Instead of a daily devotion, our Lenten prayer time will be spent with a theme for the week based on the scripture for the sermon the Sunday at the end of the week: thus, the devotions will begin on Monday and run through Sunday.
Monday’s devotion will be a meditation on the scripture for the next Sunday. The rest of the week will have a thought/question for the day to consider.
Week 1, February 22 (Ash Wednesday) through February 26
Matthew 4: 1 – 11
Lent is the forty days prior to Easter, not counting Sundays. It is based on the early church’s practice of preparing for Easter by walking with Jesus in his suffering.
The temptation of Jesus is one of those events that seems to make him more like us. He was tempted in the desert in three ways: physically (hunger); spiritually (putting God to the test); and temporally (with wealth and power). In each of these temptations, Jesus used scripture to overcome his temptation.
During Lent, we make a holy observance by giving up something or taking on a religious/spiritual practice. Some people give up their favorite food, or fast for one meal daily and give the cost of that meal to an organization that feeds people. Some do a full-day fast once a week (if you have health issues, this is not recommended!) Others take on a daily practice of prayer or scripture reading or praying the Psalms or meditation. Still others choose to volunteer for a non-profit organization or try to do a daily “good deed” for someone. There are so many ways to have a holy Lent!
The temptation is that we sometimes forget. Another temptation is to brag about our success, saying, “Notice me! Notice me!” It’s easy to follow the path of the ego, wanting others to see how holy we are instead of letting go of everything except God.
Wednesday’s Question: What do you plan to take on (a spiritual practice or a good work or a good habit) or give up (a food or a bad habit) during this Lent?
Thursday’s Question: Jesus basically went on a 40-day retreat in the desert. Many people go on retreats to strengthen their faith, yet Jesus seems to have made himself physically weaker. There is, however, nothing weak or wishy-washy about Jesus’ responses to his Tempter! Do you see your Lenten observance as a chance for being tempted or as an opportunity to strengthen your faith?
Friday’s Question: Will anything about your Lenten observances tempt you to failure? In other words, are you setting yourself up to fail by “biting off more than you can chew?
Saturday’s Question: What is the most imposing temptation you face as a Christian?
Sunday’s Question: On this first Sunday of Lent, what are ways you can prepare yourself for the first full week of Lenten observances? Are there things you do that might set you up for failure? Do you need to adjust your observances so that they are attainable? Would you consider going “easy” on yourself at first and adding more intensity or more difficult forms of your observance (for instance, if you choose to sit quietly for 3 minutes each day, would you consider the last two weeks of Lent trying to double that time with God)?
jamie
About jamiebrame
Greetings, fellow earthlings. I'm the retired Program Director at Christmount, the national retreat, camp, and conference center of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), in Black Mountain, NC. From September 2019 through October, 2020, I served Timberlake Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Lynchburg, VA, as interim minister. After taking more than a year off, First Christian Church (DoC), Wilson, NC, offered me the position of Interim Minister, beginning May 10, 2022.
Originally from Eden, NC, I graduated from John Motley Morehead High School, earned a BA in Religion and Philosophy at Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College), and eked out a Master of Divinity from the Divinity School at Duke University. I served, in various positions, churches (part time and full time) in North Carolina and Georgia, and have lived in Black Mountain, NC, since 1989. I married Renae in 1992 (she refers to these years as "looooooooooong" years.
I've spent the past 50 years or so trying to practice Christian contemplative prayer with some touches of Zen meditation to help the journey along. Married to a wife who is much holier than I am, I am fortunate to learn from her daily about how to do this thing called spirituality. Being an ordained minister doesn't make me holy (but occasionally, as you'll read, a little sanctimonious, so forgive me in advance!); but I hope that I put my education to good use.
I'd love to be considered a spiritual teacher, but I know myself too well to claim that. While I do a bit of teaching, I think the best teaching we do is when we remain silent (the old desert abba said something like, "if you won't learn from my silence, you won't learn from my talking"). But silence shouldn't turn into quietism, and we do have to speak out and act for justice and fairness and equality for all.
I frequently ask myself the question, "Does it matter?" about the major - and minor - issues of the day. What I think matters: love for God, equality, fairness, loving our neighbor, feeding hungry people, housing homeless ones, clothing naked ones, and especially caring for children; basically, caring for those who have some trouble caring for themselves. AND our relationship with God.
What doesn't matter: what you think of me. I'm not very Christ-like. You won't hear me talking about all the things I do for others, or all the things I do for God - I was taught that It's not about me, and using good works to get attention for myself isn't what Christian faith is about - look up "narcissism" on Google. I'm not sure Jesus thinks it matters much that I am like him or not, but I do. The old story from the rabbis is probably apropo: when I am hauled up before God at the end of time, God isn't going to ask me why I wasn't more like someone else: I will be asked why I wasn't more like me. The rabbis tell the story better.
I'm still a work in progress, as Renae will attest to.
Finally, I just hope that something you read here will make you think. Use what you can, ignore the rest. Go read some of the desert saints. Read the classics. Take care of people, never point to yourself, and don't follow me: I'm just hoping to be one more signpost to God.
And as one friend reminded me the week before I left Christmount, "It matters."
Oh, and my favorite color is probably blue, and I love cats, and I love my wife's music. I don't like beets.
Does It Matter 