What are we up to?

(This is one reflection in a daily series for Holy Week on my blog.)

Tomorrow I would like to reflect on the final meal that Jesus shares with His disciples prior to His death. We speak of this as when Jesus “instituted” the Lord’s Supper - an odd way to speak of this event I think.

In any case, for now I simply want to point out an aside that happens during the meal that really has nothing at all to do with the purpose of the story. If this detail were not there, the story would still be the same. It jumps off the page, though, as saying something about the disciples’ understanding of the heart of Jesus.

In John 13 we have the “Last Supper” taking place. Jesus has just told them that one of them would betray Him, and they are each claiming personal innocence. Jesus then looks at Judas and says, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” Of course no one but Judas knows what Jesus it talking about. But the disciples have a few guesses as to what is going on.

They either think Judas, their treasurer, was supposed to buy something for the meal or give some money to the poor. The former guess is an obvious one based on immediate contextual clues (they were eating a meal at the time!). The latter is an assumption based upon nothing else but the character of Jesus. Naturally, the assume, Jesus is making sure the poor are being taken care of.

John Perkins, in his book With Justice For All, wrote, “Our response to the poor is a crucial test of our faithfulness to the gospel.” (88)

Ouch.

If we are followers of Jesus, if we are continually being formed into His image, if we are deliberately seeking to be less ourselves and more Him, then should not others look on us with the assumption that we are caring for the poor?

When people see us hurriedly going about our responsibilities, I wonder what they assume we are up to. When they look in from the outside on our conversations and activities, I wonder what they think we are trying to accomplish.

I would like to think that we are so intimately involved in God’s redemptive mission in the world that their best guess would be the similar to the disciples’ assumption about Jesus. I fear this may not be the case - not about me at least.

Jesus expressed absolute solidarity with the poor (Matt 25). Jesus defined His whole reason for walking around on this earth as bringing good news to the poor (Luke 4:18-19). Jesus said that the Kingdom of God belongs to the poor (Luke 6:20). The prophet Isaiah said that if we want our lights to shine and God to be with us, then we must spend ourselves on behalf of the poor (Isaiah 58). The wise teacher told us that as soon as our ears are closed to the poor, God’s are closed to us (Proverbs 21:13).

“O Christ of the poor and the yearning, kindle in my heart a flame of love for my neighbor, for my foe, for my friend, for my kindred all. From the humblest thing that lives to the Name that is highest of all, kindle in my heart within a flame of love.” (Celtic Prayers from Iona)

Shawn

Love Undivided

Bev Stroud offers this insightful word from Mother Teresa.  It is an inscription in a Bible given to Princess Diana by Mother Teresa:

Idealism Lost

Submitted by Ralph McCluggage:


Readings:  Isaiah 49:1-6;  John 13:21-38

Scripture:
Jesus said to [Judas], "What you are going to do, do quickly.". . .
Jesus answered [Peter],. . .
"Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times"
(John 13,27,38)

Reflection:  They were both part of Jeus' group of twelve.
   One was an idealist.   He found the charismatic Jesus a compelling leader and his message one of extraordinary hope and vision.  Establishing the kingdom of God in the here and now was enormously appealing to such a young, enthusiastic zealot.  But as the months stretched into years, ye lost his idealism--or he grew impatient with the lack of practical progress Jesus was making.  Shouldn't Jesus be using his considerable gifts to take on the established order and entrenched leadership to create the new kingdom he kept talking about?  Prayers and piety are one thing, but this was the time for action.  Over time, hjis unrealized hopes brought him disappointment, sadness, frustration, anger and bitterness.
   Judas the idealist had become Judas the cynic.
   The other was the headstrong leader of the group.  Whatever the issue, he charged ahead.  he would ask the hard questions and was willing to say what was on everyone's mind.  He often served as Jesus' foil.  He was the only one of the Twelve to say it:  "You are the Messiah" (Matt. 16:16).  But then Jesus the Wonder-Worker, the Rabbi, the Beloved of God, became Jesus the Accused, the Condemned, the Crucified.
   Peter's hope was trumped by fear,=.  At the sound of the crowing cock, Peter had to face the sad reality that his beliefs did not match his words.
   The stories of Judas and Peter are stories of enthusiasm athat fade over time, hope that deteriorates in the wake of constant disappointment, idealism that shatters in the face of hard reality.  Both men are unable to understand that the journey to Easter is by the way of the cross.
   Their experience in the Holy Week gospel is not unlike ours.  To experience the new life of the Easter Christ demands our passing over with him from the death of self to the re-creating of the heart in the compassion of God.

