Tasting Ashes
Read: Daniel 9:3
A bright light glowed in our front window after midnight, waking us. The
building across the road was on fire; huge flames leapt into the black sky.
The volunteer firefighters tried to put it out, but the fire defeated them,
restarting over and over again through the darkness. The power of the fire
was inhuman, unstoppable, and absolutely destructive. The sound of crackling
flames, burning wood, and breaking glass filled the night.
The building—an empty store––smoldered for days, its ashy gray
smoke rising from the pile of rubble. We lived with ashes even longer. They
blew in through the windows, the door, even the cracks of our house and
settled everywhere. Ashes, the symbol of destruction and death, are not a
pretty stained glass image, yet with ashes we begin our Lenten journey.
Living with the ashes and ruins of the fire reminded us daily of life's
fragility and failure. So, too, Lent's ashes remind us of our own frailness
and failures. We have no hope, no future, no restoration in ourselves.
In the cross of ashes, we remember our utter dependence on the one whose
journey to the cross we recall these 40 days. Ashes remind us that nothing
on earth lasts. Wearing ashes, we reach out in faith to Jesus, who promises
forgiveness and life everlasting.
Prayer: Almighty God, may the ashes we wear today bring us to
repentance and renewal in Your redeeming love through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Response: How will you bring the Lord into your Lent? 
Downward Mobility
Read: John 12:25-26
My husband and I were successfully pursuing our careers in the Windy
City. He worked for a computer company in the suburbs and I worked for a
national nonprofit in their downtown skyscraper. We had frequent flyer cards
in our wallets and career wardrobes in our closets. But in our Bible study,
prayer, and church life, we felt called to serve Christ among the poor in
the rural South. In time, we moved to a small community in rural
Mississippi, supported by our church. We called it "downward
mobility."
As we followed Christ, we also followed in the steps of those who had
inspired us with their faithful journeys: My husband's grandparents who were
missionaries to Brazil; his aunt and uncle who served in Papua, New Guinea,
for over 40 years; my great-grandfather, a German immigrant, who built
churches in Fort Wayne; a friend who serves as chaplain to Alzheimer's
patients in a Colorado farming community; and another who serves Detroit's
inner city.
We knew that Christ calls each of us to share the Good News of salvation
and to show Him to our love-starved needy world. During Lent we reflect on
the cost Christ paid carrying His cross for us. Whatever we "give
up" for God is nothing compared to the abounding riches we receive in
serving His Son wherever He leads (see Philippians 3:8)
Prayer: Precious Immanuel, Your "downward mobility" brought
You to earth as our Savior. Glory to God! Amen.
Response: How can I serve the Lord today?
Quarters Kids
Read: James 2:1,5,8
During our Mississippi ministry, we lived in a neighborhood called
"The Quarters." We didn't know what it meant, but we soon learned.
It's a derogatory Southern term still used to describe where the poorest
black families live, a demeaning reference to "slave quarters."
While we happily made our choice to live there, the judgment passed on
the children we loved was hard to bear. "Quarters kids" inferred
you were somehow "less" than whole—their families, homes,
churches, their very neighborhood, bore a label which they learned to mean
"substandard, less." As we shared the story of our Savior's birth—which
some of them had never heard—we saw through their eyes the one who was
born to poor parents in a lowly stable. They could identify with a Savior
who knew what it was to be a "Quarters kid."
During His Lenten journey, the children saw Jesus become the object of
man's hate and scorn. In Christ, God—who is rich in mercy—paid the full
cost for their redemption. There were no bargain prices on Calvary. All are
wholly forgiven, wholly loved. The children came to know that God adopts
them through Jesus into His family, where they live in the richest
neighborhood of all.
Prayer: Holy God, we know You show no favoritism. Open our eyes of
love in Jesus' name. Amen.
Response: How can you reach out to those less fortunate in your
community?
Heroes
Read: Romans 12:8-10
Tonya, age eight, came to tutoring with a "D" on her test
about Abraham Lincoln. I was crushed. I love Lincoln and wanted her to
love my hero, too. Her teacher let her write a report to make up for the
grade. As we began studying, I saw how easy I'd had it in learning about
Lincoln. While Tonya's family didn't have a car, mine had taken us on a
trip to see Lincoln's birthplace in Kentucky. I grew up in a state where
Lincoln was loved and admired, especially for his presidency during the
Civil War. Tonya lives in a state where many blame Lincoln for the war.
In school, we even celebrated Lincoln's birthday—today—with a
holiday.
Tonya listed the highlights of Lincoln's presidency: freeing the
slaves, giving the Gettysburg address, winning the Civil War. She was
excited to learn that a group of African-Americans gave Lincoln a Bible
in 1864. She quoted his response: "In regard to this great book, I
have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to men. All the good
Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book."
During Lent, we reflect on Jesus Christ who gives us eternal life and
the power to live heroic lives.
Prayer: For leaders who are just and righteous, we thank You,
God, through Jesus Christ Your precious Son. Amen.
Response: Read the Gettysburg Address.
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