Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado is fascinating to visit. It is a fairly large community of buildings made from six to ten hundred years ago by a people who did not have so much as a wheel of any kind. They built their structures of local stone carved by the use of another stone into the shape of bricks. The buildings are a beautiful warm, pale gold/rose color. They look very inviting, as if their owners might have just left, instead of having left hundreds of years ago. The buildings are intriguing , but even more so are the people who once lived here without metal or any form of beast of burden. No one knows for sure why this large community was abandoned, but it is speculated that hunger drove the inhabitants to leave.

While I was on the mesa, eight thousand feet high, I tried more than once to pray, until I was reminded of a scripture in the book of Luke: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5) I knew that I had come there to discover something deep in human nature and the human spirit. I wasn’t really conscious at first that I was looking for anything; but at Luke’s words I knew that I had been looking for evidence of a God—consciousness in the remains that were left of a whole community. I was mistaken. As God told Moses, and as Jesus quoted Him, “’ I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Mark 12:27)

During Lent we are moving closer every day to Resurrection day, with time to remember and even experience the risen Christ. It’s a time of reflection in preparation for a great renewal, when the veil has been shifted, and even torn away for us to receive the message of a new life. Lent is forty days designated by the churches to prepare our minds and spirits first for Holy Week, and then for Easter itself, when everything that was incongruous and wrong and even evil in the crucifixion has a new light that shines from the tomb into our lives at the words, “He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. (Matthew 28:6)

Lent is a time of reflection, but underneath is an irresistible joy, for we can only pretend that we are sad, for the truth of the resurrection of Christ is undeniable and rests at the foundation of our faith. We cannot deny the evil that exists today in our world, and in our own spirits, but even greater is the depth to which Jesus reached in dying as he did, and the height to which he reached and took us with him in his resurrection. I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die. (John 11:25) Mesa Verde is a fascinating place to visit, but the Word of God delivers life.

Love in Him,

Prue

When we bought our house over eleven years ago, it had a beautiful ornamental pear tree in the front yard. For most of those years we enjoyed the tree mightily, until about four years ago in a storm it cracked and had to be cut the rest of the way down. I grieved for the tree, and so last summer we had two “Autumn Blaze” maple saplings planted, one on each side of the front walk. We’ve been monitoring their health, and hoping for bright red leaves in the fall. John, the man who sold us the trees, insisted that everything depended on the roots taking hold, and so we faithfully watered both trees until they almost drowned. Their leaves turned brown and fell off. John told us that the roots could manage and support healthy trees on less than half of the water we were giving them. I was disappointed, but we examined the branches and the bark and found both trees alive. Now we are waiting for new leaves to appear. It’s impossible to see the roots, but they are the decisive factor in the health and even survival of the trees.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7) To be “rooted in Christ” is one of the strongest themes in the letters of St. Paul. In all his travels and all his trials he urges his converts to remain rooted. It’s through the roots that the trees receive their nourishment and strength. Good soil makes It possiblefor small saplings to reach great heights. Paul encourages his readers to hold fast and dig deeply to keep a foundation for their faith that will withstand and weather the turmoils of everyone’s life.

“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him: if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 11-13)

During Lent we can strengthen our roots in Christ by reading the Bible more frequently than ever,and making a habit of finding a quiet time to be alone with him in prayer. This is where real rest and inspiration occur , where our roots are nourished and our lives strengthened. Jesus himself, when pressed hard in the wilderness, drew upon his time spent with scripture to repel his enemy. Being rooted in Scripture brought him victory over evil. Rootedness in him can bring us victory, too.

Love in Him,

Prue

When they brought my new-born brother home from the hospital, my parents lived in an upstairs apartment in a small New York State town. The baby, Burr, was their first born. One day soon after bringing him home, Mildred, my mother, put him down in his crib after feeding him, softly closed the door, and went into the kitchen to do the lunch dishes. She remembered that she needed something from the grocery for dinner. Mildred got her sweater and purse, and headed down the stairs. It wasn’t until she reached for the front door knob that she remembered Burr asleep upstairs. She actually hesitated, then turned and ran back up to their apartment. When she told me this incident years later, my mother said, “That was when I knew that my life had changed forever.” Four more babies later, she had never repeated this event.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) The “new creature” in my mother was motherhood itself. It was a new relationship that would shove aside old habits and ways of spending time. It would produce a love she hadn’t experienced in this way before. It would change her focus and give her new purposes, and even new friends as she met other mothers of infants. It would indeed be a “new” life for her.

St. Paul is probably the most often read of the apostles for his remark about the new life in Christ, but Jesus himself spoke to Nicodemus about it when he said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’. ( John 3:5 &7)

For a Christian, new birth implies a new relationship with someone familiar in name, but still unknown until the “new birth.” God promises this relationship with us: I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. . .and I will be your Father, and you shall be my sons and daughters.”(2Corinthians 6:18, Leviticus 26:12) All mothers experience the taste of a change in their physical lives; God gave us Jesus so that men and women alike could find new birth in Him. During this Lenten season, it’s good to rediscover the words in God’s Book.

Love in Him,

Prue

Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar . Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.” Moses then took the blood and sprinkled it on the people. . . Moses and Aaron and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel and they ate and drank. ( Exodus 24:6-11)

Ancient as these words and events are, they are the beginning of a covenant between God and the entire people of Israel. God had earlier covenanted with Abraham, but this is with the whole nation fathered by Abraham. In both covenants blood was shed. In this one the blood of bulls was sprinkled on the whole nation, including Aaron and the seventy leaders of the people. The sprinkled blood of of animals sacrificed as “fellowship” offerings to God, was sufficient to allow these men to enter the presence of God and eat and drink. The ritual sprinkling of the blood of animals on the altar and on the garments of priests would continue for centuries in Israel. It’s significance is simply that blood represented the very life of the animal (Deuteronomy 12:23), and God is the God and creator of life. It is a powerful bond, one that has lasted for millennia, transformed by Jesus into the ceremony that became the Communion in the Christian churches.

St. Paul wrote in Corinthians 6:10-20, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God? You are not your own. You were bought at a price.” The “price” is the blood spilled by God’s son on the cross. It is the prelude to Easter when the Holy Spirit was given to Jesus to give to whom he chooses. It’s a new covenant and a new way of life.

During Lent we can trace the gift in scripture and acknowledge it in our daily routines. We can pray to have more insight and understanding of God in our lives, acknowledging the mystery of Christ’s resurrection, and experience the fellowship of others who seek Jesus’ presence in their lives. On Maundy Thursday we return to the altar in communion, and recognize the gift of God in the bread and the wine. He has given us many ways to know Him. Lent is a good time to recognize the blood .

Love in Him,

Prue

For Lent one year a pharmacy in a small southern U.S. Town, advertised a drawing for a rabbit. Sarah, a friend of mine , was a young girl at the time. She and her sister saw the ad and went into the store. They were too young to enter the drawing, so they filled out a card using their father’s name and phone number. The girls were elated to have done this, but they never mentioned it to their father. On the Saturday before Easter he received a call from the pharmacy informing him that his name had been drawn, and he had won the lovely rabbit. He could hardly grasp what the caller was saying, but he called Sarah and she confessed to putting his name on the card for the drawing. Her father was annoyed , but he drove the girls back to the pharmacy to collect his “prize.” At the store a clerk told them that the rabbit was in the back room, to which he soon went to get it for them. He emerged carrying a very large rabbit. . . made of chocolate. All three of the family were amazed, the girls perhaps slightly disappointed, and their father utterly delighted.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Proverbs 16:9) From the time that God first engaged Abraham in conversation, and even before, there has been on earth an alternative to human plans that is the priceless dialogue between God and humans. At that intersection, when human spirits are open and in prayer, the futility of human planning disappears and great things, like the Exodus itself, can and do happen. In 1784 Robert Burns wrote, “The best made plans of mice and men often go awry.” It has been true ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden. Solomon wrote, “In their hearts humans plant their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)In the season of Lent we have an opportunity to offer to God our “best made plans,” and all the things planted in our hearts that do not have the sign of Christ in or on them. It’s a time of surrender to the greatest love the world has ever or will ever know. Lent is a time of separation from our own selves and re-attachment to our divine Father and brother. It’s a season made joyful by the knowledge of Christ’s resurrection, letting us know unequivocally that though we die, yet we will live: “ I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11;25)

Sara and her sister had no real idea of what they were doing. Their father didn’t even bring a box to carry the “rabbit” home. No one thought of the consequences of his or her plans, but none of them forgot this Lenten rabbit. The Lord alone knows our ways.

