The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. Then Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform. The rock formations of the Badlands stand clear and distinct from the sky. Their cliffs are sharp and dangerous. The vegetation is sparse and water is hard to find. This is the wilderness - not a place we want to visit. That is what I thought until we took our last road trip to the Dakotas. Surprisingly, while the land was harsh I found beauty there. I also found quietness and time to think. In the scriptures the wilderness many times is a place of clarity, a place of finding a sense of mission and purpose.
Sometimes people found themselves in the wilderness not of their own doing; but other times we read God led people into the wilderness. Such is the story of Aaron and Moses. Moses had meet God in the wilderness and was on his way to fulfill the mission God set for him there. Now God was sending Aaron to meet his bother Moses in the wilderness to find the mission that God had for them. During this season of Lent I want to explore what it means to be in the wilderness. My posts during this season will include scripture about being in the wilderness and images of the wilderness I found in the Dakotas. I pray these images and scripture will help us see the beauty and clarity that can only be found in the wilderness. What does being in the wilderness mean to you? Prayer Lord God of the Wilderness Clarify our vision of you and the purpose you have for us this day. Amen
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View the post for February 17 for an explanation of my Lenten Project As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. While the crowd of disciples joyfully sang praises, blessings, and hosannas as they entered Jerusalem, Jesus wept. He saw the storm that was coming. He grieved for those who had closed their eyes to him. He knew that even his disciples would all abandon him for a time before they would understand who he was. He grieved for the world lost in sin. We also need to grieve for the world. For only when we truly grieve like Jesus did we will have the courage to share the story of Jesus to those who need to know the way through their storm to the light of dawn.
Prayer Jesus Give us eyes to grieve as you did that day and the compassion to share your love with those who don’t know you. May our lives and our words show them the way through the storm to your peace. Amen View the post for February 17 for an explanation of my Lenten Project As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. While we were camping last week at the lake, I got up early and headed down to the shore. The fog and clouds hid the sun and everything was quiet. The summer crowds are yet to come and there weren’t even any fishermen. It was a time to just sit and be in God’s world and pray and think.
As I sat on the hill overlooking the shore I thought about the stories of Jesus that took place on the Sea of Galilee. I imagine that he spent lots of time walking along the shore alone in the early morning hours. We know that he did this at least once on the day he called his first disciples. They were by the water, too, going about their daily business. Take time today as you go about your daily tasks and imagine a walk along a shore. Listen for Jesus to call to you, “Come, follow me.” Walk with him this day. Prayer Lord Jesus Walk with us today and open our hearts to hear your call. Give us the courage to share your love with all we meet this day. Amen View the post for February 17 for an explanation of my Lenten Project On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. Sometimes when I think of living water I picture a quiet mountain stream. But when I read this passage again a new image came to mind - an image of this most unusual waterfall that just appears to come out of the rocks. Running Eagle falls actually comes from a stream created by runoff from Two Medicine Lake. When the stream reaches a sinkhole it bursts through the rocks above and creates this powerful waterfall.
Jesus promises us that when we follow him rivers of living water will flow from within us like the water that flows through the rocks to create Running Eagle Falls. This living water will not only wash us clean but it will give us the power of water to transform, the power to hope, the power to keep going through the wilderness, the power to love our enemies, and the power to share the Living Water with others. Prayer Lord Jesus Cleanse our hearts and let the rivers of living water transform us and flow through us to all that are thirsty. Amen View the post for February 17 for an explanation of my Lenten Project These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. I remember the evening I took this picture. We had traveled all day on scenic highways in Vermont and made it to our hotel on Hero Island in Lake Champlain shortly before sunset. After asking the innkeeper where to watch the sunset, we headed to the Hero Island Dock. We watched from the quiet beach and stayed as twilight fell across the lake.
As the book of Deuteronomy begins the old generation has given way to the new generation that now stands ready to cross the Jordan. The wilderness is behind them and the promised land lay ahead. So Moses remembers and speaks. He reminds the people of the times they rebelled and complained and the times that God forgave them and yet still led and protected them on their way. He tells them that there will be times when they will rebel again but as God as done throughout their wilderness journey he will forgive them again. They only need to call on him. When I look at this picture I remember all the hardships and mistakes we made on the trip as well as all the beauty we saw. We need to remember. Lent is a time of remembering - remembering our own wilderness of sin. For only when we remember the wilderness can we know the beauty of God’s forgiveness. Prayer Dear Father Remind us not only of our sin but also of your forgiveness and presence in our lives. Use our memories to teach us your wisdom. Amen View the post for February 17 for an explanation of my Lenten Project When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. The crowds were gone from the park. The starkness of the cloudy day brought a kind of sadness. The tide was low and the blue skies and crashing waves we came to see were not to be seen. In the distance was the light house, so far away and so small. Yet there it was on the point, doing its job to guide the boats safely into the cove and home. I still took the picture even though it was not the image that I had come to take.
So many of us are experiencing stark and lonely days. We wonder if we will ever feel safe again; if we will ever see blue skies; if God is still there. God doesn’t promise that there will always be clear, blue sky days. Instead He promises to be the lighthouse that guides us through stark days and safely home to him. His promises are true. If we keep our eyes on him we will see His beauty even in lonely places. Prayer Lord God, Even on our cloudiest days be the light that shines through the clouds. Help us to see your beauty even on days without clear, blue skies and to trust you to guide us safely home. Amen View the post for February 17 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Diana’s Baths are a series of cascades in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Most of the summer and fall they are very shallow and offer a safe place for all to enjoy the water. You can sit on a rock and let the water gently roll over your feet.
As we need safe places to enjoy mountain streams we also need safe places to reflect on our lives. Admitting our sins and failures isn’t an easy thing to do. Jesus is that safe place. When we confess our sins to him we are sprinkled clean. We know his cleansing is safe - he doesn’t condemn us. Instead Jesus looks at us through his eyes of love. Through his sacrifice we are washed cleaned. Prayer Lord Jesus We draw near to you this day, our safe place, knowing that you have opened up for us a new and living way. Show us our sin and sprinkle our hearts clean. Amen The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: When John the Baptist preached in the wilderness he was the messenger preparing the way of the Lord. He was calling people to get ready for the one to come. He called people to be baptized, to wash. In the Old Testament books of Leviticus and Numbers you find many references to washing as a way of preparing to meet with God. Lent is a time for us to spend some time in water, too - a time of repentance, of cleansing from sin and freedom from shame.
We need water to survive but it also can clean, heal, and transform. Practicing Lent is something that I have only begun in recent years. This year, like last year, I decided to create a Lenten project for the blog. My posts during this season will include scripture about and images of water and its ability to clean and transform. I pray these images and scriptures will help us become aware again of the sin that separates us from God and the cost that Jesus paid to reunite us. Prayer Lord God, Cleanse us with the water of life that flows from Jesus as we prepare for our hearts for you. Amen This year I wanted to find a way to observe Lent in a way that would help me walk with Jesus in a deeper way. During the month before Ash Wednesday, while I was recovering from hip replacement surgery, I had lots of extra time to read and study. One of the resources that I found during this time was a video by the Bible Project, “The Tree of Life.” I can’t explain the impact that the video had on my relationship with Jesus. As a result I decided to begin this project on my blog. This was going to be my special way to observe Lent. So on the day after Ash Wednesday, February 27, I began the project. I didn’t really have a plan or any idea how the project would work, just a desire to share what God was teaching me about him through trees. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. Today I will end my Lenten Project in a world that is very different from the world of Ash Wednesday. In a world suffering under the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, we face difficult days ahead. Our daily lives barely resemble our lives of a month ago. The virus has taught us that self-sufficiency is a false God and that we are our brother's keeper. We are searching for someone to trust. We have a God who can be trusted. We also have a God who suffered for us, who faced the darkest of days. In the week ahead we will look again at the last days of Jesus. We will see the most important tree story in God’s word. We will see Jesus riding on a donkey with people throwing tree branches to welcome him to the Temple. He knew it was now time that he would become the new Temple. He spent the last Passover with his disciples seeing the tree that was ahead. They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:13-19, NIV We will see Jesus betrayed and abandoned and alone. We will see him carry his cross and die on a tree, the most important tree in the Bible. Because Jesus died on this tree we have a new life. We have hope. We have a loving God to trust even in our darkest days. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” One of the traditions of my church is to take the tree that we covered with the shroud of death on Maundy Thursday and on Easter Sunday cover it with flowers that everyone brings from their yard. As our symbol of the cross transforms from a symbol of death to a symbol of life so Jesus transforms our lives. This year we will have to postpone our Easter celebration, but we will still celebrate new life together when we have walked through these dark days and can meet again. May this upcoming Holy Week and Easter be a special time for you to experience the suffering of Jesus, to rest in his love, and to trust him to walk with you in the days ahead. Prayer
Lord Jesus Comfort us, strengthen us. Thank you for your great sacrifice of love. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. The picnic tables sit along the bike path by the lake under the shade trees. It provides a perfect place to rest after riding around the lake. We all need a place and time to rest. We learn from the Genesis story and other scriptures that God made us this way. When we rest we set aside time to be with him, to worship him. I encourage you to find a place to rest and worship God in his creation, this day even if it is only on your porch or doorstep.
Prayer Father God Thank you for making Sabbath for us. We rest in your loving kindness and mercy. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Recently I learned that the root systems of aspen trees are different from the root systems of other trees. Each aspen tree in a grove of aspens is a shoot from a single root ball with their roots connected and intertwined - each tree coming from one single source. When Jesus prayed with his disciples on the night he was betrayed he not only prayed for them but also for us, his disciples who would come in the future. He prayed that his disciples would have a kind of unity like that of an aspen grove. He prayed that our roots would be intertwined like his were with Father God. He knew that we would need each other to walk through this life. He knew we would only find the source for life and strength in him as he found his strength in Father God. He prayed for complete unity made possible by God’s love. Dear friends may we seek to be intertwined with each other like the aspen trees, many shoots with one source, our Father God.
