ourselves for the ways we may be blinded by our privilege, or may rely so much on God’s merciful goodness that we do not fully grasp or repent of our sinful ways. Our invitation is to emulate Jesus’s selfless example, and to recognize that even as we are dearly beloved, we are no more loved than everyone else.

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May we let Jesus inspire us to keep our faithful practices, to follow his example of righteousness, and to grow in our love for all of humanity.

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Our Bible reading for tomorrow is Mark 1:35-39.

Photo by Ryan Loughlin on Unsplash

Bible verses found at BibleGateway.com

THE ‘LET’ OF LENT – Tuesday, February 23rd

Read Luke 2:8-20.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
“Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Luke 2:15 (NRSV)

The earthly life of Jesus began with Mary’s first LET: Let it be with me according to your word… (Luke 1:38).^* Through Mary’s willingness to let God use her life as the mother of Jesus, our own lives have been forever blessed. Another Let is found in the story of Jesus’s birth, in the words of the shepherds after they had been greeted by the angels: “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” This is our spiritual invitation for today.

Let us also go now to Bethlehem – and revisit Jesus as a tiny baby, born humbly in austere surroundings. As we envision Mary holding her precious infant, marveling at this little life, innocent and helpless, we may wonder if she could know all that would be in store for him… and her. I am reminded of one of my favorite Christmas songs, “Welcome to Our World.” Chris Rice’s lyrics bring tears each time I hear them. I picture Jesus as an innocent, helpless baby who would one day bear a cross, wear a crown of thorns, and endure a terrible suffering and death.

Fragile finger
Sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart
Whose blood will save us
Unto us is born¹

When I was young, I imagined that Jesus could bear the hardships of his life – even his death on the cross – better than I could, because he held super powers as God’s son. The more I began to understand Jesus as fully of God but also very fully human, the more I have appreciated how much he must have worried, agonized, suffered, and endured terrible pain. Growing in this humble awareness and profound gratitude has kindled my deeper love for him.

Let us go to Bethlehem today, and hold in our hearts this tiny, helpless baby who is truly one of us. Let us love this child who only lived in love and truth, and was tortured and killed for doing so. Let us be deeply grateful that God’s love was shown both incredibly and intimately. Let us always remember that Jesus was fully human, so we never forget how much we are divinely loved.

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May we let the Bethlehem story remind us today of God’s infinite goodness, shown to us in the tender infant Jesus, so that we may grow in gratitude, awe, and devotion.

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The Bible reading for tomorrow is Matthew 3:1-17.

*For another reflection on Mary’s LET, you may revisit this Advent post: Advent #10: Love In The Limbo.

¹Artist: Chris Rice; Album: Deep Enough To Dream, 2001

Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash

Bible verses are from BibleGateway.com

THE ‘LET’ OF LENT – Monday, February 22nd

Read Matthew 13:1-23.

“Let anyone with ears listen!”
Matthew 13:9 (NRSV)

God’s good word of love, guidance, and mercy is generously sown everywhere through a variety of ways. In the parable of the sower, Jesus uses rich symbolism to show us how God’s word is a seed, promising and filled with potential, but the places where it lands are not always conducive for growth. He ends with the instruction to Let our ears listen to this word of God! This is our spiritual invitation for today.

I know I have been like all these different soils at various times in my life…

Some of the seed falls on the well-worn path, where birds quickly snatch the seed away. The path speaks to me of normalcy; our usual routes, our regular paths that we routinely walk without much thought for new possibilities. When we are comfortable like this, we may receive the Word but have no motivation to absorb it or to change our ways, and soon it vanishes from our thoughts.

The rocky ground is described as shallow soil filled with stones, where the word may be received with joy but cannot form roots. When trouble comes, the seed quickly dies. Perhaps the stones are like the obstacles and hurdles that keep us from letting God’s word deepen in our souls. Some of our obstacles might be our busy lives, our daily cares, our inner doubts. We feel blessed by God’s loving word, but then another trial or hurdle comes our way, and soon we are more focused on the rocks than the seeds of goodness around us.