Meditation:  What beliefs or principles have you lost faith in or have you become cynical about?

Prayer:  Gracious God, do not let us lose hope in the possibilities of your compassion and mercy in our own time and place.  May your grace sustain our hope in  your life conquering death, your spirit of reconciliation healing estrangement, your justice reigning over all peoples and nations.


from Daily Reflections for Lent by Jay Cormier

Exalted

In reading Philippians 2 last week, I came to a realization about what it means to be exalted, or lifted up.  In John, Jesus speaks of how he will be "lifted up" just as the serpent was lifted up by Moses in the desert.  This lifting up has a duel meaning.  It refers to both the crucifixion he will suffer as a result of being lifted up by men, but it also refers to the fact that it is through this radical act of self-sacrifice that he will be exalted among the nations.  This is a lifting up accomplished by God, for God alone can turn the symbol of painful death that is the cross into a symbol of victory over death.  In reading Philippians 2, I realized that when it says that Jesus will be highly exalted by God, exalted is a slightly different form of the same word used in John 2.  What a difference there is between being exalted by man and being exalted by God!  Oh that I could find the strength to empty myself as Christ was willing to empty Himself, that the spirit of God might be made more manifest in my life.  As we look to the resurrection of Jesus, may we all find strength not in ourselves, but in the emptying of ourselves.  May we all find fulfillment not in our exaltation by men, but in the finding of our true identity and purpose in Christ.  As I was reading the prayer for Monday in the congregational prayer guide, I was struck by the power of this simple prayer in light of Philippians 2.  It is my hope that it will encourage you as much as it has encouraged me:  

O Lord, let me not from this day forward desire health or life, except to spend them for You, with You, and in You.  You alone know what is good for me; do therefore, what seems best to you.  Give to me, or take from me; conform my will to Yours; and grant that, with humble and perfect submission, and in holy confidence, I may receive the orders of Your eternal will; and may equally adore all that comes to me from You, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

--
Justin L. Simmons

Weaned Spirituality

"...to the weaned child his mother is his comfort though she has denied him comfort. It is a blessed mark of growth our of spiritual infancy when we forgo the joys which once appeared to be essential, and can find our solace in Him who denies them to us."

The above is Eugene Peterson is quoting Charles Spurgeon in "Long Obedience in the Same Direction." He is commenting on Psalm 131 and talking about the need for God to wean us off of those comforts and blessings that we at one point depended on for our spiritual health. God does this so we can move toward spiritual maturity. The metaphor held in parallel is the John 15 discussion on pruning.

If we are going to grow up God is going to have to wean us off infantile comforts and the securities of the weak. It was once appropriate for Julian to drink from a bottle before he grew teeth. It is highly inappropriate for Lucas, now 4, to drink out of a bottle.

Do we want to grow and use our teeth or not?

Do we want to be stretched, grown, matured? Do we want to go through the painful, frustrating process of being weaned? Sadly we God begin to prune us we too often think the cutting is the result of God's absence or God's punishment for our wrongdoing.

The mother does not wean the child to punish it. The gardner does not prune to mutilate an unruly rose bush. These are done that growth may occur.

That is why Lent is so important. We fast. We pray. We repent. We wean ourselves off those things we have for too long depended on. We put down the milk, pick up a fork, and begin to sink our teeth into something of substance.

So, what are you depending on for peace, security, comfort, identity, etc. that is no longer appropriate for a Christian of your age? In what ways is God cutting you back so that your roots can grow deeper and great fruit may be produced in you and through you?

Shawn

Resurrection

THAT'S EASTER - DEATH TO LIFE short film from Full Measure Films on Vimeo.

If a picture is worth a thousand words...

A recent safe driving video, Embrace Life, beautifully illustrates the power that images have in our imaginations and lives.

How do you envision what God does for us through the death and resurrection of Christ?

Prayer as expression of feelings, or change of feelings?

Lauren Winner, in her book MUDHOUSE SABBATH, says that...

