lenten disciplines

Walk With Me

Posted on by Betsy

About a hundred years ago (!) I walked down a church aisle toward a much-too-young Navy Ensign as he stood waiting for me at the altar of the little chapel at the Philadelphia Navy Base. He was nervous, I was nervous, but we said our vows with integrity and hope, and we’ve been walking together for all these (100+) years. Walking with someone “til death do you part” is a high and holy privilege and blessing, one which I have never taken for granted. Marriage is fragile. Marriage is holy. Marriage is filled with challenges and triumphs. If you’re married and you still like your spouse, give me an “Amen!”

Life can be a series of walking with people through wilderness times. I have a dear friend with whom I have walked for over a decade through extreme life challenges. I walked through cancer with my oldest daughter. I have walked with family members who were caught up in sudden storms. Numerous people have walked the way of suffering with me over the years, and I’m sure it is the same with you. God intentionally calls us to walk beside others as we make our way through every valley and high mountain.

Today’s lectionary passage describes a time when God chose Abram to walk a new path with him. This startling invitation set into motion the beginnings of the nation of Israel and the journey of promises that led them through the Promised Land all the way to the Messiah. Notice that God first identifies himself, and then immediately issues the invitation to covenant:

Genesis 17 (Common English Bible)

17 When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Walk with me and be trustworthy. 2 I will make a covenant between us and I will give you many, many descendants.” 3 Abram fell on his face, and God said to him, 4 “But me, my covenant is with you; you will be the ancestor of many nations. 

There were many times when I felt that God invited me to walk with him into a new facet of ministry, but this call to Abram is mind-blowing. I can’t even imagine how he felt, and how confusing it must have been. No wonder he fell on his face!

5 And because I have made you the ancestor of many nations, your name will no longer be Abram but Abraham. 6 I will make you very fertile. I will produce nations from you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will set up my covenant with you and your descendants after you in every generation as an enduring covenant. I will be your God and your descendants’ God after you.

A change of name was in order and was significant. God identifies himself as El Shaddai and almost immediately changes Abram’s identity to Abraham. Sarai becomes Sarah, and it signified to the world that their role and purpose changed. Much like the moment of marriage where I took my husband’s last name, the old identity was severed, and a new relationship took over. While I never ceased being Fred and Nancy’s daughter, I now was marked as a member of the Haas clan and the wife of the nervous Ensign. Indeed, I made a covenant agreement to take on my new family and was identified as such.

15 God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, you will no longer call her Sarai. Her name will now be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and even give you a son from her. I will bless her so that she will become nations, and kings of peoples will come from her.”

Is God calling you to walk alongside someone who needs your love and support? Are you being invited to take on a new identity and be known in a new way? Is he inviting you to a covenant agreement with him?

Say yes. Walking with God wherever he leads you is a sure pathway to peace.

You’ll Never Walk Alone by Michelle Robertson

Preaching in Prison

Posted on by Betsy

For a part of my ministry, I was a regular visitor in the local jails in the towns where I have served. It began when a young church member shot a friend while playing “Russian Roulette” with a gun he had just obtained that week. Spurred on by a television show, the three friends thought it would be a fun game until my church member “playfully” shot his friend in the chest, killing him. My weekly visits with him expanded to seeing other prisoners, as Christian guards would announce “clergy visits for all” when I arrived. I heard many, many stories of regret, remorse, arrogance, evil, and bad decisions. I have a friend in the town where I lived who regularly visits young women in prison. This neglected population of the children of God need people who will come and share the love of Jesus with them.

And it is what Jesus did.

In our Scripture this morning, Peter discussed Christ’s suffering on account of all of our sins. If you look at the palms of your hands this morning and can’t make out the nail prints, be glad. Christ willingly took those scars upon his unblemished hands so that you didn’t have to. Charles Spurgeon said it beautifully: “The hem of grief’s garment is all you ever touch, but Christ wore it as his daily robe.”

