Lenten Meditation


Praying

O Lord, in your goodness you bestow abundant graces on your elect: Look with favour, we entreat you, upon those who in these Lenten days are being prepared for Holy Baptism, and grant them the help of your protection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


Scripture Readings

Exodus 10:21–11:8

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand towards heaven so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand towards heaven, and there was dense darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. People could not see one another, and for three days they could not move from where they were; but all the Israelites had light where they lived. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses, and said, ‘Go, worship the Lord. Only your flocks and your herds shall remain behind. Even your children may go with you.’ But Moses said, ‘You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt–offerings to sacrifice to the Lord our God. Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must choose some of them for the worship of the Lord our God, and we will not know what to use to worship the Lord until we arrive there.’ But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was unwilling to let them go. Then Pharaoh said to him, ‘Get away from me! Take care that you do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.’ Moses said, ‘Just as you say! I will never see your face again.’

Warning of the Final Plague

The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go from here; indeed, when he lets you go, he will drive you away. Tell the people that every man is to ask his neighbour and every woman is to ask her neighbour for objects of silver and gold.’ The Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, Moses himself was a man of great importance in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s officials, and in the sight of the people.

Moses said, ‘Thus says the Lord: About midnight I will go out through Egypt. Every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the female slave who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the livestock. Then there will be a loud cry throughout the whole land of Egypt, such as has never been nor will ever be again. But not a dog shall growl at any of the Israelites—not at people, not at animals—so that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. Then all these officials of yours shall come down to me, and bow low to me, saying, “Leave us, you and all the people who follow you.” After that I will leave.’ And in hot anger he left Pharaoh.

Psalm 137

Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem

By the rivers of Babylon—
 there we sat down and there we wept
 when we remembered Zion.
On the willows there
 we hung up our harps.
For there our captors
 asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
 ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’

How could we sing the Lord’s song
 in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
 let my right hand wither!
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
 if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
 above my highest joy.

Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
 the day of Jerusalem’s fall,
how they said, ‘Tear it down! Tear it down!
 Down to its foundations!’
O daughter Babylon, you devastator!
 Happy shall they be who pay you back
 what you have done to us!
Happy shall they be who take your little ones
 and dash them against the rock!

II Corinthians 4:13–18

But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—‘I believed, and so I spoke’—we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

Living by Faith

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

St. Mark 10:46–52

The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.


The chief of sinners:
When we become aware during this Lenten journey, that we are in the words of St. Paul, 'the chief of sinners', and that we are always in need of God's mercy and grace, we will no more be judgmental or irritated by others' sins and failures. Be kind.
—— Metropolitan Yohan

Fasting

Granola Bars

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ⅔ cup peanut butter
  • ½ cup corn syrup
  • ½ cup margarine/butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups oatmeal
  • ½ cup coconut
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ⅓ cup wheat germ
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 cup choc. chips

Method

  1. Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
  2. Bake at 350℉ for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.

Giving

Imagine that you feel called to start a Bible study. You spend time researching study guides and planning a schedule that works well for everyone. Figuring out exactly where your group will meet isn't even a concern—your church likely has plenty of available rooms to choose from.

But many Asian believers are only now discovering the joy of having a church building where they can regularly meet and worship.

A new church building, however, is a rock of stability for believers and a beacon of hope for the unreached. These churches become like the city on a hill that Jesus talked about in Matthew 5:14, giving light in the midst of the Enemy's darkness.

The gift of a church building represents more than a convenient place to meet. It is a center for loving fellowship and a launch pad for sharing Christ's love with the community!

Donate to Church Buildings


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Source for Collects: The Collects are from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979.

Source for Revised Common Lectionary Prayers: Reproduced from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers copyright © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission. A complete edition of the prayers is available through Augsburg Fortress.

Source for Scripture Passages: Scripture texts are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

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