Love's Sacrifice*

Luke 23:26-56, NIV
When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (vs. 33, 34)

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. (vs. 44-46)

John 3:16, NIV
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.

The story of Jesus' crucifixion is packed with other characters. If it were my crucifixion, I'd prefer silence so that I could fully concentrate on my own agony and keep focused on the experience. Jesus had no such luxury. Some of the characters are supportive, compassionate, and seem to realize there is some deeper significance to Jesus' death while others mock and totally miss the point! Simon from Cyrene carries the physical burden of the cross. Soldiers sneer, but a Centurion proclaims Christ's righteousness. One criminal hurls insults while the other seeks Christ's grace. Many people, witnessing Jesus' death, walk away, but women who knew Jesus stood and watched from a distance. And finally, we see Joseph, a “good and upright man,” lovingly caring for Christ's body.

We feel inclined to judge these people. Surely some are more deserving of Jesus' sacrifice than others! In fact, Jesus died for all of them. And Jesus died for all of us. Each of us are in need of the grace of our Lord Jesus. In response to the great love that he poured out for us in his death, we too are invited to love sacrificially. The question we are called to ask ourselves is, “Have I loved well?” Loving well always involves an element of sacrifice.

Our prayers this week invite us to look more deeply at God's sacrificial love and to consider honestly the question Have I loved well? This week's Quiet Place, in which you will meditate on the cross, can be found in the church's courtyard. If you would like to try a similar experience in your own home, you can do the following to prepare your space for prayer:

• Select a private and quiet space indoors or outdoors.
• Find a cross or a picture of a cross. It might even be a piece of jewelry that you own.
• You'll also need a Bible, some paper, a pen or pencil, and a flat writing surface.
  

Praying this Week:
Read the following scripture passage and poem silently and slowly. Be open to what the words may say to you.

Luke 23:26-56
~~~
Through you I glimpse the scope of Love:
present from the beginning of time,
manifest in humankind
constant, sure, when cursed, reviled,
forgiving, still, when crucified,
and leaving me with no excuse
to say I'm only human,
no reason to refuse the cup
or bread of life I'm given.

Take a few moments, as you gaze at the cross, to ask yourself the following questions. Answer each one as if you see Jesus sitting beside you. Next, ask Jesus to speak to you about your responses.

• How has God's sacrificial love affected my life
• Does God see me as one who loves well?
• How may I have failed to love God or others sacrificially?
• How is God calling me to a sacrificial love right now?

Perhaps you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you to take some specific action. Draw a symbol of what you need to do, or write a significant word or two or even a sentence about it.
When you have finished, tuck your response into your Bible or pocket as a reminder of Jesus' sacrificial love.

*Resource: Contemplative Prayer: Creating Quiet Spaces for Retreats, Workshops, Churches, and Personal Settings. Gerrie L. Grimsley and Jane J. Young. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2008. p. 72-75.

Bread & Juice

Luke 22:14 – 23:56 (gospel reading for Sunday, March 28)
Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (vs. 17-20)

You are those who have stood with me in my trials; and I confer on you just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom (vs. 28-30a)

Lent isn't the longest season of the Church Year, but at this point it can feel like it. We're heading into the final stretch and, if you're practicing some spiritual discipline this year, you may be feeling drained and depleted. You feel like you need a pick-me-up. Rather than grabbing that bag of jelly beans or chocolate, try a little bread and juice. It's just the nourishment that you may need at this time. The 6th Sunday in Lent is Palm/Passion Sunday. Just looking at the many lectionary readings is daunting. These readings encompass a range of emotions. But in the midst of them, is the Lord's Supper. Holy Communion. Eucharist (a Greek word for “giving thanks”). Thank the Lord for this blessed moment of remembering Jesus and the great love that God poured out for us as the body and blood of Jesus were broken and poured out for us. Taking in a bit of bread and a bit of juice helps us “re-member.” We join with Jesus at the table. We take our place in the kingdom that is Christ's. We do so now. This is the gift. This is the blessing of the bread and the cup.

