THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022
The Rev. Chad Bogdewic ‘10/’13 SCRIPTURE Mark 10:17-31 17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age - houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions - and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” DEVOTIONAL What do you have to lose? This is an interesting response to the prospect of trying something new. For some, this question is an automatic reaction to the presentation of a different possibility. The rich man in today’s passage had a very real chance of losing everything. In his mind, he could not follow Jesus, because it was too expensive. Jesus, I would imagine, was quite sad about this exchange. The rich man asked the wrong question, as people tend to do. The question was not “What do I have to lose?” but “What do I have to gain?” We are sometimes afraid to try new things or experiences because of the potential cost. A former professor of mine said, “People prefer the misery they know to the mystery they don’t.” We can get stuck at times—stuck in the things that we own and stuck in the things that own us. We get stuck because we are afraid of change, because our identities are intricately tied to and interwoven with the various things we have. If the rich man would have given away all the things he owned, he would no longer be “the rich man,” causing an existential identity crisis. But unbeknownst to him, there was a new and better identity waiting for him in the arms of Jesus: an identity of love, an identity of community, an identity of care and concern, an identity of baptism, an identity of adoption. An identity that transforms us, molds us, and completes us. Sometimes we get stuck not knowing who we truly are, unaware of the truth that Jesus offers us: not just a new identity, but a better identity. In our search for identity, we pick up a few needless things along the way, but the waters of baptism can wash them off as we put on the garments of humility and grace. When we do this, we learn who we are and whose we are, and that identity is better than anything the world can offer. PRAYER Wondrous Lord, we often don’t know who we are. We think we do, but then we get lost in the things that weigh us down. Free us from our misery and lead us into your mystery. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. Jesus said to the Jews, "Amen, Amen I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death." So the Jews said to him, "Now we are sure that you re possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, "Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.' Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?" Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.' You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad." So the Jews said to him, "you are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area. The Gospel of the Lord The meting of the human and divine in the person of Jesus shall forever be a mystery, an inexhaustible truth. Certainly, the human Jesus was born of Mary in space and time. John, however, reminds us that today the great I AM (Yahweh), whose knowledge is of eternity, also lives in Jesus. The Jews considered such a belief blasphemous and attempted to stone Jesus. * What does today's reading have to say to those who consider Jesus to have been only a great man, or one of several incarnations of God, along with Buddha and Mohammed, for example? * Spend some time with the passage, "If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me" (John 8:54)
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TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2022
The Rev. Colin Pritchard ’18 SCRIPTURE Psalm 34 1 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD, and was saved from every trouble. 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. 9 O fear the LORD, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want. 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. DEVOTIONAL In a season of protracted challenge, it can be hard to bless the Lord at all times. It is false to claim no anxiety or an absence of wanting the world to be different. The poetry of the Psalm may not have the specific application we may wish for on the days when we don’t know what to do next. While precision may be lacking, wisdom is abundant. What would it look like to magnify and exalt the Lord together, seeking the presence of the holy? Would it bring deliverance from all our fears? Or at least a step back from hopelessness? We can do that. What would it look like to cast our eyes toward our Savior? Perhaps it would bring radiant faces reflecting love and security. It these times of downcast glances and worried looks, we can be shining lights. Let us do that. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. As the body of Christ, we can choose to do the same. May it be so. Perhaps all we need to do to bless the Lord this day, and to choose hope for ourselves, is to praise, shine, and serve. PRAYER In times of trouble, O Lord, our souls cry out. In each and every hour, O Lord, you hear our cries. In this hour, O Lord, hear us once again. Draw our eyes upward, our feet forward, and our hearts toward your sure and certain hope. Release the fears of those burdened in spirit and guide the steps of those who have an opportunity to shine. Amen. A Reading from the holy Gospel according to John Jesus said to the Pharisees: "I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come." So the Jews said, "He is not going to kill himself, is he, because he said, 'Where I am going you cannot come.' He said to them, "You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins." So they said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you in condemnation. But the one who sent me is true, and what I heard from him I tell the world." They did not realize that he was speaking to them. So Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him." Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him. The Gospel of the Lord Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, John often has Jesus involved in long, profound dialogues with unbelievers and authorities, a device John used to articulate his community's understanding of who Jesus is i the face of persecution from the Jews and Romans alike. In today's reading, Jesus speaks of the revelation that is to come when he is lifted up, or crucified. * Spend some time with the passage, "The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone." (John 8:29) Become aware of God's nearness and love for you. * Resolve to let a special person in your life know that you care about him or her. Last week, I challenged the students to choose ANY teacher or staff member in our building and to write me a letter telling me why this person is a STAR! I was blown away with the responses from our students. I know our teachers and staff members are STARS every single day, but it's so good to see that our students see it, too! Dear Ms. Monaghan, Mrs. Orr is a STAR because she is awesome. She always has a smile on her face and is always using nice manners! From, Tate (3rd grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, Miss Shannon is a STAR teacher! She always greets us with a smile and hug. She makes aftercare fun! She gives extra recess at after care, too. She always helps out other teachers when they need a break. This is why Miss Shannon is a STAR! From, Annie (3rd grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, My teacher, Mrs. Motta, is a STAR because she is sooooo nice. And she is like a school mom to me and loves all of her class like we were her own kids. She is always so happy and has a great temper. That is why Mrs. Motta is a STAR! From, Ella (3rd grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, Mr. Prim is funny. He teaches us super fun thins like code.org. He helps in our writing. He finds fun ways to help us learn. Mr. Prim is the