Chaparral Christian Church2011 Lenten Devotions

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Dates to Remember 3The Journey to God 4“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” 5Question and Rediscover your Truth 6A Time for Change 7Your Kingdom Come… 8Lent as a Time of Preparation 9Our Daily Bread…Washing Feet 10Paul Gets It 11Lent - A Time for Reflection 12As You Will 13Gethsemane 14John 13:36-38 15Our Prayer 16The Wondrous Cross 17Psalm 22 18Daily Bread 19“Give us this day our daily bread.” 20The Rhythm of Jesus’ Life 21God’s Will 22What Would I Have Done? 23Self-Examination 24Forgiveness 25"Father forgive them for they know not what they do." 26Penitence 27To Forgive is to Heal 28Wounds of Calvary 29Availability 30Worry 31The 40 Days 32The Sacraments 33Who are we living for? 34Good Friday 35Holy Week 36Matthew 16:24-25 37The Betrayal 38John 13:4-6 39Denial 40Woman Behold thy Son! Behold thy mother! 41The Sun is Risen! 42

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Dates to Remember

Sunset Dinner and Study - Wednesdays, March 16 - April 13 5:45 - 6:15 p.m. - Dinner on the patio 6:20 - 7:00 p.m. -5-week series on Romans Children’s program

Labyrinth Self-guided - daily and Tues. 4 - 8 p.m. Holy Week - Guided Labyrinth

Maundy Thursday April 21, 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Good Friday April 22 at 7:00 in the Sanctuary

Resurrection Sunday, April 24

6:30 Sunrise Service 8:30 & 9:45 Blended Worship 11:05 The Well (Commons)

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The Journey to GodThursday, March 10, 2011Frank Shirvinski

Anytime I am driving back into the Valley after a long trip, I am scanning the horizon for the first sign of a familiar shape rising in the distance. Perhaps it is the distinct double humps of Camelback Mountain or the sharp contours of Pinnacle Peak. In that moment, they represent more than geological formations unique to our “neck of the woods,” but a marker that I am almost home. These summits stand as watchful guardians of a place. A place of familiar sights and sounds. A place where I will find my family and friends. A place of definition.

Summits, those high places that tower above the normal, provide a dual function. Upon their heights, we can see great distances and be seen more clearly by those around. Here, we can hear sounds that are normally obscured by the cacophony of daily life and we can also be heard crying out into the distance. These are special places and well worth the effort we must expend to attain their summits. For the ancients the summits of their world were the places where the vaulted ceilings of heaven rested upon the earth. Therefore, these were the places where they could go and be closest to God, to hear and be heard, to see and be seen.

Upon these summits, Jesus taught great crowds so they could hear his words, his closest disciples saw Jesus in new and powerful ways, and he was raised up, upon a hill, so the world could see the depth of the Father’s love.

Lent draws us into God’s continuing story. Together, we journey away from the cares and concerns of daily life for a time and ascend upon the summits with Jesus to see and be seen, to hear and be heard. Like a summit in the middle of the desert, Lent is a double journey - a journey toward the mystery of God’s redeeming embrace, and a journey into the depths of our own humanity. May our journey take us beyond our casual indifference or a faith which has become palatable.

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“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”Friday, March 11, 2011Jenny Statler

A Christian singer named Mark Schultz tells a story: One day he saw a poster with many different names for God. This struck him as odd, because he thought, “Well, how many names

does God really need?” Later in life he discovered that God has different names for different seasons in our lives. At times He is The Creator, The Master, The Father, The Almighty. Other times He is The Comforter, The Shepherd, The Healer, The Giver of peace. Whatever season you are experiencing in your life right now, I hope that during this time of Lent God reveals His name to you, and that you recognize His name to be Holy.

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Question and Rediscover your TruthSaturday, March 12, 2011Tarik Albert

Sometimes we have been conditioned to think that if we question our beliefs then we somehow lack faith. However, the very disciple who earned the moniker “doubting Thomas” was rewarded with positive confirmation when he was invited to examine the wounds of the risen Jesus (John 20:24-29).

If you are like me, you likely have met Christians who have added confusion to what you have read in scripture. Let go of everything you have heard and what you think you know and seek with new perspective what Christ means to you today. Jesus says “I am the truth…” (John 14:6) The great thing about truth is that it doesn’t change. While perceptions, interpretations, and opinions about truth may vary, Truth itself (or Himself) is constant. Seek Truth in scripture, in your friends, and most importantly within yourself. Truth is there waiting for you to discover (or rediscover).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, who is beyond our ability to fully comprehend, thank you for the gift of your Son sent to reach us at our level. Open our eyes to realize your grace with new perspective. Help us uncover Christ’s presence in our lives today. Forgive us for our lack of understanding as we forgive those who may have confused us. Give us the power of discernment as we let go of our old perceptions, and guard us against distracters. Your love, revealed through us, reigns forever. Amen

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A Time for Change Monday, March 14, 2011Babs Brown

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” Matthew 6:10

We all know what it takes to get ready for visitors at home. We work hard to be sure everything is externally comfortable, clean, warm, friendly, welcoming. We put the vase they gave us on the coffee table, wear the t-shirt they brought from Alaska, make their favorite dessert. We want them to know we are glad they are with us.

Are we equally prepared for God’s Kingdom to come? How do we get ready? Can we sweep out the cobwebs of resentment and throw away the collection of hurts and bad memories? Can we truly forgive and not just try to forget? Are we willing to weed the disappointments from the joys in our lives and plant seeds of love and caring?

We can be an integral part of the Christian family community -- the body of Christ.

God’s kingdom is here. Does it dwell in our hearts and homes?

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Your Kingdom Come…Tuesday, March 15, 2011Marion Hostetler

It had started…flake by flake…the great East Coast blizzard of February, 2010. And I wasn’t watching it on the Weather Channel, I was watching it from inside...inside my mother’s nursing home in York, Pennsylvania.

Strange, how isolated you can feel as you watch twenty-two inches of snow fall silently, and surround…no, maroon your world. I watched as nurses and kitchen staff brought their suitcases and we all hunkered down for a three-day midwinter experience. I became a member of their community and adopted their routine. I observed, firsthand, the interaction of the staff and residents, and among the residents themselves.

My assigned tablemates included one whose sight afforded only blurry shapes, one whose hearing aids gave only clues of the conversation, a former college professor too stooped to see his companions, and an ex-Marine/fire chief, now barely able to maneuver his walker into the dining room.

How encouraging, how patient they were with each other. How minor the disabilities seemed as they served and helped each other. They read the menu to each other, they helped open the pesky little salad dressing packets, they inquired of each others’ great grandchildren. Tired nurses never lost their smiles, never forgot a first name or overlooked a special dietary need. They delivered pills with applesauce to “help them go down.” Their world is a gentle, caring world.

Surely, their kindnesses are a reflection of Your Kingdom coming on earth as it is in Heaven. In Matthew 25:40 we read, “inasmuch as you have done it for the least of these, you have done it for me.”

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Lent as a Time of PreparationWednesday, March 16, 2011Sara Perrine

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit in me. Psalm 51:10

There is no biblical commandment saying we must participate in Lent, but it can become a sacred time. If one so desires, it can become a time of clearing away, of solemn personal reflection, and of purging and cleansing. It is intentionally time spent preparing our hearts to be open to the workings of God’s Spirit within our hearts. As the pioneering farmer prepared the fields, much work was required; trees must be cleared, stumps removed, the earth tilled and prepared. Only then can seeds be sown and new growth take place. Lent can become a time of clearing out the things which prevent continued growth, such as hardened hearts, complacency, negative attitudes, or anything which prevents the Spirit from molding and changing us, preparing us for new

growth.

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Our Daily Bread…Washing FeetThursday, March 17, 2011Sharon Alger

Lent is traditionally a time of giving something up or abstaining from something in which we take pleasure in order to participate in the sufferings of Christ. What if this year we made it a priority to add a behavior to our usual routine? What if we decided to practice foot washing on a daily basis?

John 131 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love…. 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him…. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Just as we take time each day to nourish our bodies with food, let’s take time each day to nourish our world with acts of kindness. Let’s set ourselves aside each day and wash the feet of another person. For one who might cut us off on the road or in line at the grocery store or bank, let us hold back the angry honk or unkind word. In fact, let us make a point of allowing another to go first. Let’s actively search for situations where we can bring Christ’s love to another person through an intentional behavior. Thinking in traditional Lenten terms, let us abstain from a self-centered focus and turn our focus to what we can do for the world. Give us this day our daily bread, and a morsel of bread for another.

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Paul Gets ItFriday, March 18, 2011Jim Langdal

We don't always think of Paul during Lent, since he was not one of the original 12 disciples and was not there with Jesus during the final weeks leading up to the crucifixion. However, he clearly understands the importance of Jesus' death and resurrection - we can see this in numerous passages such as 1 Cor. 1:23 - "we preach Christ crucified." In fact, Paul seems to be able to personalize the crucifixion more than the original disciples. In other passages in Romans and Galatians*, Paul writes that we ourselves are crucified with Christ. Paul sees that Jesus' death on the cross was more than an historic event, and even more than God's redemptive act to forgive our sins and restore us into relationship with him. We must model the crucifixion in our lives every day and put to death everything that separates us

from God. Paul understands that being a Christian requires us to actively pursue God's calling for our lives - to come to know God through prayer and scripture, to be enriched and supported by our involvement in the church, and to serve God with our actions and talents. And when our old self tries to drag us away from these things, the answer is clear - we find the power to overcome temptation as we meet Jesus at the cross.

* See Rom. 6:6, Gal. 2:20, Gal. 5:24, Gal. 6:14.

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Lent - A Time for ReflectionSaturday, March 19, 2011Mike Bolar

Lent, the 40 days before the resurrection is a time for reflection, prayer and fasting, “or giving something up.” In giving something up during Lent, we resist temptation, much like Christ did himself with his 40-day temptation by Satan. The Lenten season reminds us of Christ’s human connection to us. To be tempted is uniquely human. Christ prayed and fasted during his 40 days beginning his earthly ministry of redemption for mankind. Maybe that is why Satan tempted him, the stakes were high. In the process he showed us how to sacrifice and turn ourselves over to God.

For me Lent can serve as a sort of spiritual spring cleaning. I can give something up, pray and hope the time prepares me for a ministry of service and obedience. The time serves for me to reflect on my temptations, sins and struggles and look forward to Christ’s atonement as I repent from my failings. Can the celebration of Lent help to make us perfected by Christ’s blood? I hope so, even when tempted to believe otherwise.

