The Church
of the Ascension
Fifth Avenue at Tenth Street
New York City, New York

Mailing address:
12 W. 11th St
New York, NY 10011

v: 212-254-8620
f: 212-254-6520

Worship schedule
Sundays: 9am, 11am
Monday–Friday: 6pm

Monday, March 12, 2007

Monday in the Third Week of Lent

Psalm 42:1-7
2 Kings 5:1-15b
Luke 4:23-30

Psalm 42 calls out to God and asks for His help in distress saying, "Where is God?" God lives in every one of us. We need to become acquainted with God daily and recognize Him when He appears to us in our lives. Remember God, not only when we are troubled, but when we are thankful and rejoicing. Learn to see God living in ourselves and in others.

In 2 Kings 5, a story is told of Naaman, a mighty warrior, who has leprosy. He is told to go to the Israeli prophet, Elisha, to be cured. Naaman travels from Syria to Israel and Elisha sends a messenger to him with the simple command, "Go, wash in the River Jordan seven times and you will be cured." If the prophet had appeared to Naaman and commanded him to perform a difficult task, he was prepared to do it. He's angry and thinks the task is too simple. Naaman expected God, himself to appear and touch him. In the end, Naaman is persuaded to do as Elisha said, and he is cured. Sometimes miracles are simple, like rain.

In Luke 4, Jesus says that no prophet is accepted in his hometown. He's an ordinary man, we know Him, He can't be special. Can He? Every one of us is special, gifted in ways we must share with others to truly experience God's love and power.

What do all three of these stories have in common? They all remind us that God appears to us in ordinary ways, as well as extraordinary ways. God has made us all capable of seeing His wonder in simple things. It is our responsibility to recognize God's good works and Thank Him. Try to find the miracle in each day.

Sara Jones

posted by AscensionNYC @ 1:39 AM  |  link  |