Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Today we focus afresh on what it means to follow Christ in his steps to Calvary. The love and grace that are bound up in the Cross are the gifts of God meeting my greatest need. That love also then becomes my greatest pursuit.
Lord, lest I forget, lead me to Calvary.
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Today's Lenten thoughts are from Ann Spangler:
"The risen Jesus had appeared, not to rulers and kings, nor even first of all to his male disciples, but to a woman whose love had held her at the cross and led her to the grave. Mary Magdalene, a person who had been afflicted by demons, whose testimony would not have held up in court because she was a woman, was the first witness of the resurrection. Once again, God had revealed himself to the lowly, and it would only be the humble whose hearing was sharp enough to perceive the message of his love." As we prepare to celebrate Palm Sunday and Holy Week at REMC, I am reminded of the cost of following Jesus, and the courage that was especially demonstrated by women. They joined the happy crowd at the parade of his triumphal entry, and they were still there, alone, at the foot of the cross, and again at his grave. Lord, give me that heart. As we have entered the season of Lent and prepare ourselves for the Easter season, I would like to share a devotional thought each week from different authors. The following is from Soren Kierkegaard:
"It is well known that Christ consistently used the expression 'follower.' He never asked for admirers, worshippers, or adherents. No, he calls disciples. It is not adherents of a teaching but followers of a life Christ is looking for. What then, is the difference between an admirer and a follower? A follower is or strives to be what he admires. An admirer, however, keeps himself personally detached. He fails to see that what is admired involves a claim upon him, and thus he fails to be or strive to be what he admires." |
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October 2023
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