Jesus went to preach to the spirits in prison so that they might understand God’s message of judgment and his triumph of good over evil through the death and resurrection of Christ:

1 Peter 3(Common English Bible)

18 Christ himself suffered on account of sins, once for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous. He did this in order to bring you into the presence of God. Christ was put to death as a human, but made alive by the Spirit. 19 And it was by the Spirit that he went to preach to the spirits in prison. 20 In the past, these spirits were disobedient—when God patiently waited during the time of Noah. Noah built an ark in which a few (that is, eight) lives were rescued through water. 21 Baptism is like that. It saves you now—not because it removes dirt from your body but because it is the mark of a good conscience toward God. Your salvation comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at God’s right side. Now that he has gone into heaven, he rules over all angels, authorities, and powers.

These particular prisoners were understood as the demons (the sons of God who were now the fallen angels) that are referenced in Genesis 6:1-2:

6 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.

So many of us live in prisons today. We live in the prison of a past we can’t shake off. We live in prisons of addiction and substance abuse. We live in a toxic relationship prison. We live in the prison of regret. We live in the prison of sin and bad choices.

Christ died so that you could be free. You don’t have to live in a prison of your own making! Your baptism provides you with the Holy Spirit power to live in your good conscience toward God, ever seeking his perfect will for your life and following his guidance and direction.

Are you imprisoned by your choices? As Peter pointed out, Christ did all of this to bring you into the presence of God. Let Christ set you free.

Freedom by Michelle Robertson

ReLENTless Devotion

Posted on by Betsy

I am very happy to announce that my book, ReLENTless Devotion, has just been published. This book contains 40 days of Lent devotionals and a special Easter Sunday meditation. Lent begins on February 14th this year.

The season of Lent is a time of reflection, renewal, and re-examination. God invites us to do “heart surgery” during the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday in an effort to move deeper in our relationship with Christ. As we contemplate the journey to the cross that Jesus made on our behalf, we will learn and grow through our time spent in God’s word.

God invites us to walk through these days together and remember and read the Messianic prophesies, the poetic voices of the Psalms, hear from the Gospel writers of their first-hand observations of their friend and teacher, and contemplate Jesus’ own words. Each day’s reading offers a brief Scripture, an engaging reflection, and a daily prayer. It is hoped that by the time Easter arrives, we will be rededicated in our Lenten disciplines of study, meditation, fasting, service, prayer, repentance, and self-examination.

Lent is a time to come clean with God.

I hope you will join me as we endeavor to observe a Holy Lent together this year.

ReLENTless Devotion is now available at Amazon.

Rejected and Dejected

Posted on by Betsy

One of the hardest parts of parenting is wanting good things for your children that they stubbornly resist. From that first turning of the head against a spoonful of mashed peas to the more serious things of setting ground rules regarding sex, cars, phone use, social media, and drugs, it is a struggle. Parents are often left with an empty feeling that no matter how hard they tried or how much they longed to protect their children, sometimes those efforts are ignored and rejected. Raising children can be filled with unexpected heart ache. Their minds and hearts can turn to stone in their resolve to do things their own way, and it is gut wrenching to watch them have to pay the consequences for their choices and behaviors. Parenting is surely not for sissies!

     Jesus must have felt that way about the stubbornness and rejection he received from his beloved Jerusalem. How often he wanted to snatch them up and shelter them in the safety of his wings, like a mother hen does with her chicks. Their refusal to receive him was heartbreaking for him. 

Matthew 23:37-38

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You who kill the prophets and stone those who were sent to you. How often I wanted to gather your people together, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you didn’t want that. 38 Look, your house is left to you deserted.

     Scripture only mentions Jesus crying two times. Once was at the death of Lazarus, as he experienced the extreme grief of sisters Mary and Martha and felt their sorrow over his friend’s death. The other was in this moment as he looked over his beloved city Jerusalem and saw the impending destruction that would result from their rejection of him (see Luke 19:41).