"Sure it is great when, in prayer, we can express to God just what we feel;

but better still when, in the act of praying, our feelings change."

Do you agree?

St. Patrick was not a Leprechaun

This St. Patrick's Day, as with most holidays rooted (loosely) in Christian people or events (see: Christmas and Easter), a whole lot of culture and ceremony cloaks the woman, the man, or the event lying behind it all.

I don't want to bore us with a full biography of the real St. Patrick, but I do want to say a couple words about him and leave you with one of his prayers.

Prior to the fourth century the people of the Celtic islands lived in a world saturated with pagan gods. There was Lug, the luminous god, and Dagda, the chthonic (underworld) god, as well as gods for each tribe that would protect the family and keep the cattle and the earth fertile. The first attempts to evangelize Ireland were marginally successful and wrought with heretical doctrines. Patrick was the missionary who is attributed with the real conversion of Ireland. He was successful in converting many of the tribal leaders in the faith - and therefore their tribes. Many of Patrick's first disciples and key leaders in the conversion were women. Soon monasteries were established in many of the regions from where a devout form of Christianity began to grow and spread.

One of the key characteristics of Celtic spirituality following Patrick's lead was a rigorous devotion to prayer (including the DAILY recitation of the Psalms!). In their struggle against sin and temptation they developed long litanies of prayer called "loricae" or "breastplates."

Here is one "lorica" attributed to Patrick:

I arise today

through God's strength to pilot me:

God's might to uphold me,

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,

God's ear to hear me,

God's word to speak for me,

God's hand to guard me,

God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's host to secure me,

against snares of the devil,

against temptations of vices,

against inclinations of nature,

against everyone who shall wish me ill,

afar and near,

alone and in a crowd.

The Celts took sin and repentance and temptation very seriously. They knew that the way to holiness and the way of Jesus required a dogged commitment to put the old life to death and allow the new life of the Spirit to come alive in us.

Ironic that a man so devoted to purity and prayer would be 'honored' by a rather decadent holiday. Don't worry, Patrick, the manger and the empty tomb know how you feel!

May today remind us of the vigilance required to follow Jesus in this new Spirit-formed life of the Kingdom. May we take up this breastplate of Patrick in our fight for holiness today.

"Jesus, Master, Have Pity On Us"

Luke 17:12

The healing of the ten lepers in Luke 17 is a familiar story to all of us.  We know Jesus healed the ten but only one came back, falling at His feet and praising God.

We are all unclean and needing of His precious cleansing.  We can all stand at a distance and cry out "unclean, unclean" before God.  Leprosy consumed their bodies as sin consumes us.  They were filled with despair and shame.  The difference in the lepers and us may be that they recognized and acknowledged that they were unclean.  When they came to Jesus and cried out to Him they were transformed.

We need transformation, too, that only comes through our coming to Jesus.  Only through Christ can we be made clean enough to come back into relationship with God, the Father.  Let's fall at the feet of Jesus and cry out "Jesus, Master, have pity on us."  We are sinful and in need of God's cleansing power.

Father, I come before you now, sinful and unclean, needing the cleansing power of my crucified and risen Lord and Savior, Jesus.  Have mercy on me, O God.  Create in me a clean heart and put a new and right spirit within me.  Praise and glory be Thine forever.  This is my  earnest prayer, in the name of your only begotten Son, Christ Jesus, Amen.

Tyne Willis

Letting Pride Go By

At work this past week, I came across an engraving of Judas receiving the thirty pieces of silver from the chief priests, the price at which his betrayal of Jesus was purchased.  It is easy for me to look back through twenty centuries of time, from the other side of Jesus' resurrection, and judge Judas for such a monumental and inexcusable betrayal.  And yet, I am forced to ask myself if the absence of thirty pieces of silver in my own pocket makes me any less guilty than he?  When I am honest with myself I know that I am as guilty as Judas, for I have betrayed my Lord for far less than a bag of silver.  Whether it is a glance to satisfy the lust of the flesh, or a decision made on the basis of my own ambition rather than the will of God, every day I recognize that there are still parts of my spirit in full-fledged rebellion against what God is trying to do in my life.  This recognition during these weeks of reflection could bring with them a load of guilt capable of crushing the soul, but my eyes have fixed their gaze on the light that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the hope that God is capable of accomplishing in me far more than I could ever accomplish in myself.  I have found these words from the hymn "Beneath the Cross of Jesus" by Elizabeth Clephane representative of this hope:

"I take, O cross, your shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let my pride go by, to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross"


Justin Simmons

Yearning for God

 
In my Bible I have the first two verses of Psalm 63 underlined.  They read:

God, you are my God, I pine for you;
my heart thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
as a land parched, dreary and waterless.
Thus I have gazed on you in the sanctuary,
seeing our power and your glory.

