SATURDAY, MARCH 6

1 Chronicles 17:16  Who am I, O Lord God and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

“Let me ask you something.  If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience?  Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient?  If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?  If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”
(Character of God in “Evan Almighty”)

Opportunities.  For the past year, I have been searching for them everywhere…and until I started praying about it, the search lead to stress upon more stress.  What opportunities were I missing?  What hadn’t I done right?  If only, if only…

When I heard the lines above in the movie “Evan Almighty,” my mindset began to change.  As I prayed, I began to ask God to open my eyes to possibilities.  Instead of praying point-blank for things like health and love, I started to pray for ways to bring healthy living into my life and chances to bring meaningful connections into my heart.

It is so easy to get caught up in doldrums and despair when times are tougher than usual, and refocusing my praying has helped me reevaluate what it really is that I am trying to ask God for.  Looking to God for opportunities and guidance, instead of the frenzied focus of missed opportunities via email or Monster.com changed my life.

Every day I pray, and every day I still continue to search (and yes, I do still search Monster.com, but with a different perspective), only now my searching has focus and the hope and peace that God’s plan for me is there, and I have the power to put it in action.

Prayer:  Heavenly Lord, as we spend the Lenten season preparing to commemorate the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, guide us in opening ourselves to the possibilities around us.  Help us to see why you have brought us this far in our lives, and what opportunities we can be exposed to in our lives and in assisting the lives of others.  In your holy name, we give thanks and praise.  Amen.

Amy Zimmer

FRIDAY, MARCH 5

Colossians 3:12-14  Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.  Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other … Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

My Dad and Mother were an example to us children in many ways.
Their caring was always apparent with the ability to notice neighbors and friends needs and to assist.

Remembering some of my Dad’s favorite passages in the Bible, are guidelines that I hope will help me live and show God’s love for the world.

Leviticus 19:33-34  When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien.  The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were alien in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Hebrews 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country.

Hebrews 13:1  Let brotherly love continue.

As I remember all the gifts and love I have been given in my life, while I am a sojourner in this land, may I show my thanks and gratitude to God.  

Prayer:  Loving God, give me courage and faith to do your will, to be a blessing to the world where I live, that Your love may be known.  Amen.

Virginia J. Mottershaw

THURSDAY, MARCH 4

Luke 2:44-45  All were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.

While I was hibernating I awoke to the terrible news on the TV regarding the earthquake in Haiti.  For a frog, the only experience like an earthquake occurs when Stormy the cat bumps my home-bowl and spills a drop or two of water.  But when I realized what was happening to all those poor people, I was motivated to stay awake long enough to ruminate about Lent and the need for sacrifice.  Giving up something could be trivial if we did not find something to do with what we gave up; in this case money and perhaps time.

The boss' poster child is Judy Cotter from Northminster, who has given many weeks over several years driving to Louisiana to help the recovery after hurricane Katrina.  Judy is semi-retired, a nurse, and sleeps in her car in transit and while on site.  That is no little thing.

What are you giving up for Lent and what are you going to do with it?

Prayer:  Quicken our hearts, stimulate our minds, and rid us of excuses, Lord God, as we look out from a safe affluent place at parts of the global village that are anything else but safe and affluent.  Amen

Kermit the Frog

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3

Luke 9:46-48  An argument arose among them concerning who was the greatest.  Jesus took a little child and put it at his side, and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.”

When we think of little children we are often filled with warm images of children who cross our paths and whose antics we remember.  They are innocent, cute, harmless, and often funny.  They ask questions too deep for us to answer truthfully and credit us with knowledge we do not possess.

In this contemplative season of Lent, however, thoughts of children bring up images of horror.  The earthquake devastation in Haiti is too overwhelming to imagine, and, yes, it involves injury and death to countless small helpless children.  In a country as poor as Haiti, suffering existed long before that event, though perhaps off somewhere out of our conscious thoughts.

But now, and for a long time to come, the plight of little children is stage center.  What does it mean to welcome them?  It could literally involve opening a spare bedroom in the house, expanding our family circles to include theirs.  At the very least it involves money for food, medicine, shelter and clothing.  Think about that in this season of Lenten sacrifice and discover what God is asking of you when answering your prayers.

