Author: Dennis Nichols (faculty)
Scripture:
“…but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe…get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.” (Col 1:20 MSG)
Reflections:
I grew up in the church, yet one precious lesson I learned literally happened on top of the church. I was 15, it was an all-church work day, and the wooden cross on top of our sanctuary needed repainting. With bucket in hand, and knees trembling, I climbed the twenty-five feet up to do my part in beautifying the fading cross.
Straddling the peak I proceeded to paint the inside portion first; it was the easiest to reach, of course. But then I came to the outside portion that faced the street. Reaching around the painted surface, and clinging for dear life, I ended up covered with the stain of cross on my shirt, face, arms, pants: whatever part of me had touched the cross was marked by its image.
I laugh about it still, wondering why my dad ever let me up there to begin with. I was willing to beautify the cross, but instead I was covered in it. Maybe that’s how it works anyway, honestly.
I still desire to cling to the cross, so to speak, but how to do so these days, isn’t always as clear.
Lent reminds me that I can only receive from his completed work. Its beauty transforms me.
Prayer for the Day:
Come to me Lord Jesus once again. Make known the beauty of your work; mark me from head to toe--all my thoughts, actions, and intentions--with your covering of saving grace and daily renewal.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Day 6 - Seeking God
Name: Jon H. McFarland (Faculty Member)
Scripture: “I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (Psalm 131: 2)
Reflections:
My own searching out of Lent and other spiritual practices began as a Pastor years ago when I was concerned that the Christians I knew made little or no spiritual preparation for Christmas and Easter. It seemed critical to me that some kind of practice was needed that would bring our attention back to God, and what better place to go than to the church’s own historical practices. So it is with real joy that I anticipate our campus-wide emphasis on Lent.
The reality is that we are easily distracted from the important things in our lives. Dates and remembrances help keep us in a rhythm of life that either draws us to God or draws us away from God. In the wisdom of the Church Fathers, a calendar was established with specific times and events for worship, celebration and prayer, for fasting from the many distractions of our lives, so that we won’t forget.
These practices were to set our attention on the One who alone can nurture our spiritual lives. They are a blessed invitation to draw near to the Father who is the author and perfector of our lives, the One with whom our souls must wrestle in love to move closer and deeper into relationship.
Prayer for the Day:
Father, may we like Jacob wrestle with you in prayer until you bless us and draw near according to your blessed promise. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Scripture: “I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (Psalm 131: 2)
Reflections:
My own searching out of Lent and other spiritual practices began as a Pastor years ago when I was concerned that the Christians I knew made little or no spiritual preparation for Christmas and Easter. It seemed critical to me that some kind of practice was needed that would bring our attention back to God, and what better place to go than to the church’s own historical practices. So it is with real joy that I anticipate our campus-wide emphasis on Lent.
The reality is that we are easily distracted from the important things in our lives. Dates and remembrances help keep us in a rhythm of life that either draws us to God or draws us away from God. In the wisdom of the Church Fathers, a calendar was established with specific times and events for worship, celebration and prayer, for fasting from the many distractions of our lives, so that we won’t forget.
These practices were to set our attention on the One who alone can nurture our spiritual lives. They are a blessed invitation to draw near to the Father who is the author and perfector of our lives, the One with whom our souls must wrestle in love to move closer and deeper into relationship.
Prayer for the Day:
Father, may we like Jacob wrestle with you in prayer until you bless us and draw near according to your blessed promise. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Day 5 - Not So Fast!
Author: Daniel Gluck (staff)
Scripture:
“And when you fast, don’t make it
obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so
people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only
reward they will ever get. But when you
fast, comb your hair and wash your face…” (Matthew 6:16-17)
Reflections:
Fasting can be awkward. You try to rearrange your lunch appointments,
but nothing works. You give up TV, but the
flat screen in your living room flashes images 24/7. Your stomach grumbles loudly in the middle of
class. You are tempted to make excuses,
but Jesus says to stay quiet.
The sacred practice of abstaining from “usual”
niceties is not a mere ritual, but a powerful discipline. It expresses a bold stance which says “my flesh
will not rule me!” Every time you feel
the pang of hunger, or the urge to tweet, you endeavor to say a prayer, to “take
every thought [or desire] captive and make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor.
10:5).
Fasting honors God - not because He
desires religious ritual, but because He seeks our allegiance. Saying “no” to our flesh demonstrates our yearning
to say “yes” to His will.
I have yet to experience disappointment
in fasting. Each time I engage, my
countenance changes, my heart softens and I see God more clearly. As you fast today, remember to use each flesh
reminder as an opportunity to seek Him.
Say a quick prayer; invite Him in to your weakness; ask Him to reveal
Himself afresh. Chances are, He will not
disappoint.
