Journey through Lent

John Chrysostom was an important Early Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders. 

Of Lent he wrote, “What is more important than the practices we take on is the heart attitude behind them. If there’s anything we should give up this time of year, it’s our sense of superiority either to those outside the church or those inside the church who do things differently than we do. The cross levels us all. And that’s true whether or not you practice Lent.”

It is said that an attitude is an inward feeling expressed by an outward action. There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. 

"Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she did, and she had a wonderful day. 

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "Hmmm," she said, "I think I'll part my hair

down the middle today." So she did and she had a grand day. 

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "Today I'm going to

wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day. 

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEAH!!" she yelled, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything. As the saying goes, “The kind of life we will have isn't determined by what happens to us, it's determined by our reaction to what happens to us.”

Lent is an opportunity to review the intentions behind our actions, the motives behind our murmurings. Paul in Philippians puts such attitudinal standing in this way: “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus….”

That is a lifelong task, to have the same mind in me as was in Christ Jesus. Lord, you ask me first to empty myself, to see this small creature that is me against the backdrop of creation; to make myself open both to the processes of mother earth, and to the needs of those around me. It means vulnerability, surrendering control and power. That emptying is also a lifelong task, and I could not attempt it without the Holy Spirit, who shapes me. Amen

Journey Through Lent

Today’s Quote comes from Trevin Wax; “What is more important than the practices we take on is the heart attitude behind them. If there’s anything we should give up this time of year, it’s our sense of superiority either to those outside the church or those inside the church who do things differently than we do. The cross levels us all. And that’s true whether or not you practice Lent.”

This quote is very much in line with Paul writing to the Galations in 3:28-29 “In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.”

Social commentators always divide people into different categories and groups. It is easy - and sometimes attractive - to think of oneself as part of a particular sector. Paul reminds me that such divisions may limit my view of God's action. I consider what it is like to let go of distinctions, remembering what it means to be 'one in Christ.'

Sometimes we can become my own disciplinarian, living by rules and limits that we have set down. We pray that we may receive and live in the freedom that Jesus wishes for us.

In an age where many are interested in their roots, where do I find my identity? Lord, help me accept the gifts and limits of my life and let you work through them so that I am more firmly rooted in you. Amen

Journey Through Lent

There are three elements that are almost always part of Lent: prayer, giving something up and giving something back. - Elizabeth Hyndman

The first is not always seen as a Lenten priority, whilst the second is most probably the most well known. Yet, the third option is perhaps the least of the emphasis we consider as a Lenten practice. 

I once suggested to a Christian Book Shop manager that there should be a Lent Calendar similar to the children’s chocolate Advent Calendar.  The only difference being that the behind each daily door to opened was an empty space into which we would place something of ourselves in service to others.

In 2 Corinthians 9:7 we read”Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

This Bible verse on giving confirms that we shouldn’t feel compelled to give, or guilty if we don’t.

God makes it clear that the amount given isn’t the most important thing. The heart and attitude of the giver is what matters.

So when we give to others—whether it’s to those in need or to the work of the Lord’s kingdom—we should do so with joy and thanksgiving, because God loves a cheerful giver. God wants the ground of our lives to be fertile and fruitful. So it is right that we give thanks for the areas of our lives in which we have worked with God and we try to recognise those places we have left lie fallow.

It is worth thinking of God as a cheerful giver, who takes a real pleasure in us as we receive the gifts that God offers to us. So today, why not rejoice with God, taking time to be thankful and allowing gratitude to shape us and to make us more generous.

We give in grateful thanksgiving for all that God has given us.

In the upside down world of the gospel,

we measure our wealth not by what we have,

but what we can give away.

Let us give away generously, so that our in offering,

may bless your church, your people, and your creation. Amen

Journey Through Lent

Following on from yesterday in our Lenten Quotes, Rowan Williams asks, “What if we view this desert time of Lent as not just a time to reflect or to lament or to confess or to fast, but a time where we learn to be free?”

This quote seems to be so counter intuitive to the popular view of Lent as an austere, restrictive and bleak season that needs to be endured. I find it interesting that Williams emphasises the action of “learning to be free.”

It must have been so for those born into slavery and trafficked across the world to finally find themselves emancipated. Yet what is the freedom that Christ offers? According to the Christian worldview, true freedom is not a matter of doing what you want without restraint, but cultivating the right wants and living in obedience to God's will. In other words, freedom results when our wants align with God's will.  A train is free only so long as it stays on its tracks; a train that jumps the tracks is "free" of the rails but no longer free in the most important sense of the word. It's a freed wreck that can't go anywhere. 

In John 8 we read “Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

So is this the learning that Williams means that we draw life from the word of God. This life is Christ himself, he is the love of the Father. Being a disciple, a listener, is living and abiding in truth, knowing that the Jesus of our prayer comes from God and is with God. Jesus wants to lead us into truth so that we may be free. If we truly desire freedom, weneed to be ready to accept the truth. There is nothing threatening or accusatory here-it is about being known fully and loved deeply.

Gracious God,

you have made all of the peoples of the earth for your glory.

You invite us to serve you in freedom and in peace.

Give to the people of every nation a zeal for justice

and the strength for forbearance,

that we may use our liberty

in accordance with your gracious will.

We ask this in the name of the one

who welcomes all to be free indeed.