best, STAR, super, incredibly, and awesome teacher ever! From, Kieran (3rd grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I think this teacher should be a STAR teacher because he always helps the students when they need it and he is ALWAYS patient. Because of this, I think the STAR teacher should be Mr. Kahmann! From, Reese (5th grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, Mrs. Hamilton is a star teacher because she is very nice and kind. She is my favorite teacher because she had a class store. That is just one of the many reasons I think Mrs. Hamilton is a STAR! From, Maddie (5th grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I believe Mrs. Abel is a STAR teacher because she makes learning easy. She is kind to us and funny. Her Science labs are fun because she gives us student led activities for us to do. If you don't like Science, I think she will make you like it! From, Charlie (6th grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I believe Miss Berry is a STAR teacher. I think this because she lets us do fun things. I also think she is a STAR because she does all of my favorite subjects. From, Lucas (4th grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I believe Mrs. Alexander is a STAR teacher because she is nice and lets us read with stuffed animals. She helps me to read and lets me read with her dog puppet. This is why I love Mrs. Alexander! From, Leilani (2nd grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I think Mrs. Haywood is a STAR teacher because she is nice, helpful, and very colorful - just like her personality! She always welcomes people into her class with a smile! She also cares about her students! From, Katherine (5th grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I think Mrs. Star is the BEST STAR teacher because she helps me with reading and spelling. She is also really. nice! She helps me be the best version of me. From, Bradley (3rd grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I think that Miss Mo is a STAR teacher because she is amazing at her job. Miss Mo always knows how to make me smile. She is always there for any of her students. Miss Mo is way more than just our teacher, she is like a friend to us all. I would definitely say that Miss Mo is a STAR teacher! From, Anonymous (Middle School) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I believe that Sister Judy is a STAR teacher. I think this because she is kind, outgoing, super funny, and smart. I love talking to her because I trust her and she makes me laugh even when I am mad or sad. She is super and nice to everyone. She helps people with worksheets and other school work. Overall, she is a great human being and is always super sweet! From, Kayla (4th grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I think Miss Drummond is a STAR teacher because whenever we do not know the answer to a question, she gives us more time to think about the answer. Another reason I think Miss Drummond is a STAR is because she gives us lots of time to do homework assignments! From, Anonymous (Middle School) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I believe Mrs. Duran is a STAR teacher because she is: awesome, a good reader to us, FUN, and kind! From, Emily H. (1st grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, My teacher is a STAR because she teaches me to learn! From, Micah (Kindergarten) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I think Mrs. Tomes is a STAR teacher because she is strict, but is very kind. She is very good at music and making me understand it. I also think she is fun, because she plays games and has fun songs. She lets us sing at church and that is very fun! My favorite song I can't even choose because they are all so fun! She also lets us choose what song we want to sing. Mrs. Tomes makes specials so fun! From, Lainey (4th grade) Dear Ms. Monaghan, I think mrs. Nolan is a STAR teacher. She is super smart and will always help you with any problem. She is one of the kindest people I've ever met. I am so grateful to her and her contributions to my education. She is such a gracious person and will always put you first. Mrs. Nolan is the glue to our school! From, Kate (8th grade) It was a battle on the courts today as our teams fought for the basketball intramural championship! Today our 2nd and 3rd grade students led us in the Stations of the Cross. They did a beautiful leading us in Jesus' journey to the cross and reminding us of His great sacrifice. I want to give a special shout-out to our 5th grade student, Kason, who accompanied our choir on piano. Way to go, Kason! THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022
The Rev. Charles L. Fischer III, Vice President for Seminary Advancement SCRIPTURE Psalm 27 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh — my adversaries and foes — they shall stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. 4 One thing I asked of the LORD,that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. 6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. 7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! 8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, LORD, do I seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! 10 If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up. 11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence. 13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! DEVOTIONAL We all have fears. We know that constant tug within ourselves that reminds us of what does not feel safe or might be uncomfortable. Fear is that shadow that we cannot escape from because it is tethered to us and we are unable to release ourselves from it until we change our position or move our location. It may be the fear of the unknown, failure, people, places, what the day may bring, and what lies in the future. Fear prevents us from being willing to face some situations, and precludes us from living more fully into our divinely ordered lives. It takes work to overcome fear. The psalmist acknowledges that the Lord who is their light and salvation, the very stronghold of their lives stands between themselves and that which they were once afraid to address, face, or acknowledge. When the psalmist asks, “Whom shall I fear?” and, “Of whom shall I be afraid?” we remember that we are hearing the proclamation of an individual and a community who has overcome what has haunted others. The psalmist has found a new location and/ or a different position to stand so that the shadow of fear no longer follows them. On this your Lenten journey, may we find that which is within us to change our location and position so that the fears that once accompanied us will be no longer. It is not about finding the courage but rather it is to place our faith in the Lord who will redirect us so that you will bask in a new light and not be consumed with the shadows of the past. PRAYER Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A reading from the holy Gospel according to John Jesus said to the Jews: "if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true. But there is another who testifies on my behalf and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life. "I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" The Gospel of the Lord When Jesus claimed to be doing God's work, it was only natural that the Jews should ask him for proof that this was in fact the case. Crackpots and false messiahs abounded then as now. Jesus pointed to the testimony of Moses and John the Baptist, of Scripture, and of the works that he did as evidence that his claims were not unfounded.. * What kind of reasoning supports your own faith in Jesus? How can you deepen your understanding of who Jesus is? * What does human approval mean to you? How important is it in your involvement in the Church? * Pray for the grace to be more detached from the need for human approval. |
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