| Fri Apr 11 | am: 22 pm: 141, 143 | Jere 29:1, 4-13 | Rom 11:13-24 | John 11:1-27 or 12:1-10 |
FIFTH FRIDAY IN LENT – George Augustus Selwyn, first Bishop of New Zealand, 1878
LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: Selwyn was born in London in 1809, educated at Eton and Cambridge, and ordained in 1833. In 1841, he was made first Bishop of New Zealand. He diligently studied the Maori tongue on his long sea voyage and was able to preach on it on his arrival. He laid the foundations of the Church, not only in New Zealand but throughout the islands of Melanesia. (This was the result of a clerical error. The northern boundary of his diocese was supposed to be the parallel of latitude 34 degrees south of the equator. The official document read “north” instead of “south,” and Selwyn cheerfully accepted responsibility for the vast Pacific regions of the Melanesian and Polynesian islands as well as New Zealand. In the ten-year war between the Maoris and the European colonists, Selwyn managed to keep the confidence of both sides, and ultimately at the first general synod of the Church in New Zealand in 1859 to secure the adoption of a Constitution that established the principle of full participation by Maori Christians at all levels of Church government. In 1867, Selwyn was pressured to accept appointment as Bishop of Litchfield. Reluctantly, he returned to England, where he died eleven years later.
MEDITATION OF THE DAY: There is an old saying that people often say to a person when trying to encourage them or bid them farewell, and it is simply, “Keep the Faith”. Perhaps there was a time that it would be a given as to what faith would be kept, but in this day and age, it may not be so clear nor so easy to do! But is it ever easy to keep the Faith? Is it supposed to be? If so, where does it say that? We are reminded in the Psalm appointed for eventide that sometimes the playing field doesn’t seem level as we read Asaph describing what he is seeing in the world he lives in. He says the ungodly don’t seem to have any stress; they are open and proud of immoral behavior; they are not afraid to be violent; have no reservations about planning evil in their hearts or talking badly about God; they threaten people; and view themselves as superior to others. These are the basic elements that Asaph viewed, which almost led him to fall away from the faith.
Is it possible that we in the church can say and do things in our living of life that might cause people to question why and how we are people of faith? Lent is a time of repentance, and sometimes what we should repent from is the self-righteous smug attitude that denies the humility of Christ and the charity of his church. De La Salle, who is remembered this day, reached out to the poorest of the poor because he thought the attitude of the church towards them gave an impression not too different from what Asaph was viewing some centuries ago.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: “Lord God, your spirit of wisdom fills the earth and teaches us your ways. Look upon those called to the vocation of teacher. Let them strive to share their knowledge with gentle patience and endeavor always to bring the truth, which has its source in you, too eager minds. Grant that they may follow Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, forever and ever. Amen.
ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God’s holiness and sovereignty… acknowledging our littleness, distrusting our thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.”—-J. I Packer
Lenten Discipline – On this day when the church commemorates the challenge of teaching in this day and age, it would be good to remember those who seek to live out their faith by being stewards of the values and knowledge in the service of children through teaching. It would be a good discipline to pray for them this day. You can go a step further by doing an act of kindness for the teachers (gift card for Starbucks, a lunch, a letter of thanks) in your life on this day.
SONG OF THE SEASON Wisdom Has Built a House