The image of thorns describes the distractions and cares of our world. Thorns bring to mind attention-getters that snag us away from the word, such as the desire for success, the fear of scarcity, the concern for our image, the stress of careers or other responsibilities. We receive the seed and it begins to root, but these thorns creep in again to choke our tender sprouts so they wither and die.

Finally, there is the good soil, where the word is heard, accepted, and bears much fruit. What makes good soil in us? Our good soil needs the nutrients of prayer and reading, the waters of refreshing gratitude and joy. Our good soil needs the aeration of quiet, open spaces to breathe. Our good soil even includes the breaking down as compost those things that are no longer useful for us.

When Jesus explains why he speaks in parables, he refers to Isaiah (44:18), “They do not know, nor do they comprehend; for their eyes are shut, so that they cannot see, and their minds as well, so that they cannot understand.” This brings to mind another Let verse in which Jesus tells his disciples to listen.

In Luke 9, Jesus has just healed a young man by freeing him of an unclean spirit. While everyone is amazed and astonished at what Jesus has just accomplished, he turns to his disciples and says, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.”¹ This seems like such an odd statement in his moment of miracles and awe. Of course, the disciples did not understand, but they didn’t even question his words. In fact, in the very next verses we read about the argument between them as to which of them was the greatest.

Jesus’s truth-telling came between conversations of “Look what Jesus can do for us!” and “What can he do for me?” We love to absorb the glory and the miracles. We want to hear about a right hand seat and the guaranteed favor. We eagerly hear the words of love, forgiveness, eternal life, and hope. We are not as comfortable hearing about sacrifice, pain, torture, or death. We would rather ignore words of warning, rebuke, teaching, or truth. But in the story of Jesus, every word is important. Every moment is part of it all.

What are the ways you find yourself distracted, missing the words of Jesus? What might God be trying to tell us today that we don’t want to hear? How do you hear Jesus finishing this sentence: “Listen! You need to hear this…”?

