The first week of Lent begins with a Liar
The Father of Lies has been given a holiday of his own! Long neglected and maligned, The Great Deceiver will also be honored with a month of remembrance and celebration of the overlooked history of liars. The Fraudster, also known as Satan, the Devil, the Accuser, Beelzebub, and Lucifer, has been treated unfairly and harassed by so-called Biblical scholars and the media.
Chaos, Contempt and Control have been hired to plan the special events. Falsehood, Fabrication and Deception will be catering the food. The keynote speakers, Slurs, Smears, and Slanders will offer tips for the latest frauds, cons, and embezzlement schemes.
If they show up at all, (We all know how they are.) Fibs, Duplicity, and Menace will provide musical entertainment. And the eau de parfum, Essence of Arrogance will be infused throughout the venue to inflate further the egos of all who attend!
Small Print:
Of course, the event will be prepared for the enemy: Mercy, Love, and Compassion. We expect them to be in them to be in the streets with their signs: Integrity for Americans. Tell the Truth. They will have soap and water to wash out the mouths of any repentant liars and put out any fires in the liars ‘ pants.
The devil, that proud spirit can’t bear to be mocked. – Martin Luther
After his baptism, Jesus spends forty days in the wilderness. Here the Devil meets Jesus and tempts him. Each temptation is a bid from Satan for Jesus to grasp for power, control, and saving his own skin.(Luke 4: 1-13) Temptation targets our egos, which want to know everything, control everything, and be right. In the wilderness scene with the Father of Lies, Jesus demonstrates that any power he might have is not used to show off, control others, line his pockets with gold, or use force.
Because you compete with others
Others will compete with you. Tao De Ching
How might my ego get in the way of sharing the gifts God has given to me?
What tempts me to lie or misuse the gifts I have been given?
See you next week! Love and peace, Loretta
The Praying Life 
Hello Loretta…..what a skillful scenario you have compiled, which mimics the current woes of our nation: THANK YOU. I am grieving deeply over how White Supremacy has been elected into all three branches of our government. After all. the meaning of MAGA can only mean reverting back to the White Supremacy of the Old South, with white men clinging to their slaves, women marginalized with fewer rights, and the threat of violence and terror proclaimed from the Oval Office. Yesterday, I watched on YouTube a meaningful Lenten sermon preached by Marcia Mount Shoop, based on a book about grieving by Francis Weller: Wild Edge of Sorrow. Bottom line: we must grieve together in community, to carry our grief in a different way. Her church is Grace Community Presbyterian Church of Asheville, NC, Grieving is loving….and I have signed up for both our Lenten studies watching Zoom, in order to grieve with my community at First Presbyterian Libertyville. Also, both of my Centering Prayer groups will help me to grieve in community, as we follow the way of Jesus. He did not sell himself out from hunger, greed, or power. With all his wisdom of experience, he had “gravitas,” the quality of leadership that comes from his capacity to live in right relationship with God, and with our shared humanity. Sending every blessing of gravitas to you, BP
Oh Barb, I am so happy for all you are doing to reach out to your communities to grieve and to discover you communities’ spiritual strength and creativity. I am reading R Rohr’ new book, just out. The Tears of Things. I think you might like it.
Whoops, Loretta…..Marcia’s church is Grace COVENANT Presbyterian Church!