Prayer Lord Jesus Intertwine our hearts. Show us how we can love each other as Christ loves us and let our unity lead others to you. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Today I saw something that I have missed before in these familiar words of Jesus. On the night that he was betrayed, the night he would face his greatest temptation, the night before his crucifixion, he gave thanks.
He gave thanks. Because Jesus gave thanks in his darkest hour we have a hope that allows us to give thanks in the dark days we face now. Today I give thanks for the simple beauty of the blossoms on my cherry tree. What will you give thanks for this day? Prayer Jesus, Our Lord We bow our heads in gratitude today for your great love that gives us hope. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. You can still see the tree in the picture of the night sky. It doesn’t go away when the sun goes down. The interesting thing is that if you sit long enough in the night and watch it get dark you will see wonderful things. You have to wait and waiting isn’t easy but there is reward. Our lives can be like this and for many of us it is right now. We see the dark coming. We are crying out in the depths, whether those depths are the cause of something beyond our control or our sin. We have an assurance that our loving God is still there even in our darkest night. In him we find forgiveness. We can put our hope in the Lord and wait - for hope is an intensive form of waiting. While we wait we can serve him and he will show us how.
Prayer Lord God, We cry out for you in the darkness. We put our hope in you and wait. Show us one way we can serve you this day. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “In many ways are trees are like Jesus. They give, and they keep giving. They give life and beauty. They give shade and rest. They make and clean the air. They hold back erosion. They offer shelter, food, and projection.”
From Reforesting Faith by Matthew Sleeth Ask yourself this question when you see a tree today - How can I give beauty and shade and rest to those around me? Prayer Lord Jesus, Giver of Life Make us like trees that give beauty and shade and rest to all those we meet today. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; I wonder how many springs the buds have appeared on those beautiful branches. I wonder if the person that made the fence also planted the tree. We do not know who planted the tree or made the fence but we do enjoy its beauty each season. In the same way we do not always know who will benefit from the work we do. Ask for the Lord’s favor and his strength to work on what the Lord has given you this day. It may not be the job that you thought would be doing today, but if the Lord establishes it then your work will accomplish his purpose.
Prayer Lord God Strengthen our hearts and show us the work you have for us today. Establish the work of our hands. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. While the tree’s branches are still bare the daffodils herald the coming of spring. They remind us that winter will soon be past and the summer is coming. As we look at the difficulties facing our world right now we can look to our God who brings the joy of a field of daffodils on a clear, spring day to our hearts. Remember God’s love and care. Sit in quietness in his presence, see his beauty, and find in his unfailing love a calmness and peace that will replace all anxiety.
Prayer Lord God Calm our fears. Help us to remember your love and bring joy into our lives this day. Help us become a calming force for those around us. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Ancient words to comfort and encourage with my special tree in the cove.
Since we hear Jesus speak the first verse of Psalm 22 from the cross, I wonder if, in his agony, he quoted these two Psalms to himself as he hung there. Prayer Lord God, Shepherd of My Soul Calm our hearts as we follow the paths you set before us this day. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! The Psalmist begins this Psalm calling other people to join him in worshiping the Lord, the God of Creation. Today, even though the day maybe both physically and emotionally cloudy, worship the God who not only created the trees and the mountains and the skies but the God who made us and makes us his people. Like the grass and trees who brim with new life in the spring, God brings new life to us through Jesus Christ. Spend time today in God’s creation and be amazed by its range from a sky filled with dark clouds to a clear, blue sky with white fluffy clouds, from the smallest blade of grass to the biggest tree, from the deepest ocean to the highest mountain.
Prayer Lord God Creator We bow and worship you this day. Thank you for the beautiful world you have created and for making us your people, the sheep of your pasture. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Standing out with its beautiful fall colors was this little tree growing between the rocks along the seashore of this sheltered cove. It can’t have been an easy place to grow with the salt water crashing on the rocks below and the tall evergreens that surround it. Yet it has endured and now it shares its beauty with all who drive by. You can’t help but notice it.
Paul wrote to the Romans to encourage them to stand and endure the hardships that they faced. He reminded them that because God’s love had been poured into their hearts their suffering would not be wasted. From their suffering would come endurance, from endurance character and from character would come hope. It wouldn’t be a surface hope easily worn away, but a deep hope based on dependence on Jesus. Today we face difficult times in our world. Only when we trust God to carry us through those times will our suffering produce endurance, endurance character, and character hope. It is this hope that runs deep in our lives that we can share with a fearful and hurting world. Prayer Lord Jesus Give us strength to endure the days ahead and show us ways to help those around us who are struggling in difficult times. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; The branches of this strong, old, oak tree spread out and provide protection for the birds who nest here and the animals that take shelter under its branches in summer storms. We have a God who is our protector. He doesn’t promise that the storms won’t come, only that he will bear us through them under his loving care. We only need to accept his care and and trust his authority.
Prayer Lord Our Maker We bow before you grateful for your care. Teach us to rest under your loving arms. Amen |
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Soli Deo Gloria,
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan