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Come to Me: Luke 13:31-35

Jesus was undeterred by threats on his life and, as a result, his commitment is our example. Too much of our life is oriented by fear. We fear terrorists, illegal aliens, liberals, conservatives, economic trends, people of other ethnicities; the list continues and the paranoia shapes our world. Return to me, says Jesus, come to me like little chicks congregating under their mother hen’s wings. Come, put your fears at rest and learn of me, learn of peace.

Jesus weeps over those who are oriented toward killing and stoning and creating fear. He laments the fact that people do not want to be known as chickens. Peace has been given a bad name. Peace is ignorance, irresponsibility, naivete, and cowardly in our culture (we can stop saying “post 9-11 culture”). The Pharisees warned Jesus, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you” (v 31). Jesus did not change his plans, his life, or his values because someone had targeted him.

Jesus’ love and ministry could not be altered by threats. Come, little chicks, learn of this courage, return to this life-orientation; but they would not. Jesus lamented the fact that fear could change them so deeply, so quickly. Does Jesus still lament the fear-orientation of his children? On the cross Jesus was forsaken by his Father (Mark 15:34). In Jerusalem Jesus was forsaken by his followers. He cried out his lament both times. Does Jesus still weep?

A returning to the Lord by his children during this Lenten season could change a nation, could change a world. Jesus simply calls for a change in his children. “Stop running away from me. Return to me. But they were not willing.” (v 34). An orientation of fear is an orientation away from God. Lent says return. It invites us to come in the name of the Lord. Come back to his teachings. Return to his example, to his courage.

Another word for lament is grieve. We grieve because we cannot return to the way it used to be. Jesus grieves because we will not turn toward the way it can be. “Return to me,” with wings spread, “Return to me,” but they were not willing. Lent echoes the call.

Jesus does not force us to turn. He will allow us to live in the house we are building, a house of fear. (v 35a) We are building a house with barred windows, “keep out” signs, guns locked and loaded, surrounded by high fences. Jesus’ house is a house of prayer where all are welcome. Come home, return to me, live like this, but they were not willing. We can turn. We can return. We can gather with those who are content to be sheltered by his wings, by the span of his love and grace.

This passage of scripture underscores the importance of Lent and a proper orientation toward the cross. Jesus said/says to the disoriented, “You will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ “(v 35-Palm Sunday for us). If we do not see him entering Jerusalem in defiance of fear, we may not see him at all.

Lord, in response to your tears, I come.

 

A word about the series

The Lenten season has always inspired many people to create everything from poems, art and music to a completely new direction in their lives.  This Lenten season Tabernacle will be exploring many of those creations in the hope of inspiring you to compose in a medium that is natural for you.   The paintings in the Sanctuary are of the Biblical Stations of the Cross.  The artist, Grieg Leach, completed them in 2010.  They will help us to visualize the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus.  In addition to the paintings there is a Lenten devotional booklet, Return to Me, which is available in print or online.  The Stations of the Cross also inspired these devotions, written by Terry York of Baylor University.   Living with these two bodies of artistic expression based on the Biblical Stations of the Cross throughout the season of Lent should help us as we seek to return our lives to God by walking with Jesus though his final days.

Pray, read, think and return to God.

(sorry for delay: administrator’s computer broke down over the weekend)

An Outlook for the Day: Psalm 27

The writer of Psalm 27 was a well-balanced person who was having a good day. The dangers, difficulties, and frustrations that could happen are acknowledged, but not feared. They neither occupy the psalmist’s mind nor slow him down. Each potential darkness is met with the declaration that “The Lord is my lightÖwhom shall I fear?” (v 1a) Each potential set-back or defeat is met with the confidence that “The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (v 1b) David is neither paranoid nor naÔve. Rather, he is alive in the Lord, aware of God’s presence, and present within the day.

Worship is on the psalmist’s lips, in his heart, and in his weekly routine. Prayer, for the psalmist, is both petition and praise, spoken and sung. His faith is not just about the afterlife, it exists in his day and in his circumstances. It is dynamic. His day contains activity and waiting-waiting on the Lord; silence as prayer. The psalmist is embracing responsibility as well as releasing his heart and life to God.

Lent is a call to balance, something that is needed in every life. “Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me” (v 6). David can face the realities he sees and hears because he does not face them alone. Worship, both personal and corporate, is woven throughout this psalm. Prayer seems to be conversational. David prays that he might, “live in the house of the Lord all the days of [his] life” (v 4). That doesn’t mean that he wants to move into the chapel, it means he wants to live knowing that God is in him and around him, in front of him and behind him.

David certainly had his share of down days, but he prepared for them in the up times and in the routine times. His routine was not mundane; it was time spent with God. His down days were days of falling back on God and humbling himself before the present God.

Lent calls us to return to that kind of routine, that kind of deep joy and awareness of God’s presence. The key to all of this is found in verse 11. “Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level pathÖ.” There’s a prayer for you, an outlook for the day, a strategy for facing reality: God’s way and a level path. It’s refreshing just to consider it. Lent suggests that we might join David, the psalmist, in his prayers. This is a great psalm to pray. You’ll have to keep your eyes open to read it, but enter into the reading with the same verbal formula you use for prayer. Put, “In Jesus’ name, amen,” at the end of verse 14. Then sit in silence, thinking about what you just prayed/read, and sense God’s agreement and companionship. This is the “waiting for the Lord” that is suggested in the psalm. This is how your heart signs up and “takes courage” (v 14). It’s really quite an amazing exercise.

David says rather confidently and conversationally, “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (v 13). I believe he did; I believe you can. There is light in Lent.

Prayer for today: pray this psalm.

 

A word about the series

The Lenten season has always inspired many people to create everything from poems, art and music to a completely new direction in their lives.  This Lenten season Tabernacle will be exploring many of those creations in the hope of inspiring you to compose in a medium that is natural for you.   The paintings in the Sanctuary are of the Biblical Stations of the Cross.  The artist, Grieg Leach, completed them in 2010.  They will help us to visualize the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus.  In addition to the paintings there is a Lenten devotional booklet, Return to Me, which is available in print or online.  The Stations of the Cross also inspired these devotions, written by Terry York of Baylor University.   Living with these two bodies of artistic expression based on the Biblical Stations of the Cross throughout the season of Lent should help us as we seek to return our lives to God by walking with Jesus though his final days.

Pray, read, think and return to God.

 

Our worship service centers on Luke 22:47-53, the betrayal of Jesus. Julie Gaines’s sermon is entitled, “Think Again”.  Worship leaders include Ah Char Ngwa, Sui Sui, Sah Hay Moo, Erin Braford, Jean Finley, Sanctuary Choir and the Church Staff.

Putting Fear in Its Place, Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Practical realities are not to be ignored; boundaries of age, health, and territory exist. They are part of the practical realities that we must factor in to the decisions we make. Our boundaries are the results of decisions that have been made for us and of decisions we have made for ourselves. Abram joins us in listing realities that must be considered if we are to be responsible individuals.

God doesn’t deny the facts that Abram presents; God simply refuses to be bound by them. What Abram can’t do or can’t imagine are starting points for God. These starting points are introduced by this statement, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great” (v 1).

One of the hidden concerns brought to light during the Lenten season is fear. We are afraid that we can’t or that God can’t, or that we won’t or that God won’t. Fear is not choosey because it will work with any form of doubt. “Don’t be afraid” is a frequent greeting in the Bible. Heaven knows that fear permeates the air on earth. It’s how we approach much of what we don’t understand. The more sophisticated form of fear is called caution. We hold it up and call it good. When caution begins to look like counting the cost, we declare this refined fear to be biblical. We are very good at distilling fear. God and the angels cut to the chase and simply say, “Don’t fear.” It saves time and paves the way for important announcements and conversation.

In today’s passage, God is trying to get past Abram’s fears and practicality so that he can be blessed and be a blessing. Abram does get by the barriers in this passage, and his believing is rewarded each time. The blessings Abram receives are of benefit to him, but that is just the beginning. The real reward is in what is passed on to his heirs. Generations of offspring, as numerous as the stars, will inhabit the land between the two most important rivers in their part of the world. The symbolism is of the grandest proportions.

It makes one wonder what blessings are bound up behind other fears. Could it be that as Lent calls us to face fears, failures, disappointments, and darkness, it is also calling us ever closer to blessings with generational implications? Is this because Lent is a call to return to God, the God who’s always saying, “Don’t be afraid”?

Come forward fears, and let God reveal the blessings you hide. Fears are formidable and will not go away without a struggle, but eventually peace will come, peace and sleep. These are blessings all their own. We have learned that Advent blossoms into blessing. Let us learn the same of Lent. It, too, can blossom.

Abram’s believing counted as righteousness as far as God was concerned (v 6). Believing pushes past fears and, while acknowledging realities, puts them in their place.

Lord, as I confess the realities of my life and heart, put them in their place.

Allow me to participate in your blessing.

 

 

A word about the series

The Lenten season has always inspired many people to create everything from poems, art and music to a completely new direction in their lives.  This Lenten season Tabernacle will be exploring many of those creations in the hope of inspiring you to compose in a medium that is natural for you.   The paintings in the Sanctuary are of the Biblical Stations of the Cross.  The artist, Grieg Leach, completed them in 2010.  They will help us to visualize the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus.  In addition to the paintings there is a Lenten devotional booklet, Return to Me, which is available in print or online.  The Stations of the Cross also inspired these devotions, written by Terry York of Baylor University.   Living with these two bodies of artistic expression based on the Biblical Stations of the Cross throughout the season of Lent should help us as we seek to return our lives to God by walking with Jesus though his final days.

Pray, read, think and return to God.

Confronting Temptation, Luke 4: 1-13

Temptation: its taunting stretches from the earliest records of human beings to today’s newest technological gadgets. People make money flaunting it and trying to cure it. Temptation washes over us and erodes the ground on which we stand. Lent forces us to look at our particular confrontation with it.

Temptation was waiting for Jesus to dry off from his baptism; it practically handed him the towel. For forty days Jesus was led by the Spirit and tempted by the devil (vv 1-2). A tug of war in the wilderness may sound all too familiar to some who read these words. It’s not any fun. In fact, Jesus would later include, “Lead us not into temptation,” in his model prayer for his disciples. He’d had enough of that, even though he knew how to defeat it. Jesus was fully human, and we get as much hope from that as we do from the fact that he was also fully divine.

According to scripture, Jesus returned to God in his battle with temptation. Angels could have ended it; Jesus and the devil both knew that. Miracles could have ended it, and they both knew it. But scripture was tested even as Jesus was tempted, and the devil learned that scripture was a formidable weapon. The lesson is there for us to learn as well.

The scripture didn’t function as a magic spell or formula; instead, it served as light for each step through the wilderness of temptation. Lent puts us in touch with some enlightening scripture-strange and tough stories of just enough light in otherwise dark surroundings. The way out is the next step revealed, believed, and acted upon. We are tempted to think of that as overly simple and naive. But Lent tells us that the step-by-step journey in the footsteps of Jesus is not an easy path.

Jesus’ journey through the wilderness was just the beginning. His steps would finally lead him up the slope of Mount Calvary, involved in a tug of war all the way. Jesus got the upper hand on temptation, but it never left his side; neither did the Holy Spirit (v 1) or scripture. From the cross Jesus quoted Psalm 22 as his deep and lonely cry.

Temptation: its defeat by the Holy Spirit and Holy Scripture stretches from the journeys of Jesus to today’s step-by-step struggle. Temptation is personal, spiritual, and opportunistic. Lent calls temptation from the shadows and calls the tempted to return to God. Lent is an arena for the great struggle, but Lent demands that the struggle be on God’s terms.

Angels are always standing by, and it would be wonderful to be whisked away, a proven winner with no scars. But we walk the path behind Jesus and we know what he thinks about the angel option. We also know that, despite the temptations he faced, he was faithful. We know that he bears scars on his back, head, side, hands, and feet for the temptations we face. Now, when the devil shows up, we have Spirit and scripture, rehearsed each Lenten season, pointing to the scars on the Man who also walks beside us.

We have scars, but in Christ we will stand before God, spotless. We are healed by his stripes.

Jesus, we would walk with you,

for temptations lose their power when you are near.

 

 

A word about the series

The Lenten season has always inspired many people to create everything from poems, art and music to a completely new direction in their lives.  This Lenten season Tabernacle will be exploring many of those creations in the hope of inspiring you to compose in a medium that is natural for you.   The paintings in the Sanctuary are of the Biblical Stations of the Cross.  The artist, Grieg Leach, completed them in 2010.  They will help us to visualize the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus.  In addition to the paintings there is a Lenten devotional booklet, Return to Me, which is available in print or online.  The Stations of the Cross also inspired these devotions, written by Terry York of Baylor University.   Living with these two bodies of artistic expression based on the Biblical Stations of the Cross throughout the season of Lent should help us as we seek to return our lives to God by walking with Jesus though his final days.

Pray, read, think and return to God.

Are We Too Early? Romans 10:8b-13

Lent is not the season to pretend that Jesus has not yet risen from the grave. Instead, it is the season to remember the place of suffering in the magnificent story of Jesus, of the “Christ event.” During Lent we are reminded that suffering and submission are entwined with salvation. Jesus inquired about that for us and with us in the garden when he prayed to see if there was another way.

Salvation awaits our confession that Jesus is Lord and that Jesus died. We must also believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. That’s not all, but it is the beginning. Lent prepares us for the death of the Lord, himself. This puts all other deaths and suffering into perspective. Any who would try to shame us end up reinforcing the fact that we are on the path Jesus walked. Suffering marks a step taken, a step that brings us closer to Jesus.

Lent reminds us of our deepest identification with Christ. Jesus holds one end of our pain, one end of our grief, our shame, and our fear. There is joy in nearness to Christ, of course. But there is something very personal about pain, and Jesus is appropriately present in our pain-pain of every sort. His presence is our salvation; we call out to Jesus and we feel his presence as a tug, a touch, a lifting that says, “I’m here.” Believing and knowing bow to the touch that comes in response to our call. Christ is with us and we are saved.

Prayer is an act of confession that says we believe Jesus is Lord. We may not understand all of his ways, but we believe he is there to hear us. In our hearts there is a knowing that says our prayer and confession is not in vain. Lent is there for us when we are not in a position to gladly know that Jesus is Lord.

Acknowledging our need for the Lord to save us puts all people on the same level. Our need for God does not diminish us, nor does it elevate us above anyone else. It does help us to see that we are no different from any other person. Who did we once consider “other”? Who did we once consider “less” or “lower” or “above” us? We are the same in our need of the Lord; we are the same before Jesus who is the Lord who died and lives and justifies. Lent can bring down walls, or it can keep them from going up. Lent shows haughtiness to be on the side of those who condemned Jesus; it causes us to feel the spit and the whip and the cutting words.

Returning to God is calling on the name of Jesus, the one who suffered and died, to grab hold of our pain and help us carry it. Returning to God is to call on the name of Jesus to make something out of all that is falling apart. We might not think to call in this way if we were not reminded that this is not new territory to Jesus. Jesus is our hope and our salvation, the one who returned to be our redeemer. When we turn to Jesus, he turns to death and says, “She is no longer yours, I am here for him,” and we are saved. We call upon the Lord, and an upward force, greater than the dragging down we have known, turns things around.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (v 13). Are we too early in Lent to hear this? We are not. Hearing these words this early in Lent gives us the remainder of the season to consider what it meant to Jesus for the word “everyone” to include me. We may need the time.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

 

 

A word about the series

The Lenten season has always inspired many people to create everything from poems, art and music to a completely new direction in their lives.  This Lenten season Tabernacle will be exploring many of those creations in the hope of inspiring you to compose in a medium that is natural for you.   The paintings in the Sanctuary are of the Biblical Stations of the Cross.  The artist, Grieg Leach, completed them in 2010.  They will help us to visualize the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus.  In addition to the paintings there is a Lenten devotional booklet, Return to Me, which is available in print or online.  The Stations of the Cross also inspired these devotions, written by Terry York of Baylor University.   Living with these two bodies of artistic expression based on the Biblical Stations of the Cross throughout the season of Lent should help us as we seek to return our lives to God by walking with Jesus though his final days.

Pray, read, think and return to God.

The central symbol of the Christian faith is an ancient torture device.

Only employed against the most heinous criminals and those guilty of treason, the cross now enjoys a revival of epic proportions.We forge its shape into elaborate jewelry and wear it around our necks with ease. Some of us hang its likeness as decor on the walls of our homes, while others of us have it tattooed on our bodies. We are no longer unnerved by its shape, but comforted by it. It has become a symbol loaded with meaning, but what exactly does it mean?

For centuries, it has been imbued with special significance for the Christian faith, but it is no easy symbol. It represents both death and new-life, both a place of great suffering and the means of our restoration. In it, we are reminded of who it is that God sent to save all humankind… and who it was that executed him. The cross is complex, often beckoning us to accept forgiveness in the same moment that it takes us to task about how casually we have chosen to walk through God’s world.

In this 5-week series, we’ll consider the complexity of the cross as the central symbol of the Christian faith and how it not only reveals to us who God is, but also who it is that God desires for us to be!

Schedule:
Feb. 20: Where Fear Meets Hope, Dr. Phyllis Rodgerson-Pleasants
Feb. 27: The Event of Judgment and Forgiveness, Rev. Justin Joplin
Mar. 6: Both/And: The Cross as Crossroads for People Living Between the Poles, Dan Schumacher
Mar. 13: The Location of Suffering and Healing, Dr. Dan Bagby
Mar. 20: An Example to be Rejected and Emulated, Dr. Valerie Carter

God Is Our Refuge and Fortress, Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

Too many of us feel that there is no light in Lent, or that ashes on the forehead mean a light switch has been turned off. But in today’s passage there is a call to return, with light for the path back. The first two verses of the ninety-first psalm give a bit of warning. This is not to frighten us, but to let us know that no one is immune from life’s difficulties and dangers. Verse 1 tells us there will be times when those “who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty” will find themselves returning to God, reassuring themselves with a prayer of affirmation. They “will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust’ “ (v 2).

This, too, is Lent-the reassurance that the Lord is our refuge and our fortress. It is good to be reminded of this before the time of crisis is upon us. We don’t know how many times divine intervention protects us, but we do know that we, like Jesus and everyone else, are susceptible to disease, injury, and disaster. What we also know, what is contained in the phrase, “My refuge and my fortress,” is that, ultimately, we are held in God’s hands. We are secure in God’s love and power. Lent slows us down and reminds us of this; it reminds us, also, of God’s acquaintance with grief and sorrow.

This passage of scripture is more subtle than most others considered in this little book. It is less harsh, but it is not too bright for Lent. To consider this aspect of Lent is to hear God’s voice in verses 14-16: “Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.”

This is what it means to seek refuge in God. Lent calls us back to the name of God, calls us back to a continuing awareness of the presence of God. Those who live in that awareness will be delivered by and to God in one way or another. This is not sleight of hand or word play; it is knowing simply that God is with us and will deliver us. Lent calls us to prayer and assures us that God hears, understands, and answers our prayer (v 15). When it seems that God does not hear or care or answer, Lent reminds us that God is with us in our fears and frustrations. In those moments, the God who seems far away is actually our refuge and fortress, and is at our side. Why doesn’t God just make it right in the obvious way of making it right? We don’t know why, but the scripture assures us God understands and hears, and is with us in the pain and struggle.

In verses 9-13 we find beautiful words that we would almost rather not read. They seem to be promises for someone else, and seem to indicate that there is blessing out there for which we, for some reason, don’t qualify. But a more careful reading, from the grayness of Lent, connects us with visions of the coming peaceable kingdom, when lions shall take naps with lambs, and the young shall play with venomous snakes without harm. This passage is difficult to understand; there’s no denying that. Even the devil knew that when he used verse 12 to tempt Jesus. We must not let this passage be used against us, either. We may express our frustration, fear, and anger to God, but we are not to test God with these promises.

A day is coming when the things we don’t understand will be made clear to us. In the meantime, God is with us; God is our refuge and fortress.

Calm our anxious minds and hearts; silence the frenzied voices.

We bow in your presence.

 

A word about the series

The Lenten season has always inspired many people to create everything from poems, art and music to a completely new direction in their lives.  This Lenten season Tabernacle will be exploring many of those creations in the hope of inspiring you to compose in a medium that is natural for you.   The paintings in the Sanctuary are of the Biblical Stations of the Cross.  The artist, Grieg Leach, completed them in 2010.  They will help us to visualize the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus.  In addition to the paintings there is a Lenten devotional booklet, Return to Me, which is available in print or online.  The Stations of the Cross also inspired these devotions, written by Terry York of Baylor University.   Living with these two bodies of artistic expression based on the Biblical Stations of the Cross throughout the season of Lent should help us as we seek to return our lives to God by walking with Jesus though his final days.

Pray, read, think and return to God.

Generosity and Perspective, Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Lent and tithing: the connection makes sense when you think about it. Giving back to God a portion of what God has given to us is an effective way to keep both our blessings and our bounty in perspective in a world where want and need is so prevalent. This is not a call to feel guilty or ashamed. It is a call to stewardship, to responsibility, to awareness of our connection to all the people on the earth. God created them; Jesus died for them; and the Spirit nudges us toward them.
This passage in Deuteronomy takes on fresh meaning during Lent, but its teachings shape us throughout the year. What blessings do we have that God did not give us? What suffering do we bear that God, in Christ, does not experience with us? Our tithe, a returning to God, reminds us of this important relationship. The scripture clearly encourages us to accept blessings and inheritances. Just as clearly, this passage encourages us to a constant awareness that gifts from God carry with them a spiritual and a communal significance that is ours to oversee.
Read verse eleven again, ìThen you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.î The gift is bounty, more than you need or can use. The religious community is involved. Also involved are the “aliens”  (displaced and migrant people of another country), and they are to benefit from this bounty. Note that the aliens are living with the recipient, and members of the recipient’s house are to participate. That would include family, servants, and anyone associated with the one who received from God.
The Lenten message here is one of generosity. God’s gifts to us are not meant for us alone. When we receive God’s blessing, we are also commissioned to become a distributor of that blessing. The instructions for distribution push through the dividing lines and categories that may be in place. We are to share, and we are to share beyond personal, familial, economic, and national distinctions. It is in Lent that we are most pointedly called to such communal awareness. It is in Lent that we are brought face to face with our kinship to all within our reach. Christmas calls us to generosity, too. But Lent calls us to a generosity that is also identity, our identity, in God’s eyes.
We are sister and brother to the servant, the slave, and the alien. Our relationship to the gift is affected in the same way. We are not only recipient, but also steward. Lent calls us to a rejoicing for the sake of others and with others; this is a humble rejoicing that shares fully, willingly, and quickly, lest anyone think we are entertaining ungodly thoughts of hoarding. The Lenten celebration is full of gratitude and sharing, and the deep joy that brings.
The Lenten family expands to the Lenten community, and God is worshiped and celebrated in the new and humble transformation of our hearts.

Help us accept the responsibility as readily as we accept the bounty.
Help us to redefine the words brother and sister.

 

A word about the series

The Lenten season has always inspired many people to create everything from poems, art and music to a completely new direction in their lives.  This Lenten season Tabernacle will be exploring many of those creations in the hope of inspiring you to compose in a medium that is natural for you.   The paintings in the Sanctuary are of the Biblical Stations of the Cross.  The artist, Grieg Leach, completed them in 2010.  They will help us to visualize the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus.  In addition to the paintings there is a Lenten devotional booklet, Return to Me, which is available in print or online.  The Stations of the Cross also inspired these devotions, written by Terry York of Baylor University.   Living with these two bodies of artistic expression based on the Biblical Stations of the Cross throughout the season of Lent should help us as we seek to return our lives to God by walking with Jesus though his final days.

Pray, read, think and return to God.