Prayer
for the Day:
Monday, March 24, 2014
Day 4 - Surrender
Author: Stephanie (Murrow) Nelson (staff)
Scripture:
“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14)
Reflection:
The Lord had a plan for the Israelites that was probably way beyond the dreams they could ever muster for themselves. I am sure many of them could not see past their enslavement in Egypt. However, God called them out of Egypt to a much bigger future. He was going to take them out of Egypt and make them into a great nation.
For Lent, I have been trying to give up the strong control (I think) I have on my life. Unfortunately, I must confess, that when times get difficult, instead of relying on God to provide for me, often my first reaction is to take care of myself. In my head I believe that God has a plan for me, but there is a deep, dark part of my heart that whispers: “Maybe not this time.” The what if’s get the best of me and cause me to tighten my grip instead of fully surrendering to the one who loves me and cares about me the most. It is exhausting. I cannot do it forever, and I end up falling apart. Maybe you can relate.
As Pharaoh’s army was approaching the Israelites, they understandably feared for their lives. They were doubting God’s plan and wanted to take their fate into their own hands. The Lord told the Israelites to stop trying to fight for themselves. He said, “Let me fight for you! Just be still!” Then he parted the Red Sea.
God is so much better at being in control than we are, and we deny his lordship by trying to take ownership of my own lives. Instead, let us be still and let the Lord fight for us.
Prayer for the Day:
Lord, give me rest and peace. I am exhausted from trying to do it all on my own. Help me be still and give me the courage to allow you to do the fighting for me. I give up my control and surrender to you.
Scripture:
“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14)
Reflection:
The Lord had a plan for the Israelites that was probably way beyond the dreams they could ever muster for themselves. I am sure many of them could not see past their enslavement in Egypt. However, God called them out of Egypt to a much bigger future. He was going to take them out of Egypt and make them into a great nation.
For Lent, I have been trying to give up the strong control (I think) I have on my life. Unfortunately, I must confess, that when times get difficult, instead of relying on God to provide for me, often my first reaction is to take care of myself. In my head I believe that God has a plan for me, but there is a deep, dark part of my heart that whispers: “Maybe not this time.” The what if’s get the best of me and cause me to tighten my grip instead of fully surrendering to the one who loves me and cares about me the most. It is exhausting. I cannot do it forever, and I end up falling apart. Maybe you can relate.
As Pharaoh’s army was approaching the Israelites, they understandably feared for their lives. They were doubting God’s plan and wanted to take their fate into their own hands. The Lord told the Israelites to stop trying to fight for themselves. He said, “Let me fight for you! Just be still!” Then he parted the Red Sea.
God is so much better at being in control than we are, and we deny his lordship by trying to take ownership of my own lives. Instead, let us be still and let the Lord fight for us.
Prayer for the Day:
Lord, give me rest and peace. I am exhausted from trying to do it all on my own. Help me be still and give me the courage to allow you to do the fighting for me. I give up my control and surrender to you.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Day 3 - As It Is In Heaven
Name: Portia Hopkins (Faculty Member)
Scripture: “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
Reflections:
One day when I was praying the Lord’s Prayer, I was caught by the phrase that follows “thy will be done.” We don’t just ask that God’s will be done, but that it be done on earth in the same way that it is done in heaven.
When I pray the Lord’s Prayer, I regard each phrase as promise to do my best to live up to its lofty ideals. So what might it mean for me to commit to God’s will being done here in the same manner that it is done in heaven?
Well, in heaven we all will live without being bounded by our fears, without being enslaved by our faults. We will have perfect openness and transparency and trust. We will be able to love with abandon. So I wonder, what would it be like to live on earth as though I were in heaven already?
What might happen if I stopped fearing? If I stopped hiding? If I stopped trying to maintain an illusion of control? If I started loving with abandon, without paying attention to the personal cost? What might happen if I stopped living as though I’m on earth, and started living as though I’m in heaven? Would God’s will then be done in me, and through me?
Prayer for the Day:
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Day 2 - The Power of the Cross
Name: Bryce Jessup (WJU President Emeritus)
Scripture:
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 6:14)
Reflections:
As a twenty-year-old student at San Jose Bible College, I heard a sermon in chapel on the cross by professor Rueben Ratzlaff, which I have never forgotten. He told us that the “x” in our English language was but a tilted “t” from ancient times. He went on to say that the “t” was one of the early symbols for the cross.
He stated, “Isn’t it interesting that when you make a mistake with a typewriter [this was long before the computer age] that you correct it by typing over it with a line of x’s?” In other words, the “x” or cross is a sign of forgiveness. We make mistakes and the Lord types over them with the “red ribbon” of forgiveness.
He continued: “When a girlfriend or boyfriend write to each other, isn’t it interesting that the P.S. usually has a lot of ‘xxxxxxxx.’” The cross is a symbol of love, the deepest kind. It is God’s love being demonstrated in an unmistakable way.
Because of my love for baseball, I especially enjoyed hearing him say, “When a batter is at the plate he frequently takes his bat and draws an ‘x’ in front of the plate.” The “x” or cross is a sign of hope. Because Jesus lives, we too shall live, today and eternally.
