Written by students, faculty, and staff at Presbyterian College.
I am so excited about the PC Lent Blog! It is here that you will find a new devotion every single day of lent. The devotions are written by the students, faculty, and staff of PC! Amazing! Thanks to our blog administrator Beth, you can access your Lenten devotions from any computer! Feel free to post your prayers and thoughts by using this 'comment' feature! Happy reading!
I find this painting to describe what I feel when I read the verses of this Psalm, please take time to reflect on this painting after you read the Psalm and think and feel the emotion that it brings you.
Scripture Mark 9: 38-41 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”
Reflection Let us be united; Let us speak in harmony; Let our minds apprehend alike. Common be our prayer, Common be the end of our assembly; Common be our resolution; Common be our deliberations. Alike be our feelings; Unified be our hearts; Common be our intentions; Perfect be our unity.
The Lenten season is a universal time where Christians all over the world reflect and fully realize the reason for our Savior’s death. It is a time that we as the Church are unified and no matter what denomination, the Lenten season is celebrated by all. This time of year is an equalizer. The scripture discusses a young man who is performing a miracle in the name of Jesus. However, the disciples, being selfish and a little conceited, tell the man to stop. Due to his disaffiliation from the disciples, the young man was told not to perform any miracles in the name of Christ. Only the disciples could do that, so they thought. Jesus tells his followers that anyone who does anything in his name will not be punished. WE as the body and church of God should not imitate the disciple’s behavior. We are all one in the spirit. No matter what race, gender, sexual orientation, size, or age, we all have one common goal. We are called to build the kingdom of God, show love to our fellow neighbors, and show grace to all in the world. People do not have to be like us to follow Jesus with us. In one of the most ancient books of prayer, the Rig Veda, a prayer is written that all should keep in their hearts.
Even this simple prayer of the Hindu faith can collimate the meaning of this time of year. Just as the Lenten season unites us, so should the words of our Savior bring us even closer together.
Written by a PC Junior
Please pray for: Greek Life
Saturday, March 28, 2009
March 29th, 2009
Scripture Psalm 119:9-16
9 How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. 11 I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes. 13 With my lips I declare all the ordinances of your mouth. 14 I delight in the way of your decrees as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Reflection: As the psalmist puts forward: how are we as young people to honor our Lord? Then comes a litany of things we will do. How does this fit in our context? Its hard to check this list every day to make sure were keeping up. However, if we allow this verse to become a way of life, an approach to the way we live, then it becomes a whole less binding and perhaps a little freeing. We are sent forth into ministry in our baptism, and we proclaim and accept the gift of grace offered by our God through Jesus. So delight in the teachings of the gospel and seek them in the work that God has give you.
1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not handed me over to the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction, [a] and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I am a dread to my friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me
and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies
and from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and lie silent in the grave. [b]
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed his wonderful love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 In my alarm I said,
"I am cut off from your sight!"
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the LORD, all his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.
Reflection
We have all faced some type of hardship at some point in our lives. Some times in our lives we tend to hide, avoid, or even run from something that is troubling us in our lives. Instead these verses remind us how important it is to pray, and cry out to the Lord when we are going through any suffering. God is there for us even when it seems he is the most distant in our lives due to what we are experiencing in life. Prayer reconnects us with Christ because he knows our pain and sufferings. Prayer reminds us God is always there for us. He is willing to listen no matter what we are going through. David cries out to the Lord for help, which we should do more often in our lives.
Through this scripture we are reminded when we are going through a difficult time we need to stop what we are doing and to seek refuge in God above. Christ is the only one that can set us free from whatever we are dealing with. If we seek God then he will give us the strength we need to face our sufferings. He will set us free from our pain by granting us the courage to make it through. Even though it might not seem like it, the times we are our at our weakest are the times we tend to be the closest to God.
We must ask for guidance. It is important to put out trust in him because he will pull us out of our difficult times. When we face the troubles around us in this world, we tend to get side tracked of the ultimate truth which leads us to look elsewhere for our strength. But David reminds us that we must not look towards anything except the ultimate truth, which is found in Christ’s love.
At times we might feel broken, but that is what Christ’s love is here for. He is here for us during our sufferings to piece us back together again to make us whole and a new. Even if it seems like the world around us is against us and there is no one else we can turn to, God is always here for us. His love for us never changes. He hears our calls for mercy when we cry out but we have to be willing to cry out to him. Our faith assures us that God is always there for us by reminding us what he has done for us in our past he will do for us in our present by pulling us through our hardships, and will continue to do for us in the future. As Christians, we are never alone. God always is with us and protects us in all we do by empowering us to have the strength we need to make it through the day.
We as Christians must put our hope in the Lord for the future that has yet to come. Hope is what will shine through the clouds on a cloudy day to help us make it through. And it is our faith that will lead us to defeat of our suffering. God will give us the courage to make it through anything. We are reminded of this also in 1st Corinthians 10:13, which reminds us God will NEVER let us be pushed past our limits, and will pull us out of our sufferings!!
