Lent Daybook, 30: Wade in the water
A Lent daybook for these 40 days of prayer. Join me, won't you? (see previous Lent daybook 2018 posts here)
Is this your first time to practice Lent? Here's a simple introduction: How we prepare for Lent.
*Note: If you're reading this in email, the formatting usually looks much better at the website. Just click the post title to get there.*
Crossing the Red Sea by Serbian iconographer Todor Mitrovic (source)
Read an interview with the iconographer and see more of his work at Orthodox Arts Journal.
all readings* for today: Exodus 5:1--6:1, Psalm 121, 1 Corinthians 14:20-33a, 39-40, Mark 9:42-50
excerpts:
“Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’ But Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.’
The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen...’Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.’ ...
Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.’
But the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.’”
*
”He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.”
*
”In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”
*
”Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”
* Monday - Thursday Scripture readings are taken from the Book of Common Prayer (Year 2). On Fridays, I'll include the Scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday which are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary (Year B).
prayer for today from Evening Prayers For Every Day of the Year by Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt :
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1–2, NIV
Lord God Almighty, Lord our God, our refuge for ever and ever, bless us as we gather in your presence and turn to you. May we be your children, who can simply believe and stand firm in our lives and in our calling. We thank you for giving us your grace and constant help. In your grace we can be joyful, praising and honoring you. You are our father. You never forsake us. May your name be praised by us all. May your name be praised above and in the whole world so that all people may acknowledge you and receive what they need from you. Amen.”
Spiritual practice for today:
Consider your ‘media diet.’ What television, internet, books, magazines, newspapers, etc. do you consume? Where do you get your news? This week try eliminating one or two of these media from your life so you can listen to God better.
(see all Lent daybook posts from 2017 here)