     Have you ever loved someone so hard that their rejection caused you physical pain? I have a friend whose daughter was a homeless heroin addict for five years. Every day was a battle of trying to keep her mind from worrying about her daughter and giving control over to God. In the end, her daughter recovered, but the mother still wears the scars of love from that terrible time.

     Jesus’ grief is a good reminder to us that he deeply loved even those whom he rebuked. The Scriptures prior to these two verses outline his case against the Pharisees and his accusations about their sinful behavior. But even still, he loved them enough to weep over them and want to shelter and protect them.

     Jesus feels the same way about you and me. He wants to gather us up and take care of us. He wants to keep us from the harm of our own decisions and actions. He wants to fend off adversaries and help us to thrive and grow. He wants to mother us.     

Are you stubbornly refusing his love? This grieves him, yet he loves you still. It is never too late to come under his wings. There you will find security and hope.

The Shelter of His Wings by Michelle Robertson

Favored One

Posted on by Betsy

“Inside Out” is a wonderful movie about the exploration of emotions. We enter the world of eleven-year-old Riley, who experiences joy, fear, anger, disgust, and sadness over the prospect of moving to a new city. Along the way, young viewers learn a new vocabulary for expressing their own feelings. Some old ones do, too.

One of the blessings of the psalms is that they give voice to our many emotions. Think of them as a pre-Pixar “Inside Out”. All the “feels” are there as we see them finding expression for everything we are going through on a daily basis. The relevance of these writings is timeless.

Today’s psalm is no exception, as we see David once again fleeing for his life. This time it is his own son Absalom who was the pursuer. Absalom’s successful rebellion has driven David out of Jerusalem. In his distress, David expressed all of those emotions in just the first five verses. We see him cry out loud to God in fear. We see him disgusted with those who claim that God won’t help him. We see his anger against the many who stand against him. We see his sadness that people are talking about him. And finally, we see joy in his ability to feel confidence in his identity as a child of God, who is his shield. Can you relate to any of this? I can.

Psalm 3:1-5 (Common English Bible)

Lord, I have so many enemies!
    So many are standing against me.
2 So many are talking about me:
    “Even God won’t help him.” Selah
3 But you, Lord, are my shield!
    You are my glory!
    You are the one who restores me.
4 I cry out loud to the Lord,
    and he answers me from his holy mountain. Selah
5 I lie down, sleep, and wake up
    because the Lord helps me.

By the way, “Selah” is a device in the psalms that offers a pause. It gives the reader/singer a chance to reflect before moving on. I recently told a group at a woman’s retreat that it is like saying, “Yo!” after a meaningful phrase. But I digress.

This psalm gives us permission to feel all those same things. Joy, sadness, anger, disgust, and fear are just some of the emotions we can run through on a daily basis. How we handle those feelings is an indication of where we are on our walk with Jesus. 

David handled his emotions with the confidence of a favored son. Do you know that you are God’s favored as well? And like David, God will answer us when we cry out, whether in silent prayer or by raising our voices and shouting to the heavens.

And don’t miss David’s dismissal of the people who talked behind his back and assumed that because of his past sin record, God would not come to his aid. David responds with a great big “But” and counters that God is his shield, his glory, and is the one who restores him. David knew that he was not defined by his past mistakes, but rather was defined by the future glory that came with his repentance and God’s forgiveness. Do you know that as well, or are you letting your past define your present?

Psalm 3 is a beautiful reminder of God’s continuing presence in our every emotion. It is a clear declaration that God’s mercy is always available to us when we cry out to our mighty God. 

Need help? Your Shield stands at the ready.

God’s Glory by Becca Ziegler

Penitence Psalm

Posted on by Betsy

The signs are always there. My dog, who usually greets me with unbridled enthusiasm when I come home, greeted me with a small wag and then waited downstairs. I knew exactly what has happened. I ascended the stairs to the kitchen to find that she had once again “unloaded” the dishwasher and had generously licked all the dirty plates clean. She waited to hear my unhappy response as I clean up dishes, some of them broken on the tile floor. Then about ten minutes later she quietly came up and nuzzled her head under my hand. She knows she can count on my love and mercy for forgiveness. If only Mom would remember to close the dishwasher before leaving, these things wouldn’t happen!

     Psalm 6 is a psalm of penitence and was often sung on Ash Wednesday in the early church. It certainly has a Lenten feel, as David started with confession and humility as he anticipated God’s punishment and anger. We don’t know what sin David committed and it doesn’t matter. David speaks into all of our sin in this psalm, describing exactly how we feel when we come face to face with what we have done. The shaking, the crying, and the devastation of knowing that we have separated ourselves from God by our actions are explicitly laid out in this psalm. Who among us hasn’t experienced a “what have I done??” moment?

Psalm 6 (Common English Bible)

Please, Lord,
    don’t punish me when you are angry;
    don’t discipline me when you are furious.
2 Have mercy on me, Lord,
    because I’m frail.
Heal me, Lord,
    because my bones are shaking in terror!
3 My whole body is completely terrified!
        But you, Lord! How long will this last?
4 Come back to me, Lord! Deliver me!
    Save me for the sake of your faithful love!
5 No one is going to praise you
    when they are dead.
Who gives you thanks
    from the grave?

6 I’m worn out from groaning.
    Every night, I drench my bed with tears;
    I soak my couch all the way through.
7 My vision fails because of my grief;
    it’s weak because of all my distress.
8 Get away from me, all you evildoers,
    because the Lord has heard me crying!
9 The Lord has listened to my request.
    The Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be ashamed
    and completely terrified;
    they will be defeated
    and ashamed instantly.

     When this happens and we feel the anger and the discipline that we deserve, we need to remember what Hebrews teaches us about God’s discipline. “Bear hardship for the sake of discipline. God is treating you like sons and daughters!” (Hebrews 12:7, Common English Bible). God’s discipline is given to those whom God has adopted, so to be corrected is a mark of being a child of God. So, when your sins and the consequences of your actions keep you up at night, flooding your bed with tears, count on your status as God’s beloved and know that mercy and forgiveness will prevail.

     And let’s not miss the lesson in verse 8, where David says, “Get away from me, all you evildoers”. This is a timely reminder to us to disassociate ourselves from people or places that contribute to our sin. God calls us to walk away from ungodly relationships, even those in our families and workplaces. Anything that might cause us to stumble on our walk needs to be removed from our lives, including social media and the things we watch on television.

     David ends with a word of confidence that the Lord listened to his request and accepted his prayer. So too will God do for you when you come before him in an attitude of humility and repentance.

Guilty.

In an Alien Land

Posted on by Betsy

“It is confusing to be in a world without her … a world I have never known.”

These words were posted by a friend who just lost her mother. They spoke directly to my heart, as I felt exactly the same way when my mother died. Your mother is the one who has been with you since conception. When she leaves, the world becomes an alien landscape until your mind and heart accept the reality of the new world that her passing creates.

This is often how we feel when a loved one dies. Losing a spouse, a child, a dear friend, a sibling, etc. can make you look around and not recognize your surroundings for a while.

We can also feel this way right after moving to a new town, losing a job, getting a divorce, watching a child go off to college, or when there is a sudden change at work. Time, support, prayers, and patience will help you adjust, but in the interim, where can you go to ground yourself?

You can go to the One who created all things.

Psalm 118 describes the joy the psalmist (possibly King David) felt when he walked through the gates of the city of Jerusalem. He had passed through an ever-changing landscape as he traveled in foreign lands during his pilgrimage. He was comforted by the unchanging nature of Jerusalem. He recounted the many things God had done for him, thanking God for answering him and for being his “saving help”:

Psalm 118 (Common English Bible)

19 Open the gates of righteousness for me
    so I can come in and give thanks to the Lord!
20 This is the Lord’s gate;
    those who are righteous enter through it.

21 I thank you because you answered me,
    because you were my saving help.

The passage takes an interesting twist here. This is the Psalm that Jesus quoted in Matthew 21:42 just after he, too, had made his way into Jerusalem. It happened on the day after “Palm Sunday,” which was Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city as the Messiah. Like Jacob, Joseph, and David before him, Jesus is the “stone rejected by the builders” that has now become the “main foundation stone.”

22 The stone rejected by the builders
    is now the main foundation stone!
23 This has happened because of the Lord;
    it is astounding in our sight!
24 This is the day the Lord acted;
    we will rejoice and celebrate in it!

While offering God his praises and accolades, the psalmist suddenly shifts gears and cries out to be saved and asks for God to ensure success:

25 Lord, please save us!
    Lord, please let us succeed!

That is how loss feels at times. We are aware of our blessings, but we can suddenly become acutely aware of our loss, often without warning. That is the time to stop, breathe, and call out to God to come save you from your sorrow.

26 The one who enters in the Lord’s name is blessed;
    we bless all of you from the Lord’s house.
27 The Lord is God!
    He has shined a light on us!
So lead the festival offering with ropes
    all the way to the horns of the altar.

So when you find yourself in a foreign land, take heart. You can enter the Lord’s house in the Lord’s name and you will be blessed. There you will find comfort, familiarity, consistency, and hope. God will shine a light on your confusion and hold you until you feel better.

28 You are my God—I will give thanks to you!
    You are my God—I will lift you up high!
29 Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
    because his faithful love lasts forever.

Amen, and amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord by Michelle Robertson

Triumph

Posted on by Betsy

One of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me is they could see ”word pictures” when I read Scripture aloud. This was a tremendous blessing to me because I actually see word pictures when I read a passage. Today’s Scripture is especially good for seeing a visual as you read the words.

Our task today is to read through the ”Palm Sunday” passage and just SEE it. See the young colt. See its owner’s confusion. See the coats, the crowds, the joy, and the innocence.

See yourself standing among the revelers:

Luke 19 (Common English Bible)

28 After Jesus said this, he continued on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

Procession into Jerusalem

29 As Jesus came to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he gave two disciples a task. 30 He said, “Go into the village over there. When you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say, ‘Its master needs it.’” 32 Those who had been sent found it exactly as he had said.

33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34 They replied, “Its master needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their clothes on the colt, and lifted Jesus onto it. 36 As Jesus rode along, they spread their clothes on the road.

37 As Jesus approached the road leading down from the Mount of Olives, the whole throng of his disciples began rejoicing. They praised God with a loud voice because of all the mighty things they had seen.38 They said,

“Blessings on the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
    Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens.”

As we move toward Holy Week, it is good to imagine Jesus’ triumphal entry. All too soon we will experience his death. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Today, Jesus is king and the people rejoice! Well, most of the people:

39 Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, scold your disciples! Tell them to stop!”

40 He answered, “I tell you, if they were silent, the stones would shout.”

I love Jesus’ response. YOU CAN’T STOP THIS. YOU CAN’T STOP THE JOY OF WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN SEVEN DAYS. Even the stones will shout for joy when the big one is rolled away.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. We are called to ride along with Jesus on that colt and rejoice.

Can you picture it?

Joyful Stone by Ania Flis

New Things Spring

Posted on by Betsy

Spring has finally sprung on the Outer Banks. March came in like a lion and went out like a lion. We were still being treated to overnight freeze watches just a few weeks ago. But the presence of daffodils, osprey, and Canadian Geese traveling in pairs is a sure sign that a new season has begun and the cold grey skies are behind us at last.

The grey skies of Lent end this week as well. Today marks the first day of Holy Week as we accelerate toward Easter Sunday. I hope this Lent has brought about new things in your life, especially a practice of daily scripture study and meditation. Lenten disciplines are designed to bring about new things: new habits, new understandings, new growth, and a new relationship with God. It is my prayer that we would observe Lent all year long, always seeking to know God more fully as we continue in our devotions together.

