Reflect, Repent, Renew: Lent Daily Devotional, Week 1

Week 1: Ash Wednesday February 10 - Sunday, February 14

The Christian season of Lent has traditionally been set aside by the church as a time for reflection, repentance and renewal. It lasts forty days, plus Sundays, and is meant to mirror the forty days of Jesus in the desert. We are called to take on new disciplines, new ways of thinking, and partner with the Holy Spirit to more clearly see who we can be in Christ as we embrace what our Savior has done for us. This devotional guide can help you in this journey.

How to use this devotional guide: You may choose to use this for individual use, for small groups, or for use during family time. Each day there are readings from scripture – several psalms, another Old Testament reading, a reading from the Gospels, and from the New Testament epistles. We encourage you to read one or more of the passages and meditate on them. Some of the scripture passages are obviously connected to the season, while for others the connection may not be so obvious. 

Writers:

Kris Guertler is the wife of Jim and mother of Jamie. She serves as director of our women’s ministry, on the Academy board and music ministry. She is a school nurse in the Octorara Public Schools. She lives in Parkesburg.

Heather Hyde is the wife of Jackson and the mother of Hadley. She serves as our Associate Pastor. She lives in Chatham.

Becky McGehean is the wife of Jay and mother of Maddy and Mackenzie. She is an administrator at Avon Grove Nazarene Academy and a member of the church board and youth staff. She lives in West Grove.

Jay McGehean is the husband to Becky and father of Maddy and Mackenzie. He serves as our youth pastor, and is a health and physical education teacher at the Avon Grove Charter School. He lives in West Grove.

Justin Reed is a senior at Avon Grove Charter High School, a leader in our youth group and involved in music ministry. He lives in Cochranville.

Clara Saxton serves as director of Kingdom Kids, our Wednesday evening program for children, and is a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway,  Fox and Roach Realtors. She lives in Kennett Square.

Esther Schutz is the wife of Mike. She serves as our Minister of Worship Arts and Administrative Assistant and teaches music lessons. She lives in Penn Township.

Mike Schutz is the husband of Esther. He serves as our senior pastor. He lives in Penn Township.

Beckey Williams is a recent graduate of West Chester University and serves as director of the after school program and a teacher at Avon Grove Nazarene Academy, and is a member of our music ministry. She lives in Oxford.

Ash Wednesday, February 10

Scripture Readings:  Psalm 32, 95, 102, 130, 143; Amos 5:6-15; Luke 18:9-14; Hebrews 12:1-14

¹ Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. ² Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. ³ When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. ⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.  ⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. ⁶ Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. ⁷ You are my hiding place;  you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. ⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. ⁹ Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. ¹⁰ Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. ¹¹ Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! Psalm 32

 Well, go figure...we went from only a dusting of snow, to experiencing the eye of the blizzard of 2016!  It was incredible!  Can you tell how much I love snow??  On the morning after, I look out to see total stillness.  Everything is completely covered in a blanket of "snow dunes." As I begin my personal reflection in this Lenten season, this is perfect timing.  I am reminded of my utter desperation...that because of what Jesus has done for us, my sins are covered and my heart is now whiter than snow.  This miracle is beyond what my mind can humanly fathom. In my sin, God's hand is ever so heavy upon me.  I physically feel it and I know it; my spirit is miserable.  

When the mighty waters rise, I try to run and hide.  As a child, I recall many times that I would scramble to my favorite closet or under a bed or under the snack bar.   Sometimes, I ran screaming before anything ever happened!  I knew I had disobeyed; in my silence I experienced pure misery.  But seriously, did I really believe that my parents wouldn't find me out??  

Rather than hiding, when we hear Jesus voice, we need to run into his merciful, open arms...totally desperate.  He loves us in our ugliness beyond our imagination.  Jesus longs to be our hiding place and safety net.  When we come to him and stay there, he keeps us safe from the devastating effects of sin. - Kris Guertler

Thursday, February 11

Scripture Readings: Psalm 37; Habakkuk 3:1-18; John 17:1-8; Philippians 3:12-21

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,  but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶ Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

¹⁷ Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. ¹⁸ For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:12-21

There is a common misunderstanding about living a life of faith.  This misunderstanding affects both the religious and the non-religious.  The misconception is that living a life of faith somehow equals instant perfection.  The misconception makes it seem like there is one line – a line that separates the good from the bad – and you are on one side before accepting Christ, and on the other side after.  The problem with this misconception is that it negates one of the most important aspects of life in Christ – GROWTH.  The call the live the Christian life is the call to grow – to improve, to learn, to become stronger over time.  It’s about seeking God and allowing Him to show us where and how we need to improve.  This passage is a great reminder of that.  BUT, it’s also a great reminder that, once we do learn and grow, we must keep moving forward and becoming more Christ-like.  God’s call allows for our humanity without letting us off the hook for it.   

Right now, I am in the trenches of parenting a toddler, which is an interesting phase to say the least!  There is a balance between allowing her to be the young child she is and holding her accountable to the rules and boundaries she is capable of understanding.  As she gets older, though, my expectations will increase and the relationship between us will change.  I will have had the chance to teach her more over time and will, therefore, expect her to know more and understand more.  I will ask more of her, and my hope is that she will be ready to respond.  The same is true of us.  As we grow, God will continue to ask more of us.  He will keep teaching, and we must keep trying, keep growing.  “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on…” (vs. 12)  - Becky McGehean

Friday, February 12

Scripture Readings: Psalm 31, 35, 95; Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; John 17:9-19; Philippians 4:1-9

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! ² I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³ Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:1-9

Philippians 4:1-9 tells us to look to God for guidance, and to follow His will. He tells his people that if we follow his actions than we will surely be glorified with a life in heaven. Instead of filling our heads with dirty thoughts we are told to instead think of things that are pure, right or lovely. If our focus is on the darkness we will have very little motivation to try and help the world, because we need hope to do so. The Apostle Paul encourages us to think on these beautiful and positive things, for when our heads are filled with these thoughts we can have a far greater positive impact on the world.

