For Such A Time as This – March 31, 2021 – Dennis Lohr

To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,
 
Joys and Concerns
If you have a joy or concern you would like us to share and pray about, please call, text, or email it to me.  If you would like it included in our Sunday Worship sharing and prayer time, please share it with Pastor Bill that week by Thursday evening. 
 
See this Saturday’s “Weekly Up” email for any new prayer concerns.
 
Thank You:
To all who call others to check in on them and to share our emails and devotions.
 
Today’s Devotion:
Continuing our Lenten theme on the prayers of Jesus, I offer these reflections and ideas for deepening our relationship with God.
 
Shalom,
Dennis
 
Scripture – Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they are doing.”
 
Thoughts
What is a “spiritual discipline?” The simple answer is that it is a “spiritual practice” like prayer, or meditation, or fasting, or singing, or reading scripture, or journaling that forms and transforms us as we engage in it.  The word “discipline” suggests that it is something that requires intentionality and repetition.  A similar word, “disciple,” refers to a student.  The word “practice” suggests something that both requires repetition in order to learn and something that one then does on a regular basis.
 
Lists of spiritual practices do not often include forgiveness as a spiritual practice.  Perhaps this is because we think of forgiveness as a once and done decision per offense.  “You did something to me, and I forgive you for doing it to me.”  Arriving at forgiveness for something done to us frees both the forgiven and the forgiver, as does admitting our fault and asking someone we have hurt to forgive us.  But sometimes forgiveness isn’t so easy, particularly when the hurt is deep, or ongoing and repetitive.
 
Forgiveness as a spiritual practice is not so much tied to a singular incident, or even a reoccurring hurt, or to a particular person.  It is more like a journey.  It is a thought, an idea, and option that at first, we merely consider, and possibly, for good reasons, reject.  Or something that we find easier in some circumstances than in others.  Beginning with the easier circumstances is a good place to start the journey of practicing forgiveness in our lives.  As we cultivate a spirit of forgiveness, we learn critical lessons about risks and boundaries and grace and blessing, that help us to grow.
 
In her sermon on Sunday, reflecting of Jesus’ prayer from the cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what we are doing,” Bethany urged us saying, “Would that we all had the capacity to forgive those who do us wrong.”  Then she said, “Would that we all had the ability to recognize that much of what hurts us and causes pain and division among us is a lack of understanding.”
 
In my own journey of forgiveness, gaining deeper understanding of my father’s journey did not make his behavior any less hurtful, and did not mean that I should not seek relief and protection, but it did make him more human, and makes letting go of old hurts, and giving equal value to his often loving and kind spirit, much more possible.   This is the same grace I want others to grant me when I mess up. 
 
Bethany challenged us this week “to pray this most beautiful and humbling prayer of Jesus: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  This seems like a good start. 
 
I notice, however, that Jesus asks “God” to forgive them.  Perhaps given the pain he was suffering at that moment, declaring “I forgive them for what they are doing” was more than Jesus could muster.  Or perhaps, once again, Jesus is teaching us.  Start with baby steps.  If forgiving someone is too difficult, begin by asking God to forgive them.  Again, what we pray changes us. 
 
Prayer
Forgiving God, once again we come to you as broken and wounded people, who also carry the weight of the times when we have hurt others.  Father, forgive us, for so often we do not know what we are doing.  Wrap us all in your forgiving love, so that we might all grow in the freeing art of forgiveness, which has the power to not only heal and transform us and those in our lives, but our entire world.  Amen.