Dear God, I want to start praying for my friend who lost her husband suddenly from an accident yesterday. Oh, please support her, her children and grandchildren, and the employees they had who I know loved him. He was a genuinely good and kind man. The kind of man I would aspire to be. Please raise up people around them who will be your hands and feet to them. Love them well. Comfort them. And use this pain somehow. Don’t let them pain of this tragedy be wasted.

There are four more full days until Easter. But there are only two days from right now at 5:21 in the morning until Jesus is in the middle of his detention, beatings, and, ultimately, crucifixion. What must it have been like for him? Well, there is no way I can imagine. Absolutely no way.

With that said, here are the passages from Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer.

• AM Psalm: 55
• PM Psalm: 74
• Jeremiah 17:5-10, 14-17
• John 12:27-36
• Philippians 4:1-13

Psalm 55 – I am always struck by David’s readiness for vengeance. It’s an interesting character trait–flaw? In the past, I’ve wondered what David’s life would have been like had he been made “judge” over Israel instead of “king.” If the Israelites hadn’t asked for a king, but had kept Samuel as their judge, and then Samuel had passed that torch to David, what would Judge David have been like? Would he have had less violence in his heart? Did somehow the act of being a king drive him into this place? Or was he like this all along? And how did you feel about this part of him? How did you feel about these psalms and what he said in them? They make me incredibly uncomfortable. At the same time, I am so impressed that he shared his fears, pains and insecurities so openly. So openly, in fact, that I can see them these thousands of years later.

Psalm 74 – This one makes me think that we absolutely don’t understand your ways. The human ignorance of your ways is kind of summed up in verse 19: Do not hand over the life of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. You did, in fact, hand over your ultimate dove (Jesus) to the wild beasts (the Pharisees–your spiritual leaders during Roman occupation) because you did not forget the lives of your people (all of us). It’s a good reminder to me that I simply do not understand what you are doing, and I never will understand until I am on the other side of this life. Thank you for allowing for my own ignorance and loving me so much anyway.

Jeremiah 17:5-10, 14-17 – Like a tree planted by the water. That’s how verse 7 describes the person who trusts in you. Plenty of water. Plenty of nutrition. Plenty of fruit. Oh, Father, when the day is hot and the heat wants to burn my leaves, please be my source of strength to fight against it. And give me good fruit so that others might be blessed by you through my life submitted to you.

John 12:27-36 – The end of the passages says, “When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.” Also, going back to the idea that this was Passion week, it’s interesting in verse 30 when Jesus says, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine.” I’m part of that “your.” John recorded this so that I could read it one day. Oh, he might not have known this would be part of scripture read 2,000 years later, but you gave it to John to give to me and to the rest of us. Thank you.

Philippians 4:1-13 – I love these exhortations for the Philippians. And Paul has something extra here. A little lesson. Do you want to be content in any and every situation, whether living with a lot of nothing? Remember that God is with you and is your strength. Well, help me to remember that lesson today. Help me to lean into you when I am stressed. Help me to embrace you when I am frustrated. Help me to worship and love you when I am angry and afraid. And when things are great and people are wanting to applaud me, help me to give you all of the glory because it is only through you that anything good has happened through my life.

I offer all of this prayer to you in Jesus Christ and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen