Posts with the category “lent-devotional-2025”

“After the rain” in St. Louis, MO.Joy in the midst of hard things... Matthew 21:1-11Entry into Jerusalem21 When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus gave two disciples a task. 2 He said to them, “Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter, you will find a donkey tied up and a colt with it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything...  Read More

Finn's biggest joy moments happen on the swing, wind in his hair and smile consuming his face. I like to think Jesus might have looked similar riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, smiling big at all of the shouts of, "Hosanna!" Like Jesus, Finn's joy has consistently shown up in the midst of challenges. In fact, in many ways, Finn's life has been marked by challenge. Medically, Finn has endured over...  Read More

I took this picture while on a walk in my neighborhood in early March. These were the first blooms I’d seen since before winter, and they gave me such joy. What an unexpected gift of color and fragrance in the midst of a dry and dreary landscape! They reminded me of the perseverance and boldness it takes, sometimes, to show up joyfully while things are still hard and spring is still yet to come. M...  Read More

This is my daughter. One of our struggles lately has been being persistent when things are "too hard." And, encouraging my daughter that some things will take practice, you may not be able to do a cartwheel the first time.The term "parent" implies times of difficulty and overcoming challenges. Daily life can be a challenge, getting out the door on time can be a challenge. In the midst of these cha...  Read More

This picture is from a hike with my son in Vedauwoo, Wyoming. My heart was nearly exploding with excitement, and my smile stretched across my face as we climbed an unusual expanse of boulders to the saddle that opened to this beautiful view. To anyone else, it’s just another mountain picture. For my son, it was a fun hike with mom up a familiar trail. To me, it is joy. Not fleeting happiness. It's...  Read More

This week, we will look at photography expressing joy in the midst of challenge. Get ready for a lot of kid cuteness. I invite you to the spiritual practice called Visio Divina - praying with our eyes. We are wired in different ways. Some of us connect with God through words, reading Scripture. For others, music or sound helps us relate to the encounter of the divine. Visio Divina (Divine Seeing) ...  Read More

Flippin’Turnin’Churnin’Tables flyingIn the air like dramatic declarations of what was good and GodlyAnd what was notOf what was acceptable behavior in God’s house of prayerAnd what was notA line was crossedA law was brokenA sacred moment was destroyedYou don’t make money by using Jesus’ name or likenessYou don’t speak for Him in his houseYou don’t take advantage of the Son’s reputation and make co...  Read More

Content Warning: Language cups, plates, scatteredspaghetti massacre on laps.all the restaurant alert&this ga'damn tvsayin' WE lost!white girls vanishthe whole world grit they teeth,but a black girl's disappearancewarrants city wide curfews;a second silencing60 black girls ghost    //in the nation's capital&my phone never rang about it!64,000 in the world&Lady Gaga ain’t sanging bout it.whole world...  Read More

"I Feel Sorry for Jesus" by Naomi Shihab Nye (read by Kelley Weber) John 2:13-24Jesus in Jerusalem at Passover13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 He found in the temple those who were selling cattle, sheep, and doves, as well as those involved in exchanging currency sitting there. 15 He made a whip from ropes and chased them all out of the temple, incl...  Read More

These two poems by author @d.jacksonpoetics (Drew Jackson) speak to the harshness and beauty of the world. May we hold space for both. What do the poems say to you? John 2:13-24Jesus in Jerusalem at Passover13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 He found in the temple those who were selling cattle, sheep, and doves, as well as those involved in exchanging...  Read More

Pastor Sarah preached the Ash Wednesday Service and she challenged us to consider a different kind of fast - of justice and kindness. It's a must see as you journey through this season. John 2:13-24Jesus in Jerusalem at Passover13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 He found in the temple those who were selling cattle, sheep, and doves, as well as those i...  Read More

COURTBy Emma JaneYour Holy court is the place I long to dwellTo sit at your feet, and pour out my sweet vesselLike Mary who came before me, with everything to giveYour temple should be Holy without the sellers to make profitThe merchants who go at the fore in my soul I know them to bleatInattention to what is righteous and loud voices of greedOh Lord, wreck the temple I’ve built with all my foes a...  Read More

a holy rage by Sarah RugenstoneDon’t they know I serve our God of holyrage?Don’t they know passion for God’s houseconsumes me?it rises up and flushes my cheeks,radiates frenzied echos of heatthrough all my limbs,a holy rageemerges whenGod’s houseis made into a denfor wolves in sheepsclothingmy words will be for you, God,like a whip tied from ropesin anger, I’ll strike, I’ll tear acrossthe places t...  Read More

“Cassie” by Flyleaf was written to honor Cassie Bernall, one of the victims of the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. According to some of the people that were inside during the shooting, the shooters asked Cassie if she believed in God. When she said yes, they killed her. It’s a very vivid and understandable story about being willing to overcome fear to stand for your faith, even when you kn...  Read More

