THE

      SANCTUARY

      FOR LENT

      2019

      Juan Huertas

      Author’s note: Each day’s devotion includes a simple breath prayer. Slowly breathe in as you pray the first part of the phrase . . . and breathe out on the second phrase. Repeat multiple times. Continue to pray this breath prayer throughout the day until you read the next devotion.

       Copyright © 2018 by Abingdon Press

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      ISBN 978-1-5018-7126-9 (Package of 10)

      e-pub 978-1-5018-7127-6

      Scripture quotations unless noted otherwise are taken from the Common English Bible, copyright 2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

      Scripture noted NKJV is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

      Scripture quotations noted NRSV are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org/

      MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

      THIS WEEK’S THEME:

      CHANGING OUR HEARTS AND LIVES

      Ash Wednesday, March 6

       “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!”

       —Mark 1:15

      We are here again at the beginning of Lent. Our humanity is at “full stretch” before God and before the community of faith. Some of us approach hesitantly: Why wear the sign on our foreheads? What sign is this anyway? Others come gratefully, memories of Ash Wednesdays past flooding the memory, remembering the sign on the forehead as a sign of hope, a sign of their baptism. Our baptism initiated us into a community of conversion. We made promises to live our life in God, a life of following Jesus. We surrendered to a life of constant conversion, of constant change. It is this promise that might be the hardest to keep; no wonder we need reminders of it.

      Change is hard. We get used to the way we do things. We get used to our environment and our ways of being in the world. Even in difficulty we would rather lean on the familiar. Darkness can easily sneak up on us, making us forget that we are beloved children of God, making us forget that we can come home again. Ash Wednesday acknowledges that our willingness to change requires trust, and trust requires safety and community.

      Today as we gather, we provide a safe place, a place where we reclaim our humanity and our need for grace and forgiveness. We also provide a reminder that we are not alone as we see the mark on our brothers and sisters, the mark on our friends and our foes. Look around! The kingdom of God is indeed among us!

      Breath Prayer:

      Loving God, . . . help me trust.

      Thursday, March 7

       “But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place.”

       —Matthew 6:6a

      Prayer is the primary practice of life in God. Prayer is conversation, connection, and growing intimacy. Prayer is both an individual and a communal action. Prayer sustains, connects, and transforms.

      As pastor I often field questions about prayer. It seems like most of us struggle with sustaining a life of prayer. We are busy, we do not know what to say, we get easily distracted or maybe find ourselves too tired to stay awake. You are not alone. It is a constant struggle for most followers of Jesus. It is a struggle for me.

      I grew up in a family that prayed. My father would read a psalm and pray with us before going to school every morning. My mother would read us a devotional and pray with us in the evenings. I also have vivid memories of seeing and hearing my parents pray. They prayed in very different ways, my father quietly on his chair, and my mother out loud while walking around. I am sure that if I asked them they too would say that they struggle with praying.

      Today remind yourself that prayer is relationship, that God is always there to hear and always there to speak. Today remind yourself to take at least five minutes of your day and find that “closet” where you can connect with God. Five minutes of breathing and the prayer found here. Prayer is not magic; it is relationship, and as we get to know God better, we become more like Jesus. So deep breaths, five minutes a day, a time to hear God and to become the one that God has made you to be!

      Breath Prayer:

      Speak, O Lord, . . . I am listening.

      Friday, March 8

       Isn’t this the fast I choose:

      releasing wicked restraints, untying the ropes of a yoke,

      setting free the mistreated,

       and breaking every yoke?

       —Isaiah 58:6

      Fasting is one of the practices that guides our springing into a deeper life with God. The Christian tradition has mostly fasted from food. We are not alone in this practice, for many other religious traditions see fasting from food as a key practice to connect with the divine. There’s something about the pangs of hunger that remind us of our desperate need for God’s grace and presence.

      We know though that fasting from food can be harmful. It can be a way to exercise control in the midst of the uncontrollable, a way to convince ourselves that God’s favor is earned, not a gift of grace, or like the Pharisees of old, a way to show others how spiritual we are.

      This Lenten season, remember that fasting is about abstinence. The purpose is to remove distractions so that we can focus on our relationship with God. To take the time to focus on God’s presence in prayer, worship, or service.

      Food gathers us and is pivotal to our social lives. There are many other things though that I think might be good things to fast from: gossip, slander, workaholism, spiritual apathy, judgment. The list is endless. In the end if the fast does not help you deepen your relationship with God, self, and neighbor, then it has not been fruitful. It does not matter how many chocolates you give up, or sweets, or swearing, or consuming; if it is not replaced by an intentional practice of connection, then our fasting is for naught. What fast are you going to choose?

      Breath Prayer:

       Nourishing God, . . . I am hungry for you!

      Saturday, March 9

       “But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

       —Matthew 6:3

      There are so many needs in the world. I often find myself overwhelmed by the news, smartphone notifications, and the latest updates on the radio. Added to that are the struggles in the communities where we live, work, and play. Crime, poverty, homelessness, healthcare, and education are only some of the many problems or needs that we are faced with every day. It is hard to choose how to