They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.(Mark 10:46-52 NRSV)
Thoughts to Chew On
- What’s the first word that comes into your mind when you hear the word “Lent”?
- What’s your experience of Lenten disciplines – yours or someone around you?
- If you had to guess why it became a practice in the Church – what’s your best guess?
- What triggers you to think about adding disciplines to your life – personal, business, spiritual?
- When you’ve found yourself in a renewed place with God, what’s been the path there?
- What’s Jesus’ tone of voice in this letter?
- What words of his caught your attention as you heard it read?
- What’s opening the door to Jesus’ invitation look like for you?
A Lenten Prayer
God of all seasons, in your pattern of things there is a time for keeping and a time for losing – a time for building up and a time for pulling down. In this holy season of lent, as we journey with our Lord to the cross, help us to discern in our lives what we must lay down and what we must take up – what we must end and what we must begin… For Jesus’ sake
