Lent 1 Devotional Resources

Again & Again, God Meets Us

Devotional Resources

for the First Week of Lent

Questions for personal reflection:

How has God come to you, time and again, in your life?

What are the moments of holy becoming in your life? In what ways has your heart and life been changed because of your relationship with God in Christ?

What does it look like to live with belovedness as our essential core and essence? How does this change how we think, love, and act? What happens when we forget or neglect the belovedness in ourselves and in others?

Credits: The Again & Again theme and logo are thanks to the creators of A Sanctified Art. Art from the series used in this video includes I Delight in You by Lisle Gwenn Garrity and Invited In by Lauren Wright Pittman. The questions for reflection include the work of Rev. Denise Anderson.

Praying the Psalms

Psalm 25 Selected Verses

I offer my life to you, Lord.

My God, I trust you.

Make your ways known to me, Lord;

teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth—teach it to me—

because you are the God who saves me.

I put my hope in you all day long.

Lord, remember your compassion and faithful love—

they are forever!

But don’t remember the sins of my youth or my wrongdoing.

Remember me only according to your faithful love

for the sake of your goodness, Lord.

Psalm 25 is one of nine acrostics in the Book of Psalms. An acrostic is a composition in which the first letter of each line forms a word or phrase, or as in this case, follows the Hebrew alphabet.

Try creating your own acrostic prayer. This could be done using the English alphabet or by choosing a word in the Psalm that speaks to you. samples

The first verse is alternately translated as “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul” and “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust”. These are all variations on the Hebrew word nephesh which means the “life breath” or “essential self”. The CEB translation (provided here) does this best, in that the Psalmist is placing his (David) entire being into God’s care.

Try praying just the first two lines, paying particular attention to the words and feelings evoked as you consider what it means to you offer your whole self to God and trust that God is holding you.

This Psalm is generally categorized as a Psalm of supplication. We discover this supplication is not only about seeking forgiveness for past wrongs but critically important is the desire to be led and instructed by God into doing what is right.

As you reflect on the previous day (or week), where are the moments you could have used God's guidance or instruction? As you consider the day (or week) to come, where do you need guide's presence and how might you open yourself to God's guidance? Let your responses guide your prayer of supplication.

Beloved Is Where We Begin

by Jan Richardson

If you would enter

into the wilderness,

do not begin

without a blessing.

Do not leave

without hearing

who you are:

Beloved,

named by the One

who has traveled this path

before you.

Do not go

without letting it echo

in your ears,

and if you find

it is hard

to let it into your heart,

do not despair.

That is what

this journey is for.

I cannot promise

this blessing will free you

from danger,

from fear,

from hunger

or thirst,

from the scorching

of sun

or the fall

of the night.

But I can tell you

that on this path

there will be help.

I can tell you

that on this way

there will be rest.

I can tell you

that you will know

the strange graces

that come to our aid

only on a road

such as this,

that fly to meet us

bearing comfort

and strength,

that come alongside us

for no other cause

than to lean themselves

toward our ear

and with their

curious insistence

whisper our name:

Beloved.

Introduction to Spiritual Disciplines

Spiritual Disciplines for the Week

Contemplation & Celebration

What is Contemplative Prayer and Why is it so Needed? with Fr. Richard Rohr

"A Long, Loving Look at the Real."

Fr. Richard Rhor answers the question: What is contemplative prayer and why is it needed?

For more on contemplation and contemplative practices visit: https://cac.org/about-cac/what-is-contemplation/.

Celebration is one method of Contemplation. It is simply the act of giving thanks or rejoicing for God's works. For this week, the focus is more specifically celebrating nature using your body as well as your mind.

Take a walk and pay attention to what you see. Note surprising moments of beauty.

Too cold for a walk? Give your dog a belly rub or pet your cat. Feel the contentment, note their joy as well as your own. (adapt as needed for other pets)

No pets? Pick one window in your home with a view outside and spend 5 minutes (or more!) noticing what exists right where you are.

Again and Again with Children

Lessons for Lent-Easter

A River by Marc Martin

Storypath by UPSem

" Just like a river will flow forward, going on to something new, the people John baptizes, and Jesus, in his baptism, are heading toward something new. In our story, a girl sees the river which flows through her city from the window. She imagines being able to sail along the river in a boat to all of the places it goes. She wonders of the river, “Where will it take me?” We can wonder the same thing about the waters of our baptism: where will this water take us?" Rev. Sarah Ann Berger writing for Storypath Lectionary Links with UPSem.