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Palm Sunday
In this week between Palm Sunday and Easter, we remember Jesus’ suffering for us, from the time he entered Jerusalem, through his crucifixion and burial. As we walk through this week, we’ll look at prophetic verses from Isaiah, written nearly 700 years before the crucifixion, as well as some of Jesus’ words recorded in the gospels. Let’s ponder these passages deeply, thinking about how they speak to us and our faith or lack thereof, and allow them to fill us with gratitude for all that Jesus has done for us. Monday: As [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had…
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Psalm 51
We’re nearing the end of Lent, so I thought this week would be a good time to meditate on and pray with Psalm 51, a prayer of confession and repentance. It is easy to go through our days asking God for what we need or want, thanking him for what he’s given us, and even praising him for the beauty of creation and for his greatness, without stopping to look at ourselves and how we have offended God. Lent is a time for examining our hearts and souls and seeking reconciliation with God, as we recognize and turn from our sin. That might seem a gloomy thought, but when we…
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Psalm 1
I like to start my days by reading and praying with the psalms and Psalm 1 is a favorite starting point for me. The book of Psalms, which was the prayer book of the Israelites and the prayer book Jesus prayed, doesn’t start with praise or prayer. It starts in Psalm 1 with preparation and posture…the posture of our heart. Here is how Eugene Peterson said it, “Psalm 1 is not a prayer, exactly, but the preface to a prayer. We do not begin by praying but by coming to attention. Psalm 1 is the biblical preparation for a life of prayer. Step by step it detaches us from activities…