St. Paul's Episcopal Church Lenten Devotional 2022

encounter with the Father and the Holy Spirit have on the Son? It drove him into the wilderness for 40days. He was tempted by Satan and was with wild beasts. Receiving the Holy Spirit transformed Jesus,but it unsettled him. This was not an easy passage.“And the angels waited on him.” When it comes, God’s call can disorient even His Beloved Son. But theangels waited on him, providing him comfort and consolation. They sustained him as he began tounderstand what the Holy Spirit was calling him to do. This, I think, is the good news within the GoodNews. We are also beloved of God. When we hear God’s call and are confused, angels will do no less forus.Frank Horrigan has been a member of St. Paul’s for more than 20 years. He currently serves on theVestry and is the co-chair of both the Outreach and Stewardship Commissions. He and his wife Courtneyhave three children, Matt, Caroline and Jack, all of whom were acolytes.Tuesday, March 8Mark 1:14-28At once they left their nets and followed him. [Mark 1:18]Why did the first disciples drop everything to follow a stranger? What did they hear that made them giveup their jobs and families on a leap of faith? Right before this, Jesus began preaching his message that“the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news.” For those answering this call, itmeant giving up all they knew. This split-second choice was life-changing. Could this happen now? Couldwe experience something so compelling that we rededicate our lives to something larger than ourselves?The world of the New Testament seems remote to us. We don’t expect Jesus to appear at our workplaceand ask us to follow him. However, we do live during momentous times. We have experienced apandemic that turned our world upside down. The familiar disappeared, and daily death counts becameroutine. This has caused many to question the old ways of doing things, and it’s made us wonder if whatwe view as “normal” is really what we want to return to. We are rethinking our priorities and consideringhow we want the post-pandemic world to be. Like the disciples, our future is uncertain. Yet many arecasting off their nets and looking at our world in a new light. Could COVID be our wake-up call that thekingdom of God is not theoretical, but may truly be at hand, and that perhaps our lives should be reordered?Gina Brownfield has been a member of St. Paul’s for 20 years. She and her husband Todd raised theirthree sons here. Gina is a member of Vestry, the Social Justice and Anti-Racism Commission, thePastoral Care Commission and the Flower Delivery Ministry.Wednesday, March 9Mark 1:14-44“See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for yourcleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them” [Mark 1:44]Jesus’ fame spread throughout Galilee as he carried out his ministry of teaching and healing. As anexample, we read that a leper came to Jesus, begging to be cured. Jesus, “moved with pity,” indeed curedthe man. Then Jesus gave him strict instructions to not say anything, but to instead show himself to thepriest and offer for his healing what Moses commanded. Why, when Jesus demonstrated this new radical

love, would Jesus then direct the healed man to go and fulfill the old law? And why direct him to staysilent?Telling everyone might make it hard for Jesus to continue his ministry safely. Sure enough, when thehealed man told everyone anyway, the result was just what Jesus expected.But I think Jesus’ directions to the cured man were not just about keeping a low profile. Jesus wanted thecured man to be a living, physical testimony to God’s love and to spread the message of this love by hisactions, not just his words. We don’t know any more about this man and what he went on to do. But I thinkthat Jesus did not want to create a cult centered on himself and his miracles. It needed to be all aboutGod.So, here is my take-away: I am called for my actions, not just my words, to be living proof of God’samazing love. One last thought — I don’t really blame the cured man at all. Could he possibly hold backfrom telling everyone? Probably not! After all, could you?Jan Stewart enjoys St. Paul’s Book Club, Claudia Circle, study groups and serving as a LEM/Lector. Sheand her husband Mike like to help with outreach events and projects.Thursday, March 10Mark 2:1-12“I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” [Mark 2:11]Early in Jesus' public ministry, word is spreading about this man who claims to be the Christ, whoperforms miracles, heals lepers, sets free those possessed by demons. Jesus was back in Capernaum,and a huge crowd gathered as he began to preach. A paralyzed man and his friends had heard rumorsabout Jesus, and they decided to give it a shot. They made their way to the house where Jesus was, but itwas so crowded that they couldn't even get close to Jesus. But their love for their friend, and theirwillingness to believe that this man was indeed the Christ, compelled them up onto the roof to somehowfigure out a way to get their friend inside. Digging a hole through the roof, they lowered him down toJesus, who first forgives the man's sins, and then sets him free from his paralysis.This is a story about healing, for sure; and that maybe healing doesn't always show up in the way we thinkit should. Do you think that maybe there was a level of disappointment when Jesus first said, "Son, yoursins are forgiven?” This was not really what they came for, after all. I think this serves as a message to usthat sometimes the answer we think we need isn't what we get. Sometimes, instead, we get a differentkind of response from God that speaks to our heart, to our spirit's need for healing.I think this story also invites us to think about the different ways we may be stuck, or paralyzed, and thedeeper healing that Jesus offers us. Is it fear? Is it religious legalism, like the scribes in this story, whofocus so narrowly on the letter of the law that the spirit of love is lost? Is it shame or anger? In what areasof your life might Jesus be urging you toward freedom, saying to you as he did to the paralytic, "Get upand walk!"Andrea Kamouyerou is the Director of Engagement at St. Paul's. She and her wife and two girls havebeen attending St. Paul's for about 5 years.