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As You WillMonday, March 21, 2011Dr. Michael Drury

"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matthew 26:39

Later this week, I will attend the funeral of an aunt who was a pillar of our family for decades. She is endeared to me for many reasons - as a fixture of many of my own childhood memories, as a source of refuge for other family members, several of whom she brought to Christ, and perhaps most of all as one who endured many of this world's challenges, but responded in kindness, using those experiences to help the plight of others.

I find great comfort in sharing life's difficulties with one who understands the turmoil, because they have lived it themselves. Each of us has been granted this opportunity in the grace of our Lord. I am especially taken with His quotations from the Garden of Gethsemane. These are not the words of one viewing our trials from afar, but rather a vivid reminder that He

shared them with us, not because He had to, but because He chose to. He knew more anguish, more rejection, and more pain than most of us will ever come close to experiencing. It is summarized in striking fashion by the word picture in Luke 22:44, "his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground."

But this cup was not taken in defeat. On the contrary, His obedience and suffering was a direct fulfillment of the will of the Father. It is the very reason we drink from a cup of salvation today. I struggle to understand all the concepts even now, but it is clear we will never walk through Gethsemane alone. We will be with a Savior who shared our troubles, won the battle for us, and fervently desires to share that gift with us. It is the reason we can celebrate the ongoing lives of my aunt, our loved ones, and all the world that would accept His gift.

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GethsemaneTuesday, March 22, 2011Hulda Hime

In Hebrew, Geth (or Gat) means “press;” Shemen means “oil.” Gethsemane – The Garden of the Olive Press. How appropriate. Consider how an ancient olive press worked. The olives were poured into a circular stone basin and pressure from a stone wheel crushed the olives until the oil flowed.

Reaching out to touch the knarled trunk of the olive tree, I think of how so many times we think of, sing of, and envision Christ’s suffering on the cross. But standing here I am flush with the feeling that his true suffering occurred right here in Gethsemane. It was here where the enormity of my inequities, your inequities, and the inequities of the generations were pressed upon Christ. Luke 22:44 – “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” The pressure crushed upon our Lord until the blood flowed.

He called out to our Heavenly Father, asking that the crushing cup be passed from him – yet always obedient to the will and plan of our Father, he rose to fulfill the prophecy. Isaiah 63:3 – “I have trodden the wine press alone, from the nation’s no one was with me.”

I turn from the tree and look out across the Kidron Valley and my eyes settle on the gates of golden Jerusalem stone gleaming in the sun. And although the gates are walled, it is that very fact that reminds me of His promise. Through His sacrifice, the walls that separate us from the Kingdom are removed. The blood that he shed, in this garden and on the cross, brings us new life born from His.

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John 13:36-38Wednesday, March 23, 2011Nick Stavlund

Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

Then Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me?”

Jesus knows a lot about suffering; he knows a lot about going it alone. In this interchange of verses, we see Peter seeking to follow Jesus to a place where “he cannot follow.” Jesus is referring to his death and resurrection. Peter cannot follow him to the grave; he cannot follow him to the resurrected life. This path is for Jesus, and Jesus alone.

This is great news for us. Jesus went it alone, and the result is profound: We will never have to go it alone. He let himself be subject to the bonds of death so that he could defeat death and provide a way out on the other side. Now, Jesus offers this same way out on the other side of death to those who live by faith.

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Our PrayerThursday, March 24, 2011Dr. Larry Hostetler

How easily our thoughts stop with gratitude...even if it’s deep gratitude...for the food God provides us. The prayer includes so much more. It pointedly begins, “OUR Father,” then continues, “Give US this day OUR daily bread. It doesn’t say ME or MY.

It is very easy for our gratitude to hide our indifference. I have bread enough, thank you. But what of the millions of people in the world who go to bed hungry every night? For many their entire daily ration of food is less than what most of us eat for breakfast.

In Haiti children are sometimes given mud cookies to take to school with them - yes, to EAT! The cookies have no nutritional value, but they expand in the children’s stomachs so they don’t feel so hungry. A piece of bread would be a meal if they could find one.

The Lord’s prayer for “OUR daily bread” will not be fully answered until ALL of the people in the world have food enough. See how wonderfully the prayer opens our hearts to take on the needs of the world - of all God’s children everywhere!

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The Wondrous CrossFriday, March 25, 2011Adrienne Armes

The words of this hymn speak to me, especially during the time of Lent. As we focus on the Cross this year, may we remember a Love so great that our Savior gave His life for us. May we realize how great that Love is and truly give ourselves to the One who demands our souls, our lives, and our all.

When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory diedMy richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ, my God;

All the vain things that charm me most I sacrifice them to his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down; Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an offering far too small:

Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

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Psalm 22Saturday, March 26, 2011Frank Shirvinski

The Father was silent when death surrounded His only Son. He was silent when the cries of His own son echoed through the golden streets of Heaven, “My God, My God, Why have you abandoned me?”

As a father of three small children, I wish that I could not imagine hearing those words! But, I can. Because I saw them, in the hollow stare of a frail little girl in Ethiopia whose life was about to be slowly and painfully extinguished by AIDS. I do not even know how old she was. I asked, but the nuns who served the children there, did not know the day she was born, although they could predict that day that she would soon die.

And there she sat, resting in my arms staring at me with eyes no different than those of my own children. Was her life any less valuable then theirs? Why is it easier to put her back into her crib returning her to a world of loneliness among the dying, then turn and walk away? Is blood really thicker than water? Or, is that just an excuse that can let us walk away and still sleep at night?

