Lent 2014
April 3, 2014 

Read Scripture: Psalm 130 

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.  

O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem. It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities. — Psalm 130:1-4, 7-8 

I do not know about you, but I have to tell you, I struggle at times about how we got in this mess regarding the education of our children. While much of my career related to public policy was in regard to children, it had little to do with education, I thought. Of course, I was wrong. A lot of poverty and a lot of child abuse and neglect have to do with education or the lack of education. I have wondered what I might have done differently had I looked more broadly at the things that impact children. I fear the majority of my sins are sins of omission. 

So people like me need to pay special attention to our scripture today. We do not have to wallow in guilt for we serve a loving and forgiving God who sent us a Redeemer who saves us from all our iniquities. Unbound by guilt and sin we have far more resources within and among us to correct the correctable, to realize new and better ways of educating, and to give hope to a whole generation who are now striving just to survive. Jesus our Redeemer called for all to have an abundant life: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.—John 10:10. I see that as a life full of wholeness in body, mind, and spirit. The Body of Christ cannot just dedicate itself to matters of the spirit but must strive for wholeness for all. 

Prayer: Redeemer Lord, forgive us of our sins of both omission and commission and help us target our ministries toward bringing wholeness to this fragmented world. Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.