Friday, March 11Mark 2:13-22As he was walking along he saw Levi sitting at the tax office and he said to him, “Follow me.”And he got up and followed him. [Mark 2:14]Jesus must be exhausted by the time he sees Levi, a tax collector nonetheless. He's been at the lake,preaching, and is now walking when he invites Levi to leave his job and go to Levi's house. “And, by theway, I've invited a few questionable people, who you may or may not know, to join us at your house. Youdo have food there, right?”Who does that, anyway? Who invites strangers to someone else's house and expects for everyone to befed? Jesus does, and Levi accepts. He drops everything. Stops his life as he knows it in its tracks to hearthe word and invite others as well. Certainly an accommodating host. Maybe he looked around the roomwhile Jesus was teaching and got "scared straight.” Or maybe he just knew it was his time to listen andact.So, how many strangers will we welcome into our 'house' to fulfill Jesus’ teaching? Since we havedifferent means and talents, the possibilities are numerous. Church outreach? Community outreach andadvocacy? Financial support? Emotional support? Volunteering? Lots of avenues. Point is, we can all dosomething.The table is set. You decide how and when you're going to sit at it. Absolutely everyone is welcome, noexceptions. Who knows? Others may join you that you don't even know.Gerry Dugan is a newer, pre-pandemic member of St. Paul's. She is currently involved with the OutreachCommission and " foodie" fundraisers. She facilitates the monthly NAMI family support meeting held at St.Paul's and is an Allegheny County Advisory Board member for MH/ID.Saturday, March 12Mark 2:23-3:6The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if Jesus would heal. in a Sabbath infraction. Thenhe spoke to the people: "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil?Helping people or leaving them helpless?" [The Message, Mark 3:1-4]Rules and traditions are very important guides to follow, and breaking laws can result in penalties. Butthere can be situations where following them blindly can cause real harm. And so, Jesus asks us toconsider the effects of our action or inaction. What does this mean for us?As Sabbath people in our daily lives, we are to use our minds and our hearts to guide our behavior,especially when what we do affects our neighbor. We need to have empathy so that we can anticipatehow what we say or do can cause harm. We may even need to act courageously in defiance of a harmfullaw.In seasons of pandemic, we have simple opportunities to demonstrate our love for our neighbor. Whatdoes God's Law guide us to do? To help others by wearing a mask and social distancing, or to potentiallyinfect them? In regions where laws restrict such protective measures, we may be called upon to exhibitour beliefs, and it is not so simple.