Unsteady by Ambassador XThis garden moment is like no other we see from Jesus. Unsteady speaks to the surprise and shock of Jesus sweating blood and praying to God. In your unsteady moments, what do you do? What do you pray? Matthew 26: 36-3936 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to the disciples, “Stay here while I go and pray over there.” 37 When he took Pete...  Read More

Exhausted, Tamela Mann sings that only the King can receive her tattered offering. Jesus was tired, sad, and yes even afraid. And he surrenders to God’s will not his own. Consider what you need to bring to the King. Then leave it there at the altar. Matthew 26: 36-3936 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to the disciples, “Stay here while I go and pray over the...  Read More

Sometimes Christian contemporary music missed the mark. But let's appreciate how "Even If" by MercyMe  holds the tension of our will and God’s. How do you hold on to hope even when the outcome isn’t what you wanted? Matthew 26: 36-3936 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to the disciples, “Stay here while I go and pray over there.” 37 When he took Peter and Zeb...  Read More

This song, “If You Want Me To,” by Ginny Owens came out in 1999! Some of us were mere babes, some had already lived a lot of life. And now, 26 years later, the same is still true- we are all going through different things that often feel scary!What strikes me about this song, every time I listen (and often have a few tears), is the line “‘cause I’m not who I was when I took my first step, and I’m ...  Read More

When I listen to this song, I hear someone who is dealing with the burden that is their fears and worries and who feels others do not fully understand this burden. The words “if you could see it through my eyes, you'd understand my fear of everything in sight” demonstrate how lonely it can feel to be burdened with something others either do not or cannot fully appreciate. I imagine this is much li...  Read More

This song and this cover speaks to the fear of losing someone you love. I think maybe Jesus Christ as feeling this in the garden. It was a night of saying goodbye to friends—friends who laughed, cried, healed, shared meals and drank wine. Friends who journeyed together. Friends who would wind up at the foot of the cross. Matthew 26: 36-3936 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Geth...  Read More

The Funeral Procession by Ellis Wilson (1899-1977) was made popular when it appeared in the living room of The Cosby Show.What does community look like for you on your grief journeys? John 11: 17-3717 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was a little less than two miles from Jerusalem. 19 Many Jews had come to comfort Martha and Mary afte...  Read More

Melancholy, a sculpture created by Albert Gyorgy, portrays the void that grief leaves us with. The sculpture depicts a figure made of copper sitting on a bench slumped over, with a giant hole in the center of it. This hole represents the massive void that we all feel when we lose someone dear to us, and many people have expressed their appreciation for this sculpture for it portraying the exact em...  Read More

In November of 2022 we lost our oldest son Jakob at the young age of 28. He was a beautiful light in this world. He had disabilities and despite that was the happiest kid! When he died, I knew that I wanted to honor him with a tattoo. This is so special to me because I believe that butterflies and cardinals signify that your loved one is near. Jakob’s siblings, Emily & Lukas wanted the song “I Mus...  Read More

Tombstones // Jacob Lawrence From: https://whitney.org/collection/works/1192 Characteristic of Jacob Lawrence’s work in the 1940s are subjects drawn from the streets and interiors of Harlem. Although he believed that you cannot “tell a story in a single painting,” Lawrence occasionally worked outside the series structure for which he is best known. In uninflected areas of bold color, Tombstones pi...  Read More

A painting by the Gabriel Rosario (son of Pastor Charity Goodwin). This painting was about shadows and light and created by Gabriel Rosario, 13 years old. His the son of Pastor Charity and is on the autism spectrum with emerging language, yet his art speaks. Perhaps grief is similar to lurking in the shadows. John 11: 17-3717 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb f...  Read More

A water color painting by the daughter of Jenny Huffman. My daughter experienced a lot of medical trauma when she was younger. Eventually we started seeing a therapist together to work through some of the Big Feelings her body held from that time, even though her mind could not remember. This is a water color painting she made in therapy when she was 8 years old. On this particular day the Sadness...  Read More

A drawing from Pastor Adam Baker on the sorrow of Jesus. Jesus wept because Jesus mourned.When his dear friend died and he arrived too late to stop it, Jesus’ tears flowed freely, joining those of Lazarus’ sisters and other friends. Although he would be known as ‘the water of life,’ Jesus still experienced death as any other human being often does: starkly, with the weight of grief and loss weighi...  Read More

Watch this video from Pastor Andy Bryan discussing the importance of knowing where we stop and our neighbors start. Matthew 4:1-11 (CEB)Temptation of Jesus4 Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. 2 After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones t...  Read More

Watch this video from Elizabeth Hogan (Director of Gathering Kids) discussing the importance of courage and connection. Matthew 4:1-11 (CEB)Temptation of Jesus4 Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. 2 After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these ston...  Read More

Watch this video from Pastor Aaron, which asks the question, what does it look like to follow the Spirit through our own discomfort? Matthew 4:1-11 (CEB)Temptation of Jesus4 Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. 2 After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, comma...  Read More

Watch this video from Pastor Charity, which asks the question, what if we rely on Jesus during Lent more than ever have before? Matthew 4:1-11 (CEB)Temptation of Jesus4 Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. 2 After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command th...  Read More