Prayer:  Loving God, we know that you do not cause tragic events, although you seem to permit their occurrence in this finite world you created.  We wonder why you order your creation this way, questioning whether you order it at all.  Help us to overcome our cynicism with re-kindled trust, our feelings of helplessness with avenues of service, through Christ who leads us through and beyond these things.  Amen

Hank Borchardt

TUESDAY, MARCH 2

Ephesians 5:18-19  Be filled with the Spirit as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts.

One of our familiar Easter hymns has an interesting history.  The African American spiritual “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” dates back to the early 1800’s.  In the days of slavery in America at that time few could read.  This spiritual conveyed the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, event by event.

A powerful emotional message was conveyed, also.  This soulful song was a parallel story for those suffering through the tragedy of slavery.

In a church service the song leader or preacher would sing out the first line and the congregation would follow.  The original hymn features more verses than are currently published in our hymnal.  The sequence follows:

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
    Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the cross?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they rolled the stone away?
Did you know he has risen from the dead?
    Sometimes I want to shout, “Glory, glory, glory.”
Were you there when they crucified my Lord.

As we read and sing these poignant words today, may we again experience the wonder and sorrow and promise felt by the slaves 200 years ago.

Prayer:  Lord, be with us as we hear and experience the music of the Lenten season.  Amen.

Diane K. Bert

MONDAY, MARCH 1

Ecclesiastes 1:4-6  A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.  The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises.


From the diary of Martha Strong Gebhart, 1861 - 1922
First Presbyterian Church, Dayton, Ohio
Sunday, June 12, 1899
Dorothy was baptized today.  The only other little baby was also Dorothy… It was children’s day and Harriet and Jeannette were very much excited over it.  Jeannette said when Dorothy was “baplized she would be bigger.”  During the singing of the last hymns, Jeannette and William took the hymn book and as we were by the font seat walked almost up to the pulpit and sang with all their might, rolling their eyes and then bending their heads way down over the book as if they could see through it.  Everybody was convulsed and even Dr. Wilson shook.  Harriet, Martha, Dorothy Conover and one other little girl spoke a piece.

Prayer:  “Almighty God and heavenly Father, we thank you for the children whom you have given to us; give us also the grace to train them in your faith, fear and love, that as they advance in years they may grow in grace, and be found hereafter in the number of your elect children; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Amen.  (John Cozen, Bishop of Durham)

Carol Held

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Philippians 2:1-3  If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Yes, I took part in the Web simulcast with Oprah and Dr. Eckhart Tolle discussing his book “The New Earth.”  I dutifully connected to the Web for 10 weeks in 2009 (or was it 2008) to listen and learn about living in the NOW and experiencing self control, self-improvement, and self motivation.  I watched and emailed questions in hopes that my question would be picked for an interview.  Though my questions were never picked, calm settled over me during these 3-hour sessions while I listened.  And an amazing thing happened in the weeks that followed.  I became a better listener instead of a fixer.

Most of us think we have the answers to questions asked of us or we think we do.  In many cases, as I listen NOW, the individual asking the question has already made up their mind and they just want our reassurance.  OK, go for it.  Do it or don’t do it.  Aren’t we in control of which path we jump onto and travel?  Sure.

There are many roads and choices out there and some are scary while others are as clear as a sunny spring morning.  But if we can take a stand and dig our toes into this wonderful Earth of ours, most challenges will seem like a small breeze that ruffle our branches slightly.

OK, I’m standing like a tree with my toes dug into the healthy dirt of this planet but how does that related to Tolle’s book?  That 10-week exercise of listening and viewing taught me to listen.  It taught me to be grounded in my beliefs which seem to change as much as the weather.  But change is good because it causes me to ask more questions.  And during this process of learning, I’ve discovered a calming compassion and patience for others as well as for me.

As the tall tree stands to comfort those who seek shade or offer its branches to climb to new heights, I sincerely hope my roots grow deep to support my choices while encouraging others to step out onto the limbs of life itself and enjoy today.

Carla Lamphere