Then again, is there any blood thicker than that of Christ’s which we share here? Or, any water purer than that into which we all have been baptized? American or Ethiopian? God’s silence is different. For in it, we do not hear the silence of abandonment, but the faithful love of a Father willingly handing over His Son into the hands of ruthless people, so that His Son could return ruthless people to the hands of the Father. Amen

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Daily BreadMonday, March 28, 2011Mark Bjornsen

The request for our daily bread is the fourth of seven petitions found in the Lord’s Prayer. Because the petition is placed at the center of the prayer it serves as a turning point. The first three petitions focus on our desires regarding God. May we keep His name holy, may His kingdom come and may His will be done. At the request for daily bread the emphasis shifts to our desires for what we want God to do for us. Provide for us, forgive us, guide us and deliver us.

Not surprisingly, the term daily bread often reminds us of our need for physical sustenance. More importantly, however, it should remind us of our need for the spiritual sustenance that can be found only in the Bread of Life. Christ does not provide us with the Bread of Life, rather He is the Bread of Life. Likewise, when we pray for our daily bread, we are asking for Christ to come into us. We are asking for that grace which provides us not just with life itself but with a spirit-filled life that reaches out to the world around us. The petition is for our bread because of our concern for others and we ask for it daily, signifying that we ask only for that amount necessary to enable us to make it through this day.

Arguably, the best understanding of our daily bread is exhibited at the communion table. At the Lord’s Supper Christ is present, we partake of the elements and together our body and soul are strengthened.

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“Give us this day our daily bread.” Tuesday, March 29, 2011Dr. Larry Hostetler

For most Americans this seems more an expression of thanksgiving than a request. I know of very few people in our Church family who have any concern about food. No, our concern is not about IF we’ll have food today, but WHAT food we’ll have.

As a child I’d sometimes open the refrigerator door looking for a snack. Seeing shelves full of milk, left-over green beans, potatoes and sometimes a piece of fried chicken or a slice of bologna I would say to my mother, “There’s nothing to eat.” What I meant was there wasn’t a cookie or a piece of cake or some other delicious treat.

I can’t remember going hungry in my life. Sometimes it was just bread and gravy, but always there was enough. I never went to bed hungry - unless I had misbehaved! So the

prayer reminds us of how important it is for us to recognize God’s gift of food everyday. God wants to know that we are aware of His Presence in the food we eat, in the air we breath and in the water we drink. He’s that involved in our lives.

At every meal we should pause long enough to pray, “Thank you God for providing bread and so much more everyday.”

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The Rhythm of Jesus’ LifeWednesday, March 30, 2011Nick Stavlund

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he (Jesus) got up and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him; when they found him they said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’ And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.’”

Rhythm

In the “desolate place,” which can also mean “lonely place,” Jesus finds the strength he needs to follow God’s will and not his own; to speak God’s words and not his own; to do God’s work and not his own. It is in this lonely place, where Jesus enters into intimacy with the Father, that his ministry acquires endurance.

In solitude we can slowly unmask the illusion of our successes and discover in our self that we are not what we can conquer or accomplish. It is in this solitude that we discover that being is more important than having, and that we are worth more than the result of our efforts. In solitude we realize, like Jesus, that our life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared. It’s there we recognize that the love we express to others is part of a greater love.

Jesus had a rhythm to his life. He did not run himself into the ground; and, he did not bide his time and waste his gifts. May you take time this week to “go off to a solitary place to pray.”

Mimic the rhythm of Jesus’ life.

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God’s WillThursday, March 31, 2011Mary Cartwright

We all recognize in ourselves that stubborn will that demands we have our own way. This is a trait that is found in even the very young. So it is not difficult to understand the price of submitting one’s will to God.

It is a sacrifice. It is costly. It means relinquishing control.

So, when we find Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane we at least can comprehend a bit of the struggle he is facing. In Matthew 26:39 Jesus prays:

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. YET not as I will, but as you will.”

YET, a three-letter word that can so easily be overlooked.

A word offering promise. A word of submission. A word that changed history forever.

Did Jesus have a choice? It seems clear that He did. When he found his closest friends sleeping, he returned to them, sympathizing with the fact that the spirit was willing but the body was weak. He understood their situation all too well.

He went away again and his prayer in Matthew 26:42 provides this insight: “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

God’s answer was offered by deafening silence—and YET, through this relinquishing of the Son’s will, God ushered in His plan of salvation.

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What Would I Have Done?Friday, April 1, 2011Dr. David Perrine

I regularly wonder what I would have done. How would I have reacted on the day Christ was crucified? How easy was it for the disciples to follow Jesus as he entered triumphantly just one week before? They were the inner circle of the man hailed as the new king. But all that would change in a short week. Their triumph would soon turn to apparent tragedy. Things would not turn out the way they expected. Hopes were crushed and despair would soon overtake them all.

I regularly wonder how the disciples, having lived with Jesus, could have fallen away. They witnessed firsthand his miracles, heard the wisdom of his teaching, and felt the power of his presence. Yet, still they fell away.

It appears I have much in common with them. I, too, find myself hiding from Jesus. Falling away—even questioning, at times, God’s very existence.

However, like the disciples, I find myself face-to-face with him again, ashamed and humiliated. Upon which he reminds me that nothing can ever separate me from his love. As my shepherd, he simply rejoices at my return.

Let us love one another as he has loved us, remembering the sacrifice he made for us through that love.