PRAYER: God grant me the strength and the wisdom to fully rely on you no matter what I am going through. Help me realize you will help me get through anything even when it seems impossible to go on. When I am struggling help remind me you will never leave me, and love me no matter what. I thank you for helping me out of my sufferings and always being here for me no matter what. Help me find the courage to make it through the days when I’m struggling the most. Thank you for your mercy. Amen.
2After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"
8Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant.
11And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
12Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him."
1 Corinthians 12:27- 13:3
1 Corinthians 12:27-13:3 (New International Version)
27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tonguesa]">[a]? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desireb]">[b] the greater gifts.
And now I will show you the most excellent way.
1 Corinthians 13
1If I speak in the tonguesc]">[c] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,d]">[d] but have not love, I gain nothing.
Reflection
Mark 9:2-13
Did Jesus know what was going to happen when he reached the top of the
mountain? Did Jesus know that there was to be this strange, amazing
other-worldly moment, a vision of something special and holy and
precious?
Assuming Jesus did know all this was to happen what are we to make of
his decision only to share the experience with three of the twelve
disciples?
There are a few occasions throughout the Gospels when the three who
climbed with Jesus that day formed some sort of inner circle with Jesus,
but it didn't always seem to have done them too much good - Peter, James
and John were just as prone to frustrate Jesus or abandon him at the
point of his greatest need. Didn't all three of them fall fast asleep
that night in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus faced the agony of what
was about to happen?
Sometimes we imagine that if only we had some sort of really, really
amazing spiritual experience we would end up as more faithful
Christians, but the example of the three who witnessed the
Transfiguration tells us otherwise. For us to be faithful means looking
for, anticipating, expecting to meet God even in the mundane things of
everyday living. It is not the means or manner of the revelation that
counts for most, what really matters is how we are changed and renewed
by journeying through life with Christ and all whom Christ loves.
1 Corinthians 12:27- 13:3
Where do you receive your motivation?
As people we can discover motivation in many different places - the
encouragement of other people; the expectations of loved ones; our own
standards; the rules and regulations that govern our behavior; the
desire to make a positive contribution in the life of another person;
the intrinsic values of what we believe to be right and good and true.
The words and thoughts of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 remind us that the
greatest motivation, the motivation that ought to be first and foremost
in our minds if we are to follow after the example of Jesus Christ, is
the motivation of love.
When love is not our motivation, even if what we are doing is a good
thing, even if it is the right thing, it will be less than complete,
tarnished by some aspect of self-interest. It is not enough, Paul says,
to speak about God, to teach about God, to give away our possession...
unless we do this in love, with love, for love.
Love needs to be our motivation, because love is the essential nature
and being of the God we know in Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 12: 5 – 7 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
Reflection Last year while watching the Tarheels play in March Madness, I learned of the death of Eve Carson. The players were wearing a black patch with Eve’s name on their game jersey. The coaches were wearing a “carolina blue” ribbon on their lapels. The game commentators briefly described that Eve as a popular student leader, who was kidnapped, forced to withdraw money from an ATM machine, murdered and discarded in the middle of a major intersection of Chapel Hill. A few weeks later while reading my alumni magazine I learned more about Eve, a second semester senior, and President of the Student Government Association. On the day of her murder, thousands of students, faculty and staff gathered on the mall outside of the administrative building for a time of consolation and remembrance. Later, after students returned from spring break, a memorial service hosted in the Dean Dome was attended by over 10,000 people. People spoke for hours about Eve’s energy, enthusiasm and love of working on behalf of students and the university. It was obvious that she had made a indelible mark on a major institution in a short period of time. In reading more about Eve, I discovered a reference to this picture of her on the web site “why do you do what you do” www.wdydwyd.com. This picture was taken and posted two days before her death. It is a fitting tribute to a person who strongly believed that her calling was to serve her community. I encourage you to visit the website and read more about her vision and the legacy she left her friends, the students and the alumni of UNC. While I am unsure of Eve’s faith, I discovered she valued doing everything she could to positively influence the world in which she lived. Indeed, “there are different kids of service … but the same God works all of them in all men (1 Corinthians 12 5&6, NIV.)” I pray that all of us are similarly inspired and will have her courage and commitment to apply our faith and or values into action on a day-to-day basis. Amen.
Written by a PC Staff
Please pray for: The Clinton and Thornwell Communities
The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman
24Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[a] He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil[b] spirit came and fell at his feet. 26The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27"First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
28"Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."
29Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter."
30She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Reflection
This is a passage that makes people uncomfortable. It doesn't fit clearly into our "high and mighty" image of Jesus, wearing a stark white robe and surrounded by a golden glow. It shows the real Jesus, a Jesus who got tired, frustrated, and even had misunderstandings just like we do.