In the margin I have written the words, "Do I ever feel this deeply?"

I have a friend who was put in prison after Saigon was captured by North Vietnam.
Eventually he was released and he said he remembered his first cup of coffee.  He
had never realized how wonderful a cup of coffee could be. "I always took it for
granted," he said.  

Perhaps we should take some time (truly get still and alone) and think about
what we may take for granted.  What would happen if we were more deliberate
in appreciating moment my moment  God's gift of life and all with which we
are blessed. Even (maybe especially) that morning cup of coffee. 

And what of our walk with the Creator of the Universe and Dweller in our Heart...

We read the verses again and ask, "Do I ever feel this deeply?"


Ralph McCluggage

Focused Faith

Today's New York Times carries an op-ed piece that bears reflection.  In the wealth of possibilities for the practice of our faith, it is possible to become bewitched by the many possibilities and neglect the reality of sticking to a devoted way of life.

Week 3 Begins

Today is the third Sunday in Lent. It is about this time each year that I become less intentional and my resolve begins to slip. The planning and anticipation leading up to Lent and then the prayerful renewal and cleansing of an Ash Wednesday service are followed by a couple weeks of thoughtfulness and deliberate practice.

It is about this time each year that the purpose behind these practices begins to fade from my consciousness. Soon they become empty forms loosely held. Sometimes they turn to vapor before they have been given a full 40 days to do their work in me.

This is a call, maybe just to an audience of one (me!), to pause for a renewal of why you have chosen to enter purposefully into this season. It is time to have a conversation with a trusted spiritual friend about your decisions and what God is teaching you through your practices.

May I, nor you, allow this Lenten season to mirror the path of most New Year's resolutions.

May we strengthen our resolve together to let the Spirit purify our lives so that Christ can reign in us and live through us! May we continue to be willing participants in the Spirit's work as He leads us to the joyous celebration of His resurrection!

Only 4 more weeks to go! Hang in there!

Shawn

A Hymn for Lent

Jesus, who went into the wilderness

To face its dangers and confront its fear,

Hunger and thirst, day's heat and cold of night,

You knew it all - no rest or shelter there.

Jesus, come now into life's wilderness,

Where pain and suffering threaten and dismay,

Walk with your people in life's harshest days,

Give them your courage, take their fear away.

We pray for all who bear the wilderness

Of shattered lives and ruined dreams of peace,

For all who cry for justice to be done,

That your imprisoned ones may know release.

As in the wilderness you made your choice,

Rejecting cunning, rule of force and greed,

Give courage to the powerful and the strong

To dare God's path of love, where you will lead.

Wendy Ross-Barker

LET JUSTICE ROLL DOWN

Lightening the Load

Vickie and I have been letting go of some things lately. Extra furniture, old boxes of records from long ago, and miscellaneous stuff have been exiting our home and our life with some rapidity in the past few weeks. In fact, earlier today I delivered three boxes of books to a bookseller in Nashville.  Indeed, our basement storage area is beginning to have open spaces again and a lot of clothes and other items are making their way to be used by others.  This process of letting doesn't come naturally--at least for me.  But I sure am enjoying the feeling of freedom.  Here is an anonymous and brief essay along the same lines that I found the other day.

Maybe you might find it helpful as well.

How Greed and Love Are Alike

Here is a prayer associated with this Lenten season.

O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into my heart your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A worthy meditation to connect with a time of prayer with these words would be, obviously, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

I have noticed that with sin, theology, morality, righteousness, etc. it is always easier to stake our claims in the things that seem black and white. For example, I was reading a piece of a book by Tim Keller called "Counterfiet Gods" where he says,

“Jesus warns people far more often about greed than about sex, yet almost no one thinks they are guilty of it. Therefore we should all begin with a working hypothesis that ‘this could be a problem for me.’ If greed hides itself so deeply, no one should be confident that it is not a problem for them. How can we recognize and become free from the power of money to blind us?” (p53)

Sexual sin is easier to define and judge others over because it is perceived in black and white terms. You have either committed this one or not.

