Hurt and Monday Manna

By Rev. TJ Lucas

Last week we missed our Manna because I was on vacation and this week it is a little late posting because I'm playing that infamous catch up game we all play when we come back from time away. I do hope we can stay committed to this practice together though even in imperfection. I think it is helpful to have a sermon recap and to look forward to the scriptures for the week ahead. Plus, we incorporate the spiritual practice of dwelling in the Word. Basically, you select a passage and you read it daily to see what stands out to you and how the Living Word of God speaks into your life in that moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AHCfZTRGiI

Let's jump into our sermon from yesterday. We wrapped up our sermon series for the summer of Finding God in Secular songs with Johnny Cash's interpretation of the Nine-Inch Nails Song, Hurt. I should note I did make one mistake in my sermon yesterday. His wife was actually alive during the filming, she had passed not long after. Also, it was filmed in the home they shared and a museum. I failed to mention the museum.

All summer long, as we tuned into everything from hip-hop and rock power ballads to Johnny Cash facing his own fragile mortality, we kept running into an ancient truth from the book of Ecclesiastes: so much of what we exhaust ourselves chasing in this life is simply hevel—a mist, a vapor, smoke that slips through our fingers the moment we try to grab it. If we are honest with ourselves, we all know the toll of building up our own small empires of self-protection, social image, or status, only to discover how easily they can crumble. We often act just like Peter in Matthew 16, demanding a Savior who will validate our personal plans and make us comfortable. But Jesus gently steps into our lives and upends that logic. He shows us that real transformation doesn't come from clinging tightly to our self-made agendas, but from taking up our cross and allowing generational cycles of pain to stop with us. I’ve had to learn this lesson in the classroom of my own life—navigating the heartbreak of a closing church, the end of a marriage, and the quiet hallways of nursing home chaplaincy—where God taught me that death is often a necessary part of the holy cycle. When our self-built kingdoms burn down to ash, God doesn't abandon us in the ruins; He uses that very ash to enrich the soil for new, resilient growth. My hope for us at 106 North Chestnut Street is that we stop wearing the heavy armor the world demands and drop the illusion that we must have it all together. When we let go of our empires of dirt and step into the rich soil of grace, we stop chasing the wind and finally discover the life that is truly life.

Kick off your week with the Word of God through our weekly spiritual practice of Dwelling in the Word:

The Four Movements of Lectio Divina AKA Dwelling in the Word

Taking time to slow down and simply dwell in the Word is one of the most life-giving rhythms we can cultivate. In a world that constantly demands we read for information or efficiency, this spiritual practice invites us to read for intimacy and transformation. It is about letting the text master us, rather than us trying to master the text.

Here is a simple, four-step guide to help you sit with the Scriptures, followed by brief, clear summaries of the passages you've selected to guide your reflection.

Before you begin, find a quiet space, take a few deep breaths, and invite the Holy Spirit to speak.

1. Lectio (Read): Read the passage slowly, gently, and preferably aloud. Don't rush to finish. Just listen for a single word, phrase, or image that seems to shimmer or catch your attention.

2. Meditatio (Reflect): Read the passage a second time. Take that specific word or phrase and chew on it. Why did the Spirit highlight this for you today? How does it intersect with your current joys, burdens, or questions?

3. Oratio (Respond): Read the passage a third time. Now, turn your reflections into an honest prayer. Talk to God as you would a trusted friend — pour out your gratitude, your doubts, your requests, or your repentance based on what the text stirred up.

4. Contemplatio (Rest): Read the passage one final time. Release all your thoughts and simply rest silently in God's presence, letting His love wash over you like a deep exhale.

Scripture Summaries for Reflection This Week

Use these one-line summaries of the text to pick which scripture you will dwell in each day of this week. I have found staying in one scripture for a longer period of time can draw out more than bouncing between several. These are from the Revised Common Lectionary. You can read them in full all together here

• Exodus 12:1–14: God establishes the Passover ordinance, instructing Israel to mark their doors with lamb's blood so the Lord will spare their firstborn and deliver them from Egypt.

  
  

• Psalm 149: A call for God's faithful people to sing a new song of praise to their Creator, who delights in the humble and executes victory over the nations.

  
  

• Ezekiel 33:7–11: God appoints Ezekiel as a spiritual watchman to warn the wicked, affirming that the Lord takes no pleasure in death but desires all to turn from their ways and live.

  
  

• Psalm 119:33–40: A heartfelt prayer asking God for spiritual understanding, guidance away from selfish gain, and the grace to walk wholeheartedly in His decrees.

  
  

• Romans 13:8–14: Paul urges believers to fulfill the law through love for one another, casting off the works of darkness, and clothing themselves in the light of Christ.

  
  

• Matthew 18:15–20: Jesus lays out a communal framework for holy reconciliation, forgiveness, and decision-making, promising His divine presence whenever two or three gather in His name.