Love in Him,

Prue

The people of Israel returned from exile to rebuild their ruined temple and made a start on the foundation when Ezra was asked to read to them the Old Testament laws given originally to Moses to give to the whole people of God. (Nehemiah 8:1-9) the words of the law were new to many in the crowd, since they had lived far from the holy land. The contrast between their lifestyles and the picture of life in the laws of God was startling and caused the crowd to feel a disconnect from their God. There was weeping and moaning and distress among the crowd. Then Nehemiah said, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

When I first read this I was surprised . I had always thought of “joy” as a byproduct of happy times, or the love of someone we love, but not a source or a manifestation of strength. What could possibly be “strong” about “joy”?

On Ash Wednesday we place literal ashes on our foreheads as a reminder of our own mortality. Like those early Hebrews, we may remember gaps in our relationship with God. We may experience grief for the missed or ignored opportunities to do His will, or ways in which we failed to respond to Him. The powerful message of Nehemiah is simply that having our minds on Him and seeking His will and ways is a strong connecting bond to Him, and a source of joy itself. That joy brings us the strength to draw even nearer to our God. On Ash Wednesday we remember the power and strength of the resurrection of Jesus, a strength that extends to us as well: I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”(Philippians 4:13) The strength of God is seen In Christ’s resurrection , and even hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, Nehemiah knew the strength that is in the presence of God in His people. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” The Psalmist wrote, “Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!” (Psalm 81:1-2)

Ash Wednesday speaks directly to our spirits. At the Last Supper Jesus spoke about his joy and ours: As the Father has loved me , so have I loved you. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ( John 15:9-11) The ashes we wear on Ash Wednesday are ashes of connection to our God. They are ashes of joy.

Love in Him,

Prue

In the story Silas Marner, written by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) in 1861,the main character is a young man engaged to be married, but who is unjustly accused of a crime he didn’t commit, and his accuser eventually married Silas’ fiancé. Silas was a linen weaver by trade, and so he traveled to a smaller town in England, bought a very simple house, and set up his loom to practice his trade. He lived a quiet reclusive life, but his work was so well done and timely delivered, that he had several customers. Some tried to befriend him without success. Silas worked every day at his loom and acquired a small bag of gold coins in savings, as he spent very little on himself. His sad existence was made sadder when he was robbed of that bag when he went out to deliver some of his work. He came home to find his meager belongings ransacked, and he became even more reclusive.

One snowy winter day when he returned home from gathering firewood, Silas saw something in a pile by the fireplace that shone in the light like gold, and his first thought was that somehow his savings had been returned to him. As he ran into the room he soon saw that the “gold” was the lovely curls on the head of a very little girl who was lying asleep by the fireplace. Silas followed the footprints of the child and found her mother, who had died in the snow, and he rushed back to notify the villagers of what had happened. Ultimately Silas was asked to care for the child until someone might claim her. Such a person never appeared, and Silas became the adoptive father to the child he named Hephzibah. and called “Eppie”.

The golden haired Eppie was more truly “gold “ to Silas than any bag of coins. A neighbor woman with children helped him raise Eppie, and the child bonded quickly with Silas. For the first time his house became a home, and his life was forever changed.

The wise men brought gold to the baby Jesus, and there was gold in the tabernacle as well as in Solomon’s temple. The gold displays the preciousness to God of communion between Himself and His people: “I will put my dwelling place among you. . . I will walk among you” (Leviticus 26;12)

Silas Marner’s gold coins were replaced with a living child who changed his life and gave it meaning. Our lives are changed when we come home to discover the limitless value of our living God in Jesus, the purest of pure gold.

Love in Him,

Prue

Before Jesus was born, before David was born, before there was a nation called Israel, there was a prophecy given to Jacob on his deathbed, a message to his sons: “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, your father’s sons will bow down to you. . . .The scepter will not depart from Judah nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” (Genesis 49:9&19)

Judah was the fourth son of Jacob, and not the favorite one. By the time of Jacob’s death, Judah had displayed few clues that he would be the father of kings and a leader of the nation that would come from his family, much less a leader of “nations.” Hundreds of years later another prophesy was spoken about kingship in Israel, long before there was a king of Israel. It was spoken by a prophet named Balaam, who had no reason to lie: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. . . a ruler will come out of Jacob.” ( Numbers 24:17&10) Balaam’s prophesy was less detailed that Jacob’s, but it was equally a vision of the future of Israel as a unified nation securely placed in the mind and heart of God. It would be centuries before David was born and anointed king, and then more centuries before the one “to whom it belongs” would be born in Bethlehem. The angel told that one’s mother, “You will conceive and bear a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever: his kingdom will never end” (Luke 2:31-33)

