Lent is also a time when we commit to our journey of discipleship. We are invited to look deep within ourselves to consider our spiritual lives and how we fall short of what God intends for us. Some persons "give up" something in their life, which is a form of fasting. It is good to choose something that has a grip upon us, in order to be free. It doesn’t have to be food! Others engage more fervently in prayer and spiritual practices.
Our theme this Lent is the Wilderness, and we are exploring the Psalms as we wonder and wander through this season of searching and self-examination. Each Sunday the sermon will focus on one of the Psalms, and I hope through the daily devotional to invite you go deeper in your discipleship through reflection on scripture and prayer practices with the Psalms.
The Psalms are a beautiful collection of 150 poetic songs of prayer. In the Hebrew Bible you find them as a part of the Ketuvim, translated as “Writings.” The Book of Psalms is the most read book of the Bible, and Jesus knew them so well that he quoted from them more than from any other book in the Hebrew Bible.
We start with several wilderness stories in the bible and people who responded with poetic prayers and songs: King David, Moses & Miriam, and Jonah, followed a week with Jesus as he responds in life and ministry with Psalms. As we continue to move through Lent week by week, we’ll engage in Singing with Psalms, Praying with Psalms via the spiritual practice called Lectio Divina, Walking with Psalms, Writing with Psalms via paraphrasing, and Interceding for others with Psalms through Holy Week. Every day we’ll create a breath prayer to carry through our day, a fruitful spiritual discipline for all times!
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