Lent Daybook 28: When They Are Diminished and Brought Low

Look:  

1. Sheol, Rod Brown - Source 

2. Men mourn the death of Freddie Gray in West Baltimore, April 28, 2015. Yunghi Kim/Contact Press Images. - Source 

Listen*:  I Am King, Ray Hodge - Lyrics & H/T | Spotify | YouTube 

Read**:  Psalm 107; Exodus 2:23-3:15; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Mark 9:14-29 

Excerpts:

" Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.

... Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.

... Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.

... Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep.

... Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish.

When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord."

*

"During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

*

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

... For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

*

"And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

- Psalm 107:1-5, 10-11, 17-18, 23-24, 31-43 * Exodus 2:23-3:12 * 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 12-13 * Mark 9:20-29 (ESV)

Pray & Do:  

Each week during Lent, we will devote Saturdays to connecting with An American Lent from The Repentance Project. It's God's kindness that leads us to repentance, and in His kindness and provision for reconciliation, He invites us to make confession and ask for forgiveness on behalf of not only ourselves but our forefathers and mothers. We carry a heavy load of guilt and grief in our nation as a result of centuries of grievous sin and unrelenting injustice against African Americans.

Go here to download a PDF or subscribe to receive daily reflections from An American Lent.

Begin with prayer:

Holy Spirit, thank you for your abiding presence. Increase my awareness of your presence leading, guiding, and compelling me to walk in the good works that you prepared for me ahead of time. You are faithful. Amen.

If you haven’t yet, spend time today reading through the reflections for Week 5: The Impact of Racially Segregated Neighborhoods, Gentrification, and Wealth Disparities. 

I especially noticed Tuesday’s reflection “Doctrine of Discovery” by David Bailey and Wednesday’s reflection “(Non)Accumulation of Wealth & The Racial Wealth Gap” by Rev. Bill Haley.

From David Bailey’s reflection:

  • Read carefully by clicking through all the links. Don’t miss the link to a history of “redlining”. (This is huge!)

  • Read the Leviticus passage and respond to the suggested questions in a prayer journal or in conversation with a friend.

From Bill Haley’s reflection:

  • Read carefully by clicking through all of the links, especially the video on the Housing and Racial Wealth Gap.

  • Read Ta-Nehesi Coates’ article in The Atlantic, “The Case for Reparations.” To learn what can be done to address this gross inequality, see “10 Proposals for Eliminating the Racial Wealth Gap” in Forbes magazine.

Close with prayer:

Lord, thank you for the blessings you have given me. Those that I have worked to acquire, and those I have received as an inheritance. Show me how I might offer what I’ve been given as an act of repentance. Use me and my small offering to remove the racial wealth gap in this nation. Amen.

Additional recommendations for your weekend:

You might also enjoy: Mockingbird History Lessons for Adults on Patreon

* Listen to my entire playlist on Spotify - Lent: Songs For Everyone. Add it to your account by clicking ‘Save to My Library.’

** Sunday Scripture readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary (Year A). Daily Scripture readings are taken from the Book of Common Prayer (Year 2).

LentTamara Hill MurphyLent Daybook 2020