Soon we will enter the season that the churches call “lent”. It is forty days of contemplation about all these things that concern the Christ from very ancient times until this mornings’ breakfast. The forty days are set aside in preparation for glorious Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, carrying the message that the prophesies continue to be fulfilled in our time. Neither Jacob nor David, nor Balaam lived on earth to experience what we experience in reading the scriptures and finding the history of salvation open in its pages. St. Augustine of the fourth and fifth centuries wrote, “The New Testament is in the Old, concealed. The Old is in the New, revealed. Today we live in the never ending kingdom of “the one to whom it belongs”; Jesus, the son of God. We are not all descendants of Jacob, but we are received into the kingdom over which Jesus reigns, as brothers and sisters of the one to whom it belongs.

Love in Him,

Prue

As the Israelites coalesced around Moses and began their journey toward the Promised Land, God gave them the ten commandments and other decrees and laws and began to fill them with a vision of His intention for them that came from an even more ancient time than theirs. He began to picture for them His deepest motive for their Exodus: If you pay attention to these laws. . . then the Lord your God will keep His covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors. He will love you and bless you. . . He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land, the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. . . None of your men or women will be childless. . . The Lord will keep you free from any diseases. (Deuteronomy :7:12ff)

This partial inventory of blessings comes before a longer description of the curses awaiting God’s people if they fail to obey Him. The blessings also occur in the book of Leviticus, culminating in: I will walk among you, and be your God, and you will be my people. (Leviticus 26:11) In listing the many ways of blessing that God extends to His people, He reveals His sensitivity to the human heart: children, crops, freedom from disease, love, and the companionship of God Himself. We might think that God dangled these blessings in front of His people simply as bait to convince them to keep His covenant, but I believe that these lists of blessings come from deep inside our God, and share with us God’s very purpose for creation. Far from being a futile dream that cannot be realized, these blessings are behind God’s work in our lives, and His real intention for all His people.

God certainly knew that His first generations would not fulfill the vision that He put before them, but He doesn’t hesitate to reveal it anyway. His reasons are limitless, but in part,at least, He is planting a glimpse of what He really shares with humanity: the love, peace, joy, and fruitfulness of life.

Jesus spoke about fruitfulness: Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop, some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown. (Mark 4:20) God doesn’t dangle His blessings before us to get us to keep faith with Him, Instead, God reveals His personal desire for each of us. In sending His son, He put in motion the reality of goodness and salvation that would bridge the gap between Himself and His people. God’s vision for His people is still available in His book. It has never died.

Love in Him,

Prue

Martha hesitated when Jesus told her to move the stone from Lazarus’ grave. Jesus said to her: “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”(John 11:40-41)

This is a picture of Jesus ‘ ministry on earth, and an actual bridge between us and our God. It is also a model for us of ways of praying to God, as Jesus begins with a thanksgiving for the benefit of those standing nearby and listening. This prayer is like a lesson in prayer at an emotionally charged moment. Jesus is teaching bystanders as well as all of us, who he is, and how to pray by starting with thanksgiving. It’s a prayer that serves as a direct message to our hearts of how to pray, and ranks along with Jesus’ teaching the disciples the “Lord’s Prayer,” and his “Gethsemane” prayer. In these prayers we have a blueprint of the way to approach God. We are witnessing the model for prayers of petition, probably our most frequent type of prayers. We express our belief and trust in Him, and gratitude for the opportunity to come before Him.

All this the people witnessed, not even imagining that the words would be fulfilled with what happened next: Jesus called out in a loud voice, “ Lazarus come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped in strips of linen. . . (John 11:43-44)

Jesus meant to restore Lazarus to life, but he also meant to restore all of us to believe and to pray with thanksgiving. He thanked God even before God responded with the healing. It was, as Jesus said to Martha, “If you believe, you will see the glory of God.” She could not have imagined the depth, the width, the strength and the reality of what would fill her heart when she saw her brother alive. Mary and Martha were both believers, and this was an indescribable confirmation of their faith. It was God’s glory in the center of their lives. It was life itself from death.

Jesus waited to arrive until after Lazarus’ death. His Father God knew that this moment would reverberate through all of history in the lives of many generations. Jesus did this for all those generations, including ours. He did this to show us who he is, and to teach us to pray as Jesus prays.

Love in Him,

Prue