Lent 2014
April 16, 2014

  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.  

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. –Hebrews 12:1-3 

It has always been somewhat unsettling to me to be charged with being perfect when I am far from perfect. I have, however, been surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses all of my life. Besides family members, teachers probably rank next in my cloud. All Christians are called to be part of that “great cloud of witnesses.” 

What does it mean in this scripture that Jesus is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith? It is curious in a book that highlights Christ as the Great High Priest. The author occasionally refers to Jesus as the perfect example of what it means to be human. The first answer to the question of how was Jesus the perfecter of our faith might be that Jesus is the role model we are to follow as we strive to be perfect. 

A second answer possibly is that Jesus is the source of grace. I had the privilege of being in the last undergraduate New Testament class that Fred Craddock taught at Phillips University in Enid, OK. I remember him talking about grace. He drew a horizontal line on the black board and said we can try to be as good as possible right up to the line, as he edged his hand closer and closer toward the chalk mark, but it is only by the grace of God that we can go beyond the line. Could that be what it means: that Jesus as the perfecter of our faith is the source of grace?  

Or does it mean both? By living and loving as Jesus did and through the gift of his grace, we are enabled to mature in faith to the point that we become the person God created us to be. We will come into full bloom at the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. 

What is important, however, is the truth that Jesus Christ did suffer and died and rose from the dead for our sakes opening the door for us to continuously strive toward perfection as we persevere in our lives today, loving the way Jesus loved. 

Prayer: God of grace and God of glory, On Thy people pour Thy power.
 Crown Thine ancient church’s story, Bring her bud to glorious flower.
 Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, For the facing of this hour,
 For the facing of this hour. Amen. –Harry Emerson Fosdick

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.

Lent 2014
April 15, 2014

 Read Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 

 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God….For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.  

 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth….He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ — 1 Corinthians 1:18; 25-26; 30-31 

In the first century there was probably no greater humiliation than to be crucified. It was designed to be so. The Romans wished to set examples of those who challenged their wisdom and power. For Paul, Christ crucified translated into Christ resurrected. Christ overcame all worldly wisdom and power.  

Now the Corinthians were caught in a major dispute over who was right and who was wrong and who was “spiritual” and who was not. Apparently the Corinthians were boasting about the gifts they had been given as setting them apart as something special. Paul wrote this letter to get them back into understanding that Christ was the center of their faith. He then moves on to say that yes most of us are just regular humans not necessarily wise or powerful but as followers of God through God’s Son, Jesus Christ, we have chosen to be a servant within God’s great wisdom and power.  

God has gifted each of us with skills and talents that need to be used for the Kingdom of God to come to fruition. We see that in the people who prepare and deliver mobile meals, sing in the choir, tend our flower beds, or tutor at Putnam Heights. No one is ever asked to do everything, but when each person does what God has called them to do within the time and talent God has given them the whole world moves one step closer to the Kingdom of God. This season of prayer for Putnam Heights is an opportunity to do just that, as we consider ways we can enrich the learning experience of the children there. 

Prayer: Lord, we have seen your work throughout history. Help us realize it continues to this day and that we are a part of it. 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.

Lent 2014
April 14, 2014 

Read Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9 

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
   he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth;
   and the coastlands wait for his teaching. — Isaiah 42:1-4 

Our scripture today is the first of the Servant Songs found in the Book of Isaiah. (See also 49:1-6; 50:4-9; and 52:13-53:12) Christians have long identified Jesus as this servant. He is kind and gentle and welcomes all even the bruised and spent members of society. Yet he is tenacious, and justice is his cause. He is also a teacher. 

Yesterday we experienced Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Today we become more contemplative, perhaps contrasting the one viewed as leader of the parade yesterday with the one who will do whatever it takes to bring forth justice in the world in his way and in his time. His way has no pontification, no marshalling of armies, no riots, no chariots pulled by strong white horses, and no armor. An apparently defenseless man is the hope of the world, and the one God has selected for this mission. Filled with God’s spirit, he is tasked to bring forth justice to the world. 