Greed, however, is much harder, like love to make clear doctrines about.

The call of the gospel seems to lead us much more towards those things are not so easily defined and controlled by our systems of thought and behavior. Love is too big to draw a line between when we have fulfilled our duty and when we have not. Yet everything hinges upon our practice of it - no matter how right we are about everything else.

Take a look at Matthew 23:23 at an example of this in Jesus' ministry.

Let us never grow content with simplified, 'controlable' systems of life and faith. Let us throw our full lives into the bigger and broader themes that define life formed by the Gospel and the Way of Jesus.

Shawn

What if ... ?

This Ben Witherington quote asks a great question.

"What if the message of Jesus can only be truly and fully understood,

... when it is incarnated in us,

and only together as a living group can we make sense of it,

with each one of us having but one piece of the puzzle

to contribute to that understanding of the story?

What if the message of Jesus can only be understood and believed

when it is experienced and lived out in koinonia, in community,

in love, in self-sacrifice, in service to others?"

What do you think, have you found this to be true?

Lent Resources for Families

A couple of Sundays ago I was having a conversation on the playground (NO LAUGHING) and was somewhat surprised by how many of the kids are practicing some observance of Lent. I think it is wise for parents and teachers to introduce children to the rhythms of the Christian Year. Believers developed these rituals, stories, and disciplines over many centuries for shaping us into the image of Jesus. Children soak up this profoundly "concrete" way of learning in the context of their favorite teachers ... their families.

Here is a great website dedicated to providing resources for families who want to explore these ideas further.

A Prayer

O Lord God, you are great, holy, and exalted above us and above all humankind.  And now you show your greatness by not forgetting us or deserting us, and, in spirit of all that condemns us, by not rejecting us.  You have given us your dear Son, Jesus Christ, nothing less than your own self and all that is yours.  We thank you for the privilege of being guests at the table prepared for us by your grace for al long as we live and even for all eternity.

We bring before you now all that troubles us: our failings, errors, and exaggerations, our tribulations and sorrows, and also our rebelliousness and bitterness--our whole life and our whole heart, which you know better than we know it ourselves.  We place all this in the faithful hands which you have stretched out to us in our Savior.  Take us as we are; raise up those who are weak, enrich from your fullness those who are poor.

And let your companionship illumine our families and all those who are captive or who suffer need or are sick or near death.  Give to those who judge, the spirit of righteousness; and to those who rule in this world, a measure of your wisdom to guide them to peace on earth.  Give insight and courage to those who at home or as missionaries abroad proclaim your word.

--Karl Barth

Learning to Say No

Ike Reeser submitted this quotation:

“Lent is the time for trimming the soul and scraping the sludge off a life turned slipshod. Lent is about taking stock of time, even religious time.  Lent is about exercising the control that enables us to say no to ourselves so that when life turns hard of its own accord we have the stamina to say yes to its twists and turns with faith and hope…. Lent is the time to make new efforts to be what we say we want to be.” - Joan Chittister

Listening: the other half of prayer

A thoughtful post from Joyce Tomblin:

In recent years, and mostly because of the influence of my now departed friend and sister, Cyndi Anderson, I’ve come to better understand my need for regular reflection on my life and the need to be deliberate in setting aside time for it.  For me Lent provides a time for this.  While I grew up thinking that Lent was purely a ritual for Catholic folks, I can see now that was shallow and judgmental thinking on my part.  That change in my thinking has allowed me to look at the customs of others to see how I might benefit from at least the spirit behind the custom.

So for Lent this year, I’m going to try to give up “talking.”  I want to practice more silence, more listening instead of talking – more listening to God, to others and to my own internal voice.  Recently, I heard someone say that prayer is a conversation, and half of a conversation is listening.  I want to do a better job of talking to God and hearing what he has to say, not just telling him how I feel or asking him for what I want.  I think talking to him is important, but hearing from him is definitely as important if not more.