Today we look at the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, who wrote beautiful words of hope during a time when Israel needed a deliverer. When we read his words through the lens of the Gospel, it is easy to find Jesus here:

Isaiah 42 (New International Version)

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
    or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4     he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
    In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

This certainly fits our Lord to a t. He carries God’s spirit and brings justice to the earth. When he comes again, he will reign in that justice. He was bruised for our transgressions and remained silent at his trial before Pilate. They attempted to snuff out his fire but he smoldered for three days until he flamed again. He was chosen by God to bring salvation to the world.

5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
    who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
    who gives breath to its people,
    and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
    I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people
    and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
    to free captives from prison
    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

God sent his only son to offer a covenant to all people, including the Gentiles. Indeed, Jesus came to save EVERYONE . He came to give sight to the blind and to release us all from our chains. When he arose from the dead on Easter morning, the final chain of death was snapped. We are invited to participate in his resurrection by simply believing in his name.

8 “I am the Lord; that is my name!
    I will not yield my glory to another
    or my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place,
    and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
    I announce them to you.”

A lot of our journey toward the cross this year has focused on leaving the past in the past and striving toward the new thing God is creating. Is God calling you to let go of something in your past? Do you need to be released? Can you see the bright future he has created for you once you do?

God is declaring a NEW thing for you today. The former things have passed away! It is time to move ahead.

New Day Sunshine by Michelle Robertson

A Well-Taught Tongue

Posted on by Betsy

Compassion has gone out of style. Maybe not with you, or your small group, but as a society, we are less compassionate toward the marginalized and more focused on a “Me First” mentality. This attitude prevails from the schoolyard to the seats of government. Bullying is common at all levels of society and often goes unchecked. People say and post things aimed to mock others. Nations turn their backs on struggling nations so that their own resources aren’t compromised.

Thank God for Poland, who has graciously received over two million Ukrainian refugees. England agreed to take 10,000. America will receive 100,000. Frankly, we all can do better. Who will stand up for the tired people?

Isaiah reminds us that God has given us a “well-taught” tongue and we are called to use it as we offer COMPASSION to people who are struggling.

Isaiah 50 (The Message)

The Master, God, has given me
    a well-taught tongue,
So I know how to encourage tired people.
    He wakes me up in the morning,
Wakes me up, opens my ears
    to listen as one ready to take orders.
The Master, God, opened my ears,
    and I didn’t go back to sleep,
    didn’t pull the covers back over my head.

All of us have opportunities every day to alleviate someone’s suffering. A kind word, a smile, a card, or casserole delivered to someone who is sick or isolated can go a long way toward easing someone’s burden for even a brief moment. God is trying to open our ears to the people around us whom we can encourage and lift up.

Isaiah found himself being ridiculed and mocked for his prophetic warnings to the people of Israel. Sometimes doing God’s work entails taking on someone’s anger and rejection. In those cases, Isaiah reminds us to set our faces like flint:

I followed orders,
    stood there and took it while they beat me,
    held steady while they pulled out my beard,
Didn’t dodge their insults,
    faced them as they spit in my face.
And the Master, God, stays right there and helps me,
    so I’m not disgraced.
Therefore I set my face like flint,
    confident that I’ll never regret this.

Have you ever been ridiculed or rejected for doing something good for someone? Never mind. God is our only audience when we walk in his instruction and offer compassion to others.

My champion is right here.
    Let’s take our stand together!
Who dares bring suit against me?
    Let him try!
Look! the Master, God, is right here.
    Who would dare call me guilty?
Look! My accusers are a clothes bin of threadbare
    socks and shirts, fodder for moths!

Look, the Master is RIGHT HERE. Are you being called to serve God by serving others? Don’t listen to the nay-sayers. They soon will flit away to discourage someone else. We are called to serve the Master, God. And when we do, WE receive the blessing.

Sunrise Colors by Michelle Robertson