What I connected with most was Philippians 4:4-6. It reads, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:4-6).  What I take most from this part of scripture is that we should not be anxious about anything, but instead come to God with prayers of thanksgiving. I look to one situation, figuring a way to be able to afford college, and I struggle with not worrying. College is expensive. If I want to call myself a Christian, and truly believe it, than I must learn to put my full trust in Him in every circumstance. – Justin Reed

Saturday, February 13

Scripture Readings: Psalm 30,32,42,43; Ezekiel 39:21-29; John 17:20-26; Philippians 4:10-20

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.  I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid.  I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.  Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 8 KJV

As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.  My soul thirsteth for God…  Psalm 42:1-2a

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again…  Philippians 4:10a

Seasons have a way of shifting our focus – a serious snow storm makes a quick shift, but so does a cherry tree in full bloom.  This season, Lent, has a very specific purpose: to create an environment in which to examine our life and lifestyle to align its appropriateness not with our neighbor’s interests, but with God’s intentions for us.  Going through our years, not every moment is jubilation.  Neither is every moment tragedy.  Our great joy as Christians is that the tragedies we bring upon ourselves, most specifically the spiritual ones, are things we can bring before God with humility and sincere repentance, in the full understanding that it will be God’s joy to turn our transgressions into nothingness.  The true miracle of the death and resurrection of our Savior is that through His sacrifice we are able to come back into that excited, panting, thirsting relationship with our Creator.  The richness of Psalms and the history of the Israelites is a familiar story on a very personal level for each of us.  We come into relationship with God.  We find distractions that seem to fit our lifestyle, but choose not to look too closely or verify that because, after all, it feels so nice!  Sometimes it’s as simple as friendship with someone who is charming, exotic  and brings a new perspective to our awareness. It might not necessarily be a Baal pole, but maybe a contemporary version.  It seems so neighborly to accept and assimilate this other perspective.   During this Lenten Season, we should verify that our religion is not politics, finance, materialism, suspicion, fear, or hundreds of other diversions – rather than Christianity as it is described in the divinely inspired scriptures we claim as our own. – Clara Saxton

Sunday, February 14

Scripture Readings: Psalm 63, 98, 103; Daniel 9:3-10; John 12: 44-50; Hebrews 2:10-18

And I set my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes; And I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, Who keeps covenant, mercy and loving-kindness with those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned and dealt perversely and done wickedly and have rebelled, turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Neither have we listened to and heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us confusion and shame of face, as at this day-- to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, to those who are near and those who are far off, through all the countries to which You have driven them because of the trespass which they have committed against You.

O Lord, to us belong confusion and shame of face-- to our kings, to our princes and to our father--because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and loving-kindness and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His laws which He set before us through His servants the prophets.

 Daniel 9:3-10

Confession that is Good for The Soul

When I was about 10 or 11 years old, I was poking around in my family’s attic. It was a wonderful attic: dormers, stained glass windows, hiding spots, treasures. On this particular day, I discovered a small, portable organ. I had not seen that organ since I was much younger when we lived in a different house. As I was wondering why this instrument was hiding in the attic, I noticed that the plug was missing a prong. Well, I thought, I can fix that! I carried the organ downstairs to a bedroom. I put a bobby pin at the site of the missing prong and plugged it into the wall outlet. BIG MISTAKE! Sparks went flying and the electricity shut off. Woah, what had I done? And how much trouble would I be in with my parents? Quickly, I prayed the desperation prayer. You know the one, “GOD HELP! Please fix the electricity!.” Nothing happened, no electricity, only the sense that I needed to tell my Mom what had happened.

When I told my Mom what had happened, she immediately looked very upset/angry and said we had to find “your father”! He was working on a project in another part of the house. When we found him, he was standing on the top step of a ladder. I was thinking he looked like he didn’t want to be disturbed and my Mom could tell him what happened later. But no, she said, “Esther, tell your father what you did”. What? I thought she was going to tell him, not me. As she continued to stare at me, my father stopped what he was doing and was waiting for me to speak. Somehow I managed to get the words out of what I had done. I confessed in detail, fearing the worst possible reaction from my Dad.

Instead, what did I get? I got mercy and loving-kindness. Dad’s tone was gentle and reassuring. He forgave my foolish act and set off to reset the fuse box. My Mom’s face looked a bit less upset. That day I learned that confession is good for the soul! My relationship with my earthly parents was still intact. My lesson in electricity was never forgotten. And my desire to do the right thing continued to grow as I truly felt the approval from my Heavenly Father that day.

Dear fellow pilgrims, may we always set our face to the Lord God to seek Him. May we pray and make confession. May we sincerely acknowledge when we: mess up, sin, make a mistake, use poor judgement, hurt someone without realizing it, disobey the 10 Commandments, when we are nudged by the Holy Spirit but then don’t do what we know we should do. And may we assuredly know that “to the Lord our God belong mercy and loving-kindness and forgiveness.” – Esther Schutz