¹My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

These words are found in Psalm 22…but perhaps we recognize them best as the words Jesus cries out while on the cross. At Jesus’ lowest point, when he was most alone, this was the scripture he quoted.  

What is our Christian response in the low and alone moments of our lives? What hope is there in the midst of our depression?

The Psalm continues…

²O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. ³Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.^v4In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. ⁵To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame. ⁶But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people. ⁷All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads; ⁸“Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver— let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”

The Psalmist clearly knows the feeling and depth of depression. He clearly understands the cycle of doubt…but he reminds us that our hope is not found in our feelings of worthlessness (worm), or our fear of what others will think (they shake their heads). Our hope is found in a commitment to the faithfulness of God. 

Commit your cause to the Lord…let him deliever and rescue you!

Here are a few additional resources for further reading on Psalm 22:

• On Being Pursued by the Black Dog
• The Power of the Dogs: When Trouble is Near
• When Your World Falls Apart

Isaiah 58:6-12 - ⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice   and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? ⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? ⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness^[a] will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. ⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, ¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. ¹¹ The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden,  like a spring whose waters never fail. ¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

After you have taken time to watch this brief video…think on these things:

• How in this season of Lent are you “welcoming or feeding the stranger?”
• What does the phrase “we is me plus one more” mean for you?
• How will you “break bread with another” this next week?

Last night we gathered as a community of believers. We shared in the tradition of marking ourselves with ash as a sign of our mortality. And we started a new tradition of leaving a mark as a sign of our sentness in the world.

Join with us through this season of Lent as we daily pray this prayer together:

Purifying Mystery, Your light exposes in us all that we hide.

Awaken us and all Your Holy Church to spiritual combat.

Lead us to purity of soul and body in these forty days.

Fortify us to take an honest look at ourselves–to name our secret sins and our ruts of disobedience.

Let abstinence from our addictions free us for prayer and the fire of love.

Perfect us by steady gaze toward Your pure mercy and grace, so we may come to the Passion of Jesus and the Holy Easter in pure joy.

In confidence we commend ourselves and all our passions and cares to Your never-failing mercy. We intercede for the world, especially for those we have hurt by our preoccupations; for those who live sacrificially so others may know Your justice and compassion; for a just peace in and among the nations; for professionals who help others stand in the light; for the Church in every place and for the concerns and cares of our lives. Amen.

The first day of Lent. Today is Ash Wednesday…a day on our Christian calendar marking 40 days to the Resurrection Day. For centuries, this day of Ashes has served as a reminder to stop, reflect, and begin fresh again. Why? Because we need the re-start, we need to remove the spiritual safety blankets and pacifiers of routine, traditions, time-wasters, self-pleasing behaviors, and the settling of less-than-holy in our thoughts and words. We need to confess, to repent, to turn our passions back into God’s passions.

“That hollowness we sometimes feel is not a sign of something gone wrong. It is the holy of holies inside of us, the uncluttered throne room of the Lord our God. Nothing on earth can fill it, but that does not stop us from trying. Whenever we start feeling too empty inside, we stick our pacifiers into our mouths and suck for all we are worth. They do not nourish us, but at least they plug the hole.” - Barbara Brown Taylor, The Christian Century, 1998.

Lent is a chance to decide who’s we will be…our own, or His. Lent is a chance to decide what masters us…our habits, or Him. Lent is a chance to empty ourselves of us…and create space for Him.

Tonight we will gather as a church body and mark the moment together, commit to the 40 day journey of Lent.

Here is another brief article for you reading about the hope found in the midst of Lent. 

Not a Program, A Way of Life
By Jerry D. Porter

“To make Christlike disciples in the nations” is not a program; it is a way of life. Each Nazarene should answer two questions: Who is discipling you? Whom are you discipling?

I have adapted these gold nugget principles from Mike Henderson:

• Help your family and friends to follow Jesus.
  Always remember the goal: Christlikeness. How do you carve an elephant? Cut away everything that is not the elephant!

• Learn to listen.
  As preachers and teachers we are often poor disciplers because we do not listen. What the disciple says may be more important than what the discipler says. Let silence do the heavy lifting. The more emotional the issue, the more difficult the steps, the more silence is needed. If necessary, ask probing questions; a good question is worth a thousand words.

• Great leaders come out of great friendships.
  Who are your friends? How often do you get together? “More is accomplished in one hour of close conversation than ten hours of preaching” (John Wesley). Discipleship is about genuine love. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”
  (John 15:13, NIV).

• God’s Word is all the equipment you need.
  “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, NIV). Teach people to be taught by the Holy Spirit. We are not the Teacher. Our disciples are taught daily by the Holy Spirit.

Our passion to be Christlike—and to make Christlike disciples who make Christlike disciples—is not a program or a curriculum, it is a way of life. It is an intentional, relational, mutually-empowering, lifelong Jesus pilgrimage!

Luke 14:7-14 - ⁷ When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: ⁸ “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. ⁹ If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. ¹¹ For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

 ¹² Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

• Who are you “becoming friends” with in your life?
• Who are you “sufficiently weak and truthful” with in your life?
• Is there “peace in your hands?”
• Are you practicing community?

We, New Beginnings Church, are a people who understand God is at work in this world seeking to renew all things. We are a people of new beginnings.

We are a people who believe transformation in this life is possible.

We are a people who desire to be a community devoted to living out Christ-likeness.

Take time (7 min) to watch this video…then let us reflect together on what it means to be a people of “new beginnings.”