2.28.09

Opening Prayer

What would You speak to us this day, Almighty God? What would Your heart delight to whisper? Attune our hearts to hear; fasten our attentions; direct our scatteredness toward the surpassing integrity that is You. By Your grace, to You, O Lord, we lift up our souls.

 

Psalm 25

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
I trust in you, my God!

Do not let me be disgraced,
or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.

No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

 

Show me the path where I should walk, O LORD;
point out the right road for me to follow.

Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.

 

Remember, O LORD, your unfailing love and compassion,
which you have shown from long ages past.

Forgive the rebellious sins of my youth;
look instead through the eyes of your
unfailing love,
for you are merciful, O LORD.

 

The LORD is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.

He leads the humble in what is right,
teaching them his way.

The LORD leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all those who keep his covenant and obey his decrees.

 

For the honor of your name, O LORD,
forgive my many, many sins.

Who are those who fear the LORD?
He will show them the path they should choose.

They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the Promised Land.

Friendship with the LORD is reserved for those who fear him.
With them he shares the secrets of his covenant.

My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help,
for he alone can rescue me from the traps of my enemies.

 

Turn to me and have mercy on me,
for I am alone and in deep distress.

My problems go from bad to worse.
Oh, save me from them all!

Feel my pain and see my trouble.
Forgive all my sins.

See how many enemies I have,
and how viciously they hate me!

Protect me! Rescue my life from them!
Do not let me be disgraced, for I trust in you.

May integrity and honesty protect me,
for I put my hope in you.

O God, ransom Israel
from all its troubles. ^NLT

 

 

Hester Ann Rogers (1756-1794), one of the early Methodist leaders, finally surrendered to God after grace’s long tug-of-war. On that night of nights, she records, “I went to bed, but could not sleep: and at four in the morning rose again, that I might wrestle with the Lord. I prayed, but it seemed in vain. I walked to and fro, groaning for mercy, then fell again on my knees: but the heavens appeared as brass, and hope seemed almost sunk into despair: when suddenly the Lord spake these words to my heart:”

 

Prayer of Response

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”

Lord, I know this is thy word, and I can depend on it. But what is faith? O show me how to believe: show me what is the gospel faith, or I am yet undone. I desire not deliverance except in thy own way: I desire no happiness, but thy favor. What shall I do? O teach me, O help me, or I am lost!”

“Cast all thy care upon him, for he careth for thee.”

Lord, dost thou care for me? and is this faith, to cast all my care, even all my sins, (for I have no other care,) upon thee? May I? Dost thou bid me? a poor hell-deserving sinner; a sinner against light, arid conviction, and repeated vows; can such love dwell in thee? Is it not too easy a way? May I, even I, be saved, if I only cast my soul on Jesus? My burden of sin, my load of guilt, my every crime? What, saved from all this guilt; saved into the favor of God! the holy God! and become his child; and that now, this moment! O it is too great, it cannot, surely it cannot be!

“Fear not, only believe! Only believe!”

Lord Jesus, I will, I do believe; I now venture my whole salvation upon thee as God! I put my guilty soul into thy hands, thy blood is sufficient! I cast my soul upon thee for time and eternity.

“Then,” she writes, “did he appear to my salvation.”

 

story immersion practice: sabbath keeping

The period from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday makes up a total of 46 days. Forty days of fasting with six “little Easters” (i.e. Sundays) mixed in. The days of Lent do not include the weekly Sundays as it is considered improper to fast on the Lord’s Day. In this spirit, we invite you to break your fasting and enter into feasting. We encourage our community of readers to try “keeping Sabbath” in this fashion. Here are a few helpful ideas to consider:

• Begin your Sabbath on Saturday night (evening meal or at retiring).

• Start with a ritual entry. (Light a special candle and say a simple prayer welcoming the Lord of the Sabbath to order this day.)

• Include others as much as possible (family and friends).

• Focus on ceasing from work (i.e. any form of to-do list).

• Give yourself to resting.

• Feast on that which you fasted. (This also offers a check to self-righteous fasting, which focuses on the fast itself rather than its focus.)

• Embrace others for the joy of who they are.

• Remember and rehearse the resurrection though keeping the spirit and timbre of a season of repentance.

• Close the day 24 hours later with a ritual ending (i.e. blow out the candle with prayer of thanksgiving).

 

Practicing the story

Copy on a separate piece of paper the bolded segment of Psalm 25 OR if you like, tear out the page. Carry it with you every day through this season, meditate on the words, commit it to memory. Pray it in the morning as you put on your shoes. Pray it at noon over the lunch meal. Pray it at night as you go to bed.