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May God open our hearts and our ears to listen, and open our souls to absorb and nurture every seed of God’s good word.

~~~~~

The Bible reading for tomorrow is Luke 2:8-20.

¹Luke 9:44 (NRSV)

Photo by Mohammad Metri on Unsplash

Bible verses taken from BibleGateway.com

THE ‘LET’ OF LENT – Friday, February 19th

But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
  Matthew 8:22 (NRSV)

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, 
let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Matthew 16:24 (NRSV)

Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples,
“Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
John 11:16 (NRSV)

Today we have three Bible passages in which we are invited to follow Jesus with increasing love and devotion. We are invited to let God first move us to become more spontaneous, then more selfless, and then sacrificial as we journey on with Christ. These are our spiritual invitations for today.

Let Jesus call us even when we are not ready.

In Matthew 8, Jesus has been healing people and is beginning to draw large crowds of followers. When he decides to move to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, one of those followers says, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus’s response to him is simply, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

In looking at several Bible Commentaries, I found a number of different, beautiful intentions in Jesus’s seemingly callous words. But our message for today is that we are to be about following Jesus now, about answering his call even when we do not feel ready.

Have you ever felt a nudge to do something, but thought that you needed to wait until you had the right conditions or plans in place? How many dreams or nudges have been missed because we have hesitated?

May we let God remove any reluctance that hinders us from spontaneously answering the call to follow Jesus.

Let Jesus call us even when we have other plans.

In Matthew 16, we hear Jesus’s familiar words, “let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Now we are not just being asked to move with Jesus to the other side of the Sea. We are being called to release any of our ambitions or agendas that would keep us from letting Jesus guide us forward in faith. We are also being called to take on those things that Jesus would have us do and be.

My goal of writing a book is taking longer than I had planned, because I have been called to serve in other ways over the years. But now I see how God may be changing my purpose for the book. One day, I hope that what I write is truly what God has given me more time to discover and share.

Could you be continuing to pursue some plans that are keeping you from God’s plan? What might we set aside today? What new thing are we being called to begin?

May we let God remove any self-determination or stubbornness that would keep us from selflessly pursuing our journey with Jesus.

Let Jesus call us to perfect and complete love, more than life itself.

Finally, in John 11, we see the full fruits of devotion through the disciple, Thomas. Jesus has just told the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again” (vs. 7). Knowing that Jesus was not welcome there – that the people had even tried to stone him – the disciples question his judgment. But Jesus is determined to go, no matter the risk. And dear Thomas then says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Thomas’s sacrificial love and devotion certainly can inspire and surprise us all. And yet, when we feel a need to keep a safe distance, when we want to commit to Christ but not too much, when we are afraid of where Jesus might lead us, we can miss out on the greatest joy, purpose, and journey of our lifetimes. We may lose the most challenging, delightful, joyful, sorrowful, surprising, and meaningful life, all because we are afraid to lose our safe, controlled, planned, and predetermined one.

Will you choose the agenda, or the adventure? How might dying to ourselves bring us more fully into life?

May we let God help us to surrender our vision of a perfect life for the perfect life God envisions for us.

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The Bible reading for Monday is Matthew 13:1-23.

My dad painted this watercolor of Jesus on the Mount of Olives for me years ago. I love that even as I cannot see what is around the bend, Jesus is waiting for me to follow him… and I know that he will be with me all the way. (Photo by Karen.)

Bible verses are from BibleGateway.com

THE ‘LET’ OF LENT – Thursday, February 18th

Read Psalm 19.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14 (NRSV)

This psalm beautifully describes how God’s glorious and loving word is everywhere! The writer finds God speaking through the heavens and firmament, in the day and night, and by words, laws, and precepts. When we are listening for God, we are wise to pay attention to everything. I often find that when an inspiration comes to me, it generally comes in several ways. What begins as a word that touches my heart in a conversation, is then rediscovered in a book I am reading. Or I may notice a lesson in nature, soon followed by meaningful lyrics in a song, or an inner, quiet thought that enhances the first inspiration.

The psalmist ends his observation of God’s word found in all of creation with his plea, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” This is our spiritual invitation for today. Our own thoughts and words should reflect God’s word, too.

How might our words and meditations become more acceptable to God?
How might we let God’s word be more clearly revealed in our words to others?

~ We pay closer attention to what God may be saying to us.

Jim and I have two toddler grandchildren who are quite articulate, but some of their words are less clear than others. As we spend more time with them, we begin to understand more of what they are saying. By observing the situations and surroundings, we can often piece together what they are trying to tell us. Sometimes I will ask them, “Show me…?” and they will take me closer to the place or item they are talking about.

In the same way, when we spend more time with God – by remaining aware of God’s constant presence with us – we begin to understand more of what God may be communicating to us. We observe our situations and surroundings for recurring themes or inspirations. We notice more of God’s presence in everything, from surprising stories to negligible nudges. If we feel unclear, we simply ask God, “Show me…?”

~ We pause before we begin to meditate or speak.

