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February 23, 2023

The Practices of Hard Days

Tex Sample   |   Read Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

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Lectionary Week
February 20–26, 2023
Scripture Overview

In this first week of Lent, we prepare our hearts for a period of reflection. We think about areas of our lives in which we might be falling short of God’s desires. The problem of sin enters the human story at the very beginning when Adam and Eve choose to follow their own wisdom rather than guidance from God. The psalmist highlights the importance of recognizing our sin and asking for forgiveness, which God is quick to give. In Romans, Paul argues that we all partake in the broken human condition because we all have sinned as Adam did. The teachings from the Sermon on the Mount warn us against misplaced desires and selfishness.

Questions and Suggestions for Reflection

Read Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7. How might this story help you turn to humility throughout your Lenten journey?Read Psalm 32. What seeming dichotomies comprise the full picture of your life of faith?Read Romans 5:12-19. How do you sense the differences Paul draws between Adam and Christ prompting you to turn toward God?Read Matthew 6:1-6,16-21. How do you practice your piety? What is your treasure, and where is it?

Respond by posting a prayer .

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

1 Blow the horn in Zion; give a shout on my holy mountain! Let all the people of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is near 2 a day of darkness and no light, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread out upon the mountains, a great and powerful army comes, unlike any that has ever come before them, or will come after them in centuries ahead. 12 Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your hearts, with fasting, with weeping, and with sorrow; 13 tear your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, very patient, full of faithful love, and ready to forgive. 14 Who knows whether he will have a change of heart and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God? 15 Blow the horn in Zion; demand a fast; request a special assembly. 16 Gather the people; prepare a holy meeting; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the groom leave his room and the bride her chamber. 17 Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the LORD’s ministers, weep. Let them say, “Have mercy, LORD, on your people, and don’t make your inheritance a disgrace, an example of failure among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are from the Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible. Used by permission.

I playedcatcher in baseball and softball for thirty-five years. The most difficult thing about catching is holding on to the ball when you are run over by a runner trying to score. A crucial practice, it requires training. One way to train a catcher is for someone to make a...

Loving God, be with us through these difficult days, and prepare us through practices of faithfulness to love, do justice, and be a righteous people. Amen.


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