#LentWellLived Daily Reflections

"Lent is a season of the Church meant to mirror the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert before his public ministry began. As Lent begins, I think about the experience we sometimes have of entering into and residing in “wilderness." What happens when we enter such seeming barren places, spaces, or mentalities? What do we learn and how might we grow? In today's Gospel reading, Jesus "was praying alone, with only his disciples near him" (Luke 9:18). What is reveled in this quiet moment? After being named by Peter as “The Messiah of God,” Jesus describes his own death and resurrection and he tells the disciples: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23). Oftentimes, when we read the Gospels, we may be perplexed and maybe overwhelmed by precisely what Jesus is calling us to do. I know I struggle with the simultaneous simplicity and strangeness of that calling. But in the wilderness of Lent, we can begin to break well-worn patterns and to quiet the cacophony around us, and in such stillness we might, like the disciples, begin to recognize who Jesus is and we begin to understand the implications of his presence. We can freely contemplate the immensity of his calling for us. And we can begin the painstaking work of inscribing that recognition, that understanding, and that calling firmly onto our hearts."
- Sean Bala, St. James Young Adults

"How wonderful it is that Jesus’ disciples were willing to rebel! We read in today’s Gospel that Jesus and his disciples were eating with tax collectors and sinners and we hear Jesus’ inspired response to the cynics. But what was going through the minds of his disciples? Were they willing? Or were they still anxious? 'Feel the fear and do it anyway,' says Susan Jeffers. Then the disciples are criticized again – this time because they are not fasting when they ought to be. They were stepping away from the normal expectations probably knowing that they would attract criticisms. What was going through their minds this time? Scared? Worried? Or perhaps starting to feel free from expectations; starting to think for themselves; to celebrate Jesus’ bold, fresh approach to love. If we are disciples of Jesus we need to feel the fear and get on with it anyway."
- Alison Barrington, St. James Staff Member

"Dear Lord,
We thank you for calling the tax collector Levi to be a follower of you. This gives us sinners hope that we can also be called to be followers of you.
We thank you for sharing the table with Levi and his fellow tax collectors. May we learn to share the table with people from walks of life outside our own.
We thank you for surprising the Pharisees by keeping the company of the unrighteous. May we not let our identity as Christians to blind us from realizing our own unrighteousness.
We thank you for coming to this world and calling your worldly company to repent. May we do our best to actively repent this Lenten season.
We thank you for transforming the tax collector Levi into one of your disciples. This gives us sinners hope that we can also be transformed by you to share the Good News with others.
Amen."
- Connor Riggs, St. James Young Adults

"In this early part of our Lenten journey, the church’s cycle of readings throws at us the frightening vision of the day of judgement that closes Jesus’ teachings in Matthew’s gospel - the teaching about the division of humanity into ‘sheep’ and ‘goats’. It is frightening stuff, and not just because the fate of the ‘goats’ is to be cast into the eternal fires of hell prepared by the devil. It is really frightening because neither the good guys or the bad guys are remotely aware of what they have done: 'Lord, when did we see you hungry….?' is the cry on everyone’s lips. Lent is a time to practice discernment, and, in so doing, to change our behavior to make it more Christ-like and thus more pleasing to God. Let us pray we never have to look Christ in the eye and ask, 'but when did we goof up, Lord?'"
- The Very. Rev. Dominic Barrington, Dean of the Cathedral

"Our Father knows what we need before we ask him. What a comfort and blessing! We must remember he is all-knowing and caring about each of us. We pray to God in The Lord’s Prayer that 'YOUR will be done,' not OUR will. Remembering this focus should guide us throughout Lent and life. We ask GOD to 'give us this day,' but WE must take each day and make it a productive gift to honor God."
- Kaye Wertz, St. James Usher & Reader

"How often do we look back at the people in the Bible and think how ridiculous and out of touch they were? How inconceivable it is that the Son of Man was right there in front of them, and yet, somehow they still were not satisfied by his presence? How absurd that they demanded more proof of God's power and ability to perform miracles even while hearing from Jesus Christ himself, who would soon rise from the dead--the greatest miracle this world has ever seen? But, if we're honest with ourselves, how often do we demand the same of God today? How many times have we asked for a sign or demanded that God work a miracle in our lives? And then, refuse to be satisfied when his answer is "no," or sometimes the even more difficult answer, 'wait!'? This Lenten season, ask yourself, are you challenging God to provide proof of his providence over your life, or are you satisfied by his presence? He wants us to prayerfully share our joys, struggles, and fears with him, but, unlike our Biblical friends, we must learn to trust him, no matter his answer."
- Lesli Vipond, St. James Young Adults

"A door can be viewed as a barrier or an opportunity. How often do we close doors to people and opportunities that need us, or truly open our doors to the lonely and marginalized? Do we find ourselves on the outside, too fearful or insecure to knock? To knock, ask for help, or ask for acceptance takes courage. It’s an overcoming of fear that requires faith in the person behind the door. Jesus assured us that the door will be opened to us if we knock. But we must knock. We must seek in order to find, and we must ask in order to receive. May we learn to recognize the people knocking on our doors, especially when the knocking comes from a place of vulnerability. May we have courage and faith to knock on the doors in our lives, and the faith to knock on the door of Jesus."
- Gemma Wilson, St. James Choir

"We all have the capacity for chaos, hostility, and evil within us. It can be easy for evil to overtake us. How do we control our anger instead? During the season of Lent, we need to remember Jesus telling us that all people are our brothers and sisters. We need to make forgiveness and reconciliation more important than anything else. If we don’t, Jesus says there will be a price to pay.”
- Dorian Abbot, St. James Meals Ministry

"In a world filled with hate, it is challenging to convince ourselves to ‘love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’ We need a daily reminder of this when life throws hatred at us. People use hate to devalue others and take control. It is one of the most destructive, demoralizing traits of human nature and takes on a social status in communities throughout the world. Jesus asks us to go beyond our feeling of hate towards those we assume have done wrong and treat them with an open heart. We look to our faith to give us strength to be more accepting of others and become more humble people. Negative feelings towards others only amplify more negative feelings; they don’t resolve or help show others the love of Christ. When we struggle to show compassion and love towards others who display profound hatred, we can ask God to change their hearts and minds to understand the needs of others. It is only through forgiveness that we can be at peace with the hate we feel inside."
- Jane Marienau, St. James Parishioner

"We read today the verses where Jesus instructs us in what is often called the Golden Rule: do not do to others what you would not have them do to you. This is, of course, a teaching that some of us have heard often since childhood. However, in reading the passage anew today, I am struck by something new, namely, how radical Jesus’ call is, but, at the same time, what he tells us about himself and our relationship to him. I have tended to think of the Golden Rule as a standard of behavior that we try to achieve willfully through our own action. But what Jesus asks us to do appears so radical—almost beyond ourselves—that I cannot imagine any longer trying to practice that kind of love without seeking his help. In this sense, Jesus extends to us the love he asks us to extend to others."
- Arthur Clement, St. James Verger and Young Adult Member

"There are times in the Gospels when Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees in which I feel like Jesus is speaking directly to me. As someone who preaches, I desperately hope that my sermons are a supportive guide on people's faith journeys. I also know my imperfections and would prefer for others to not emulate them, yet people watch. As Christians, the people in our lives watch the way we live: the decisions we make, the way we treat others, the votes we cast, the love, or lack thereof, that we share with the world. Do we live our lives like Jesus? Do we simply talk the talk or are we also trying to humble ourselves and walk the walk that leads to the cross of Jesus Christ?"
- The Rev. Anna Broadbent, Curate

"We should have sympathy for Salome, the mother of James and John. Like every good mother, she wanted a preference for her children. But Jesus warned her: be careful of what you ask for. Before great rewards in the heavenly kingdom, there is service to others, terrible trial, danger, and even death. We should also remember Jesus’ advice to the wife of Zebedee - when we pray, we should not ask for foolish things. In the 1960s, singer-songwriter Janis Joplin sang, 'O Lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz.' It is better that we should ask for our daily bread."
- Bob Wertz, St. James Usher & Reader

