Lenten Devotion 2012
St. Matthias Episcopal Church
www.saint-matthias.org		 Lent : 2012
These daily devotions are written by Episcopalians throughout the Diocese of Colorado. An archive of prior devotions can be found on the Diocese of Colorado's Website, here. You can also get to St. Matthias' homepage here.
 
More than We are Able
by The Rev. Scott D. Campbell

Readings: Philippians 4:1-9 (also Ezekiel 18:25-32, John 17:9-17)

A central theme in today's daily office readings is peace: Peace between individuals and God in Ezekiel, the "peace of God that passes all understanding" in Philippians, and Jesus prayer for peace for his Disciples who remained on earth after his resurrection and ascension in John. Do you desire peace? I'm sure you do; we all desire peace within ourselves, among our families, and between the countries of the world. To be absent of anxiety is so compelling that many of us are willing to spend too much money or work too many hours or drink or exhaust ourselves in its pursuit. And in those things there is no peace. Yet "the peace that passes all understanding" is to be pursued, rightly. Its even missional.
 
Like all true peace, spiritual peace comes at a cost.  The cost is Christ's on the cross; yet there is also a cost to us: The "presenting of our requests to God." To "present" is to give-away as we do gifts. In pursuit of peace, what do you need or have to give to God? Desires? Hurts? Time? Ability? Sin? Expectations? Hopes?
 
Yes. Yet, more than giving them up, we give them over. Our requests become God's requests: His desires, His hurts, His time, His ability, His sins, His Expectations, His Hopes. If they are His, what do you imagine He would thus do? Simply put: more than we are able. And this is "the peace of God." Thus in Ephesians 3:20 Paul writes, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine...to Him be glory." We're anxious about what we're responsible for, but what is in God's hands He'll be working on.World in God's Hand

How is it missional? Because it is our peace that will attract people to the body of Christ and to Christ Himself. The peace that passes understanding is the "something different" about us in our anxious world. With whom is your peace? And with whom are you sharing it? As much as misery loves company, it much prefers peace.

I join with you this Lenten season giving to God those things about which I'm anxious, being mission shaped by His peace, and seeing how God will do more than I can ask or imagine.

For your prayers: What are you anxious about? Bring them to God as you pray Psalm 19. 

For Reflection: What false hopes underly your anxieties?

 

 

Lent call us to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.

 

 

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