Lent 2: Soul Shelter
Sunday 16 March 2025
All nourished by a safe home (for everyone)
Bible readings
Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
they shall stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.
One thing I asked of the Lord;
this I seek:
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, do I seek.
Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off; do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
If my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will take me up.
Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they are breathing out violence.
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
Luke 13:31-35
At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”
Songs and hymns
- Be thou my vision (StF 545)
- Christ the heavenly food that gives (website only)
- Community of Christ, who make the cross your own (StF 681)
- Longing for light, we wait in darkness (StF 706)
- Gather us in (“Here in this place a new light is streaming”) (Marty Haugen songlyrics.com/marty-haugen/gather-us-in-lyrics/
Also Church Hymnary 4 623 / Ancient and Modern 363) - O God of Bethel, by whose hand (StF 475)
- The Lord is my light, my light and salvation (Psalm 27) (John Bell Many and Great ionabooks.com/product/the-lord-is-my-light-downloadable-music-track/)
Opening liturgy
Give us this day our daily bread to shelter our soul.
As bricks and mortar give our bodies shelter,
shelter our being, our souls, with your spirit.
Give us this day our daily bread to shelter our soul.
As houses protect and keep safe our physical being,
hold us in the shelter and safety of your Word.
Give us this day our daily bread to shelter our soul.
As an umbrella holds back the rain and the storms,
so Lord be our umbrella, our tent, our shelter in life’s uncertain times.
O Lord our God, on this Lenten journey,
shelter us in the struggling world’s uncertainties. Amen.
Object
An umbrella, or some kind of tent or shelter
Background notes
Jerusalem, Jerusalem...
Jesus’ brief speech is an example of a literary device called an apostrophe, in which someone absent or distant is addressed as if they were present. Repeating the name is common in apostrophes, such as “O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?”(1) Here, Jesus addresses Jerusalem, a symbol representing the entire nation of Israel.(2)
How often have I desired to gather
The word gather is commonly used to express the hope for God’s universal restoration. For instance, Isaiah 56:7-8 says:
...for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel,
I will gather others to them besides those already gathered…
This passage highlights God’s promise to bring home all people in a restored relationship.3
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings
Jesus uses a beautiful image of himself as a mother bird, expressing his deep care and desire to protect. This nurturing imagery is also found in Deuteronomy 32:11, where God is compared to an eagle caring for its young; in Psalm 17:8, which speaks of being hidden “in the shadow of [God’s] wings”; and in Ruth 2:12, where Ruth is blessed for seeking refuge under God’s wings. Each passage highlights God’s protective love and shelter.(4)
1 C. F. Evans, Saint Luke (1990) SCM, London, pp. 563-564.
2 Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke (1997) Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, p. 537.
3 Evans, pp. 564-565.
4 Joseph A. Fitzmeyer, The Gospel According to Luke (1981) Doubleday, New York, p. 1036.
Questions for discussion
Here are some discussion questions based on these insights into Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem. These questions aim to encourage reflection on the depth of God’s compassion and the barriers to experiencing it, inviting participants to connect personally with Jesus’ message.
- The hen and her brood Jesus uses a sweet and caring image, comparing himself to a hen taking care of her chicks under her wings. What does this tell us about how he cared for the people of Jerusalem – and, by extension, for all of humanity?
- Protective imagery in Scripture Have you noticed how Jesus’ image of gathering as a mother bird is echoed in other Bible passages like Deuteronomy 32:11, Psalm 17:8, and Ruth 2:12? These similar images tell us a lot about God’s character as a protector. How does it make you feel to think of finding shelter ‘under God’s wings’?
- Addressing the City How does Jesus’ direct address to Jerusalem encourage us to consider the spiritual and social health of our own cities and communities? What kind of gathering or restoration might God long for in your context?
Prayer ideas
Stick pieces of paper on the walls in different areas to represent the different rooms in a home as a prompt to pray about each type of shelter. If feasible, everyone could gather in each zone to pray together and then move on to the next ‘room’, or alternatively the worship leader could travel between the zones on behalf of everyone. Feel free to adapt these suggestions to the local context.
- Kitchen: Give thanks for the food and drink that we all enjoy. Pray for people who are struggling to buy food.
- Lounge: Give thanks for relaxation and conversation. Pray for people who are lonely.
- Bedroom: Give thanks for sleep and restoration. Pray for people who are suffering from anxiety and stress.
- Bathroom: Give thanks for health and hygiene. Pray for people who are suffering from ill health.
- Pray for people who are homeless, that they may find safe shelter.
The good news to get across
God desires a safe home for everyone and we are called to advocate for justice and peace for all. Through our actions and commitment, we can contribute to creating a world where everyone is secure.
Ways people can respond
Give everyone a sugar cube to hold. Ask them to pray silently to God about their homes, expressing both their wishes and gratitude. Then, have them place their sugar cubes on a table with the others, using them as blocks to create a scene of shelter. People may choose to create a street or a block of flats. As they do this, take a moment to pray for the local community and for those who currently lack a safe home.
Hands-on activity
Make a paper tent as a way of reflecting on how it feels to be sheltered and dry. You could write the key Bible verses on the outside of the tent.
Prayer of blessing
May God, the mother hen, shelter your soul today. Amen.