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Self-ExaminationSaturday, April 2, 2011Del Fernandez

Lent is an annual observance when the church calendar extends to us an opportunity for self-examination, reflection, and recommitment. And like all opportunities, it is an advantage to us only if we take it and put it to use.

The whole purpose of Lent is to help us partake of this vocation by abandoning bad habits which inhibit God's work to bear fruit.

Different customs during this 40 days in Lent are marked by practices taken up with renewed vigor including prayer, (justice toward God) fasting, (justice toward self) both from food and festivities, and by alms giving (justice toward neighbors) and other acts of penance.

As I did some research and looked up passages in the Bible about Lent, fasting, and commitment, my mind kept thinking about some great humanitarians that have lived in my lifetime:

My first thought is Mother Teresa who worked with the poor and sick of India. I remember reading one of her prayers. “Oh, my God, thank you for giving me this opportunity to do this work in Your name." The work she was doing was not for a few days or a month or two. It WAS her life.

Martin Luther King is another person I think about. Watching his friends, his people, getting ravaged by the police, the police dogs attacking, and the peace marches must have brought great anguish. I'm sure there was much prayer at the end of every day. He had a mission and he believed that God would be there for him.

I could go on and on. There are so many others: Gandhi, and all the missionaries who travel the world preaching God's word.

I think Lent is a good time to make a commitment to God, your church and yourself.

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ForgivenessMonday, April 4, 2011Larry Gettman

The 40 days of Lent are observed by Christians as a period of penitence; whereby we repent and have regrets about our sins and faults. Reading the Bible daily, meditating, and praying to God can help us reconcile our shortcomings with the Father. Jesus taught us in The Lord’s Prayer to ask God to forgive our sins (trespasses) as we forgive the sins of others (those who trespass against us). We take great comfort in knowing that the Father is a forgiving God; but we humans often have a difficult time forgiving each other. The Lord’s Prayer implies that as God forgives us, we are, in turn, forgiving others. But are we really forgiving others? Oh, how I pray that God will give me the strength to forgive those who sin against me. It seems much easier to hold a grudge against the other person than to actually forgive the wrongdoing. We all need the strength of the Lord to forgive others, because our own human strength is not enough. Our prayers and reliance on God as the source of our strength, will give us the courage and confidence to forgive … and love each other.

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"Father forgive them for they know not what they do."Tuesday, April 5, 2011Taul Aragaki

We all know who "they" are.

They kept the Sabbath but abandoned God’s will, Their hands were washed, cleansed of responsibility, They passed Him on the cross, mocked Him with their words.

Hung on the cross, each nail forged with malice, secured with apathy

We pass Him in our thoughts, mock Him with our actions Our hands are stained, marked with indifference We keep the workweek but abandon the Sabbath.

We all know who "they" are.

Father, forgive us for we know not what we do.

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PenitenceWednesday, April 6, 2011Terry Ishihara

During the 40-day observance of Lent we are to focus upon penitence. In the Lord's Prayer we ask God to forgive us for our wrongful thoughts or acts as we forgive others for what they have done likewise to us. Penitence or being sorry for our bad thoughts or actions is to precede forgiveness. The beauty of forgiveness is that it enables us to proceed on our life journey with a clean slate as well as restore broken relationships. Forgiveness from God was made possible by Jesus dying on the cross which served as punishment for all sins. Therefore, with that punishment, Jesus ushered into our lives true and complete forgiveness.

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To Forgive is to HealThursday, April 7, 2011Ken Johnson

Forgive us our trespasses…

We’ve all done it, trespassed. We’ve hurt someone; a family member, a friend, a co-worker, a stranger. Some hurts are small and easily forgiven. Some are large and deep, difficult to deal with and hard to forgive. All of them cause pain and separation, separation from the one who was hurt and separation from God.

Ahh, there is joy to be had, closeness to be restored. When we ask for forgiveness, with a pure and repentant heart, and receive it from the person who was wronged - healing occurs. With healing comes a renewed relationship and peace.

As we forgive those…

It’s happened, hasn’t it? Someone’s hurt you. Oh it may have been just a little thing. Or, maybe the hurt cut deep. It could even have ruined a beautiful relationship. Maybe this has affected a number of areas in your life and caused sadness and bitterness.

Here too, joy can be found. A healing and peace can be restored deep – deep in the soul. Forgiveness, true forgiveness, is a gift unsurpassed by any other. It heals the wounds, removes the sadness and bitterness and restores a beautiful relationship.

It’s not easy, though, is it?

To be forgiven and to forgive are not easy things. They require some kind of sacrifice. They are humbling experiences. How much harder was it on God himself to sacrifice his Son? His cut was the deepest, His separation was the farthest, His forgiveness was the greatest. “By His wounds we are healed.”

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Wounds of CalvaryFriday, April 8, 2011Ray Craig

Come see the wounds of CalvaryIn head and hands and side

I was the one who wounded HimAs on that cross He died.

His brow cut all about with thorns,T’was I who pierced it sore.

But I knew not, when planning it,that crown for me He wore.

See there, His hands, all bleeding,torn,I caused His agony,

For He was wounded in the handWhile reaching down for me.

And to His side, with eager hands,In death, that spear I thrust.

But knew not till His blood poured out,That blood would make me just.

O blessed wounds of Calvary In head and hands and side,

Was there I learned of God’s great love,Was there Christ for me died.