In your life, what opportunities do you have to act courageously to help, not hurt, your neighbor?Raised Catholic, Robin Jordan actively participated in church activities. But she became disturbed by thelack of participation in the larger community. She found a home in the Episcopal Church, both here and inSouth Carolina. She moved to Pittsburgh in fall of 2019. Since joining St. Paul's, she enjoyed many inperson and online activities, especially Sacred Ground and Small Group discussions.Sunday, March 13John 5:19-24Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life towhomsoever he wishes. [John 5:21]Jesus healed a disabled man and said those who heard His words and believed in God would haveeternal life.Yet the Pharisees, the religious leaders of their time, were hostile toward Jesus for healing the disabledman. They questioned how Jesus could violate their law by working on the Sabbath. By questioningJesus, the Pharisees were testing God's divine authority. To a loving heart, it doesn't matter on what daya sick person is healed.Jesus' message of love and inclusivity was a threat to the Pharisee's authority. Jesus told the Phariseesthat He saw His Father's love for Him. Jesus performed miracles to show God's love to everyone. Jesushealed a deaf man, made a blind man see, cured lepers, and raised a widow's son and Lazarus from thedead. He ate with tax collectors, rejoiced when a lost sheep was found, and forgave sinners.There have been times that I have felt a lack of control in my life, pain and suffering, and my ownmortality. God has lifted me up when I have fallen down, and I thank him for his healing ways. I pray toGod for humility of spirit and charity in my heart. I ask for patience to listen to other's troubles as if theywere my own. I ask God to instill gratitude in my heart for His gifts. Please let me be steadfast in my faithuntil I am called home by Your mercy and to Your eternal love.Jerry Rutledge calls St. Paul's his new home. He is a father who feels blessed with three loving childrenand a loving wife.Monday, March 14Mark 3:7-19aJesus departed with his disciples to the lake, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him[Mark 3:7]

The crowd of people were coming after Jesus so his friends helped him get a boat and then they went upa mountain.Maylee Bojarski is a 6 yr. old Kindergartener at South Fayette Elementary School. She enjoysparticipating in Children’s Chapel and Sunday School.Tuesday, March 15Mark 3:19b-35“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” [Mark 3:25]A house is a barrier; a house is a shelter. It keeps things out -- rain, heat, intruders. It offers warmth andrest to those inside its circle of protection. A house also distinguishes between those who belong andthose who do not. You may be able to enter a shop or a restaurant freely, but to enter a house, you mustbe a family member or a friend.This story begins with Jesus entering a house that is not his own. We also don’t know why He is there, ifHe has been asked to speak or invited to share a meal. Whatever the reason, this structure seems to failat the basic work of being a house. It’s not sheltering (a crowd manages to make its way inside) and it’snot nurturing (the place becomes so crowded that Jesus and His followers can’t even eat). The walls ofthis house nevertheless mark a clear line between those who support Jesus and those who do not. Welearn that both Jesus’ family and the authorities, the teachers of the law, have followed Him here, each ontheir own mission to control or undermine His ministry. His family fears that Jesus is mad while theteachers warn that He is possessed. Still, despite their claims over Him, blood ties or bonds of law, theyare powerless. They linger outside, whispering their criticisms through cracks in the door or sending theiremissaries inside to draw Jesus out. The house is barred against their fears and slanders even as otherpeople find their way into His presence.

