Saturday – February 28

Scripture for the Day:
After this he went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax-collectors and others sitting at the table* with them. The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?’ Jesus answered, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance. -- Luke 5:27-32

Reflection – Georgette Scott

Of all the accounts of the calling of the disciples, I find this calling of Levi the most profound. Don’t you wonder what it was about Jesus’ voice, his manner, that could compel grown men to immediately leave family, professions, responsibilities upon hearing that simple, “Follow me?”

I can almost understand the fishermen, Simon, Andrew, James, John, being willing to leave the daily drudgery of their hard lives to follow this new “messiah.” After all, many believed the Messiah would bring political victory over Rome, over oppression, over hopeless drudgery. But Levi was a financially well-off tax collector (even if corrupt and ostracized by most fellow-Jews), whose livelihood depended on the status quo. Yet he too responded to the simple “Follow me” by immediately leaving everything to follow our Lord.

When asked why he would consort with the likes of Levi and other sinners, Jesus stated he had come to heal the sick and call sinners – i.e., all who needed healing, all who sinned. With Levi he is identifying one who is wealthy as needing healing. He is calling the well-off.

So often in our society we equate material wealth with overall well-being. One who is rich is usually not assumed to be lost, nor sad, nor hopeless. But the sickness caused by sin; the pain in an empty, lost heart; the weight of a hopeless attitude can transcend all economic strata. Jesus came to comfort and call us all. So whether my fortunes are high or dismally down, I follow” him today by reading his words. Invariably some of the same peace, comfort and joy that obviously touched each disciple reaches out from the pages and touches my own heart. Thanks be to God!

Friday – February 27

Scripture for the Day:
Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘The wedding-guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.’ -- Matthew 9:10-17

Reflection – Cathy Ostuw


When I was in elementary school we memorized proverbs. I loved them. The rules of the world, made simple and succinct: “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” “Many hands make light work.” “Wait,” I asked, “which is it? Do too many cooks spoil the broth, or do many hands make light work? How can both of those be true?” My question was similar, I'm sure, to the question that this parable evoked almost 2,000 years ago. “No one sews a piece of unshrunk [new] cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made.” "Yes," the elders would have nodded, "that which is old is good, what is new is raw, unseasoned, it has no value.” Jesus continued, however. “Do not put new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled.” The young ones smirked, for they knew that the elders were brittle and inflexible, and that they could not compete with the exuberant, dynamic ideas and practices of the young. Which statement is true? What is better, old or new? The answer, of course, is both. In Jesus’ time, as today, there are times to embrace the old, and times to adopt the new. The very best plans appreciate and incorporate the value of each.


To ponder and pray:

Do you have some old patterns that don’t hold the new wine that God is offering you? Would you rather stick with the old wine, or get some new skins?

Thursday – February 26

Scripture for the Day:
Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’ They answered, ‘John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah of God.’ He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’ Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? – Luke 9:18-25

Reflection –

As Jesus revealed his destiny to His disciples as “the Messiah of Man” he asked them “not to speak of it” but rather follow him. As Christians and followers, we too have a destiny far greater than this world. In this world, our society teaches “try to preserve your image, it’s every one for himself or herself.” Our egos, the illusion of success, “keeping up,” seem to be a blatant theme. Somehow, we are falsely led to believe that who we are is determined by the many possessions we acquire. We may think, “I am my job title,” “I am my bank account balance,” “I am the expensive car I drive,” or “I am this designer suit.” We somehow think we gain status or merit based on these things. In truth, none of this will bring our souls greater merit or peace of mind. Jesus invites us in this scripture, ”To leave all worldliness behind.” It doesn’t just mean our excess in materialism but to also surrender our pride, our egos, our walls that keep out His immense love for us. When we accepted Christ as Savior, he established permanent residency in us. His great light entered our hearts and we were made new! Jesus says to lose it, the “I did it my way” attitude or even the need to be in control. Where is there room for God to dwell? For God to speak to you? How can Christ enter in? Sometimes the mind is too complex to receive the simple truth. He just enters when we least expect Him. We experience a bolt of His Love and presence.

To ponder and pray: Who are you without the titles and labels of society?
Claim the Spirit of Christ who dwells within you. Surrender to the storehouse of Peace and Grace so that you may daily experience the fruits of God’s Spirit. “What meaning is your life if you gain the world and lose your soul?”

Ash Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Reflection – Mark Lingle

“Remember,” echoes through the worship space and inside the recesses of your mind. This is not an exhortation to remember the milk or remember to pick up the kids or remember your mother’s birthday. No. This “remember” cuts to the very heart of it all: your mortality.

“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return,” rings in your ears as ash crumbles with the force of thumb on forehead, cascading down upon your nose, or cheek, or sweater. Damn, the sweater. It’s all dirty. Call the dry cleaner. And we’re once again confronted with the inconvenience of remembering. Our mortality gets in the way.

Mortality: that which we prefer not to reflect upon too often lest we hasten its coming. Mortality: that which we spend billions of dollars to keep at bay. Mortality: that which prevents us, at times, from fully living, fixated as we are upon fending off the inevitable.

And so this remembering is one of those great counter-cultural acts; in remembering, we actually begin to break down the fear or uncertainty surrounding our end like ash crumbling down our forehead. Remembering need not be macabre or morbid. Rather, it re-members us, forms us again, roots us in the knowledge of the gift of this moment, this life.

Ultimately, remembering is not a solitary act. Rather, as ash falls softly upon us, the sign etched upon our forehead reminds us of the one who has journeyed even to this place—mortality—and thus we remember that we are never alone.

Scripture for the Day:

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for one to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, day acceptable to the LORD? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. – Isaiah 58:5-8

An Invitation

Welcome to the season of Lent, 40 days, give or take a few Sunday “feast” days.

These 40 days can be just like the 40 that came before, and the 40 that will follow... or we can experience them differently. We can take the invitation to go into the wilderness where the elements are more intense, the familiar is stripped away, where we are confronted by our truer selves: our fears and longings, our hurts and petty dislikes – and by the strengths we forgot we possessed: resilience, courage, compassion, a wondering eye, an unexpected faith, a capacity for love.

We don’t know what you will encounter and discover in this wilderness time, but we do believe that when we are intentional about walking Lent and focusing more on God-life, the mystery of the Cross and Empty Tomb spring into sharper relief when we come to them. And so we invite you to walk into wilderness this Lent. You will take this journey alone – and in the company of wonderful walking companions, some of whom you’ll know well, and others not at all. There will be times of silence, and times of conversation (this blog is to encourage discussion of each day's reflection). Some days you’ll wish you never came, and others you may wish that this journey never end.

Our hope is that you will be regular and intentional in taking on this discipline each day. Start with five minutes (set a timer…) and maybe increase the time as Lent goes on. We suggest you keep a notebook with this booklet, and write down insights or questions that come to you as you spend this quiet time each day. If the reflection leads you into prayer, go with it. If God says something in your prayer, write it down.

In the Bible, the wilderness is always a place where people think they are lost, and come to find God present. It is our prayer that you will find God present in ever new and deeper ways as we walk this Lent together.

Your companions in the Way,
The Rev. Kate Heichler, Church of Christ the Healer
The Rev. Mark Lingle, St. Francis Church