Those who come to this week's Quiet Place are invited to reflect on what writers have said about communion with the Holy, and to eat bread, drink juice, and become aware of a heightened sense of the Sacred. If you come to WRPC, you will find this prayer center in the Bride's Room. If you would like to try a similar experience in your own home, you can will want to prepare in the following manner:

• Choose a comfortable chair or pillow.
• Place on a small table or on the floor near you a plate with some bread (or tortilla, baguette, muffin). Pour some juice in a cup.
• Bible

Praying this Week:
Read one or more of the following scripture passages and/or readings silently and slowly: Be open to what the words may say to you.

• Luke 22:17-20
• Luke 22:42
• When Jesus asks his friends James and John, the sons of Zebedee, 'Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?' he poses the question that goes right to the heart of... life as a human being...
  “Can you drink the cup? Can you empty it to the dregs? Can you taste all the sorrows and joys? Can you live your life to the full whatever it will bring?'...
  “But why should we drink this cup? There is so much pain, so much anguish, so much violence. Why should we drink the cup? Wouldn't it be a lot easier to live normal lives with a minimum of pain and a maximum of pleasure?...
  “Drinking the cup of life involves holding, lifting, and drinking. It is a full celebration of being human...
  “Can we hold our life, lift our life, and drink it, as Jesus did?”

-Henry J.M. Nouwen, Can You Drink the Cup?

Select a piece of bread and pour yourself some juice. Before you eat or drink:

Sit in a comfortable place. Hold your cup and focus on the juice. Does it pulse with your heartbeat? What, if anything, does the pulsing suggest about the connection between the human heart and the heart of God?
Look at the bread. What, if anything, does bread have to do with flesh? How is bread connected with physical life? With spiritual life?
Eat, drink, reflect

• on the readings you have selected
• on the grain and fruit, the forces of nature that brought them from seed to maturity, their role in the daily lives of people throughout the world
• on the hands that sowed and harvested the grain and fruit, prepared and transported the bread and juice you now consume
• on your place in the worldwide family of God
• on the symbolism Jesus gave to bread, wine, the cup, drinking, and eating

If you wish, kneel and pray your gratitude, wonder, confession, longing – whatever you feel most deeply.
As you leave this place, ponder in your heart your experience here.

*Resource: Contemplative Prayer: Creating Quiet Spaces for Retreats, Workshops, Churches, and Personal Settings. Gerrie L. Grimsley and Jane J. Young. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2008. p. 30-34.

Life's Mysterious Center

John 12: 1-8 (gospel reading for Sunday, March 21)
“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” (v. 7, 8)

Isaiah 43:16-21 (lectionary reading for Sunday, March 21)
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. (vs. 18, 19)


“I suggest that instead of trying to 'balance' our lives between work and play, self and others, rest and exercise, family and occupation, we need to Center our lives in Christ!” Rich Bimler, in Holy Habits for the Holy Season of Lent, is so right! In our gospel reading for Sunday, we meet Mary once again as she sets aside both her task list and the needs of the poor to pour out or sacrifice all she has by anointing Jesus with expensive perfume. Jesus commends her desire to give herself over to him completely. In this moment, she and Jesus are united in mission. Soon it will be time to return to the poor that are always with us, but now... now is the time to center on the Saviour.

Our prayers this week invite us to move our bodies in such a way that we can bring our focus into the heart of God. Walking a labyrinth, or walking a path as if it is a labyrinth, draws us into contemplative reflection. The labyrinth appeals to many as a respite from the tyranny of daily cares and the guilt of “doing unto others,” affording a window for contemplation. The Holy Spirit, through this walking prayer, beacons us to “come with me by yourselves to a quiet place” (Mark 6:31, NIV).

