Image by Jasper Nance |
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A GREETING
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
(Psalm 36:7)
A READING
The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’
(Matthew 4:3-4)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge.
(Psalm 18:2a)
A DESERT WISDOM SAYING
Amma Synclectica said:
In the beginning, there is struggle and a lot of work
for those who come near to God. But after that,
there is indescribable joy.
It is just like building a fire: At first it's smoky and
your eyes water, but later you get the desired result.
Thus we ought to light the divine fire in ourselves
with tears and effort.
from Desert Wisdom: Sayings from the Desert Fathers,
Introduced by Henri J.M. Nouwen; translations and art by Yushi Nomura
VERSE OF THE DAY
Blessed is anyone who endures temptation.
(James 1:12)
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Image by Juan José Sánchez |
Every year, we begin our journey of Jesus in the desert with his encounter with the Tempter. Although in many Christian traditions this figure is associated with evil, in the Hebraic tradition, he is more of an adversary, someone who calls out the most separated aspect of ourselves from God. As the story unfolds, we see that no part of Jesus is separated from God because Jesus is God.
But for each of us, it can be much harder to resist temptation, and what tempts us is different for each individual. With the journey toward awakening comes fear of all kinds. In today’s music, we hear an original song written during the pandemic to console those who were wrestling with fear. The singers speak to fear in the form of a letter, describing a progression from being ruled by fear to being freed of it. The song articulates the struggle we all encounter when we experience fear. The singers are talking to fear itself, but some of the lyrics capture what it’s like to fear the other: for instance, those who frighten us because of their political, religious or cultural perspectives. During Lent, we can commit ourselves to confronting our fears not only of other people, but of things we may feel we have no control over, like aging, dying, climate change, financial insecurity, hopelessness. Sometimes it can feel easier to rest in fear, than to work to push through it.
Fear is an essential part of transformation. Fear sometimes protects us, and can also prod us to discover ourselves and know ourselves better. How does it comfort us to know that Jesus and the disciples had fear? How can we help each other to breathe into our fears, so that we might better transform feelings of dread into signs of spirited hope?
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A STORY OF ENDURANCE
When ammonium nitrate caused a massive explosion in Beirut in 2020, the debris tore through a private art collection, shredding the works with glass and wood. When repairs began, it was revealed that an anonymous painting in the collection was actually a long lost work by the Italian 17th century painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Although filled with holes and tears, the painting is now being painstakingly restored at the Getty Museum in California. Gentileschi had a complex and difficult life, marked by sexual violence. It is believed that she used her art to work through her trauma, often painting bible women in positions of strength and power. These figures sustained her and gave her courage, as she brought her assailant to court (and eventually won). In the same collection, also discovered and restored, was a Gentileschi portrait of Mary Magdalene already known to exist. Artemisia Gentileschi continues to endure over and over and over: as she did in life, so her work also holds the energy of renewal, despite all odds, long after she is gone. (Read a non-paywall NYT article describing the discovery. The image link below also contains more on this story.)
Uncredited image of the damaged Gentileschi waiting restoration, found on the website of the Getty Museum |
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LC† Awakened by the Spirit is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!