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AvailabilitySaturday, April 9, 2011Stacy Shirvinski

A few years ago, when asked if I would do a midday meditation, I immediately had a dozen reasons why I shouldn’t. What could I possibly say in a meditation? I am a background person, what business did I have being up front? After some time worrying and thinking, I realized that it wasn’t about me. You see God doesn’t ask us to give the perfect meditation or teach the perfect lesson, he simply asks us to be available to him and willing to do as he asks.

During this Lenten season, I believe this is one of the most important things that we can remind ourselves of…to be available as well as willing to heed God’s call. If we look at the disciples and their part in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus

asked them to stay awake and pray with him. The disciples were there and available, but they were not there in spirit. They could not stay awake long enough to be the support that Jesus wanted and needed.

How many times has this been our story? Sometimes we fall asleep during prayer or start making our grocery list mentally and completely lose track of what we are doing. Other times we may think of a lonely neighbor or someone in need, and ignore the spirit’s nudging because we are too busy with “us.”

Lent is a second chance for repentance and reconciliation with God. It is a time to prepare ourselves for the celebration of the risen Christ, and gives us a chance to take inventory of where we are with Christ and where we need to be.

Dennis Bratcher wrote in his Reflections on Lent:“Lent is a way to place ourselves before God humbled, bringing in our hands no price whereby we can ourselves purchase our salvation. It is a way to confess our total inadequacy before God, to strip ourselves bare of all pretenses to righteousness, to come before God in dust and ashes. It is a way to empty ourselves of our false pride, of our rationalizations that prevent us from seeing ourselves as needy creatures, of our ‘perfectionist’ tendencies that blind us to the beam in our own eyes.”

Through prayer that gives up self, we seek to open ourselves up before God, and to hear anew the call "Come unto me!" We seek to recognize and respond afresh to God’s presence in our lives and in our world. We seek to place our needs, our fears, our failures, our hopes, our very lives in God’s hands, again.

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WorryMonday, April 11, 2011Chris Lee

So many times we are tempted to worry about the outcome of something completely out of our control. Whether it be health issues with family or loved ones, money or job troubles, thoughts of "we just have to have ....", we lose our balance of what is truly important! If we can jump out of the rat race, take a quiet moment to focus and pray to God for guidance, it is truly amazing how our priorities get realigned with God's purposes for us in our lives here on earth.

Two of my favorite verses help refocus me:

1 Corinthians 10:13 But remember this--the wrong desires that come into your life aren't anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation's power so that you can bear up patiently against it. (The Living Bible translation)

Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. (The Living Bible translation)

God-given strength, God-given confidence..... how can we go wrong with help like that?

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The 40 DaysTuesday, April 12, 2011Artie Eaves

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” Luke 4:1-2. During those forty days Satan urged Jesus to turn a stone into bread, to worship Satan in return for worldly power, and to call upon angels to save him from a great fall. In all of those temptations, Satan never offered Jesus anything of substance. Satan did not actually offer to provide bread; he merely urged Jesus to provide himself with bread. When it came to worldly power, what could Satan really offer to the King of Kings? Finally, Satan never offered to save Jesus from harm. He merely prompted Jesus to avail himself of God’s promise of protection. Satan urged Jesus to take things that were within his reach. All three times, Jesus resisted because it was not God’s will that he have those things at that time and under those circumstances. Though he was hungry and anonymous and afraid, Jesus ultimately knew that he was following God’s will. That knowledge was more powerful than his human frailty. Satan wants us to believe that God has forsaken us and that we should take what we want, when we want it. God wants us to believe that He knows the desires of our hearts better than we do. Each time we are tempted, we choose to believe one or the other.

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The SacramentsWednesday, April 13, 2011Travis Armes

Throughout history Christians have recognized the sacraments of the Eucharist and Baptism. In the waters of baptism and the juice of the cup we receive life renewed. Yet our renewal comes to us at a great cost. Jesus said that if a grain of wheat dies then it bears much fruit. We, the church of today, continue to flourish in new ways and in new soil, the fruit of the seed of the blood of martyrs (Tertullian), beginning with the one to whom we bear witness.

While we often speak of the sacraments as instruments of grace and of new life and life renewed, Jesus twice spoke of them in reference to his imminent death. “Can you drink the cup that I must drink,” he asks his disciples, “or be baptized with the baptism with which I must be baptized?” (Mark 10:38). The call to take up a cross and die is

a serious one, and it has been extended to us, Christ’s followers. To share in Christ’s baptism is to share in his death. Yet, to share in his death is to share in his resurrection. To die to ourselves is a great sacrifice, but to live with Christ is great gain. Paul knew this, and this knowledge carried him through great hardship. Though the path is narrow and at times perilous, may we follow Jesus Christ as our leader unto a life that is worth living for, and dying for.

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Who are we living for?Thursday, April 14, 2011Shawn Merle

“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” John 12:26

The temptations of the physical world constantly knock on our door offering the next best thing: go see a football game, go to the mall, watch the race on TV, buy the latest IPod, 8:00 a.m. Tee-Time on Sunday morning, play the latest video game, Facebook, Twitter and the list goes on. Our attention is cast on the instant gratification of keeping “Me” happy through the material world. Our focus is on ourselves and we sacrifice friends, relationships and community to achieve the “Me” satisfaction. Yet, when our world brings us to our knees we aspire to self-help to chart the path forward or we look to God for guidance. When we live our lives looking forward to the Sunday morning Tee-Time we need to ask ourselves, “Who are we Living for?”

