Psalm 34:1, 4, 18, 22 NRSVUE)
1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 146: 1-2, 5 (NRSVUE)
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
Psalm 25:1, 4-5 (NRSVUE)
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
Romans 10:1-13 (NRSVUE)
Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not based on knowledge. Not knowing the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say?
“The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart”
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim), because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart, leading to righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, leading to salvation. The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Devotion
This Lenten season we have been invited to simplify our lives and make space for God. By now we have heard and considered many excellent suggestions about what we need to “do” to simplify – declutter, say no, resist social media, etc. I would like to suggest one more thing we can do – and that is to do nothing – to sit.
Sit in silence for 20 minutes. Close your eyes. Focus on your breath. Perhaps silently repeat a mantra: “God is good,” or a phrase, “Breathe in God’s grace, exhale worry and pain,” or silently repeat a phrase from the daily lectionary: Roman 10:8 or Psalm 25:1. Resist the urge to fill this time with your petitions to God. Instead let the silence create space for God. You can call thispractice meditation or centering prayer but however you name it, you will be given the gift of quiet and the chance to hear God’s reassurance that “all will be well” (Isaiah 3:10).
Richard Rohr, my favorite spiritual teacher, advocates for this practice saying, “First and foremost, meditation is a practice of self-emptying. At its most basic, meditation is letting go—of our habitual thoughts, preferences, judgments, and feelings,” allowing us to reconnect with our center, our God. It is the opportunity to quiet our busy monkey minds to be grateful for and open to the God who lives in each of us.
I have adopted this simple practice during Lent and I invite you to do nothing with me. Sit andmake space for God.
Prayer
Dear God, please sit with us. As we quiet our bodies and minds, come to us, remind us that you are our center and that “all will be well.”
Carol Kaffenberger
Richard Rohr on how to meditate https://cac.org/daily-meditations/how-to-meditate
Richard Rohr on living simply https://cac.org/daily-meditations/simplicity-weekly-summary-and-invitation-to-practice-living-simply-2016-10-08/