Show Notes
In this third week of Lent, Case reflects on the glory of God and the opportunities we have to bear witness to the beauty and wisdom of the Gospel to our colleagues. He also offers a poetic prayer for the upcoming election cycle.
Nuance’s Formed for Formation is a weekly liturgy to encourage all of us to be faithful to Christ in the public square. Join Case Thorp as he follows the Church calendar through the reading of Scripture, prayer, and short reflections on faith in all facets of public life.
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Episode Transcript
And we continue in the 40 days of Lent.
Theme for Reflection: A Poem
In the season of Lent, a time profound
where shadows linger and silence is found.
Elections loom, a civic pilgrimage,
a journey through choices, a thoughtful stage.
Civil servants, the heartbeat of the land,
noble stewards guided by a steady hand.
In the corridors where decisions unfold,
a Lenten tale of stories yet untold.
Politicians, their dreams and schemes take flight,
navigating a landscape veiled in light.
In the echo chambers where promises rise,
Lent beckons truth beneath political skies.
The campaign trail, a penance in itself,
a test of character, truth and stealth.
Yet in this season, let hearts be stirred
to seek justice, peace, with every word.
Lent calls for introspection, deep and wide,
for those who serve and those in whom we confide.
In the halls of power may humility reign,
as civic duty intertwines with Lenten pain.
Let the ballot be a sacred trust,
a choice made with conscience, not with lust.
for civil servants and politicians alike
may Lent inspire decisions that strike.
A court of justice, compassion and grace,
a path that leads to a better place.
In this Lenten journey, may we find
a politics of love for all humankind.
Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
A Reflection for the Public Square
Psalm 19 beautifully captures the awe-inspiring revelation of God through nature and His word. It describes how the heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim His handiwork. Connecting this to evangelism at the workplace involves recognizing that the workplace is a unique setting where individuals from diverse backgrounds and beliefs converge. So it’s in the context of showing our faith, of sharing our faith, of inviting others to the faith of Jesus, that believers, we can draw inspiration from Psalm 19 to express the beauty of God’s creation in this wisdom found here in scripture. Just as the Psalmist declares the glory of God through the heavens, evangelism at work involves sharing the beauty of faith and the transformative power of the gospel with colleagues.
You know, this can be done through genuine conversations, living out one’s faith with integrity, and being a source of inspiration through one’s actions. It doesn’t hurt to share the events of your day and your week, incorporating faith activities, sharing those, or even speaking to God’s work in your life openly and honestly. Psalm 19 serves as a reminder that the message of God’s glory and grace can be proclaimed not only in traditional religious settings, but also in the everyday spaces where people spend a significant portion of their lives, most especially at work.
Exodus 20: 1-17
And God spoke all these words:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Prayer
Let us pray. Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves. Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities, which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts, which may assault and hurt the soul. Through you, Jesus, our Lord, who lives and reigns, and the power of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
1 Corinthians 1: 18-25
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