As Christians we have outwardly expressed our faith in God, our Father, and Jesus, his only begotten Son as our Savior but we allow the world’s events to schedule our lives and cloud our focus on where we should be spending our time. We choose to say “it is OK” to miss church because we feel it is more important to participate or serve in the non-church event versus serving God through our Spiritual Gifts or ministry. Making the choice in serving God requires the sacrifice of worldly invitations for the joy of serving Christ through serving others in our congregation and in his Kingdom. Being a servant to God is the ultimate expression of our love for God because serving is being the presence of Christ in our world. Christ served us by shouldering the pain of our sin, dying for our sin and rising from the dead so our sins may be forgiven. No love is greater than the sacrifice Jesus made for us by dying on the cross for our salvation. Maybe this service is the joy of a smile when greeting a congregant or newcomer at the door, serving communion, singing a heartfelt anthem, fellowshipping at a church event, preparing the sanctuary for Christmas or shaking the hand of a newcomer in the pew. At the dawn of each day you must ask yourself, “Who am I serving for?”

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Good FridayFriday, April 15, 2011Barry Welch

As we approach Jesus’s crucifixion and Good Friday we must think on ..What is Good about Good Friday? Jesus is dead. He is put into the grave. This is Good? We know that Jesus did

not want to suffer this physical and emotional pain. In the Garden he prayed and sweat drops of blood. He pleaded with his Father. Must he drink this cup? He did not want to do this! But then he says, not my will but thine be done. He finally accepted God’s plan for our salvation. He must be the ultimate and final sacrificial lamb for all mankind. He accepted it.

We did not know that anything Good would come from this crucifixion until resurrection Sunday. Now we can look back and say..WOW, this is Good Friday. Still,our Savior, our friend, our master was put to death. Why? Because He loved us so much and He wanted us to have victory over the grave; to be with Him in heaven everlasting. He did it for our salvation. This salvation message came to me as a young boy in the Redwood Falls,

Minnesota Church of Christ when these really old girls, 15 or 16, sang John 3:16. ”For God so loved the world, He gave His only son, To die on calvary’s tree, From sin to set me free,…Wonderful His love for me.” That last phrase caught this 10-year-old’s attention, “Wonderful His love for ME.” This began my walk with Jesus.

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Holy WeekSaturday, April 16, 2011Mary Cartwright

We call it Holy Week, the final days leading up to the crucifixion of Christ. If you knew you only had a few days left what would your priorities be? Would you settle in with family and let them comfort you? Would you seek out your favorite places and visit them one last time? Would you order your favorite foods for the delight of tasting just once more? It is a question most people don’t really get to ask.

But Jesus knew what was in store for him. He could have recoiled with dread. He could have looked for a place to hide. He could have called his attorney to break the contract. He did none of these things.

Instead, he chose to go about his Father’s business.

He confronted the arrogance of the Pharisees. He spoke out against hypocrites. He instructed any who would listen on the need for spiritual readiness. He drove out the money changers from the Temple. He praised the widow who gave coins out of her poverty. He gave a new command to love one another. He prayed for unity among his followers. He washed the feet of his disciples, demonstrating servanthood.

Jesus spent his final week doing what he always did—teaching those who would hear, confronting those who attempted to silence him, pointing out what God’s priorities are and then explaining those things by his actions.

Perhaps a powerful lesson is found in this last week of his earthly life. We, too, are called to continue going about our Father’s business. Our days are limited. Do we want them to be counted as gain for the Kingdom?

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Matthew 16:24-25Monday, April 18, 2011Frank Shirvinski

Then Jesus told his disciples,”If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

The Via Dolorosa, or Way of Sorrow, still winds its way through the streets of Jerusalem. Crowds still pack the markets, exotic spices still fill the air and the sounds of daily life still echo throughout the City. Yet, in the midst of the rush and excitement, a hand-carved Roman numeral is quietly stationed above a stone door frame where it silently marks the traditional site where Jesus stumbled under the weight of the cross. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of times each day, people pass by that place, never giving it even a second thought.

Centuries ago,crowds pressed in around Jesus as He struggled along this path. Around Him women weep, a pilgrim from Africa carries His cross, and great crowds follow. Yet, I wonder what happened after Jesus passed by? Did they see Him stumble

and just pass Him by? Did they follow Him outside the City? Did they return home or to their shops? Did they simply continue on their journey that day?

For the Messiah, the Way of Sorrows defined the journey of His life. Before Him lies the cold steel of Roman spikes and the rough wood of a cross. Yet, He continues for the sake of those he will soon leave behind. Here pride, envy, self-centeredness cannot follow. Only humility, faith and sincere love have the strength to make this journey.

Like the throngs of pilgrims that flood the streets of Jerusalem each year, we, too, can follow the path of the Via Dolorosa. But the question is, “Will we follow in the crowd or follow Jesus?”

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The BetrayalTuesday, April 19, 2011Dr. Larry Hostetler

He had such opportunity, this Judas. Three years with the Son of God, hearing the wonderful words of the Kingdom, yet he threw it all away. What was he thinking? What could cause him to commit so vile an act as betraying his Savior - his friend?!

Consider that thirty pieces of silver was no small sum. In fact, it was a small fortune. Perhaps Judas had grown up poor. Perhaps he was envious of what others had. Or maybe he felt that he wasn’t worthy to be a disciple of One so noble. Knowing he would fail to live up to the high calling, perhaps he thought it best to get the sure thing - silver.

