March 9, 2017
Lenten Devotions – Start Something That Changes Your Story

“In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord let King Jehoiakim of Judah fall into his power, as well as some of the vessels of the house of God. These he brought to the land of Shinar, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his gods. Then the king commanded his palace master Ashpenaz to bring some of the Israelites of the royal family and of the nobility, young men without physical defect and handsome, versed in every branch of wisdom, endowed with knowledge and insight, and competent to serve in the king’s palace; they were to be taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine. They were to be educated for three years, so that at the end of that time they could be stationed in the king’s court. Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah. The palace master gave them other names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the royal rations of food and wine; so he asked the palace master to allow him not to defile himself. Now God allowed Daniel to receive favor and compassion from the palace master.”

Daniel 1:1-9

There is a Genesis to everything – but the ultimate Genesis to, well, everything is G-d. It is G-d who created all things, it is G-d who spoke into existence all things. We too are people who are made up of beginnings. Our birth is our official beginning, yet our very existence goes back to the act of procreation. We all had our first word, our first step, our first tooth, our first day at school, our first date, car, job, etc. And each day is the first day of the rest of our lives. Everything we do each and every day begins with choices – like what is the first choice you make when to get up in the morning; hit the snooze button, shower, eat, go for a walk, or go to the gym. So many of the choices we make we don’t even think about – they are just done reflexively – like choosing to breathe.

The story of Daniel of course is a wonderful story filled with all kinds of intrigue and apocalyptic images. But Daniel had a monumental first – the day he first decided to live a life of faith. And it was that life of faith that allowed him to put G-d first in his life. And so when faced with adversity, he was the first and the only one of the men from Judah to choose to refuse the daily rations of his cohorts. Each first for him, and you and me, is the first step in changing and forming the story of our faith.

Lent is a time for us to do some choosing: what we might take on as a discipline and how we might accomplish it. Perhaps, though, instead of choosing what to give up or to change (remember we do not always have to think of food when considering Lenten disciplines) perhaps we might choose to first allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us this Lent. Perhaps this Lent we may choose to start something that becomes a first in the story of our lives, that changes the story of our faith journey.

This week, as part of your Lenten devotions, I want you to collect one bar of soap each day, and on Sunday March 12 bring in your six bars of soap to donate to Trinity’s Table.

Pastor Dave

March 8, 2017
Lenten Devotions – Hated Christians?

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:43-45

According to Relevant Magazine (Issue 86, March – April 2017, p. 018) A Christian is martyred every 6 minutes around the world. That means that last year alone almost 90,000 Christians died for their faith. This makes Christians the most persecuted religious group in the world.

“…but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
2 Corinthians 6:4-10

Does what you do matter? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Christians around the world should ask themselves that question, because just naming yourself as a “Christian” in some parts of the world can get you killed. So what do we do about that? As I see it, we should gird our loins and be ready to fight the good fight – killing others with love (not hate or violence) that Christians are known by. So our acts of love should speak loudly announcing to the world that Christians are people of love, not hate. Last August, Chance the Rapper said on the television show Good Morning America: “…people are afraid to speak about God to a certain extent and I think if you’re not free to speak about God then you’re not free.”

My friends, Lent is about discernment – especially discerning the cross of Jesus and what that means to us. We will have set backs, troubles, bad days, months, and years, as well as joys and accomplishments – and the cross of Jesus will be our shield and protector – not to ward off the bad – but to remind us that even if we lose our lives for our faith, Jesus has won the victory over death – and claimed an eternal victory for us, whether or not we are hated for our faith.

This week, as part of your Lenten devotions, I want you to collect one bar of soap each day, and on Sunday March 12 bring in your six bars of soap to donate to Trinity’s Table.

Pastor Dave