Listening is harder for me, partially because I like to talk.  Sometimes when I’m talking I do benefit from actually hearing what I am saying.  Sometimes I am even convicted to make changes in my life because of what I am hearing myself say.  Wow!  God can even talk to me through me!  But I realize that there is much more to be learned than just what I might say.  So… I need to listen, especially to God as he speaks to me through his word and through others and whatever other ways he might use. 

Dear Lord,

Help me daily to set aside time to be quiet and to listen carefully to all that you have to say to me.  And as I hear you speak, give me courage and strength to obey.

Through Jesus,
Amen 

Blessing in Mourning

When Jesus said "blessed are those who mourn," he was pointing out the fundamental challenge that lies ahead of every disciple.  The growing disciple is one who see the world in all of its messiness and understands that she is implicated as well!  Indeed, it is in the realization of sin that gives way to God's reconstructive work.

Eugene Peterson writes: "A person has to be thoroughly disgusted with the way things are to find the motivation to set out on the Christian way.  As long as we think the next election might eliminate crime and establish justice or another scientific breakthrough might save the environment or another pay raise might push us over the edge of anxiety into a life of tranquillity, we are not likely to risk the arduous uncertainties of the life of faith.  A person has to get fed up with the ways of the world before he, before she, acquires an appetite for the world of grace."

It is the world of grace that the disciple longs for!

Your love covers the multitude of my sins.  So when I am fully aware of my sin, when before the justice of heaven only wrath is pronounced upon me, then you are the only person to whom I can escape.  If I try to cover myself against the guilt of sin and the wrath of heaven, I will be driven to madness and despair.  But if I rely on you to cover my sins, I shall find peace and joy.  You suffered and died on the cross to shelter us from our guilt, and take upon yourself the wrath that we deserve.  Let me rest under you, and may you transform me into your likeness.  --Søren Kierkegaard

Kingdom Investments

Malachi 3 records a rhetorical discussion between God and Israel.  God accuses them of robbing him in tithes and offerings.  It caused me to ponder how I might be robbing God.  Do I put His will first?  Am I fully invested in His work?  Am I in the Word enough? Praying enough (His will not my agenda)?  Am I so transformed that His Spirit cannot be missed in my life?

God challenges them to bring in the full offering and to test Him and see if He will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that they will not have room enough for it.  What a glorious picture!

What a beautiful and gracious God to call His people to give and to look for His abundant response.

Father, show us where we are slighting you. Show us where in our lives and as a church we are robbing you.  And call us to give to you first… and more completely: in radical hospitality, in risk-taking mission, in extravagant generosity and passionate worship.
Lord, we trust that when we seek you… we will find you, a great and generous God, full of power and love to transform us for your work in this world. Through Jesus, your great sacrifice, we pray.  Amen.
-Julie Clinebell

Missing the Mark on Sin

Each year that I have observed Lent there has been a new aspect that I have come to appreciate. This year it is the bold and honest call to repentance and confession. It has reminded my how poorly I am "missing the mark" on the way that I deal with, or don't deal with, sin.

At the risk of being facile, here is some of the most common ways I have seen us miss the mark.

1) Politically Correct It - Rather than referring to sinful motives, habits, attitudes, words, etc. as sinful, we deem them as "unhealthy behaviors," "poor decisions," or "mild vices" that are justifiable because we can make light and laugh about that harmless line of gossip or benign overindulgence with eating or shopping. As pluralism's roots get stronger, grow broader, and dig deeper into the soil of postmodern culture, judgment over sin will become less and less acceptable.

2) Politicize It - Rather than finding the biblical passion for righteousness, holiness, and justice, we find our political parties passion for certain sins that define your family values and commitment to a Christian nation. This is not to say that certain issues in the social/political world do not have sinful implications, but when legislation on someone else's choice bothers me more than my own love of money, something is off. (BTW, I would love to see how legislation against loving money would work out! :-)

3) Militarize It - Before we get ready to pick up our Swords of the Spirit and turn them into Clubs for Self-Righteous Bludgeoning of Others, we must be careful of the other extreme. The first two are part of one extreme of ignoring or truncating a biblical perspective on sin. The other extreme (option 3) is using biblical truth to condemn, abuse, and exclude others. Note that the only time Jesus came close to bludgeoning people with condemnation of their sin was towards the lifelong faithful and religiously elite (that would include me and most of the readers of this blog). Just because we want to resist minimizing sin doesn't mean we have to harm others with its truth. This type of extreme with sin concerns itself with the sin in other churches, in other people, but rarely in ourselves.

Though there are a myriad of ways people deal with, or, better, don't deal with, the reality of sin, these are the most common "missing of the marks" that I have seen hiding behind the facade of Christianity.

Lent proposes none of these. Lent does call boldly for repentance and confession, yes. Lent does call for an honest articulation of sin, absolutely. But Lent calls us to do these things with our own hearts, not other people, directly in the crosshairs.

Just take a few moments to pray the "litany of penance," a common prayer used on Ash Wednesday, and see what a biblical assessment of sin looks like:

Most holy and merciful Father:
I confess that I have sinned by my own fault
in thought, word, and deed;
by what I have done, and by what I have left undone.

I have not loved you with my whole heart, and mind, and strength. I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I have not forgiven others, as I have been forgiven.
Have mercy on me, Lord.

I have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us. I have not been true to the mind of Christ. I have grieved your Holy Spirit.
Have mercy on me, Lord.

I confess to you, Lord, all my past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of my life.
I confess to you, Lord.

My self-indulgent appetites and ways, and my exploitation of other people,
I confess to you, Lord.

My anger at my own frustration, and my envy of those more fortunate than I,
I confess to you, Lord.

My intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and my dishonesty in daily life and work,
I confess to you, Lord.

My negligence in prayer and worship, and my failure to commend the faith that is in me,
I confess to you, Lord.

Accept my repentance, Lord, for the wrongs I have done: for my blindness to human need and suffering, and my indifference to indulgence and curelty,
Accept my repentance, Lord.

For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward my neighbors, and for my prejudice and contempt towards those who differ from me,
Accept my repentance, Lord.

For my waste and pollution of your creation, and my lack of concern for those who come after us,
Accept my repentance Lord.
Restore me, good Lord, and let your anger depart from me,
Favorably hear me for your mercy is great.
Accomplish in me and all of your church the work of your salvation,
That I may show forth all your glory in the world.

By the cross of your Son, our Lord,
Bring me with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.

(Book of Common Prayer, 1979)

Maybe we need to being with a repentance for the sin of how we have either minimized sin or abused others with judgment over their sin. Then let us use this season, and this prayer, for a time of soul searching, heart piercing repentance that the Spirit may purify us and make us ready to fulfill His purpose for us. Pray this collect that I wrote for such times as these:

"Consuming Fire,

You are pure.

Burn away all my unholy desires, thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes

That I may by wholly yours

By the work of your Spirit in the name of Jesus, Let it be."

Prayer for the Day

For a video form of meditation click here.

Your kingdom come, your will be done.

One of the greatest challenges of following the way of Jesus is learning that our lives are to be given over to God's way.  I am not suggesting that we all become preachers or monks; I am saying that we must be confronted with what it means for us to be whatever we are--mother, father, accountant, salesperson, teacher, friend--as if it were Jesus being that person.

To do so means that we must first let go of our expectations and relinquish our will.  This particular season presents a time to engage with that letting go and receiving God's blessing in being more fully Jesus in our lives.

Here is a prayer from Blaise Pascal that addresses our relinquishment:

O Lord, let me not henceforth desire health or life, except to spend them for Thee, with Thee, and in Thee. Thou alone knowest what is good for me; do, therefore, what seemeth Thee best. Give to me, or take from me; conform my will to Thine; and grant that, with humble and perfect submission, and in holy confidence, I may receive the orders of Thine eternal Providence; and may equally adore all that comes to me from Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Preparing for Lent: An Exercise

Shawn Duncan prepared the following exercise for the NL youth group.  I think it has great value for a broad audience:

Preparing for Lent

A guide to help you decide what practices would be most beneficial for you to engage in so that this Lent can be a truly meaningful and transformation season.


Prayer Time:
Begin by setting aside some time to be quiet and undistracted.  This process should not take more than a half hour, but it would be most beneficial if you were not be interrupted.

Once alone and quieted within, pray these prayers carefully.  Do not simply speak the words and move on.  Pray them in such a way that they settle within you and serve as catalysts for further reflection and prayer.