In the final analysis, acts of love are the only way that justice can become the way of society. For justice, by definition, eliminates all oppression. We have not yet learned that lesson; however, it is imperative that we the Body of Christ live it. 

That said, tradition has it that today was the day Jesus drove the money changers from the temple with a whip, calling them a “den of robbers”. He was teaching and saying, ‘Is it not written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”? But you have made it a den of robbers. –Mark 11:17 I said he was tenacious and a teacher. 

What are we to make of a Servant clearing out the temple in such a dramatic way? At the very least, he got their attention; at the very worst he sealed his death penalty. Jesus was willing to give his very life so that we could have justice. We have seen others emulating the Servant: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King, Jr., for example, were both special people for special times. While our quest is not as demanding of sacrifice, the same level of commitment to justice is calling us. 

Prayer: O God, grant us the countenance of servant hood through the gift of your spirit. 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.

Lent 2014
Palm Sunday
April 13, 2014 

Read Scripture: Isaiah 50:4-9a 

The Lord God has given me
   the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
   the weary with a word.

Morning by morning he wakens—
   wakens my ear
   to listen as those who are taught.  — Isaiah 50:4 

Jesus was a teacher, but on Palm Sunday, the first day of what has come to be called Passion Week, He was a listener. He heard the loud hosannas: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! (Matthew 21:9b) The word hosanna literally means “save us”. I wonder what went through his mind as he heard the cries of the people and observed their worshipful homage. Did he question whether he had done enough to prepare them for what was to come?  

This event was rather like a graduation ceremony—lots of last minute preparations, high expectations, and excitement. I think it is good to celebrate such milestones but until we step out in faith, it does not really matter how many books are read, lectures are attended, or notes are taken. What we learn does not come together until we apply it in life. I have also discovered that life has more than anything else sent me back to books, lectures and notes. We were created to be continuous learners. 

Whether we are graduating from kindergarten, grade school, high school, or college, we still have much to learn and thus have much to teach. We as followers of Jesus learn from both his words and his deeds. The children whose lives we impact learn from both our words and our deeds. 

Prayer: Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on us. Be with us as we reach each milestone and with us as we impact each of your children. 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.

Lent 2014
April 12, 2014

 Read Scripture: Psalm 31:9-16 

But I trust in you, O Lord;
   I say, ‘You are my God.’
My times are in your hand;
   deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
   save me in your steadfast love.  — Psalm 31:14-16 

Having been reared on a farm away from exterior sources of light, I was accustomed to waking up in total blackness until I went to college and encountered hall lights and street lights. A week ago or so, I was awakened by an unfamiliar loud repeated beeping noise. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in total blackness for the first time in many years. Somewhat stunned, I flashed back to my childhood as I carefully began to feel for the flashlight that I keep by my bed. Finding it, I started first in search of the noise, which was the battery backup on my computer in the next room. I then tried to assess why my electricity was off and realized looking outside that the whole neighborhood was black including those street lights. I called the electric company and returned to the warmth of my bed. 

This season of prayer we are currently observing regarding the best way we can love our neighbors at Putnam Heights Elementary school is really a prayer for illumination.  When the Psalmist in our scripture today prays Let your face shine upon your servant, he is asking God to shine God’s light on his world to save him from his enemies. He wants to stop stumbling around in the dark. We are asking God to shine God’s light on Putnam Heights Elementary and on us so that we can better understand our purpose and its challenges. 

The first verse is the key to the request. The Psalmist declares his trust in God and confesses his total commitment to God as his God. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday when Jesus will be welcomed with the waving of palm branches and loud hosannas. Our commitment will be tested this week as we move through the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. So today, let us bask in God’s illumination in preparation of our coming journey. 

Prayer: El Shaddai, God Almighty you are our God, shine you light on us as we move through Holy Week. Strengthen us. Awaken us. 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.