The Syrophoenician woman was a Gentile, a non-Jew, and she was repeatedly told that Jesus's message was not for her. Regardless of what everyone said (even what JESUS said, in this passage), the woman knew in her heart that God had sent Jesus for her too. The passage says Jesus was hiding in a house, but the woman found him. Imagine the obstacles she must have come through before she was could reach Jesus to "beg" him to heal her child. Imagine her strength. There may have been crowds or even disciples trying to keep this woman from bothering Jesus, but she knew the truth. She had faith that Jesus could and would heal her daughter, and she was not going to take no for an answer. Jesus realizes her faith, and through this strong woman, he sees that his salvation is for ALL people, not just the Jews. God worked through this Gentile woman.
Imagine if we had the faith and the strength of this Syrophoenician woman. Imagine if we would include those people the church has deemed "dogs," the people for whom the church exists. As you go through the day, be inspired by the faith of the Syrophoenician woman and do not be afraid to challenge the "status quo" to fulfill what you know is God's will for the world.
Written by a PC Sophomore
Please pray for:
Radio Station and Newspaper staffs
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Monday March 23, 2009
Scripture
Genesis 49:29-33
29 Then he gave them these instructions: "I am about to be gathered to
my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron
the Hittite, 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in
Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the
Hittite, along with the field. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah
were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I
buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites. [o] "
33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew
his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his
people.
Reflection Have you ever looked directly into the sun? It is said that if you stare at the sun during a solar eclipse you can go blind. I’m not sure if you really go completely blind, but even when you look at the sun on a normal day it can impair your vision. You turn your eyes from it and everything seems to be in this strange dark purple kind of haze. Everything is out of focus and its hard to see anything.
What about when you are in a dark room for a long time and someone turns on the lights without telling you. Your eyes get adjusted to the darkness so that you can see vague figures and shapes. Eventually it can even seem pretty normal. But then someone turns on a bright light and everything turns bright white and you become blind in a different sort of way.
Sometimes the ways that God speaks to us can seem just like that kind of light. God can either say something so incredibly different than what we are used to hearing that we are blinded by it. To use a pun, it blind-sides us - like the light cutting through the darkness. Or perhaps we receive some vision of what God wants us to do, a taste of what might be our calling. Then, in that case, everything else around us can seem to be dimmer and frustrating. I think of the story of Abraham. He was promised land, prosperity, and children but it took a long time from the point where he was first promised those things. I know that Abraham was frustrated with waiting for God to come through on the other end of the deal. He was tired of waiting for God to provide the things that he saw as a bright light compared to what he had then. So Abraham took action into his own hands and he bore Ishmael through a concubine. However, that was not the plan or the promise that God had made with Abraham.
In this time of Lent, we may try to abstain from something as a way of recognizing the sovereignty of God and as an act of worship in listening for God’s voice in some new way. Sometimes, if God gives us the vision to see what our calling truly is, it can seem like we are surrounded by darkness when compared with the light of that vision. But, we must not despair, because God is not slow in keeping promises. God calls out to us in the darkness to give us hope, and God shines a glimmer of what is in store for us so that we can persevere through times that seem dark and troubled.
Today, pray that God will show you a small portion of what is in store for you. Then pray that God gives you the strength and patience to wait for it in its own due time. We can wait for the promise that God has given, or we can rush and miss out on the fullness of the gifts that God has for all of the children of faith.
Written by a PC Senior
Today Please Pray For: Student Managers of Springs Campus Center
Sunday March 22, 2009
Scripture
Genesis 48:17-19 (ESV)
“When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of
Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his faither’s hand to move it
from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said to his father,
‘Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your
right hand on his head.’ But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my
son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be
great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and
his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.’”
Reflection
Joseph didn’t reach his position in Egypt by traditional means, but it is obvious by this passage that tradition was important to him. Tradition dictated that the elder son receive the greater inheritance, or blessing. However, God had other plans, as Isaac informed Jacob through the act of blessing the younger. Traditions are very important. They establish meaningful connections among a group of people – family, church, college, business, government. They remind us of who we are, where we come from, how much we’ve grown. Yet, often, traditions become something we “just do” without meaning or thought. Jesus honored the tradition of the Passover Supper, even as he prepared to make the sacrifice of a lifetime. This was especially meaningful, as the tradition foreshadowed the sacrifice. At this season of the year, many church members practice the tradition of giving up, or sacrificing, something for Lent. For the 40 days leading up to Easter, this serves as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. As a result, people give up the radio, TV, video games, coffee, desserts, chocolate. But is this truly done as a remembrance, or just as something they’ve always done? When the desire to eat that chocolate bar hits, do people use that time to thank Christ for his sacrifice and consider the meaning, or do they just try to hang on for “x” more days to be able to eat it again? Whether this is your practice or not, I hope you will use this special season to reflect on the traditions you have. Some traditions may have changed as you matured in your life or faith. You may have begun new traditions or lost traditions as you’ve faced challenges or added new connections to your life. May your reflections guide you to honor those traditions with a renewed sense of how special they are. And may you honor Christ’s sacrifice this Easter with a renewed sense of reverence and awe in the power of God that raised Christ from the dead - the same power that led Isaac to bless Manassah over Ephraim in anticipation of the blessing yet to come.
