Devotion for Maundy Thursday

John 13:1
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

He loved his disciples to the end
to the bitter end we might say.
He loved them so deeply
when he went to the garden to pray.

He knew his hour had come to depart
and leave all those he had trained.
Not leaving them with a great loss
but finding how much they had gained.

He didn’t run when the going was rough
he stayed the course to its end.
He knew he couldn’t turn his back
on those who called him “friend.”

Devotion for Wednesday of Holy Week

John 13:31-35
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

A new commandment he gave to them
and thus he gives to us today.
He didn’t throw away the “law”
just steered it in a different way.

We’re not disciples by a pedigree
or all the things that we achieve
but rather with the love we show
and help other people to believe.

He calls us not to a simple love
but to love as he has loved us.
It is a love we demonstrate
and not love we just discuss.

A commandment not to dominate
but one which will set us free.
It’s not a form of coercion
or placed in a legal decree.

You can’t make others believe you
are following by the words you say
but you can bring them along with you
by letting love guide you on your way.

Can Larry Come Outside and Play?

Can Larry Come Outside and Play?
By Larry R Linville

“Mrs. Linville,” the neighbor kids asked,
“Can Larry come outside and play?”
Grandma said, “I’ll ask his parents,
how long they are going to stay.”

“Mrs. Linville,” the neighbor kids asked,
“Can Larry come outside to play?”
His mother slowly shook her head,
“He has chores, ask again some other day.”

“Mrs. Linville,” the classmates asked,
“Can Larry come outside to play?”
“He’s away at college,” his mother said,
“He left for classes yesterday.”

“Mrs. Linville,” some children asked,
“Can Larry come outside to play?”
His wife said, “He’s a preacher now
and he has to take this time to pray.”

Mrs. Linville, Larry sadly asked,
“Can I go outside to play?”
His wife said, “You’re retired now
but the kids have all gone away.”

Devotion for Tuesday of Holy Week

John 12:20-26
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

They came to Philip with a request
perhaps seeking to be blessed.
“We wish to see Jesus” they said
not knowing what was ahead.

Philip went to brother Andrew
to ask him what they should do
and they went to give Jesus the word
of this request they had just heard.

People ask the same of us today
but we often look the other way
and miss this opportunity
to lead them where they want to be.

“We would see Jesus” may not be
the words they say to you and me
yet if we listen when they speak
we can help find what they seek.

devotion for Monday of Holy Week

John 12:1-5
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”

She anointed Jesus’ feet
with perfume that was expensive
but old hard-hearted Judas
found the act to be offensive.

He thought she was so wasteful
throwing her money away
and he couldn’t understand
tt was one way she could pray.

He just saw material things
while she acted from hear heart
he thought she was so crazy
but he thought that he was smart.

He didn’t care about the poor
it was only an excuse
because the love of money
his soul fell to its abuse.

Her great generosity
calls from us our very best
and leads us to commitment
when we’re in a time of test.

Ready for Holy Week

As you recall, I don't write a poem for the Sunday's of Lent.
I pause today ready to go into the last week.
I am amazed that we have had 730 visits to this blog since Ash Wednesday. Amazing!

Tonight I will post the devotional poem for Monday and Holy week and my project will conclude with my posting of the Holy Saturday poem.

I cannot express how helpful this has been for me as a discipline. I couldn't allow myself to fail. By promising to post the poems here, I made myself vulnerable and I'm glad I did.

I don't know who has read the poems, but I hope you were blessed and it helped you during your Lenten disciplines.

Lenten Devotion for March 27 - Blind Man

Mark 10:46-52

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

He was blind when he called out to Christ
with a faith that believed he would see
and Jesus said to the sighted
tell him to come here beside me.

He didn’t slowly stumble to Jesus
but jumped up and came on a run
believing that Jesus could heal him
because he thought he was God’s Son.

When his eyes began being restored
and he saw everything on the way
he followed Jesus the rest of his life
and never would his faith let him stray.