This week's Quiet Place offers a labyrinth to remind us that God walks the path of life with us and that God also waits to greet us when we arrive at life's mysterious center. If you come to WRPC, you will find the labyrinth, along with various table-top versions for those who are unable to walk, in the Fellowship Hall. If you would like to try a similar experience in your own neighborhood, you can try going for a Centering Walk. Here's what you can do:

• Select a time when you will not feel rushed. I like to go Sunday afternoons.
• Wear comfortable clothes for walking outdoors. Leave i-pods, phones, or other distractions at home.
• Preselect a path. The less people and traffic, the better. For me, this depends on the time of day and the day of the week. If it's dark, I stay in the neighborhood where there are streetlights. During the week, I walk at Lake Johnson because it's not too busy. On Sundays, I choose a path that runs along a creek and has fewer walkers and joggers.
  

Praying this Week:
Begin your walk as you might any walk. It can take time to find a comfortable rhythm.

After you've been walking for a time (maybe a quarter into your walking time), begin to turn your mind toward God. Say a brief prayer of intention, acknowledging before God your desire to focus on God.

Turn your senses toward the creation. What do you hear? See? Smell? Focus completely. When your mind begins to wander, return it slowly toward your senses. Allow your pace to slow as you feel led.

Continue to walk. Acknowledge your thoughts before releasing them to God. Affirm God's creative hand by attending to the creation. If you meet people along the way, feel free to meet their eyes. Remember that we share life's path with many others. If you hear traffic or other non-nature noises, ponder its significance for you and in God's creation scheme.

If you notice a quiet place along the path where you might find solitude, mark it in your mind. When you feel ready, retrace your steps to return to the place you had noticed or, if you're walking a circular path, begin to look for a Quiet Place. This might be a bench, a spot along a stream, a picnic shelter, or any place you are drawn to. This place is the Mysterious Center which represents the heart of God. Spend as much time as you like there. Take in the moment, the feelings, thoughts, words; take in all that God offers you.

As you leave the center and return to the path, allow your mind to continue to focus on God. At this point, you might also begin pondering what it is you're returning to. Remember that you take Christ with you on the journey of your life.

When you complete your Centering Walk, you may discover a newfound energy and be filled with insights and discoveries about yourself, God, or the world. If you do not experience any of these things, do not be discouraged or feel you have somehow failed. We all come with our individual personalities and walking in this way may simply be way to escape the noise and rush of everyday life by spending time outdoors. This in itself is a welcome experience.

*Resource: Contemplative Prayer: Creating Quiet Spaces for Retreats, Workshops, Churches, and Personal Settings. Gerrie L. Grimsley and Jane J. Young. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2008. p. 66-71.

Art

II Corinthians 6:16 – 21(lectionary reading for Sunday, March 14)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (vs. 10)

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 (gospel reading for Sunday, March 14) 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.'

My father was an artist and I always begrudged the fact that he didn't pass on his gifts to any of his children. The art he created wasn't the sort that increased in value over time and might some day be found in someone's collection. Rather, he filled his life with art. managing to make a living out of it. He dabbled in many things – music, painting, landscaping. I have come to see that engaging in these forms of art allowed him to stay in touch with his Creator by granting him the opportunities to really see, hear, smell, and touch God's creation. I often accompanied my dad for his Sunday afternoon walks out “to the back”. He would cut wild flowers for my mother and stand by the creek, listening and watching. His art reflected what he saw and was pleasing to the eye. A balanced landscape – whether painted or planted – drew him closer to God and ultimately drew others closer to the God in him.

