It is now the last week in Lent before Palm/Passion Sunday. Jesus now is on his way to Jerusalem where Scripture tells us he knows that he will face the ultimate test of his own faithfulness to the Gospel he has brought through his words and actions. In all the Gospels he tells his followers that he will be rejected by the religious authorities of his time and be killed. His followers don’t understand why this should happen.
Often we do not understand why when we try to live as Jesus would want us to we find rejection as well very few of us in this day and age have to face the ultimate test. There are those who because of their faithfulness have found themselves in such terrible situations and not just in other countries.
Tests of our faithfulness can be quite subtle, almost imperceptible. They may include how we invest our money, eschewing high profits of fossil fuel or arms production; they may include whether we stay silent when we hear hateful speech rather than calling out the speaker or the speaker’s supporters. Whatever these tests are, they point to our willingness to be faithful.
Prayer for the Day
Holy One, who embraces us, teach us to extend to others
What we ask for ourselves: your forgiving mercy;
Called to be faithful to your Gospel, we often shirk
For we do not want to offend others by word or action.
Forgive us our timidity, O God, so we are faithful to your call,
Taking on hateful speech and behavior even by those in power.
In the name of the One who is our model,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
We also need to stop normalizing hate and stop assuming hate speech is harmless, regardless of who it targets or who says it.
Mikki Kendall, American author, activist, from Hood Feminism
Tolerate no intolerance, because tolerance of intolerance is endorsement of intolerance.
Abhijit Naskar, neuroscientist and author, from The Centurion Sermon
Listen to me, you who know righteousness, you who have my teaching in your hearts;
Do not fear the reproach of others, and do not be dismayed when they revile you.
For the moth will eat them up as a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool;
But my deliverance will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.
Isaiah 51: 7-8
It is now the last week in Lent before Palm/Passion Sunday. Jesus now is on his way to Jerusalem where Scripture tells us he knows that he will face the ultimate test of his own faithfulness to the Gospel he has brought through his words and actions. In all the Gospels he tells his followers that he will be rejected by the religious authorities of his time and be killed. His followers don’t understand why this should happen.
Often we do not understand why when we try to live as Jesus would want us to we find rejection as well very few of us in this day and age have to face the ultimate test. There are those who because of their faithfulness have found themselves in such terrible situations and not just in other countries.
Tests of our faithfulness can be quite subtle, almost imperceptible. They may include how we invest our money, eschewing high profits of fossil fuel or arms production; they may include whether we stay silent when we hear hateful speech rather than calling out the speaker or the speaker’s supporters. Whatever these tests are, they point to our willingness to be faithful.
Prayer for the Day
Holy One, who embraces us, teach us to extend to others
What we ask for ourselves: your forgiving mercy;
Called to be faithful to your Gospel, we often shirk
For we do not want to offend others by word or action.
Forgive us our timidity, O God, so we are faithful to your call,
Taking on hateful speech and behavior even by those in power.
In the name of the One who is our model,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
We also need to stop normalizing hate and stop assuming hate speech is harmless, regardless of who it targets or who says it.
Mikki Kendall, American author, activist, from Hood Feminism
Tolerate no intolerance, because tolerance of intolerance is endorsement of intolerance.
Abhijit Naskar, neuroscientist and author, from The Centurion Sermon
Listen to me, you who know righteousness, you who have my teaching in your hearts;
Do not fear the reproach of others, and do not be dismayed when they revile you.
For the moth will eat them up as a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool;
But my deliverance will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.
Isaiah 51: 7-8
It is now the last week in Lent before Palm/Passion Sunday. Jesus now is on his way to Jerusalem where Scripture tells us he knows that he will face the ultimate test of his own faithfulness to the Gospel he has brought through his words and actions. In all the Gospels he tells his followers that he will be rejected by the religious authorities of his time and be killed. His followers don’t understand why this should happen.
Often we do not understand why when we try to live as Jesus would want us to we find rejection as well very few of us in this day and age have to face the ultimate test. There are those who because of their faithfulness have found themselves in such terrible situations and not just in other countries.
Tests of our faithfulness can be quite subtle, almost imperceptible. They may include how we invest our money, eschewing high profits of fossil fuel or arms production; they may include whether we stay silent when we hear hateful speech rather than calling out the speaker or the speaker’s supporters. Whatever these tests are, they point to our willingness to be faithful.
Prayer for the Day
Holy One, who embraces us, teach us to extend to others
What we ask for ourselves: your forgiving mercy;
Called to be faithful to your Gospel, we often shirk
For we do not want to offend others by word or action.
Forgive us our timidity, O God, so we are faithful to your call,
Taking on hateful speech and behavior even by those in power.
In the name of the One who is our model,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
We also need to stop normalizing hate and stop assuming hate speech is harmless, regardless of who it targets or who says it.
Mikki Kendall, American author, activist, from Hood Feminism
Tolerate no intolerance, because tolerance of intolerance is endorsement of intolerance.
Abhijit Naskar, neuroscientist and author, from The Centurion Sermon
Listen to me, you who know righteousness, you who have my teaching in your hearts;
Do not fear the reproach of others, and do not be dismayed when they revile you.
For the moth will eat them up as a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool;
But my deliverance will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.
Isaiah 51: 7-8