Here is the devotional for this Fourth Week of Lent.
Centering Prayer
Continue to pray the Centering Prayer. This prayer allows us to prepare our hearts and minds by resting in God’s grace. Here are some simple instructions for how to do this prayer.
Journaling
We encourage you to journal this Lenten season. Questions for Journaling are listed below. (You may want to listen to the podcast and Sunday’s sermon, then journal throughout the week.)
“Learning How to See” Podcast Episode 4
Episode 4: What Authoritarian Leaders See
In a series of six episodes, three deeply spiritual theologians explore the different biases that shape our human seeing and how contemplation can help us see more clearly.
Questions for Reflection/Journaling
- Why do you think we prefer a confident lie to a hesitant truth?
- How does this bias make us vulnerable to authoritarianism?
- In what ways does our theology contribute to seeing ourselves as helpless or as heroes?
- Do you think of the Gospel as expanding our freedom or limiting it?
- How does radical grace give us a vaccination against conspiracy theories?
Worship Notes
The scripture for worship is John 8:1-12 and tells the story of the woman accused of adultery.
- Who is the hero in this story? Who is the victim? Who is the villain?
- What do you think Jesus was writing on the ground?
- How does our judgment of others make us blind to them?
- How does admitting our own bias enable better connection with those we disagree with?