Devotion: Broken Promises

“Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.”
And so said all the disciples.” Matthew 26:35

I grew up in a time when kids played with mirrors. First off, there were fewer toys in those days. We often converted common, household items into playthings. At the same time, media images like the Queen in the movie Snow White and the TV show Romper Room, and how it ended with Miss Susan’s “Magic Mirror,” well, many of us were raised with the thought that a common mirror held mysterious powers. So, commandeering mom’s hand mirror was a fun game we could play, and perhaps this is even where the “seven years bad luck” got its foothold? 

This Lenten season we are focusing on brokenness, which makes the broken mirrors that adorn our worship space so relevant. They perfectly demonstrate our struggle in this season and in our society right now.  

As we move through Lent we walk with Jesus at the end of his life. We see how he is broken for us. But he is not just broken down, he is broken open. Jesus is literally made into something new, which is our Easter hope.  

Lord knows, we need that hope in these days, because we are seemingly obsessed with the brokenness in our world. The reality is that this is how it has always been and how it will always be. We are a broken people, and we create brokenness in our world. Even more, we live in a world that cuts us and breaks us open. Like the shards of broken mirror we see in our Worship Center, we see brokenness all around us.  

Peter’s story helps us. We hear how he boldly rebukes Jesus’ claim that he will deny knowing him, even doubling down on it. Of course, it is no surprise that Jesus was right about his denial. But the good news is Peter does go on to fulfill exactly what Jesus had earlier predicted. He founds the entire Christian Church. Like us, Peter is so much more than his brokenness.

This season our broken mirrors hang and they perfectly do these two things. They reflect the brokenness of the world, but also reflect who we are in the midst of it all. At the same time, they also reflect the light that comes to us. And isn’t this what God expects of us, as we walk with Jesus?  We are expected to see ourselves in the broken pieces of the journey, and despite our brokenness, we are still called to reflect the light of God’s love in Jesus Christ. 

Let us pray: 

Gracious God, strengthen us for our journey, we pray. And make us willing to walk with Jesus all the way to the Cross. Let us recognize our brokenness, while we also reflect Jesus’ light.  We pray these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

Written by Pastor Greg Bouvier

Pastor Greg heard God’s call to Sheridan in 1999 and that began a journey which has become his life’s work. Having played a variety of roles as pastor of Sheridan, Pastor Greg was called as the Senior Pastor in 2011. He leads the staff and his primary focus is on the creation of culture, the overall direction of worship and partnering with our amazing team. Pastor Greg has been married to Rose for more than 30 years and together they have two servant-hearted grown children.