Daily Prayer
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
You speak and summon us away
From that which is false, familiar, and faithless,
You invite us to tread a path into the unknown,
Where our barrenness is transformed by your blessing.
Amen
Daily Scripture: John 2:13-22
Find the above scripture in your bible and read slowly – you might want to read it out loud. You can also find it here.
Lenten Quote
“ Jesus was a protestor; of empire, religious hypocrisy and injustice. John the Baptist said Jesus would take an axe to every tree that needs to be uprooted. He is still doing that work today”.
| David Gate
Lenten Poem: Cleansing of the Temple
A pallid spring sun shone on the forecourt
Inside the building it was dim and stuffy
And people came and went about their business.
Suddenly we saw light gather to itself,
A human shape, fused from another April,
Entered our temple like a shaft of fire.
The shadows burned away.
Stark radiance pushing from floor to rafters
dazzled the traders.
The man made all of light
Hurled trestles down so the money rolled glittering,
Smashed wicker cages so the captive doves
Flew whirring through blue clouds of incense.
He swept like a meteor with scourge and flame
Condemning us who’d turned the place of prayer
Into a space for robbery and bargaining.
He left, and it was as though the day had been withdrawn.
We stared at the wreckage in this new moon dusk –
The shattered furniture, the litter of tarnished coins.
Someone said, “Who was that?”
There was a frightened pause.
Another answered. “He’s called the Prince of Peace.”
| Harry Guest
Lenten Song: We Will Make No Peace
Closing Blessing
Having been liberated from the shackles of sin,
set free from satanic slave masters,
and bypassed by the forces of Death,
may you now be held fast
by the unbreakable bonds of God’s faithfulness.
May you know the guidance of his Spirit
during both the brightness of the day
and the darkness of the night,
Until you arrive safely at the borders
of the Promised Land.
Amen
No Evening Zoom Reflection Tonight!
As it is Friday there will be no evening reflection over Zoom tonight but we look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
We would love to make this a shared learning experience as much as possible so therefore please consider adding any thoughts, questions and insights that might arise for you in the comments section below. We would love to hear what God is up to in this time!
6 Comments on “Lent Week 3 | FRIDAY”
Does angry Jesus with a handmade whip disturb you? Does it bring comfort? Or another emotion?
Peace keeper or peace maker?
‘A peacemaker is someone who is willing to resolve both outer and inner turmoil in order to establish peace with others and within themselves. Inevitably, peacemaking will require engaging in conflict and tension to help bring the situation to a solid place.
A peacekeeper, on the other hand, desires to maintain peace by avoiding conflict. They typically give in to the tension or steer clear of disagreement to keep others happy. Peacekeepers hate rocking the boat; therefore, they will sacrifice their own inner peace to maintain the “facade” of peace with others.
Peacekeepers may look like peacemakers, but only one group is experiencing true peace.’
Are there any situations around you where God may be asking you to partner with him to bring about his justice and peace?
“blessed are the peacemakers” (Matt 5:9)
Naomi thank you, Wow!
Its very scary to be honest! This is soo deeply challenging and as yet beyond my short term experience.
The only conflicts I’ve experienced have initially been deeply and profoundly destructive! And many many years later redemptive. Thank God! Would just not know how to engage in any conflict!.
Just being honest so much to learn!
Naomi, thanks for your reflection. I find this deeply challenging. I know that tendency within me to keep the peace rather than make it. Of late I have known God leading me into an engagement with tension and conflict that makes for the true peace.
Me too!
Its very scary to be honest! This is soo deeply challenging and as yet beyond my short term experience.
The only conflicts I’ve experienced have initially been deeply and profoundly destructive! And many many years later redemptive. Thank God! Would just not know how to engage in any conflict!.
Just being honest so much to learn!
It’s a hard but beautiful gift to learn. LORD teach us how x