Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine.   (Exodus 19:3-5)

The first reading for the third Sunday in Lent contains the wording of the Ten Commandments. For many of us, Charlton Heston is the personification of Moses. In our mind's eye, we can see him as he came down from the mountain, long white hair blowing in the wind, with the tablets, or the scene of Moses smashing of the first set of tablets. Sometimes, the visuals remain stronger than the written word.

The readings for Cycle B during Lent this year all attempt to balance the law with the gospel. Jesus acknowledges the importance of the law presented by Moses, but then goes on to give a summary of the law tempered and translated by love. (Law demands obedience to God's ethical will, and Gospel promises the forgiveness of sins in light of the person and work of Jesus Christ)

A reflective reading of Christ's teaching reveals that the first four commandments given to the children of Israel are contained in the statement: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." It continues that the last six commandments are enclosed in the statement: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22.38-46 also Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27)

A few years ago, when I was teaching Confirmation classes at both APLC and Redeemer in Trenton, I gave the assignment to turn each commandment in a positive rather than a negative form. Some of the answers the kids came up with were quite creative, and the two groups' transformations varied considerably. I won't list them all, but if you are interested, catch me sometime and I'll share them with you. A couple of examples: Be kind (#5), Be faithful (#6) and Be truthful (#7). Try it for yourself: instead of "Thou shall not's", write a list of "Thou shall's".

Prayer of the Day for the Third Sunday of Lent
Holy God, through your Son you have called us to live faithfully and act courageously. Keep us steadfast in your covenant of grace, and teach us the wisdom that comes only through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Over the past few years, there have been many court cases to ban public display of the Ten Commandments. At present, there are statues of Moses and the Ten Commandments inside the U.S. Supreme Court's courtroom and pictures of the Ten Commandments and Moses in the rotunda of the Library of Congress. Courthouses and public parks all around the nation have had Ten Commandments monuments of one sort or another erected in them. Many schools have the commandments as part of their decoration. Defenders argue that Ten Commandments monuments represent the basis of American law, are part of America's religious heritage, or are simply expressions of majority religious beliefs. Critics argue that they are unconstitutional expressions of support for one religion over others. Should Ten Commandments monuments and plaques be allowed in public buildings? What do you think?

Contributed by Rosemary
Sunday March 15, 2009
Liturgical Year B Week 16
Sunday Gospel Readings:
Third Sunday in Lent