That kind of creativity, the kind that opens us up to the divine Creator, is available to all of us. This week, you are invited to come into closer touch with the Inspiring One by opening yourself up through art. In the Parable of the Loving Father, both sons need to let go of all that keeps them from entering fully into the rich, abundant life with their Father. Just as the loving Father desired that both His sons enter into the great celebration that marked their new life together, so we are invited to create with God something new and beautiful. Our inner life with God transforms our own world and the world of those around us. I like to think of Christians as vessels – beautiful and useful to God and to the world – pouring out the light and love of Christ wherever we are. Paul calls us, “Christ's Ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

This week's Quiet Place will focus on art as an expression of the soul and an interaction with the divine Creator. You will have the opportunity to relate to art as a symbol of our co-creation of life. If you come to WRPC, you will find Art on the 3rd floor in the Youth Fellowship Room 313, adjacent to the mural. If you would like to spend time in a similar Quiet Place in your home, you will want to prepare by doing some of the following:

• Select a small, private and quiet space. You'll need a chair and a table.
• Walk around your house to find a piece of artwork that speaks to you – a tall pottery pitcher, a tapestry, a mosaic, a photograph or painting.
• Bible
• If desired, gather some art supplies you have on hand: a lump of clay or play dough, paint, art paper, brushes, water, crayons – whatever you feel drawn to exploring.
• moist towelettes for cleaning hands and a trash can

Praying this Week:

Read from the scriptures:
Psalm 104:33-34
Psalm 90:17

View your selected art meditatively. If possible, touch it and look at it from different perspectives.

• What is its place – its function – in the world? What does this work say about its relationship with its creator?
• Consider what it might symbolize in the development of your life. Might it represent something hard or challenging that can ultimately add texture, color, and beauty to the you that you are co-creating with God? Is there a different perspective from which you might look at your circumstances in order to see them differently or position them differently within the whole of your life?
• How do your perceptions of God and your relationship with God affect who you are becoming?
• If you would like to go further, consider creating some art. As you pick up your art supplies, acknowledge the Creator. Offer open hands and an open heart. Sit quietly for several minutes, eyes closed. Instead of picturing a specific work you would like to create, sense your inner feelings and what you feel from the space around you.

To paint or draw:

• Become aware of colors you associate with these feelings.
• When ready, open your eyes, dip brushes in colors, and let the colors “choose” where they want to go on the paper.

To use clay or play dough:

• Take and work with your lump of clay for a while with a sense of waiting, of receptivity, simply becoming comfortable with the feel of the substance in your hands.
• Consider what a lump of clay and a human life have in common.
• Contemplate your relationship with your Creator – what it is, what it may become.
• When ready, shape a symbol; something that represents who you see yourself to be at this time, something that represents your current relationship with God, or something that represents a significant yearning so far as that relationship is concerned.

When you have finished, look at your work carefully to see if it reveals something you did not realize was there. In prayer, offer whatever your art represents to you. Place the piece on a surface to dry and feel free to return to it often in prayer to your Creator.

*Resource: Contemplative Prayer: Creating Quiet Spaces for Retreats, Workshops, Churches, and Personal Settings. Gerrie L. Grimsley and Jane J. Young. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2008. p. 46-50.

Deepening Silence*

Psalm 63:1-8 (Psalm for Sunday, March 7)
Isaiah 55:1-9 (lectionary reading for Sunday, March 7)

When I became pregnant with our first child after teaching full-time, I remember the exhilaration of being in my own home by myself! There were so many ways to fill the time and the silence, but something or someOne nudged me to try turning off the radio (we had no TV at the time). Without realizing it, I had taken the first step in creating a space in which I could begin to tune into the presence of God.

Like Mary who chose the better way when she sat at the feet of Jesus rather than fretting about all the work that needed to be done, God calls each of us to come and listen. In our reactionary reading for this Sunday, God beckons us: “Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Since choosing to turn off the radio so many years ago, I have learned the importance of seeking silence. I have also learned that my own mind is just as noisy and distracting as radios, TVs, computers and more. So on recent afternoon, I set out to deepen the silence. The opening words from our Psalm set my intention: O God, you are my God. Earnestly I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Ps. 63:1) I sang the words meditatively and repeatedly. (It's okay to make up your own tune; Psalms are songs, after all!). As these words moved from head to heart, I became silent. I drew my attention to my breath as I inhaled and exhaled deeply. As my body began to settle into the quiet, my spirit waited expectantly within the stillness. As thoughts began to invade, I gently released them and returned to the word that reminds me of the deepest essence of God. It might be peace, or love, or Jesus. When I spend this time in deep silence, I might experience various sensations. At times, I feel light-headed or like I am floating. Other times, I may notice what I like to think of as the touch of God's finger upon my forehead. Occasionally, a word comes to mind. And then there are the times I fall asleep! Whatever happens is fine. Don't judge. Just let it go. After about 15 minutes, or as I feel led, I return my focus to my breath, and slowly move my fingers and toes. I may end with the Lord's Prayer or a simple prayer of gratitude to God.

When I pray in this way, I try not to have any expectation of God. This is not a time to make demands. Rather, it is a time to listen and wait. I have found that Deep Silence opens my heart and mind to the love and wisdom of God in ways that nothing else can. I also sense a deeper awareness of and connection to others and to the world.

This week during Lent, come to the Quiet Place – either at church or spend some time in your own home. If you come to WRPC, you will find Deepening Silence in the Bride's Room (218). The All of Life Quiet Place is also in this space. If you would like to spend time in a similar Quiet Place in your home, you will want to prepare by doing some of the following:

• Select a small, private and quiet space. You'll need a chair or floor cushion, a table with a lamp for soft light.
• Find a timer that can be set for minutes and a piece of paper and pen or pencil
• If you have one, consider placing a small fountain to cover background sounds.

Praying this Week:
If you have children or a spouse at home, you may want to ask them to give you the gift of 20 minutes of quiet time.
If you are burdened with a problem or question likely to distract you, write it on a slip of paper, offer it into God's care, and place the paper under or next to your chair. Later you can dispose of it, burn it, or place it in a special bowl to pray over.
Seat yourself either in the chair or on the floor cushion. Set the timer for fifteen or twenty minutes. Assume a comfortable position with back straight and hands open, resting in your lap.

Do not seek a specific solution or answer to problems or questions.
Seek only to open completely to the One in whom you live and move and have your being.
Breathe regularly. Quiet your inner clamor.
Do not fight thoughts that arise, but don't hold onto them either. Release them with no appraisal, and return to openness.

You may find it helpful to:
● Consider inner turbulence as the sea to which Jesus said, “Peace, be still.”
● When thoughts bubble up, think, “Peace,” and let go of them.
● Close your eyes and continue this exercise until the timer sounds.
As you leave, take with you a deepened sense of serenity.

*Resource: Contemplative Prayer: Creating Quiet Spaces for Retreats, Workshops, Churches, and Personal Settings. Gerrie L. Grimsley and Jane J. Young. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2008. p. 46-50.

Believing Power

Believing Power*

Matthew 9: 20-22
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 (lectionary reading for Sunday, Feb. 28)
Luke 13:31-35 (gospel for Sunday, Feb. 28)

She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “for your faith has healed you.”

This week, in our Holy Habits booklet and in our lectionary passages, we encounter various scripture passages in which the people of God push their prayers beyond the boundaries of politeness, liturgies or customs. Abraham hears God's reassuring words, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” And the next word in scripture is a “but.” “But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless...?” Abram has an issue with God's promises and, trusting in the One who demands to be his One and Only, he questions how God will actually come through for him. In fact, he does this a second time after God goes beyond the promise of offspring and adds the bonus of land: “But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” Abram was persistent in crying out to God the deepest desires of his heart. He believed that God was doing more than listening – that God would actively answer his prayer, “and he (God) credited it to him as righteousness,” (Gen. 15:6).

This week during Lent, come to the Quiet Place – either at church or spend some time in your own home. This week's Quiet Place of Prayer is entitled, Believing Power. If you come to WRPC, you will find it at the front of the sanctuary near the Lenten banner. If you would like to spend time in a similar Quiet Place in your home, you will want to prepare by doing some of the following:

• Select a piece of cloth, at least one-square-yard or larger. It could be a piece of brown or beige muslin, a simple linen table cloth, a prayer shawl, or some other special piece of fabric.
