Daily Bread February 27

Wilderness Places
Katie Harmon-McLaughlin of Independence, MO, USA


For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. -Psalm 33:4-5

During Lent, we will share a story to dwell on throughout the week with questions for reflection. This slow, repeated practice of sacred reading and reflection is an invitation to simplicity and deepening during the Lenten season.

Throughout scripture, some of the most important, transformational moments for our spiritual ancestors happened in wilderness places. The wilderness was a place people were driven to enter in exile, transition, and discernment. Ours seems to be a wilderness time. Many are observing that what once felt reliable, comfortable, familiar has slipped out of our grasp, and we can’t find a way to return to what we knew before. We are wandering in an unfamiliar landscape that at first gaze seems inhospitable. Like the Israelites, we cry out for sustenance in a strange land.

Each year that the season of Lent arrives, it seems to be an exact description of a prolonged condition experienced by many individuals and communities of faith. In his 2017 Address, President Veazey described this strange new landscape we find ourselves in, “The word of calling, hope, and possibility emerges from the reality that great change is happening in the world. And the rate of change is accelerating. This change includes how people view God, culture, finances, technology, politics, and religious institutions.”

Lenten Reflection Questions:

  1. How do the stories of our biblical ancestors speak to us about the conditions in which we find ourselves now?
  2. How have you experienced great change in the church, the world, and your own life? How does this season of change impact how we enter the Lenten season?

Prayer Phrase

I surrender into your love, O God.

Lenten Spiritual Practices

Moving Toward the Peaceful One

As Jesus was nearing the final days of his life, he wept over the city and proclaimed, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace” (Luke 19:41-42).What are the things that make for peace in our lives, communities, and around the world? During the Lenten season, spend time in silent refection or journaling each day to notice: Am I moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One? Pay attention to your attitudes, actions, and relationships this day. When did you most embody the peaceful One in your daily living? When were your thoughts or actions contrary to the peace of Jesus Christ? How might Jesus, the peaceful One, who is always near to you, be inviting you to draw nearer to him through your daily living?

Fasting and Giving-$40 in 40 Days

A Lenten fast gives us an opportunity to make space in our lives so that God can live in and through us.  It’s a time to evaluate what we hunger for most and what we consume. This year, we’ve been invited to tithe as a spiritual practice by setting aside $40 during the 40 days of Lent. If you are participating, pay attention today to the dollar you have given. What might you have done with that dollar otherwise? How does Lenten generosity invite you to reflect on what is “enough” in your life? Who might you invite to join you in this practice? How might your gift be magnified by the many others responding to the same call?

You can make your $40 offering anytime during the Lenten season online or through your offering envelope for Worldwide Mission Tithes.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

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