With Them Always

Devotion by: Louise Babirak

Luke 5:27-32

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.’

With whom do you associate? Aren’t we all accustomed to being with people who are just like ourselves, in our comfort zone? We gravitate everyday to like-minded individuals who affirm our lifestyle, our choices, and who meet our expectations. Christ did not discriminate or judge as we earthly beings do. Isn’t it comforting to know we are all invited to be a part of Christ’s inner circle, no matter who we are?

PRAYER: Thank you, Christ, for embracing all people without concern for their status, wealth, appearance or merit. All people are in your “comfort zone”. Teach us to treat others as you do. Amen.

Give It Up!

Devotion by: Lynne Roots

Isaiah 58:1-9

Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practised righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgements,
they delight to draw near to God.
‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,
and oppress all your workers.
Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?

Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the LORD shall be your rearguard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil

Why is it that we are so quick to be pious and disciplined… that we are so willing to “sacrifice” for 40 days during Lent -- and yet, the rest of the year, not so much? I am one of the worst offenders of Lenten piety and discipline. For many years I gave up meat, sweets and alcohol for Lent. Truth is I don’t eat that much meat or drink that much alcohol to begin with. I am not into sweets all that much either…well, except maybe chocolate… so for me to give up that stuff was no big deal.

We all know that Lent commemorates Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness. It is to be a time of sacrifice and penitence. But according to Isaiah, fasting “per se” isn’t the way to go. According to Isaiah, the kind of “fasting” God wants from us is to “set the oppressed free”, “share our food with the hungry”, “provide shelter to the wanderer”, “not to turn away from [our] flesh and blood”. When we give of ourselves unselfishly, God answers our cries for help when we need it. What a concept.

So I thought we might give up the giving up for Lent and just try giving, for a change. In reality, we all know that the 40 days of giving up is just so much window dressing. I know it has been for me. We’re not talking a big sacrifice at all. So wouldn’t it be a great twist on Lent to give to someone or something instead -- maybe help out in a soup kitchen, volunteer in a senior center, drive for Meals on Wheels. I know. I know you’re shocked at the suggestion, because you already don’t have time to do everything you already do. But if, in the Grand Scheme of Things, you could find the time once a month to read to senior citizens, would your whole schedule fall apart? Be honest, would it? If you think about it, giving up chocolate for Lent only gets us through 40 days. But scattering seeds of helpfulness and kindness might stay with us a lifetime.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help us be strong enough to look outside our own needs and look to the needs of others. Help us during this season of Lent to ask what You want from us and then carefully, honestly listen for the answer. Amen.

Mission Not Impossible

Devotion by: David Whelan

Luke 9:22-25

‘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?

The theme of these verses is that Jesus was subject to death and suffering, but the Father raises all who are faithful. Is this challenge to each of us at Christ the King a Mission Impossible, or truly a Mission Not Impossible?

As my family is still in the midst of packing away all of the Christmas decorations, it seems slightly strange to think about writing a Lenten Devotional this early in the year. But maybe, just maybe, this is the perfect time to be doing it. We each have made personal commitments or resolutions for the coming year, presumably to improve our personal, physical and/or spiritual well-being. How many of us have made the resolution to be more faithful to God? How many of us have committed to increase our time, talents and treasures to Christ the King and to those in our community less fortunate than ourselves? In the 9th chapter of Luke, Jesus continues to talk to his disciples by saying “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Has anyone made that resolution for the coming year? As we all move forward into this Lenten season, yet still very early in our calendar year, I contend that this is a very realistic Mission NOT Impossible for today, and years to come.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, you sacrificed your only Son so that each of us can live a life full of many blessings. We thank you for our families, our friends and our church. Please continue to encourage each of us to follow in your footsteps and to take up your cross daily. With your strength and guidance, we believe that this mission is not impossible. AMEN.

Ash Wednesday: Make Your Plans

Devotion by: Pastor Scott McAnally

Joel 2:12-18

Yet even now, says the LORD,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the LORD, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
and relents from punishing.
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain-offering and a drink-offering
for the LORD, your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sanctify a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
gather the people.
Sanctify the congregation;
assemble the aged;
gather the children,
even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her canopy.

Between the vestibule and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep.
Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O LORD,
and do not make your heritage a mockery,
a byword among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
“Where is their God?” ’
God’s Response and Promise

Then the LORD became jealous for his land,
and had pity on his people.

‘Return to the Lord Your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.’ These words may seem familiar this time of year. They are the words we sing in Lent, in place of the ‘Alleluias’, as we anticipate hearing the good news of the Gospel. These are the words we sing as we prepare to hear a teaching about or from Jesus. Essentially we’re saying, ‘drop everything you are doing, because we are going to hear about how gracious and merciful God is.’

Sadly, because we are sinners, we don’t drop everything. And today we are reminded of that with a smudge of ashes, of a ‘return’ we will all face one day. We hear these words as the ashes are smudged on our foreheads: ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’

And so for 40 days plus Sundays, we will sit with ashes and dust and sing these words from Joel. Lent is about returning, about dropping everything, so that we can once again hear what God is doing for us. We drop everything to hear God’s calling for us to love others. We drop coins in a box so that others halfway around the world may taste God’s grace in a meal. We drop everything to once again hear the story of Jesus, who dropped everything for you and me, took up the cross and went to Calvary’s Hill.

So, in dropping everything, what will you take up? It will be different for each of us, and at times may seem ardent. But know that you are being prayed for. May you discover anew this Lent the grace and mercy of a God who loves you, who is slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. God bless your Lenten Journey.

PRAYER: Merciful God, accompany our journey through these forty days. Renew us in the gift of baptism, that we may provide for those who are poor, pray for those in need, fast from self-indulgence; and above all, that we may find our treasure in the life of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Welcome: Grab Your Bible and Some Cookies

by: Liz Spoto

As I pondered how I might introduce this year’s inspiring Lenten Devotional, I turned to two things. First, (while I hate to admit it) I had a cookie. Second, (and shamefully in that order!) I opened my Bible. God must have felt my lack for words, because I opened immediately to Romans 1, verses 11-12, where Paul writes: “I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” Now if that doesn’t sum up the pure intention of this Lenten Devotional, I don’t know what does!

This year, for the first time, I had the privilege of being the first to read each of these thoughtfully submitted devotions. I came away from the experience with a whole array of feelings – inspiration, appreciation, warmth, and, most of all, encouragement. I felt so wonderfully strengthened to be surrounded by a congregation of such open, sharing Christians. Christians who don’t hesitate to tell their stories of God’s amazing presence in their lives. From God’s voice helping them to avert a could-have-been fatal car accident, to a family who gave up the “traditional” customs of Christmas to instead volunteer in a soup kitchen, I felt truly blessed to have shared in these 47 meditations of faith.

In just a short while, you’ll be receiving daily e-mails with these Lenten Devotions, humbly submitted by the members of Christ the King Lutheran Church. As you journey through forty days of self-reflection and confession, to the glory and joy of Easter, I hope that these Bible verses and meditations will inspire you and guide your heart toward the pure love of Christ. May we all be encouraged and strengthened by each other’s faith, so that we may live the lives of Christian service that God has intended for us.

PRAYER: Thank you, God, for guiding me as I wrote this note. I may have otherwise eaten the entire box of cookies. Amen.