My counselor once spoke of the benefits of taking a moment to pause before speaking. This pause gives us a little extra time of awareness, a time to collect our thoughts, or put a guard on our tongue, or temper our words, or respond in love. The acronym, THINK, is a well-known checklist, but it serves as an apt reminder today. Will our words be True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind?

~ We pray for God’s help.

Sometimes when I want to clarify what our toddlers are saying, I ask them, “Are you saying this to me…?” Their precious smiles confirm that I have heard correctly. We can ask the same question of God, and wait for that peaceful sense of assurance. We can also trust that the Spirit is guiding us, interceding for us, “with sighs too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). Finally, we can keep the psalmist’s prayer always in mind: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you…”

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Let us be attentive to God’s presence this Lenten season, absorbing God’s good and perfect Word within us, so that our every word – in mind or mouth – becomes acceptable in the sight of God and reflects the light of God.

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The Bible readings for tomorrow are Matthew 8:22, Matthew 16:24, and John 11:16.

Photo by Hannah Olinger on Unsplash

Bible verses taken from BibleGateway.com

THE ‘LET’ OF LENT – ASH WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, February 17th

Read James 4:6-17.

Lament and mourn and weep. 
Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection.
James 4:9 (NRSV)

Here is where our yearly Lenten journey begins: Ash Wednesday, the time we remember that “we are dust, and to dust we shall return” (Genesis 3:19). We take time to recognize how fleeting and fragile our lives are, as we confess our sins, ask for forgiveness, and try to repent of our broken ways.

Today, our spiritual practice is found in the instruction of James, to “Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection.” We have an opportunity to examine ourselves with honesty, humility, and remorse where needed. We grieve our sinful nature, the ways we have not lived as God would have us live. Our Ash Wednesday contemplation is often somber and sorrowful, as we recognize our desperate need for God’s perfecting and redeeming love shown in Christ Jesus.

On one unseasonably warm and sunny Ash Wednesday, I once told my pastor that we had far too nice a day to be somber and sad. He chuckled at my personal example of human nature. When life is going well, when we are feeling serene and joyful, observing Ash Wednesday can seem incongruent and maybe even unnecessary. We may be grateful to God, but how much do we need God when life is good, when we are successful and joyful and content? Why ruin an otherwise uplifting and glorious day with a serious and sorrowful examination, complete with a cross marked in gray ash on our heads?

And that is why we need Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday reminds us of the reason for our Lenten journey – the reason why we take these forty days to deepen as disciples, to examine our lives in the light of Jesus’s love, to change our ways, and to let God perfect us…

We long to experience the discipline of the Lenten season because we have humbly examined ourselves and know how much we need the merciful love of God. We long to draw nearer to God because we have reflected on our lives and understand how wonderful and life-changing God’s love is. We long to follow Jesus and revisit his earthly days because we have once again heard his call. We long to begin this Lenten journey because we find that we are both grateful and needy for God in Christ – through all the joy and junk of life.

My Ash Wednesday contemplation reminds me of this personal story…

Jim had cautioned me several times that I was too close to the door frame when I was backing the car out of the garage. I inwardly resented that he doubted my driving abilities. Couldn’t he see how confident and capable I was? I had come quite close to the frame numerous times but had never left a scratch! Then one day, I heard a sickening crunch as I was backing out. Inside our house, Jim also heard the noise and quickly appeared to examine the damage to the door frame, my car, and my pride.

He reacted with compassion, never saying, “I told you so.” Instead, he was genuinely and kindly more concerned about me than the damage done; he was more ready to fix what needed to be repaired and restored than how it happened. When I continued on my way, I wept both tears of shame and tears of gratitude. I am always grateful for Jim’s love, but in times like these, I am overwhelmed to be loved like this. My love for him deepens with humility, honor, gratitude, tenderness, and devotion.

Because he loves me at my worst, I want to become my best.

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May our God of all love, compassion, and forgiveness shown in Christ Jesus draw us near, perfect our ways, and deepen our love this Lenten season.

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Our reading for tomorrow is Psalm 19.

Photo by Clément Falize on Unsplash

Bible verses found at BibleGateway.com

Do we really LET God work in our lives?

In my Advent reflection back in December, we contemplated Mary’s words to the angel of God, “Let it be with me according to your word…” (Advent #10: Love In The Limbo). Since then, this word, LET, has remained with me, especially as I wonder how much I let God influence my heart, mind, and life. Curious, I began looking up verses in the Bible that include “let.” I was surprised to find many passages – including a variety of ways – that God can move, help, or transform us when we open ourselves to let God do so.

This Lenten season is a time to let God freely work, to let ourselves surrender to God’s goodness and guidance, and to let these forty days inspire and transform us. Each weekday during Lent, we will look at “let” verses as our inspiration for the day.

Mary’s words are a perfect introduction for our Lenten journey. As we begin any spiritual disciplines or other Lenten practices, may we be first “let it be with us according to God’s word.” May we seek to become more like the person God created us to be, according to God’s perfect will. May we long to become more like Jesus, to follow him as devoted disciples. May we find new ways to let God work in us more deeply, as we let ourselves notice and embrace all of God’s movements and moments.

May we reach the glorious Easter resurrection as newly resurrected people, fully living our new life in Christ.

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Our passage for Ash Wednesday will be James 4:6-17.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash