Thank God for the Ten Commandments

Hear the commandments of God to his people: I am the Lord your God who brought you out of bondage.

1. You shall have no other gods but me. Amen. Lord have mercy.
2. You shall not make for yourself any idol. Amen. Lord have mercy.
3. You shall not invoke with malice the Name of the Lord your God. Amen. Lord have mercy.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. Amen. Lord have mercy.
5. Honor your father and your mother. Amen. Lord have mercy.
6. You shall not commit murder. Amen. Lord have mercy.
7. You shall not commit adultery. Amen. Lord have mercy.
8. You shall not steal. Amen. Lord have mercy.
9. You shall not be a false witness. Amen. Lord have mercy.
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. Amen. Lord have mercy.

An interpretation of the Ten Commandments

1. God will be first in my heart.  Amen.  Lord help me.
2. I will spend my time and resource on God’s will.  Amen. Lord help me.
3. I will be reverent and respectful when I speak about God and God’s creation. Amen. Lord help me.
4. I will set time aside to remember that all good comes from God and be grateful. Amen. Lord help me.
5. I will be respectful in thoughts, words and action. Amen. Lord help me.
6. I will let my anger show me where God is calling me to work for justice and then let it go so I can be a force for reconciliation. Amen. Lord help me.
7. I will be attentive to those closest to me, showing that I value their trust and love. Amen. Lord help me.
8. I will take only what is needed. Amen. Lord help me.
9. I will speak generously in truth what needs to be expressed. Amen. Lord help me.
10. I will be content with the blessings God has given me. Amen. Lord help me.

How I might live into the Spirit of the Ten Commandments as a Lenten Practice

1. I will choose God and love, and humble myself to see God’s way.  I can do this by forgiving and letting go of past hurts. I will go out of my way to be kind and seek ways to be generous with the blessings God has given to me. 
2. I will take seriously those things with which Satan tried to tempt Jesus:  Wealth, power and vainglory.  These are the things we are most likely to make into an idol. Wealth:  Our homes, bank accounts, stuff, anything material.  Power:  any way in which we try to coerce another for our gain and not God’s glory. Vainglory is when we do things for our egos sake, for recognition out of pride and not for universal good.
3. When I speak of God, I will be conscious that I don’t know or experience God fully and respect the ways in which others experience God.
4. I will care for others and myself, not letting my ego get in the way of glorifying God.  I will give myself the time to rest, believing that God is in charge and that I am able to rest. I will set aside time each week to remember that God is God, and I am one part of creation.  I will rest from thinking that I have to do everything and be all to every one. 
5. I will respect my elders, especially those in authority that have to make the best choice for the good of the tribe. I will rejoice and be glad for the shoulders of those I stand on to be able to do what it is that I do. 
6. When I am angry, I will make an intentional effort to determine what the behavior is that I am angry about and try to bring justice to the situation, not violence or terror.  I will not judge others, that is God’s work.
7. Knowing that sexual intimacy is a particular expression of love ordained by God, I will hold all intimate relationships with care and compassion.  I will do the work that it takes to stay connected to those entrusted to me by God and keep all intimate relationships healthy.
8. In a world that is overtaxed with the stress of humans living, I will conserve resources the best I can. For example, I will turn my heat down, I will use less water, and I will buy less non-consumable goods.
9. I will not engage in gossip.  I will not exaggerate the truth for my own benefit.  I will reconcile directly with those I am in conflict.
10.  I will stop living in scarcity, worrying if I have enough or if I am enough.  I will trust that what I have is enough and rejoice in the generosity of our God who always gives us more than we deserve by sharing my abundance with others in need.