Man fixes things with WD40 and duct tape, but God fixed things with nails. Jesus went to the cross, was nailed there for our sins, and paid sin’s penalty so that we could have life today and escape the tragedy of an eternity without God.
Forgiveness, love, and hope are three magnificent possessions. We recall them through an ancient language, but they come to us through a living presence, Jesus Christ.
Prayer for the Day:
Father, thank you for giving me what I could never have created on my own: forgiveness, love and hope through Jesus! Amen
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Day 1 - Hungry in a Desert
Welcome to Lent@Jessup "Unplugged". This is a three week season (Mar 19 - April 9, 2014) of seeking God through fasting, prayer and humility. Join us and the William Jessup Community in this time of seeking God's heart!
Author: Isaiah Crockran - Chapel Coordinator
Scripture: Luke 4:1-13
For the longest time I have needed focus. Sure, this could apply to school, work or ministry, but neither of those things are what I mean here. As I meditate on what I know about Christ’s preparation for ministry, I cannot get out of my mind images of our Lord and King in a desert, deprived of food, cold in the night, fainting of exhaustion in the day, and praying. He never stopped praying. We understand from scripture that Jesus was in communion with the rest of the Godhead in the wilderness. He was led there by the Spirit. He fasted and prayed there. He prayed to His Father, to whom He had submitted Himself in going there, in coming to earth. The fullness of humility and the absence of pride is how we identify the willingness of Jesus to commit to a 40-day spiritual laboring period for the sake of humanity.
Nothing about those 40 days resembled pride. Nothing. There was nothing that Jesus could do in His own strength. And although Jesus could have done virtually anything to Satan when tempted, He command Satan to adhere to a righteous perspective of the Father’s written word. Satan had come to test and see if Jesus was the Christ, but as soon as Satan understood that he was truly in the presence of the Word incarnate, he fled. He approached the Lord in arrogance, conceit, and pride, but he fled in submission, fear, and panic. It was natural for him to flee. Pride cannot stand firm in the presence of God. A true acknowledgement of the Sovereign Lord causes everything and everyone to behave in submission to Him.
I cannot stop focusing on flooding my life with humility and drowning out pride. We live in a struggle where we are trying to humble ourselves to the One who humbled Himself all the way to His last drop of blood on a cross. Before that, He was beaten. Prior to that, He was betrayed. Long before that, He was hungry in a desert. How do we “become less” when He has already been the least and the greatest among humanity? I suppose it is through true humility that we can ever understand our role in the Gospel message. As we focus on following Christ and straying from pride, we should hope to find the same comfort that Christ did when he hungered in a desert.
Prayer For Today:
Our Humble Lord, thank You for Your submission to the Father’s will. Thank You for the things you have done to set the stage for us to live in the fullness of humility, and to experience the complete joy that you deliver into our hearts when we pursue it.
Author: Isaiah Crockran - Chapel Coordinator
Scripture: Luke 4:1-13
For the longest time I have needed focus. Sure, this could apply to school, work or ministry, but neither of those things are what I mean here. As I meditate on what I know about Christ’s preparation for ministry, I cannot get out of my mind images of our Lord and King in a desert, deprived of food, cold in the night, fainting of exhaustion in the day, and praying. He never stopped praying. We understand from scripture that Jesus was in communion with the rest of the Godhead in the wilderness. He was led there by the Spirit. He fasted and prayed there. He prayed to His Father, to whom He had submitted Himself in going there, in coming to earth. The fullness of humility and the absence of pride is how we identify the willingness of Jesus to commit to a 40-day spiritual laboring period for the sake of humanity.
Nothing about those 40 days resembled pride. Nothing. There was nothing that Jesus could do in His own strength. And although Jesus could have done virtually anything to Satan when tempted, He command Satan to adhere to a righteous perspective of the Father’s written word. Satan had come to test and see if Jesus was the Christ, but as soon as Satan understood that he was truly in the presence of the Word incarnate, he fled. He approached the Lord in arrogance, conceit, and pride, but he fled in submission, fear, and panic. It was natural for him to flee. Pride cannot stand firm in the presence of God. A true acknowledgement of the Sovereign Lord causes everything and everyone to behave in submission to Him.
I cannot stop focusing on flooding my life with humility and drowning out pride. We live in a struggle where we are trying to humble ourselves to the One who humbled Himself all the way to His last drop of blood on a cross. Before that, He was beaten. Prior to that, He was betrayed. Long before that, He was hungry in a desert. How do we “become less” when He has already been the least and the greatest among humanity? I suppose it is through true humility that we can ever understand our role in the Gospel message. As we focus on following Christ and straying from pride, we should hope to find the same comfort that Christ did when he hungered in a desert.
Prayer For Today:
Our Humble Lord, thank You for Your submission to the Father’s will. Thank You for the things you have done to set the stage for us to live in the fullness of humility, and to experience the complete joy that you deliver into our hearts when we pursue it.
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