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Welcome Welcome to the Kaleo Academy Lent Devotional. This devotional’s contributors include our KA students, KA mentors, KA peer leaders (college students), KA, staff and KA teachers. This devotional is three-fold: 1. To prepare our hearts for the celebration of Easter. Some people may be wondering why we are observing Lent since we aren’t from a liturgical tradition. In my opinion, that’s not what Lent is about. From the beginning of Lent (130-200 A.D.) the purpose has been for self-examination with repentance through the element of self-denial in preparation for Easter. Whew! Too many BIG words in that last sentence. In other words, sometimes self-denial gives us the space we need for removing obstacles to allow the Holy Spirit to look into our hearts and move us towards celebrating our Risen Lord! This is the space we are inviting you into through the 40-day devotional. 2. To draw the Friends Movement together. This devotional is being sent out to at least 5 national evangelical Friends regions, and 2 international regions which represent our participating students & churches from the 2017-2018 KA cohort. From the examples written in Acts chapters 2 & 4, we learn when God’s people gather together as one, God’s spirit is present. My desire in creating the KA devotional is in the 40 days of lent, many of those connected to the Friends Movement could be “ on the same page” – LITERALLY – for 40 days. 3. Kaleo Academy is beyond a one-week Theology Camp experience. In our church world we are used to “ one and done” events. We attend one week camps, three day conferences, and all day seminars. Our hope at KA is our faith will live in action beyond our one-week Theology Camp. This devotional is a way to have our KA students, mentors, peer leaders, teachers & staff live beyond one week together and to hear how the Spirit of God is currently moving in their lives. 2018 LPZa DPc[aT[ZLX Thank you for accepting an invitation to be on this journey. I WriHen by the Kaleo Academy StCdents, Mentors, Peer Leaders, and Staff am excited to see how we all arrive on April 1st as we exclaim, “He is risen! He is risen Indeed!” Edited and compiled by KatJ Moran, Kaleo Academy Project Manager May the peace of Christ be with you, Brockie Follette, Kaleo Academy Program Director February 14th The prodigal son eventually found his way back home to the Father’s house in 1980, but it was “ psalms” like this one that helped Kerry to translate the deepest David Williams—Kaleo Academy Teacher cries of his heart into a personal prayer language. Title: Dust in the Wind Thanks to its beautiful, yet haunting melody and Text: Psalm 103:8-14 thought-provoking lyrics, the song has remained surprisingly popular over the years. “ A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away,” I was once a high school student. In fact, I was actually there in the theatre when What Kerry could not have known when he wrote these very words from the opening scene of the very first Star “ Dust in the Wind” in the summer of 1977 is that I was Wars movie scrolled across the big screen for the very first time. at a very similar place in life at the time as well. I, too, Yes, I am that old. was wrestling with “ inner despair” and “ longing for something that would not pass away.” Thanks to the During my teenage years, I was a regular attender at Northridge mysterious and relentless grace of God, Kerry’s Friends Church in Wichita, Kansas (a little kid named Brockie honest and transparent songwriting was one of the key attended this same church at the time as well, by the way). influences that also led me to return to the Father in, However, if the Kaleo Academy would have been around back you guessed it, the summer of 1977. then, I’m sorry to say that I probably would not have been very interested. I wasn’t much into academic pursuits at that point in As we enter together into this season of Lent, a special life. What I was into was music. time set aside on the church calendar for each of us to return to the Father through personal reflection, One of my favorite bands back in the day was a group called repentance and restoration, we do so with complete Kansas. I loved their unique brand of innovative and progressive confidence that our good and beautiful God will be with rock music, but I was also deeply fascinated by their faintly us at each and every step along the journey, including spiritual song lyrics. I later discovered that the band’s founder and those times when we may find ourselves in places of main songwriter, Kerry Livgren, had grown up in the church but “ inner despair and longing.” And on this Ash had drifted away from the faith during adolescence and had begun Wednesday, in particular, when many of us will receive seeking “ truth” in earnest from every imaginable source. the sign of the cross on our foreheads as an outward symbol of our inner desire to “ repent in dust and Kansas did not have a ton of big hits, but in the summer of 1977 ashes,” may we do so with this unshakable assurance Kerry wrote a song called “ Dust in the Wind” that he reluctantly set before us: agreed to include on the album, Point of Know Return. According to Kerry, the song was a very personal reflection of his own “ As a father has compassion on his children, so the spiritual journey at the time. “ The lyrics almost spewed out,” he Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he later wrote, “ a reflection of my inner despair and longing for knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are something that would not pass away, something eternal.” dust” (Psalm 103:13-14). February 15th teachings, this passage says that we will be a tree by streams of water, that we will yield fruit in season. Trees are strong, unshakable and long-standing, Ty Cook—Kaleo Academy Student especially when they have access to water. We’re Text: Psalm 1 compared to trees here, and not only do we have access to water, we have access to a Living Water in It’s always hard to be a Christian- to put faith into something you Jesus. We can be constantly replenished and re-filled, can’t see. It’s hard to live a counter-cultural life that goes against re-fueled. All we must do is let our roots dig down and the grain, to live a life void of some of the most prominent aspects soak up the Living Water. of society. It’s hard! In fact, it’s impossible- that’s why we need Jesus! This passage also says that as trees, we will yield fruit, that we will produce. What does producing mean? Psalm 1 says: What is our job? In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says, “ All “ Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, of scoffers; but his delight is in the Lord, and on his law he baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The you always, to the end of the age.” We’re called to wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives produce fruit by making disciples, bringing them into away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, the new covenant with God that Jesus created, and nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord teaching them about Him. We’re called to boldly share knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked our faith with the people around us and do the work will perish.” that God has set up for us. Going to a public university with over 36,000 students has Going back to Psalm 1, the passage says that as trees changed my perspective on how broken the world is. Alcohol, with roots in the Living Water, our leaves will never drugs and sex addictions are rampant. The world is broken. The wither. In all that we do, we will prosper. I can world is hurting. The world needs a savior. If you’re reading this, confidently walk around campus, sharing my faith with you probably already know these truths. The question is then how others, because I know God has a plan for my life. I do we share with the world what we know to be true? The first know that in everything I do for the Lord, I will prosper! sentence of this Psalm 1 passage explains that we need to delight I can’t fail! My roots won’t wither! I have nothing to in the Lord and meditate on His Law day and night. We need to dig fear.

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