Get the app2016 Belmont University Lenten GuideSample
Sometimes God disappoints us. We expect a particular outcome will come to pass and it does not happen the way we hoped. The prayers for a loved one to get better seem to fall on to empty ears when they breathe their last breath. The patient striving for reconciliation seems wasted when the relationship crumbles right in front of us. We live in a world of disappointment and unfulfilled expectation.
If we are completely honest with ourselves I think most of us can at times identify with the Psalmist’s stark confession at the end of this Psalm that seems to suggest life would be better if God left him alone. The God we read about in the Bible often seems vastly different from the God we experience in reality. He does not quite meet our expectations the way we hope and we are often left frustrated and angry.
It turns out we are in good company. The disciples themselves expected Jesus to be something different than He was. They expected a warrior king to liberate the people of Israel from hundreds of years of oppression. Instead they got a meek and humble servant, who shows them, and us, the only way to full and abundant life is a slow and painful process that involves death to self.
The beauty of God’s grace is that He not only hears our disappointment, but continues to embrace us as His children regardless of how we might feel about Him. The words of the psalmist and the disciple’s false expectations are just two of countless examples of when the people of God expect Him to be different than He is. Rather than ignore our disappointment or frustration with God we ought to practice the sometimes brutal honesty we see in the Psalms (and many other places in scripture) and confess the ways in which God has appeared to let us down. It is in those moments, often our darkest, when we find freedom from unspoken expectation. Then, and only then, can we see the simple and profound seeds of grace of slowly growing in our midst.
ANONYMOUS
If we are completely honest with ourselves I think most of us can at times identify with the Psalmist’s stark confession at the end of this Psalm that seems to suggest life would be better if God left him alone. The God we read about in the Bible often seems vastly different from the God we experience in reality. He does not quite meet our expectations the way we hope and we are often left frustrated and angry.
It turns out we are in good company. The disciples themselves expected Jesus to be something different than He was. They expected a warrior king to liberate the people of Israel from hundreds of years of oppression. Instead they got a meek and humble servant, who shows them, and us, the only way to full and abundant life is a slow and painful process that involves death to self.
The beauty of God’s grace is that He not only hears our disappointment, but continues to embrace us as His children regardless of how we might feel about Him. The words of the psalmist and the disciple’s false expectations are just two of countless examples of when the people of God expect Him to be different than He is. Rather than ignore our disappointment or frustration with God we ought to practice the sometimes brutal honesty we see in the Psalms (and many other places in scripture) and confess the ways in which God has appeared to let us down. It is in those moments, often our darkest, when we find freedom from unspoken expectation. Then, and only then, can we see the simple and profound seeds of grace of slowly growing in our midst.
ANONYMOUS
About this Plan
Again this year, through an intentional partnership between the College of Theology & Christian Ministry and the Office of University Ministries, we have been able to create and offer a Lenten Devotional Guide to help our campus community prepare for Easter.
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We are truly grateful for all of the individuals who have helped to make this fifth annual Lent and Holy Week guide a reality for our campus community, as it was indeed a campuswide collaboration that includes contributions from students, faculty and staff from across the campus, and even a few alumni. For more information, please visit: http://www.belmont.edu/