Jesus is aware of the tension, and He uses this tension to teach a lesson about loyalty and stability.Accused of performing miracles to benefit Satan, Jesus swats away that absurdity, proclaiming that Satancannot work against Satan, and a house divided against itself cannot stand. His words contain a not-tooveiled rebuke to his relatives huddled outside and a pointed lesson about family values. If Satan cannotwork against his own interests, anyone who is truly a member of Jesus’ family cannot work against Jesus.In the end, biological and legal ties matter less than earnest seeking and willing faith.The house that Jesus enters isa home, defined not by blood or culture but by belief. The members of thecrowd who want to listen to Jesus and learn from Him are more truly members of His family than themother and brothers who want to control Him. It’s not simply that our family forms our values; our valuesform our family. May we seek unity with Jesus and stand within the protection of His love.Kathleen Davies Hendricks has been a member of St. Paul’s since 1999. In that time, she has sung withthe Chancel Choir and served on Vestry. She has also been involved with Lectors and LEMs, FlowerDelivery, Children and Youth, and Fellowship. Outside of St. Paul’s, she works in immigration law, enjoysher husband’s excellent cooking, and hones her Zoom skills with her college-aged daughter.Wednesday, March 16Mark 4:1-20And he said to them, ‘To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God [Mark 4:11]In weekly bible study with Noah we often find the content difficult to understand. Our struggles to learnand interpret God’s word are much the same as those experienced by the disciples in Mark 4:1-20.When the disciples were alone with Jesus they admitted to not understanding one of his parables. WhileJesus took the time to explain what it meant he also reminded them: “to you has been given the secret ofthe Kingdom of God.”In this parable Jesus identified three ways for us all to participate in the creation of the Kingdom. The firstis to “listen Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” The second is to “understand” and the third is to “sowthe Word.”All three of these directions require us to set aside time and invest ourselves in the study of God's Word.We gain understanding through sacred reading, listening to the Gospels and engaging in discussionsabout how God is present in our lives. Through the use of parables Jesus taught us many things about thenature of God. We learned about love, humility, forgiveness and prayer. Through prayer we encounterChrist and give him a home in our hearts.Jesus wants us to sow the Word and we do this by manifesting Christ in the world. We are all disciples ofJesus and we too have been given the secret of the Kingdom. If you hear the word of God and accept it,your life will reflect his life and you, the Sower will bear fruit just by being you.Lois Cusick attends bible study and is in a Saint Ignatius group. She has attended many programsoffered at the church and attributes a deepening of her faith to the St Paul Community. She volunteerswhenever possible and welcomes the opportunity to serve.Thursday, March 17Mark 4:21-34

“It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds onearth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth largebranches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” [Mark 4:31-32]A small seed, so small it appears to be so insignificant that the hungry birds of the air fly over it. It beganto grow with life unseen in nature. It becomes a tree on earth, like all trees limited to a small area where itgrows, yet its branches spread to be seen in far places. It attracts the fowl of the air to lodge under itsshadow. Thus the mustard seed, so small, has the makings of all that is needed to have the largestbranches.Writings have described our Lord to be a lawgiver and real king during his lifetime here, yet also it seemedso few obeyed or even know him. Jesus tells this parable to the disciples so that they may be open to hismessage and spread his message afar so that people, like birds, may come to this basic theme ofsignificance.As Jesus began his life here on earth, the Father gave him the ability and vitality to grow the kingdom. Inthis parable Jesus is talking about growth and affirms that the little movement already stirring would growto a vast dimension. In our small movements may we also be disciples of Jesus spreading the Word.Elaine Mycoff has been at St. Paul’s for many years and an Episcopalian since a very young age. Shehas been exposed to many Christian churches yet still finds the Episcopal faith to be the most meaningful.Mostly, she is thankful for the gift of Jesus to the people everywhere.Friday, March 18Mark 4:35-41“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” [Mark 4:38]Over the past two years, I have found myself asking God the same question that the disciples cried out toJesus in their desperation during the storm. It was difficult to see my friends lose their family members, tosee small businesses suffer, to see children confused and lonely - to be lonely myself. However, inreflecting on these past two years, it would be very difficult to ignore how God is at work in my life and thelife of the church. God has been with us through the tough times we have encountered over the last 2years. In these moments of desperation for ourselves and the world, I am reminded that God is among usin the storms. The Father is actively listening to our cries of desperation. The Spirit still moves among us.Christ’s death and resurrection still sustain the world. I am thankful we have the opportunity to join God inthe work he is still doing among us.Theodore Somes is a seminarian at Virginia Theological Seminary currently in his middler year and aChaplain Candidate in the Army Reserves. He is doing his contextual ministry experience at HistoricChrist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. He is excited to return to the Diocese of Pittsburgh following hisgraduation.Saturday, March 19Mark 5:1-20He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.[Mark 5:10]

The man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with Jesus. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Gohome to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercyon you.”I

Welcome to the third annual Lenten Devotional! It is always a treat to read the entries that members of our parish offer for our Lenten Devotional. By creating this devotional we gather around scripture as a community to reflect on where Jesus is leading us this Lenten season. This booklet has been created to serve as a companion to our parish