“Ascribe the Lord”
This week marks the beginning of another season of Lent. We are now in the 40 or so days leading up to Easter, the day of Jesus’ resurrection.
Lent always begins in the same fashion- Ash Wednesday. It is a day of reflection and repentance, symbolized by an ashen cross on our forehead. The words that are said as we receive the sign of the cross- “From God you have come and to God you will return.” As a people of faith we believe that all things begin with God.
Throughout all recorded history, in every place and time, humans have sought out connection to the divine. Humans have always wondered “Where did we come from?” “How did we get here?” I recently have been watching episodes of the National Geographic series “The Story of God.” It’s hosted and narrated by Morgan Freeman- who better right?
It has been fascinating and awe inspiring to learn how people over thousands of years have explained who God is and have created practices that bring them closer to God. One of the most important ways is by what name God is called. Naming is an important practice for us. We name our things, we name pets, we name our children. The name and its meaning give clarity to what makes a person or a thing special.
As people of faith, the name of God and the names we give to God hold deep and sacred meaning to us. In Exodus chapter 3 God reveals his name to be “I AM”. The names that have been ascribed to God over the ages capture who God has revealed himself to be.
God Almighty
I Am that I Am
Merciful
God who sees
The Creator
The Protector
Eternal One
The Everlasting
God is Peace
God will provide
We call out to the living God who is present all around us.
During the 40 days of Lent we study and reflect on the life and teachings of Jesus. This Lenten season we will reflect on the Lord’s Prayer- It’s familiar to us, we say it here every week; most of us learned it when we were very small. When Jesus was teaching the crowd about how they should pray, he begins with “Our Father who is in heaven, uphold the holiness of your name.” (from the common english)
Before Jesus says anything else, he identifies who he is praying to. This makes sense to us- when you pray or call out to someone, you have to have an identified person that your words are directed towards. It is easy to overlook the significance of the beginning. Jesus calls God father and affirms that God’s name is holy; because God is holy.
The name of God is sacred, it is divine, and the name belongs to a God who is unlike any other. We know and are known by a God that is unlike any other; The holiness of God has been passed down by those who have experienced his glory.God’s holiness hovered over the waters before creation. God’s holiness burned as a bush before Moses and revealed the name I AM. God’s holy power led the nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, and opened the sea before them. God’s holiness was in the gentle whisper that came to Elijah, after the wind and the earthquake passed. God’s holiness was revealed to the prophet Isaiah and called him to be a voice that called the people back to God. God’s holiness is present on that mountain, in the person of Jesus. The sacred holiness of God is the foundation of all that Jesus taught, because it is at the foundation of who Jesus was.
Jesus’ ministry is always drawing people back to the truth that it is God’s holiness that creates and holds and sustains all things. Lent is a time where we are reminded that God’s holiness calls for us to examine our hearts and turn from the things that distract us from living a life devoted to love for God.
At times we may feel like we need to suffer in order to fully repent. We may feel that we are too separated from God and must work extra hard to make up for our lack of devotion and obedience. But the truth that comes from God is that we are inherently loved and God’s presence surrounds us even in our failings. God created humankind in his image. Our lives, our souls, are set apart from the rest of creation. We are holy because we come from God. Our Lenten practice is meant to call us back to the truth about who and whose we are.
The Apostle Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth: “Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in you? If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person, because God’s temple is holy, which is what you are.”
During this season of Lent, I encourage you to pray and reflect on the Lord’s prayer. Look for God’s holy moments in the world around; pray for eyes to see holiness in your neighbor. Remember that our repentance is our realigning with who God already made us to be: a child that is sacred and loved. Our God is a God of grace and mercy; love and kindness; a teacher and a parent.
We know this because we know his name.
New Testament Lesson: Romans 10:9-13
Because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 6:7-9
“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Meditations For Your Week
Sunday, March 1 ~ Saturday, March 7, 2020
Sunday: “For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.” Romans 10:10. May the abundance of your heart flow through the words of your mouth in praise and confession of your Savior!
Monday: “The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” Romans 10:11. Give thanks to God in prayer for God’s faithfulness. God is faithful!
Tuesday: “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.” Romans 10:12. YHWH appears in the Old Testament 6,800 times and is linked with God’s redeeming acts. Pray for God’s redemption in creation.
Wednesday: “For, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13. Consider that the love and way of God is wide. Where is God calling you to offer grace and generosity to your brother and sister?
Thursday: “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. “Matthew 6:7. Pause to listen to God in prayer today.
Friday: “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6: 8. One of the names of God is YHWH Yireh, God will provide. Where has God provided for you? Where is God calling you to trust that God will provide?
Saturday: “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Matthew 6:9. God is holy, and you are made in the image of God. Rediscovering your holiness is the lifework of discipleship.