"In the gospel of Luke, Jesus began his ministry by announcing 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' (Luke 4:17-19) Luke illustrates multiple times throughout his gospel writings that the poor are central to Jesus' message and ministry. Jesus warns his followers against showing favoritism and encourages them to not only show mercy to the poor, but also to invite them in. The gospel has always been for the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. The gospel is where the hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, and the poor are given the seat of honor. As followers of Christ, how do our lives reflect this aspect of the gospel?"
- Elena Buis, Summer in the City Volunteer & Parishioner

"Today’s gospel reading is Matthew's version of Jesus’ story known as the Parable of the Bad Tenants. This is one of a series of Jesus’ sermons where his punchline flips the story into a scathing rebuke of the religious elites listening from the crowd, which eventually leads to his arrest and execution. Even during Lent when I’m supposed to be open to self reflection, I find it too easy to skim these stories just deep enough to catch the harsh judgments on someone else, on those self-righteous religious hypocrites. I have no trouble closing the book without myself considering whether Jesus’ words might also be directed at me. But the priests who heard the parable were furious, because they understood that Jesus was talking about them. So could I also be like a tenant entrusted with a valuable inheritance? Might I also be rejecting Jesus’ challenging teachings? Do I live my life as if I’m aware of having received a great gift from God?"
- Clay Johnson, St. James Choir Member

"Sometimes, we lose track of our faith; our priorities and sense of direction in life become compromised. Like the prodigal son, Christ calls us to renew our commitment to God, and to each other. With God's grace, it is never too late, or too early, to come to terms with our own shortcomings. Other times, we are jealous of others who we see as less deserving than us. Rather than measure our sins against theirs, we are called to celebrate our brothers and sisters who return home to Christ. This Lent, may we turn our hearts to the Lord, conscious of our own shortcomings, and support our brothers and sisters who seek to do the same."
- Isaac Drewes, St. James Organ Scholar

"In this reading, Jesus stresses the importance of true forgiveness. As a Christian, it can be easy to say we’ve forgiven someone verbally, but as a human, it can be equally as easy to hold a grudge, to say 'I forgive you' but not truly mean it, or to let the person’s actions against us alter our relationship or the way we see them as people long after we’ve said the words. It takes a great amount of grace to truly forgive, but when we look to Jesus’ teaching and see God’s abundant mercy, even for imperfect people like us, it’s clear that true forgiveness is strongly linked to unconditional love. This season, may we get closer to true forgiveness, letting go of the past, and being generous with the people around us, who are as imperfect as we are. May we learn the value, action, and conviction behind true forgiveness of those who have wronged us, even after apologies we never got."
- Alexandra Kunath, St. James Staff & Choir Member

"What is Lent? Lent is a time to prepare to celebrate the greatest gifts we humans have ever received: the Easter gift of God’s love and forgiveness. In today’s Gospel reading, Mark tells of Jesus’ instruction to the crowds that he has come ‘not to abolish but to fulfill’; not to dispense of the teachings of the Old Testament, but to offer himself in fulfillment of that covenant. As Christians, we believe that Jesus taught us to view the Law through a new lens – that the Law is best understood as a Law of love: to love God, neighbor, and self. We are taught the real definition of love and forgiveness in Jesus dying for our sins and God sending his only son into the world for us. Jesus wants us to live in a community of that love, supporting one another in faith. To be in true community with one another, we must be able to forgive, following the example of Christ, who forgave the sins of all of us in order that we might live in community with him."
- The Colao Family, St. James Choir Members

"Although we are in physical isolation right now, we are not alone. God is always with us. This is a great time to reflect on our relationship with him and ask ourselves if we are following in the footsteps of Jesus: Are we always saying and doing what is pleasing to God?"
- Jilliann Smith, St. James Sunday School Parent & Parishioner