Inspire us to live and worship in your freedom. Amen

Journey Through Lent

What if we view this desert time of Lent as not just a time to reflect or to lament or to confess or to fast, but a time where we learn to be free. Megan Westra

You may recall that in Pilgrims Progress, that Pilgrim gets to the foot of the Cross and kneels in penitence and at that moment the load he is carrying, symbolising his burden of sin falls off.  The problem with so many Christians is that too often, when they experience repentance at the cross and go to move on, they pick up their burden and put it on their back once more.

The old prayer speaks of God "in whose service is perfect freedom." The paradox is not as opaque as it sounds. It means that to obey Love itself, which above all else wishes us well, leaves us the freedom to be the best and gladdest that we have it in us to become. The only freedom Love denies us is the freedom to destroy ourselves ultimately.

An old Peanuts cartoon has Lucy standing in the outfield of Charlie Brown’s baseball diamond. As a fly ball sails toward her, she remembers all the other times she’s dropped the ball. And she drops this one, too.

Lucy calls out to Charlie Brown, who’s standing on the pitcher’s mound: “I almost had it, but then my past got in my eyes!”

Paul could have easily dropped the ball of ministry because his past got in his eyes. But that didn’t happen because Paul understood that letting go of the past is critical if you want to hold on to God’s future.  “Forgetting what lies behind,” Paul writes, “and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom; Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)

Journey Through Lent

God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy. Pope Francis

Hebrews 8:11 “And no one then will need to speak to his friend or neighbour or brother, saying, ‘You, too, should know the Lord,’ because everyone, great and small, will know me already. 12 And I will be merciful to them in their wrongdoings, and I will remember their sins no more.”

In a phrase it could be said that God Remembers What we Forget and God Forgets What we Remember! 

How different God’s pardon is from ours! So often we forgive as did the mother of the little girl who had been good a whole week, and asked mother for a favour. "I know," was the answer, "that you have been good all this week, but you know you were bad last week."

In a passionate burst of feeling, the little one exclaimed: "Oh, Mother, you are not one bit like God. When He forgives, He doesn’t keep throwing it up afterward."

There's a wonderful story about the cardinal of the Philippines, named, oddly enough, Cardinal Sin. When Cardinal Sin was a bishop, a young woman in his parish claimed that she had visions of Jesus. Bishop Sin was given the task of determining if these visions were authentic. He called her in for an interview, after which he made this request: "Daughter, the next time you see Jesus, would you ask Him what sin your bishop committed as a young priest and then come and tell me His answer." She agreed. The bishop, aware that nobody knew his sin except himself, his confessor, and Jesus, felt this would be a valid test.

Months later the young woman returned, reporting she had seen Jesus again. The bishop said, "Good. Did you ask Him about my sin?"

She said, "Yes,"

"What did He say?"

"He said, 'I've forgotten.'"

Dear God,

Thank you, Lord, that when we repent and ask for forgiveness, that you remember our sins no more. Help us to follow in Jesus’s example. Remind us that prayer is one of our greatest weapons and through continual prayer, praying for our enemies, you will begin to soften our hearts and give us the strength to forgive them.

Father, bless those who have wronged us. Show us where we are still holding back forgiveness, so that we can begin the obedient steps of forgiving. And when we still remember, as it’s hard to forget, open our eyes to love that person, replacing the hurt with love. We thank you for forgiving us this day and every day and commit to striving to do the same. In Jesus name. Amen

Journey Through Lent

Today we remain once more in the Wilderness with Jesus.

Jesus, like Moses before him, retreats into the wilderness where he fasts for forty days. Each temptation involves a seizure of power: power over the elements of creation by turning stones into bread, political and military power by gaining power over the kingdoms of the world, and the power to force God's protection in an inappropriate manner. That Jesus was tested throughout his ministry was widely held in early Christianity. The Letter to the Hebrews tells us, "For do we not have a high priest (Jesus) who is unable to sympathise with out weakness, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin."

We are back with the word of God as a means to overcoming temptation. One commentator puts it this way, “The word of God is living and active, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Much of what we say and what we hear in the day does not bear a second thought. It is empty twaddle. The Scriptures are different. We have given more study and care to understanding them than to any other human words. God’s word is meaty and powerful, pushing us to look at ourselves.”

A well-known author once told this story of an account he had with sea gulls: “Several years ago our family visited Niagara Falls. It was spring, and ice was rushing down the river. As I viewed the large blocks of ice flowing toward the falls, I could see that there were dead fish embedded in the ice. Gulls by the score were riding down the river feeding on the fish. As they came to the brink of the falls, their wings would go out, and they would escape from the falls. “I watched one gull which seemed to delay and wondered when it would leave. It was engrossed in the fish, and when it finally came to the brink of the falls, out went its powerful wings. The bird flapped and flapped and even lifted the ice out of the water, and I thought it would escape. But it had delayed too long so that its claws had frozen into the ice. The weight of the ice was too great, and the gull plunged into the abyss.”

How sad that even though the bird had plenty of time to fly away, because it delayed it paid the price. Now think of this story in terms of the Christian life. When we become overly enthralled with the things of this world, they can bring us down and cause our spiritual death. The finest attractions of this world become deadly when we become overly attached to them. If we cannot give up the things of this world and focus on Christ, we cannot be used by Him. Our eyes must be upward on Christ rather than downward on this world.

Facing temptation,

Jesus refused to turn stones into bread.

Facing temptation,

we too often turn bread into stones.

Facing temptation,

Jesus refused to use power for its own sake.

Facing temptation,

we too often take power

that belongs to someone else.

Facing temptation,

Jesus refused to test the promises of God.

Facing temptation,

we too often want God to do

what we should do ourselves.

Lord, strengthen me this day according to your will. Amen