A Historic Moment & A Devotion

So I shot some video of the bullfrogs in the pond night before last even though there really isn’t any video, just loud bullfrog sounds, because you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face because it was pitch black Night Time In The Country. (We have a “booger light” but it doesn’t reach all the way down to the pond. A 50 foot pine tree is in the way.) Anyway, I have never uploaded a video to YouTube. Why, you ask? Because we Live In The Country and the internet service here is not conducive to uploading any length of video. My smart phone had pretty good service last night, so I set it to uploading when I went to bed, fully expecting to find a message saying it couldn’t upload or something went wrong when I next checked it.

When I woke up this morning, it said it had uploaded!!!! I couldn’t believe it!! VIDEO IN THE STICKS!!! It’s a miracle! My first YouTube Video!!!!  A historic moment. Except… I can’t find it on YouTube now. I searched on what I named it, on my user name, on the description… nothing. My account status says “0 uploads”. My phone is a liar and the debil. That’s fine, just fine. I will live to upload another day and I will show the world my bullfrog video one way or another. I will try try again. To be continued…

On another less amphibian note, and I know I’m skipping ahead a bit in the schedule of the devotion but I liked this so I’m sharing. A devotion on Rebirth in Lent which I found on the Episcopalian Church website http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/Reflection_3.pdf and for the whole Lenten devotion http://www.episcopalchurch.org/109435_120988_ENG_HTM.htm The poem about halfway down, past the verse on Nicodemus, is my favorite thing about this reflection on rebirth. Love the poem.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8,9

Opening Prayer

God of wilderness and water,
your Son was baptized and tempted as we are.
Guide us through this season,
that we may not avoid struggle,
but open ourselves to blessing,
through the cleansing depths of repentance
and the heaven-rending words of the Spirit. Amen.

Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
from where is my help to come?
2 My help comes from the LORD, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved *
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
4 Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep;
5 The LORD himself watches over you; *
the LORD is your shade at your right hand,
6 So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; *
it is he who shall keep you safe.
8 The LORD shall watch over your going out and
your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.

Readings
John 3:1-17
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the
mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of
Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

The Wind of the Spirit
by Myra Scovel
Where does the wind come from, Nicodemus?
Rabbi, I do not know.
Nor can you tell where it will go.

Put yourself into the path of the wind, Nicodemus.
You will be borne along
by something greater than yourself.
You are proud of your position,
content in your security,
but you will perish in such stagnant air.

Put yourself into the path of the wind, Nicodemus.
Bright leaves dance before you.
You will find yourself in places
you never dreamed of going:
you will be forced into situations
you have dreaded
and find them like a coming home.

You will have a power you never had before, Nicodemus.
You will be a new man.

Put yourself into the path of the wind.

Time of reflection
What keeps you from putting yourself in the path of the wind?

Faithful God of love,
you blessed us with your servant Son
so that we might know how to serve your people
with justice and with mercy.
We gather the needs of ourselves and others,
and offer them to you in faith and love,
seeking to be strengthened to meet them.
Prayers are said either silently or aloud. Offer those thanksgivings and intercessions which are
on your heart, for yourself, your community, Haiti, the Church, or the world.
Shape us and transform us by your grace,
that we may grow in wisdom and in confidence,
never faltering until we have done all that you desire
to bring your realm of shalom to fulfillment. Amen.

Closing Prayer
We believe in God who lifts our soul heavenward
And prepares our heart to trust.
We believe in God, who shows us the way,
Who leads the way, who is the way.
We believe in God who teaches us truth,
Who does not remember our sin,
Who remembers us in loving-kindness.
We believe in God.
We believe in God.

Blessing
The almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
bless us and keep us. Amen.