Lent 2014
April 11, 2014 

Read Scripture: Philippians 1:21-30 

Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. — Philippians 1:6, 27-28 

In our scripture today Paul is not specific about the opponents, who they are or what they opposed. He had apparently had a run in with them himself at some time. He sometimes categorized those who stood against the followers of Christ in general terms as “principalities and powers” in the King James Version or as “rulers and authorities” in the NRSV. Such references seem to be about those forces in our world that separate us from our first priority: loving God. With all the things that pull and tug at our time and energy it is sometimes a wonder that we get anything done at all. I think Paul is indicating that first and foremost we must remember that our primary priority is loving God and when we do love God all other priorities fall into place.  

It is actually rather freeing, I think, to know that we must deal with those who oppose us, but we can do it with objectivity because our purposes are established through our engagement with God through Jesus Christ. For one thing, it allows us to not sweat the small stuff. So many confrontations, in getting anything done, result from personal issues that in the long run really do not amount to anything. When I was a child my home town church had a major blowout over whether to upholster or not upholster the new chairs being purchased for use at the communion table. If I recall correctly we had a family or two leave over this incident. While it was a tragedy for the church, it was a great lesson for this little girl who was watching! 

One of the gifts, I believe, we can bring to Putnam Heights Elementary is the gift of objectivity. We are not caught up in its “principalities and powers” or “rulers and authorities”. We just want to love them as our neighbors, which means achieving the very best for them. Our challenge is to maintain our objectivity by constantly striving for God’s purpose. 

Prayer: God, help us continually seek your will and your way as we strive to love our neighbors. 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.

Lent 2014
April 10, 2014

 Read Scripture: Philippians 1:1-11 

I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ….And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. — Philippians 1:6, 9-11  

For those of us who are very goal oriented, it is sometimes discomforting to understand that we are a part of a grander process for which we may never see the final outcomes in this life. Goal oriented people like to see final outcomes. I do not know whether Abraham was goal oriented or not but he was assured by God that he would not live to see the results of his obedience to God. It would, however, eventually change the world. It did. In spite of everybody thinking it was folly, Jeremiah bought land just before being marched out of Judah into captivity.  He said he was preparing for their return. They did. Jesus’ disciples walked away from the crucifixion and went into hiding. Were they next? Was it all over? He had promised that he would rise on the third day. He did. 

In our scripture today the writer is assuring the people of the church of Ephesus that the good work begun among them would bring to completion the day of the Lord. We live within the context of this same promise. We, like the Ephesians, are called to let our love overflow so that we will have done our part in bringing about the harvest of righteousness.  

My family celebrated my parent’s 40^th anniversary with a reception that invited everyone who knew them through a notice in the local newspaper. Much to my surprise, an unexpected guest was my first grade teacher. She had also taught my sister and been my mother’s friend. It seems she had recently moved back to the area and seeing the article in the paper wondered how my sister and I had matured into adulthood. She was a wonderful teacher. I hope she was pleased with the outcomes of her work. 

Prayer: God of the Harvest, help us to plant seeds of love each day, tend them and nurture them with the full realization that you will bring them to fruition. 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.

Lent 2014
April 9, 2014 

Read Scripture: Jeremiah 32:1-9, 36-41 

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah,…Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.  

 And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver— Jeremiah 32:1-2, 8-9 

Our scriptural story today tells of the prophet Jeremiah being imprisoned when the overthrow of Judah was taking place.  What does God tell him to do: buy his cousins land in Judah. Now I do not know how many of us would invest in local real estate on our way out of town being taken into captivity. Not many money managers would recommend it. But if you read the rest of the story, it was a wise thing to do. 

In 1931 during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, while some were throwing themselves off tall buildings and others were loading up and going to California, a group of people from First Christian Church in Oklahoma City had the audacity to buy the Oklahoma City Country Club and plant a new church in it. We as participants at Crown Heights Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are the faith descendants of this group of people. Some of their children still are members. That is some awesome heritage!  