The sure thing? The sure thing was Jesus‘s total love. At the table Jesus gave him the br Jesus was saying, “Judas, I know, yet I love you beyond all power of evil.”

None of us are worthy of Jesus’s love. We don’t have to be. All we have to do is to love Him in return, believe in Him, and follow Him. If we stumble, He lifts us up. His love is for all we are, and forever.

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John 13:4-6 Wednesday, April 20, 2011Mark Bjornsen

Washing the feet of those entering your home was a common act of hospitality in the ancient Middle East. Walking was the primary mode of transportation and sandals the most common footwear for those who possessed footwear of any sort. Dusty, dirty feet were an unavoidable part of life. Washing the feet of another was an acknowledged act of kindness and humility and was usually carried out by the lowliest member of the household. Each of these qualities are beautifully expressed in the act of Christ washing the feet of His disciples on the night in which He was betrayed.

And yet, there is much greater meaning to be found in what Christ does than just a customary display of hospitality. Washing the feet of another was usually performed at the time guests arrived and was part of welcoming them into the home. Christ, we are told, “...rose from the supper” just prior to washing the feet of His disciples. The timing of the act appears out of place and that fact alone should pique our interest about what more this story may be telling us about our Savior.

When we read that He “began to wash” we recall that we remain imperfect beings who cannot avoid coming in contact with impurity. We tread daily upon an imperfect world, our feet are continually soiled; yet we are strengthened and encouraged by the knowledge that because of Christ - though we remain in the world, we are no longer of the world.

Finally, “with the towel with which He was girded,” Jesus wipes the feet of the disciples and symbolically takes their sin upon Himself. In the humble act of hospitality shared in these verses, Christ reveals to us the meaning of His crucifixion. Jesus pours the water into the basin - His blood is poured out for us. Jesus washes the disciples feet - He cleanses us of our sin. Jesus wipes the feet after He cleans them - He takes our sin upon Himself.

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DenialThursday, April 21, 2011Peggy Shortridge

John 18:18, 21:1-17Luke 22:61

Warming himself by a charcoal fire (John 18:18), Peter denies being one of Jesus’s followers for the third time. “The Lord turned and looked at Peter.” Luke 22:61. Peter went out and wept bitterly. My heart goes out to Peter. I, too, have denied Christ. Denying Christ does not have to be an open verbal declaration like Peter’s. All sin is, on some level, a denial that one is a follower of Christ.

Shortly after they had seen the resurrected Jesus, Peter and several of the disciples fished all night. When they got to shore, Jesus was standing over a charcoal fire he had prepared for breakfast. (John 21:9) These are the only two references to a charcoal fire in the New Testament. The implication could not have been lost on Peter. Only days before, their eyes had met in the dark over a charcoal fire. I

think Jesus was gently reminding Peter of his denial so that Peter would fully comprehend the depth of Jesus’s love and forgiveness when He instructed Peter (three times) to feed and tend His sheep.

This is one of my favorite images in Scripture. As I struggle with my denials of Christ, I so love that Jesus waits for me on the shore with forgiveness, breakfast, and work to do for Him. He is waiting for you, too!

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Woman Behold thy Son! Behold thy mother!Friday, April 22, 2011Tammy Aragaki

As Jesus hung on the cross, he surveyed the crowd below. There he saw a small cluster of women. Mary, his mother, was among them. Close by he saw John, who was known as the disciple whom Jesus loved. He called out to his mother, “Woman, behold thy son,” and then to John, “behold thy mother.” On the surface this seems like an odd thing for Jesus to say as John was actually the son of Salome and Zebedee. In saying this, he was really asking John to take care of his mother even as a son would. The Bible does not tell us what had became of Joseph, but it is assumed that by this time Mary was a widow. She had other sons who could care for her physical needs, but in John 7:5 we read that they did not yet believe that Jesus was the Messiah. It would have been impossible then for them to encourage her spiritually.

Woman Behold thy son! Behold thy mother!

In these few words Jesus says so much. He says, “Look, genetics don’t matter here. You ARE blood relatives, joined as mother and son, by MY blood. Care for one another. Encourage and strengthen one another spiritually until I return.”

Over 2,000 years later his words speak to us. He is saying, “Behold thy sister or thy brother in the seat next to you. Genetics don’t matter here. You are joined by my blood. What matters is that you believe in me. Care for one another. Encourage and strengthen one another until I return.”

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The Sun is Risen!Saturday, April 23, 2011Ray Craig

The sun is risen!Now the fear and dread of night are done.

Pull the bedclothes from Around your head,Raise the shades and

Brush the tears from your eyes.The sun is risen! See her golden rays

Pierce the gloom and shineAs stars on the early morning dew.

Hear the robin welcome her rising - may we also; sigh away the burden of the night and Sing a New Song that saves to a new day,

Wherein is no darkness.The sun is risen!!

The Son is risen!Now the fear and dread of death are done. Pull the

Grave clothesfrom around your head,

Roll away the stone and brushThe tears from your eyes -

The Son is risen!The Son is risen! See the Son of Righteousness

Before whom sin and Satan flee,By whose Blood we are washed,Whose presence We are warmed.

Hear the Angels sing, “He is Risen” and may we also, sing a New

Song to the Son who Saves to a New Day, wherein is no darkness,

no death!The Son is risen!!

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