Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Introduction written by Patience Fort
About My
Father’s Business:
A Lenten Devotional Guide
Many of my readers knew my
mother, Patience Nave. When she was 50 years old, she graduated from Western
Kentucky University with her Bachelor’s degree. She went on to earn her Master’s
in English and then taught in South America, China, and Florida. After serving
for eight years on the Citrus County School Board in Homosassa, Florida, she
began a short career as Education Coordinator/Minister in two churches:
Homosassa First United Methodist Church and Rehobeth United Methodist Church in
Greensboro, North Carolina (where, by the way, she celebrated her 80th
birthday).
Some of the things that I cherish
from Mother’s years at her churches in Florida and North Carolina are the
devotional guides she developed for Advent and Lent. I have about six years of them. And now I
enjoy reproducing them on my blog for all to read and enjoy. Feel free to share
them with your friends.
This particular devotional guide
is from the Spring of 2010. She was still living in Florida and working at
First United Methodist Church of Homosassa. Here is an excerpt from her
introduction.
As I plan our devotionals
each year, I look for a theme for the entire book. This year, Luke 2:49 popped
into my head: “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”
(NKJV) As I mulled over thoughts, I began to wonder just exactly what his
perception of his Father’s business was.
To my disappointment,
when I looked the verse up in the Bible, I found that most of the new
translations do not say “my Father’s business” but “in my Father’s house.”
At first I was very
disappointed because pursuing the meaning of his Father’s business had appeared
to be the theme I was to use for the devotional, but I couldn’t use it if I
were making it say what I wanted it to say. Then I realized that the two
translations fit well! The business of God should be conducted in His house.
Remember when Jesus became so angry and drove the money changers from the
temple? His anger was because the business of God was NOT to buy and sell and
extort money from people who came to the synagogue! Driving the money changers
out was “being about his Father’s business” and “in his Father’s house.”
Taking the analogy a
little further, if our bodies are really the temples of the Holy Spirit – and
the Bible says that they are – then we, his living houses, should go about his
business as we live in the bodies or temple he has given us!
So that’s our theme. The
Scripture each day will help us learn what Jesus considered to be his Father’s
business. My prayer is that the Scripture will also challenge us to consider
whose business we are about. Let’s pray that God will teach us through his Word
how to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, with him as our model, in the holy
houses he has given us, doing the business he calls us to do.
Lent means fortieth – and in the Christian culture, it refers to the 40
days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert prior to the start of His ministry
on earth. It is celebrated now as the 40 days leading up to the commemoration
of the death and resurrection of the Lord starting on Ash Wednesday and
continuing through Holy Week to the Saturday just prior to Easter Sunday. It
includes fasting and self-denial and helps us focus on God.
As you prepare for Easter 2020, my prayer is that this devotional guide
will bless you beyond measure. May we discover new ways to be about our
Father’s business. And may He be glorified.
Father, Bless the words you gave my
mother ten years ago. Make them real to us today. Help us to prepare for the
celebration of your resurrection. And help us to be about your business. Amen
About My Father’s Business:
A
Lenten Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Spring 2010
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator
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