“Search me, O God, and know my heart
  test me and know my anxious thoughts
See if there is any offensive way in me,
  and lead me in the way everlasting.”
~Psalm 132:23-24


“Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in me a new and contrite heart, that I, worthily lamenting my sins and acknowledging my wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen” (The Book of Common Prayer, 1979)

You would also profit from a prayer through Psalm 51.


Thoughtful Examination
If you haven’t already done this, take out a journal, a notebook, or just some loose paper.   In written form, prayerfully reflect on the following questions as a guide for self-examination.  Be open to the Spirit.  Allow the difficult, painful process of examination to happen.  After working through this, formulate a realistic plan that is appropriately challenging for where you are in your spiritual life.


Distractions: What am I doing with my time, energies, talents, and money that is distracting me from a God whose “glory fills the earth” (Isa 6)?  What relationships, hobbies, uses of time are creating too much noise to hear the “still, small whisper” of God (1 Kings 19)?  Do I need to get rid of these things or learn how to use them in a healthy way?  If the latter is true, what does that look like?


Desires: What desires of the flesh (wealth, acceptance, pride, success, beauty, pleasure, the affection of the opposite sex, control over my future etc.) have become more important to me than knowing Jesus and following Him?

Distance: What relationships, attitudes, activities, possessions, etc. are creating distance between me and God?  What are the places in my weekly routines (home, work, school, with friends, etc.) where I feel that God is most absent from my heart and mind?  How can these areas, along with all my life, become more open to a God who is present and working in all places at all times?

Devotion: What simple, yet deliberate and disciplined, routine of devotions can I keep over Lent to empty out the clutter and invite God’s to reign in my life?  Remember that fasting, repentance, giving to those in need, set times of prayer, regular worship are the most common, but not comprehensive, list of practices the church engages in during Lent.


From the Book of Common Prayer, 1979
“I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.  And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.”



Finding a spiritual friend or mentor to walk with you through these decisions and through the season would be even more enriching.  Regular conversation about the practices and how God is shaping your life through them could certainly deepen this for you.

Thinking about Lent

Ike passed along a helpful article by Frederica Mathewes-Green,  an author and minister that can be found on  Christianity Today's website.   During our current  series on  5ive Practices of Faithful Congregations, we  are exploring things we do--what we practice.  Mathrewes-Green offers a cogent rationale for certain practices that can accompany the season of Lent as a way of deepening our awareness of God and of our connectedness to others.



Actually, the web article introduces several other web articles.  Take a look at what others are saying about the practice of Lent.

Why "Prepare" for Lent?

It really isn't something we have done historically in our tradition.  So why bother with it?  I have heard these kinds of questions before and it does give me pause.  However, it may be that we are missing something that is so integral to the way of Scripture itself that we fail to take advantage of the  calendar.

Scott McKnight comments on the practice of Lent this way:

"Some (low church) folks roll their eyes when they see that word "Lent" in the title of this post, and other (often high church) folks said, "Ah, yes, something for all of us." The Church calendar is designed to embody the gospel itself on an annual basis: we begin the birth of the Messiah and then through a season called Epiphany and then we move into Lent and Holy Week with focus on Good Friday and Easter, and then we head for Pentecost and the rest of the year is called Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time is designed to focus on various elements of the Christian faith and mission.

How do you prepare for Lent? Or how will you prepare for Lent? Or, from another angle, why do you not prepare for Lent?

Well, some will say, the NT doesn't teach a church calendar and so there's no need for it. To which I (really not "I" but the Church) say, "Hold on, dear friend." God so ordained Israel's life so that it would re-live and embody the great saving events in God's relationship with Israel. So, let's begin right there: God evidently really does care to institutionalize saving events into a calendrical form. The Christians, from very, very early, wisely restructured the calendar to be shaped by the saving events in the life of Jesus."

You can find McKnight's comments here. 

The larger tradition of the church has find great value in re-enacting the great works of God through Jesus Christ.  The practice of Lent gives concrete place in our life for relinquishment, repentance, sober reflection, and recounting the core of our faith.  All in all, these are things that healthy Christians should do--at least on a yearly basis!

I hope that you will take the time to participate in Lenten reflections this year with others.  

This blog will be a simple resource for daily reflection and prayer.  Beginning Ash Wednesday, 17 February, a new post will appear here.  You are invited to come, read, and reflect on the post.  Join us and participate in a virtual community as we move toward Easter!