These ancestors in faith were the right people at the right time to do the right thing. I believe that we are now the right people at the right time to do yet other right things. I also believe that if additional talents are needed God will send them to us. I do not know yet what direction our journey will take. I do know this: it will include demonstrable evidence of our love for God and our love for our neighbors whoever and wherever they are. This series of devotions is dedicated to praying about answering a call to help Putnam Heights Elementary School, but that is just one step. We are indeed starting a journey even as we continue to serve on the same corner at 40^th and N. Western. 

Prayer: Guide us Great Jehovah as you guided the Israelites out of captivity and our ancestors who planted the seeds that grew our part of the Body of Christ. 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.

Lent 2014
April 8, 2014 

Read Scripture: 2 Kings 4:18-37 

When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. So he went in and closed the door on the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. Then he got up on the bed and lay upon the child, putting his mouth upon his mouth, his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands; and while he lay bent over him, the flesh of the child became warm. He got down, walked once to and fro in the room, then got up again and bent over him; the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.   — 2 Kings 4:32-35 

Our scriptures this week have been filled with various accounts of people deemed dead but raised to life by various holy men in the Bible including Jesus. Our story today is sometimes described as the first report of the use of artificial resuscitation. Reviewing these stories during Lent helps us remember that such events occurred and gives us a source of comparison to see that the resurrection of Jesus was markedly different from these stories. 

Resuscitation is within our powers. I have worked at two different jobs where I was required to learn the basics of mouth to mouth resuscitation and the various other life-saving steps that any individual might do to help in a crisis situation. 

Resuscitation, to revive from apparent death or from unconsciousness, may be exactly what some areas of our education system needs right now. Resuscitation assumes that there was once life and consciousness to which the entity in need of reviving could return. Oklahoma City schools fit that description. I have attended several funerals recently of people who were over 90 years old when they died. Part of the remembrances for each of them was that they had enjoyed their years in one or the other of the schools in Oklahoma City. These people had grown and developed into community leaders and business people, dance teachers and full time mothers who were great community volunteers. It was sad for some of these dear ones to hear that the schools they attended are failing. We can rectify that. 

Prayer: God of the Past, Present and Future enable us to return our education system to the success it was in the past. 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.

Lent 2014
April 7, 2014

 Read Scripture: Psalm 143 

Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
   for to you I lift up my soul.  — Psalm 143:8 

God as teacher is eternal. Sometimes I think we read the gospels and take in the lessons that Jesus shared with His disciples and do not consider that He continues to teach us every day, if we are attentive to His messages. Humans never stop learning. Babies learn at such a fast pace that we can actually observe moments of understanding as they comprehend their hands and feet, our presence, and sound. Older children also are little learning machines. I can still remember the day I mastered the ability to skip. It was a long time coming for me, but it had not been for my siblings. As an adult, it is surprising how often I read a very familiar scripture and find new understanding. Awaking in awareness is also evident in life experiences when we might think, “Now I see more clearly what Jesus meant when he said, Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” 

I rather think that God targets God’s lessons at times when we might be more opened to gleaning from them. For some reason at this point in my life, I am taking in more and more about Christ’s resurrection marking the initiation of God’s kingdom on earth and that we, who call ourselves Christians, are partners in the full roll out of that Kingdom. In that regard I am more like the child described above moving everyday toward being able to skip as God moves everyday toward making all things new. Such activity requires the bond of trust, the Psalmist describes in our scripture today, and our full participation.  

Our schools reflect these same features. They must be so designed to impart knowledge at the very moment children are ready to receive it—a very big challenge with a class of 20+ students who are all at different places in development. A bond of trust must be present among parents, teachers, students, and the community. Currently that bond seems to be cracked if not broken. So as important as it is for us to support the actual process of learning, the greatest gift we might share is rebuilding trust. 

Prayer: Lord, show us ways that we can be the connective tissue to rebuild trust within our education system. 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.