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Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017
Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017
Easter Prayer
We praise and thank you, Lord, for the gift of your victory over death, for the gift of holy awe that comes upon us as we enter into our Easter joy. Christ has passed from death to life, may we always know you as our way through the desert and wilderness, our food and drink as we hunger and thirst. You are our safe passage through treacherous waters and the home that awaits us at the end of all our journeys. In our doubts and in the pressures of our busy lives, we seem to lose you. Help us remember that you are always with us and that your way is always before us, we have only to pay attention to hear you call us by name. Teach us to recognize you in one another and with deep gratitude continue to bear witness to the life and hope with which you sustain the world. Amen.
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Day 40: Holy Saturday, April 15, 2017, #Lent Devotion
Day 40: Holy Saturday, April 15, 2017
Rev. Sela Finau
Rev. Sela Finau
The Breath of God
Scripture: Genesis 1:2 (NRSV)
The earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
Devotion: As we journey through life, we encounter multitude of people. Some we quickly bond with and embrace. Others we simply do not know how to connect with, nor do we make an honest attempt, and we simply walk by and pretend they are not within our sight. Some we admire and long to imitate. Others we wish they would change their way of life. Some we welcome into our homes. Others we simply ignore and secretly do not invite. What would Jesus have done? I think we all know the answer to that question. Yet, many times, we do the un-Jesus thing of doing only what is comfortable, of doing only the popular things, of doing only things that will benefit us. As the season of Lent comes to an end, and we look forward to Easter, pause for some time to reflect on what Jesus had done. In our popular culture, we rush from Good Friday to Easter without serious reflection. Pause for a moment and be in silence. Take a deep breath in. Pause for 5 seconds. Breathe out. Repeat it for several minutes. 5 minutes. Feel and hear your breath. The breath of life. Give thanks, for it is the basis of all things, from the beginning, from Creation, to the life of Jesus, and to our own breath and beyond. Feel the presence of God. Feel the breath of God.
The Hebrew word ruach could mean wind, spirit, or breath. Recall the Genesis story of how the earth was formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while “the breath of God” swept over the face of the water. This day, Holy Saturday, is such a day for me as I reminisce of what it must have been like thousands of years ago. Yet, just as the Book of Genesis tells the story of creation, that “the breath of God” swept over the face of the water, so it must have been that the breath of God was also present this day, with Jesus. Meditate on that story a while, not just today but throughout your journey in life.
Prayer: Creator God, remind us daily to walk as Jesus walked, to reach out to those in need, and to stop for a moment to greet a ‘stranger’ who may simply long for a smile or a reason to grin. May the gift of breath that is in us empower us to do the unpopular things. May we, instead of wishing for someone else to change their way of life, may we be humble enough to offer ourselves in service and to let the experience transform us. May we be reminded of the love of Christ. The breath of Christ. May the breath that is in us remind us to enjoy in all its fullness the complexity and simplicity in life, and everything in between, enjoying all of creation. May the gift of breath within ourselves move us to become that wind of God and sweep over the face of the earth. May we be reminded that the breath of God, your breath God, is always present. Amen
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Day 39: Good Friday, April 14, 2017, #Lent Devotion
Day 39: Good Friday, April 14, 2017
A Good Friday Prayer for Meditation
We praise and thank you, Lord, for the gift of yourself on the cross. On this somber day of remembrance, as we contemplate Christ’s suffering for us, help us find meaning in the wounds we endure and in the travails of the world you created. You have called us to accept our common mortality, and to serve one another in love, keep us firm in our faith as we are called to suffer for others. You have called us to keep telling the story of your salvation in the unjust and violent world we live in, help us see past the limits of our vision to your limitless love, which transcends death. In the prophecies, gospel stories, and witness of scripture may we always find consolation and hope, never faltering in our certainty that you are the God of a kingdom of justice and the author of everlasting life. Amen.
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Day 38: Maundy Thursday, April 13, 2017, #Lent Devotion
Day 38: Thursday, April 13, 2017
A Maundy Thursday Prayer for Meditation
“MAUNDY” is derived from the Latin word for commandment, “mandatum.” It was on this day that Jesus gave his disciples what he called a “new command”: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus imparts his understanding of this commandment by instituting the Eucharist. In John’s Gospel he demonstrates it by washing the feet of the disciples. We will receive the sacrament of Holy Communion on this sacred day.
We praise you, O Lord, for your gift of Christian community, and we thank you as we humbly, and with reverence, celebrate Christ’s initiation of our communal Eucharist. May we never fail to be grateful for the diverse people who make up the body of Christ, and sustain our faith in each other at times when we disagree. In the face of disappointments and betrayals keep us thankful for the new commandment Christ has given us, and help us to better love each other as he has loved us, with a sacrificial and unconditional love. As we struggle with doubts and fears, help us to trust that you will always provide the nourishment we need. We ask this in the name of your son, Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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