Lent Devotional 2021 - Pittsburg - Flipbook - Page 25
What if we take on the leadership role of dealing wisely and
justly, with kindness and concern, for all God’s people? We
cannot all become elected officials (shepherds), but we can all
participate in the communities in which we live.
Yes, this is a time of pandemic. Yes, we must social distance.
Yes, we must be mindful of the safety of others and
ourselves. But what if, for this particular Lent, we heeded this
lesson from Jeremiah by looking after one another? What if,
for this particular Lent, we looked deeper into the example
of God’s radically holy Son? What if we spent this particular
Lent remembering, in all that we do, that “The Lord is our
righteousness”?
PRAYER
God of love, you gather us into this life with one another
and called us to care for one another. We ask that you would
grant us courage to love one another. We ask that we would
recognize your sacred presence in all people. In this time of
Lent, O God, help us to flip our unknowing so that we might
know you better. We pray in your name, and the name of
your radically holy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 2021
The Rev. Brian Wallace ’06
SCRIPTURE
Romans 9:1-18
1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my
conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great
sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish
that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the
sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh.
4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the
glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and
the promises; 5 to them belong the patriarchs, and from
them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is
over all, God blessed forever. Amen. 6 It is not as though
the word of God had failed. For not all Israelites truly belong
to Israel, 7 and not all of Abraham’s children are his true
descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall
be named after you.” 8 This means that it is not the children
of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children
of the promise are counted as descendants. 9 For this is
what the promise said, “About this time I will return and
Sarah shall have a son.” 10 Nor is that all; something similar
happened to Rebecca when she had conceived children by
one husband, our ancestor Isaac. 11 Even before they had
been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s
purpose of election might continue, 12 not by works but by
his call) she was told, “The elder shall serve the younger.” 13
As it is written, “I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.”
14 What then are we to say? Is there injustice on God’s
part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have
mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on
whom I have compassion.” 16 So it depends not on human
will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. 17 For the
scripture says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for the very
purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may
be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy
on whomsoever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of
whomsoever he chooses.
DEVOTIONAL
“There are clubs you can’t belong to, neighborhoods you
can’t live in, schools you can’t get into, but the roads are
always open.” This marketing slogan, from Nike, has been a
source of inspiration for runners such as me for many years.
As I reflect on our passage from Romans 9, I am reminded
of this slogan. After all, Paul argues that to be a child of God
has nothing to do with who you are, where you come from,
what you look like, how much money you have, who your
parents are, etc. “This means that it is not the children of the
flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the
promise who are counted as descendants” (v. 8). To be a child
of God is to trust in the promise.
In short, the promise—proclaimed as the coming reign of
God by Jesus, the Messiah—is one that is wide open. Wide
open to everyone, no exceptions. In this Lenten season we
prepare to celebrate the week that sealed this centuries-old,
wide-open promise to everyone, no matter what their past or
future promise. We prepare to celebrate the week when God
won final victory over the power of sin and death on that
glorious morning.
PRAYER
Gracious God, help us, your people, to be those who
proclaim your wide-open promise. May we see past the
barriers and blind spots that keep us from being your faithful
ambassadors to those you love. In Christ’s name we pray.
Amen.
SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021
The Rev. Dr. Kristin Beckstrom Widrich ’04
SCRIPTURE
Mark 8:31-9:1
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must
undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the
chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three
days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter
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