Lectionary Scriptures and Comments

Archive for March 5, 2012

Aside

Weight Loss Plan 030512

 

This blog comes to you from the people at Peace Mennonite Church of Columbia, MO

Psalm 27

www.peacemennonitechurch.net

 

Weight Loss Plan 030512

Almost all westerners need to lose some weight, and Lent is a good time to do it.

But I’m not talking about reducing the size of meals, or eating more or less of this or that. Instead, I’m talking about reducing or eliminating the 20 pounds of ugly fat we all might carry around—the extra weight we carry in our conscience because of unresolved memories, the work we do that does not benefit anyone, and the futile situations we may find ourselves in. Life is a great deal simpler and more peaceful, and there is more time for Jesus if this extra weight is dropped.

So, Lent can be a time of simplifying our lives. Getting back to a simpler, quieter and more holy life.

In 2 Corinthians 1, Paul is avoiding Corinth, to avoid contact with someone who may have caused pain, but Paul avoids him and asks forgiveness at the same time. This doesn’t have much to do with today’s blog post, except maybe this is also part of the task of Lent. To forgive those who have caused us pain, and to leave them behind and not visit again.

Pray for us all in Lent, as we seek the Kingdom of God. Pray for peace.

Bill

Peace Mennonite Church keeps a prayer list for those in need. If you need prayer, or want to e-mail our pastor, e-mail billd @ peacemennonitechurch.net (Take out the extra spaces to use this e-mail—the spaces confuse spam generators).

Pray with us!

We are praying as a church, and attempting to follow the centuries’ old tradition of praying with other Christians three times a day. We are following the prayer liturgy at www.commonprayer.net

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Psalm 45:6-17

Hosea 3:1-5

2 Corinthians 1:23—2:11

 

Psalm 45:6-17

6Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity;

7you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

8your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;

9daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

10Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your people and your father’s house,

11and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him;

12the people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people

13with all kinds of wealth. The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes;

14in many-colored robes she is led to the king; behind her the virgins, her companions, follow.

15With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.

16In the place of ancestors you, O king, shall have sons; you will make them princes in all the earth.

17I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever.

Hosea 3:1-5

3The Lord said to me again, “Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” 2So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley and a measure of wine. 3And I said to her, “You must remain as mine for many days; you shall not play the whore, you shall not have intercourse with a man, nor I with you.” 4For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5Afterward the Israelites shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; they shall come in awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.

2 Corinthians 1:23—2:11

23But I call on God as witness against me: it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. 24I do not mean to imply that we lord it over your faith; rather, we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand firm in the faith.

2So I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. 2For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? 3And I wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice; for I am confident about all of you, that my joy would be the joy of all of you. 4For I wrote you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

5But if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but to some extent—not to exaggerate it—to all of you. 6This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person; 7so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9I wrote for this reason: to test you and to know whether you are obedient in everything. 10Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ. 11And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

 

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on March 5, 2012