Lent 2021: Spending Time With Second Isaiah

I’ve been leading Morning Prayer from my home for almost a year now. Every Tuesday (and every other Saturday, alternating with my husband, Dave) finds me reading prayers, canticles, and the daily lessons. In a time when my usual activities are no longer tied to particular times and places, this has been a tether, keeping me connected to the passing of hours, days, weeks, and months.

For Lent, I’m taking a look at one of my favorite canticles: The Second Song of Isaiah (Is. 55:6-11). I’ll use the version on page 86 of my BCP. I hope you join me in exploring the words of the prophet for Lent.

Seek the lord while he wills to be found; call upon him when he draws near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways and the evil ones their thoughts;

And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion, and to our God, for he will richly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as rain and snow fall from the heavens and return not again, but water the earth,

Bringing forth life and giving growth, seed for sowing and bread for eating,

So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; it will not return to me empty;

But it will accomplish that which I have purposed, and prosper in that for which I sent it.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

[The Book of Common Prayer, New York: Oxford University Press, 1990, pp. 86-87]