09 Apr Daily Devotion Thursday 4/9/20

Maundy Thursday

Scripture of the Day:  John 13:1-7, 31-35

Daily Reminder:  Everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (v. 35)

Every night after dinner, I clean up.  Many evenings I have help, but the last crumbs, the final wiping-down, the leftovers to store in the fridge usually fall to me.  Most nights I don’t mind.  The quiet of the kitchen, previously noisy with clanging pots and talkative people, calms me.  As I watch morsels of our meal swirl down the drain, I feel sense of redemption, as if these bits of food contain the hurts of the day that I can now send away.  Things I can forgive and be forgiven for.

Today Jesus tells his disciples to wash one another’s feet, wash the day’s leftover grime away.  Some plain old dirt falls in the basin.  And by the power of Jesus in his disciples then and now, we can wash each other’s heats in forgiveness and love.  As instruments of God’s grace, we can free on another from our familiar circle of friends and share Christ’s love with the world.

Gracious God, help me love and forgive others as Jesus taught and has done for me.  In his name. Amen. 

Prayer Concern:  Those struggling to forgive a hurt

Exodus 12:1-4 [5-10] 11-14; Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-36

Daily Prayers

Morning:  Your death and resurrection are my strength and life, O Christ, raising me from fear into the joy of knowing that you are always near. May streams of peace and grace flow through my heart to all I touch this day.  Amen.

Mealtime:  Jesus, you blessed bread and broke it to open the eyes of faith to your loving presence.  Open our eyes to your presence at this table, that we may taste your goodness in the gifts you give and the love we share.  Amen.

Evening:  You, Lord, are my rest.  Only in you do I know the peace I crave.  I release every thought and care into your love.  Grant gentle rest this night, that I may rise to know you in the beauty of a new day.  Amen.

Worship With Us.

This has been a daily devotion from the “Christ in Our Home” devotion book Vol. 67 No. 2.  Credit given to Heidi Hyland Mann, Laurie J. Hanson, and Julie O’Brien (editors) and devotion writers David L. Miller, Jenifer Ohman-Rodrigues, Christine Hallenbeck Ask, Nathan Baker-Trinity, Carla Thompson Powell, David Iversen, and Michael Walker.  Scripture readings are from the Revised Common Lectionary (c) 1992, 2012 Consolation on Common Texts.  Used by permission.  Texts specific to festivals and commemorations are used when appropriate. For more information about these days, see “More Days for Praise:  Festivals and Commemorations in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, available for purchase at www.augsburgfortress.org.  CHRIST IN OUR HOME (ISSN 0412-2968), published by Augsburg Fortress, 510 Marquette Ave., STE 800, Minneaplolis MN 55402.  Copyrighted material (c) 2019 Augsburg Fortress.  All rights reserved.  Printed in the USA.  USPS Publication Agreement Number 1631527.  Canadian Publication Agreement Number 40030418.