Second Sunday in Lent- Week of February 28, 2021

Begin your devotion time by praying this prayer: Holy God, you know our names and welcome us to new places. Remind us of your love in all situations, and help us show your love to others, too. Amen.

Reflect on the Way of Love together: This week’s practice on the Way of Love is BLESS. In the reading from Genesis, Abram experiences God’s blessing and is called to be a blessing to others. How can you be a blessing to others this week?

Adult and Small Child

Read: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Reflect: Have you ever moved to a new place? Or been the new person in a place you haven’t ever been before? Abram and Sarai had just moved to a new country. They left Haran, a place they had always lived, and they went to a brand-new place, the land of Canaan. They might have felt nervous or all alone when they arrived in Canaan.

This is where God meets them – in their new home – and where God makes a very special promise to Abram and Sarai. God promises that they will have a new family to make them happy. God promises to be with their family – with their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren – always. God even changes their names a little bit – to Abraham and Sarah – to help them understand that God will keep this promise.

Blessings are good gifts that are useful or helpful. God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah is a blessing because it helps them to feel encouraged in their new place. God gives us promises too – blessings to help us feel encouraged when we are nervous or scared about something new. We can remember that God wants us to feel safe and happy.

Respond: We can be blessings to people who are in a new place, like Abraham and Sarah. We can help them to feel safe and encouraged when they are nervous or all alone in a new place.

Look up local organizations that work with new immigrants or refugees to your area. Or, find an organization that helps people who are leaving difficult homes to start new lives. Can you help provide resources for these people? Go through your home and see if you have items that you can donate to help people who are starting over in a new place – furniture or household items.Or, you can go shopping to get some small items to donate that will help people starting new lives in new homes.

- Katy Denning

Adult and Elementary

Read: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Reflect: I used to commute to school with one of my neighbors named Aisha. We would meet right out on the sidewalk in front of our houses. One day, Aisha forgot her the keys to her house so she stayed over at my house until her parents came home.

There is a similar thread in today's reading as we see the word covenant again in this Scripture. This time, God is making an agreement with Abram. God will not forget God's promises. How reassuring! There is an additional layer of meaning and purpose in God's covenant, or agreement, with Abram. God changes Abram's name to Abraham and Sarai's name is changed to Sarah. This is an example of how God blesses us. We might forget things from time to time, but God will not.

Respond: Are there times when you need reminders? During your bedtime routine, don't forget to brush your teeth. While brushing, say to yourself: “I almost forgot, but God never forgets!"

- Imani Driskell

Adult and Youth

Read: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Reflect: Abram and Sarai (soon to be Abraham and Sarah) were childless. In ancient times, not having children was viewed as a punishment from God. Clearly, there was something “wrong” with Abram or Sarai or they had done something to anger God. These feelings often result in feelings of brokenness, unworthiness, and shame. God sees us differently. God says there is nothing we can do that separates us from God’s love. In today’s reading, God lifts the burden of shame. God tells Abram that God wants to be in relationship with him and there is nothing that can change that. God asks Abram to stay in relationship and to be trustworthy and God will give Abraham and Sarah many descendants. Those descendants will also remain in relationship with God.

Have you ever felt like you were not enough? Have you ever felt like there was something so wrong with you that would keep God and others from liking, accepting, and loving you?

Respond: The world often “tells” us we’re not enough. There seems to be an “ideal” we are supposed to attain in order to be worthy. God says otherwise. Sometimes we need to be reminded that our very existence blesses others. Do this activity with someone else: take out a piece of paper (invite them to do this, too) and write down all the things about you that make you special. Start the list with “I am a beloved child of God.” After you have finished your list, make a list for the other person start the list with “You are a beloved child of God.”

- Katherine Doyle

Adult and Adults

Read: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Reflect: Abram and Sarai, blessed with new names for the enormous work that’s now before them: Abraham and Sarah, will give rise to nations.

I’m always moved during Holy Baptism when the candidate is presented to the celebrant by name and the celebrant repeats the name before saying, “...I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Naming, calling out the name, and sharing it before all is so powerful as it’s placing the candidate before the earthly witnesses and all the saints. It’s a blessing to be amongst a community like this. I’ve been in parishes where the assembled throng applaud after the celebrant says, “Let us welcome the newly baptized.” In other parishes, the celebrant walks the newly baptized around the sanctuary. In a larger sense, this naming and sharing opens all the possibilities for the candidate and their place amongst the community, amongst the nations. And for those of us who watch, this is our opportunity to welcome the newly baptized into our lives and our walks of faith.

Respond: Thinking about your own name, what did it mean for your parents to arrive at this choice? If you’re able to have a conversation with them or elders in your family, ask anew about your name and their thinking as they settled on what it would be. Look into your family tree and see if connections exist across generations and children were born and names were chosen – were ancestors’ names repeated? Were combinations made to honor more than one person? Ask around and see.

- Mallard Benton