• Select a small, private and quiet space. You'll need a chair, a table or lap desk, good light for reading, and a Bible.
• If you desire, decorate your table with fabrics in hues of greens and blues, colors associated with healing.
  

Praying this Week:

Place your piece of fabric on your lap.

Read Matthew 9:20-22 (or insert other passages here from the Holy Habits for the Holy Season of Lent booklet, the lectionary passages, or other readings of your choice)

Read the story again, this time more slowly.

Try to imagine yourself as the one in the crowd intent on reaching out to Jesus for healing.

As you hold the piece of cloth, name an area of your life that needs the healing touch of Jesus.

While you consider this area of your life, place the cloth on a part of your body that symbolizes the location of your pain or brokenness. (For example, if you need healing from negative thoughts, you might cover your head with the cloth. If you need relational or emotional healing, hold the cloth close to your heart or stomach.)

In your mind, go back to the story of the woman who reached out to touch Jesus' garment. Watch as Jesus turns around and see that you are the one who has touched his cloak this time. Hear the kindness and authority in Jesus' voice saying, “Take heart, my child; your faith has made you well.”

Let these words soak into your being. Enter into conversation with Jesus if you wish. Stay in this moment as long as you like.

Expect God to respond to your need as surely as Jesus responded to the woman with the blood diseases. Your prayers may be answered exactly as you have asked, or the response may come about in an entirely different way. Trust that God will respond according to your need at this time and that God's timing is perfect for you.

Take a few moments to rest in the mystery of prayer and of God's deep love for you.

As you leave, go in peace and in renewed faith.

*Resource: Contemplative Prayer: Creating Quiet Spaces for Retreats, Workshops, Churches, and Personal Settings. Gerrie L. Grimsley and Jane J. Young. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2008. p. 24 -29.

All of Life

Psalm 5 (morning Psalm for Ash Wednesday)
Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.

And so it is that we begin this season of Lent. When I pray the words of the morning Psalm for Ash Wednesday, I call on my God, using words, sighs, and cries. I invite you to join me, beseeching our God to bend the Divine Ear toward us.

Each week during Lent, come to the Quiet Place – either at church or create one in your own home. Make it a regular part of your day. The Psalms are filled with invitations to pray at all hours: “I will call upon God and the Lord will deliver me. In the evening, in the morning, and at the noonday, I will complain and lament, and he will hear my voice.” (Ps. 55:17ff) Jesus, too, regularly turned to God in prayer: “In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed” (Mk 1:35).

This week's Quiet Place of Prayer is entitled, All of Life. If you come to WRPC, you will find it in the Bride's Room (218). If you would like to create a similar Quiet Place at your home, a place where you can go regularly to spend time in God's presence, meditate on God's word and work in your life, you will want to do some of the following:

• Select a small, private and quiet space. You'll need a chair, a table or lap desk for writing, pen or pencil and paper, and a Bible. You will likely be surrounded by reminders of your busy life – an alarm clock, your computer, a blackberry or calendar – and that's okay. Because God is actively involved in all of life. In their book Contemplative by Design, (Grimsley and Young, Upper Room) the authors write that “it takes conscious effort and discipline to look for and recognize God in all of life. Yet to do so can bring about a stronger faith, greater awareness of the person of God who cares dearly for all of creation.”
• Read Psalm 139:7-10. (or insert other passages here from the Holy Habits for the Holy Season of Lent booklet, the lectionary passages, or other readings of your choice)
• Imagine one or more of the things you will be doing at some point today. Pray to be shown God's presence during that time.
• On a blank piece of paper, write a note to God about what is on your heart right now.
  As you leave, ask that you may see God more clearly each day in all of life.
  

Our morning Psalm concludes with the words, “and watch.” As we come before God in prayer regularly, let us watch for what God will do.