Lent is a fascinating time in the church year that Presbyterians are only beginning to appreciate.
The main purpose of Lent is to encourage us to take a time out.
We are told that before Jesus began his ministry he took a time out.
He went off by himself – for 40 days – and 40 nights.
Jesus must of thought that this was completely necessary for him to do.
He did this to get his head right,
to get more completely in tune with God’s will and purpose for his life.
For centuries the church has said it was important to remember what Jesus did here,
and it important for us to take a time out as well.
Jesus took 40 days for his time out,
the church said we should take 40 days each year before Easter for our time out –
a time out from the routine of our regular normal life to consciously focus on getting our heads on right,
to get more in tune with what God is concerned about and wants for us to do with the rest of the days of our lives.
Lent is a fascinating time in the church year that Presbyterians are only beginning to appreciate.
Used to be, as you know, we never observed Lent in Presbyterian churches.
But, today we see this time as an opportunity to attend to the parts of our lives that we often neglect.
During
this time before Easter we are challenged to open ourselves in new ways
to the Spirit’s transforming power – not unlike Jesus did at the
beginning of his ministry.
From the very earliest times,
Christians took time out before Easter to reflect on their faith,
cultivate it, and prepare for a most joyous celebration of Easter.
Remembering
that Jesus took 40 days off to prepare for the beginning of his
ministry, the church sets aside these 40 days prior to Easter for us to get ready.
This is a time for us to explore the mysteries of the universe,
looking beneath the surface –
within ourselves –
examining our own motives and desires,
and ascertaining exactly what our commitment is:
to what,
to whom,
and what it means.
Lent is meant to remind us that the days are getting longer now –
Spring is right around the corner here in the Northern Hemisphere.
Actually, the word Lent comes from an ancient word that meant "springtime," –
that period of the calendar during which the days lengthen.
Because the church season always fell at that time of year, the name came to apply there as well.
Although
we can’t readily see it buried under 2 feet of snow, all around us new
life is preparing to break out as the weather turns.
Signs of life are preparing to bud right before our eyes.
And, our task during this season is to prepare ourselves to see these signs when they occur.
Like I have said before, I believe we need Lent!
Lent encourages us to look within ourselves to see how we have confused popular cultural values with Christian faith.
Through sustained focus on the life and ministry of Jesus, Lent can help us resist the pressures of this culture.
Lent can remind us that we are called to continue his ministry:
“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Consequently, Lent prepares us for an Easter that is more than bunnies and eggs –
an Easter that begins a whole new reality –
a whole new world.
As you know, 40 days is almost a sacred number with strong Old Testament associations.
40 days seems to be a long time when you think about it.
[It is more than the 30 days we get to accept the special offer of the day that is in our daily mail.]
It seems that God is saying:
“take up to forty days to decide –
40 days to make up your mind –
which side are you going to be on.”
The Gospels say Jesus was given 40 days to decide whose side his life would be spent on.
40
days to come to a decision to align with God or accept the worldly
enticements of the Devil that would have derailed his mission.
40 days seems to be God's time for allowing significant decisions to be made.
Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days getting the 10 commandments.
Elijah spent 40 days in the wilderness encountering God.
An extended time was given people of Noah's time to make up their mind before it rained for 40 days and 40 nights.
The 40 days of Lent gives us sufficient time to make up our minds again:
to decide for life – or death,
to decide for God – or the ways of the world
around us.
For me, when we get beyond the familiar outward trappings, the main purpose of Lent is to encourage us to take a time out.
For
us with our total dependence upon clocks and schedules and appointments
and meetings and deadlines, taking time for a time out is probably the
most difficult thing any of us could be called upon to do.
And yet, here it is.
The call goes out each year during this time before Easter,
and
our response is usually no more than an acknowledgment of a quaint – if
not somewhat ancient, antiquated tradition – that we may give a passing
nod to in church,
but having very little to do with anything in our home, or at work, or how we spend our time.
Most
of the days of our lives we are pretty much self absorbed in our lives
and our obligations and our health and perhaps in the caring for another
or two or three or four or . . .
We live in response to stimuli from outside of ourselves.
Lent calls us to take time for a time out from all of that.
Take time now – just commit to only 40 days – this time leading up to Easter –
take time each day to focus on something other than on what we usually spend our time on.
It is important to take the time.
Jesus did it.
Moses did it.
Isaiah did it.
Many many others did it.
And, today many many others are doing it.
You can do it as well.
Traditionally, Biblically, there are some specific things we can do with this time,
but it what we do is of less importance than to commit to taking the time –
to get closer with our God.
The pattern is,
the experience is,
the promise is,
that when we do,
we become more aware of God’s presence
and more aware of God’s purpose
and more aware of what we are to do with the rest of the days of our lives.
And, of course, that’s the scarey part, isn’t it?
Because we’re not sure we want to discover that we should be doing something we aren’t doing, right?
For years I have been compiling a file of stories of people who after a time out,
changed the direction of their lives because it became clearer to them that this is what God would be having them do.
It’s a thick file containing many many stories.
Someday it would be worth sharing in some way just to see the stories one after the other after an other after an other.
Taking time for a time out can have a powerful affect on a person.
Norman
Vincent Peale – and many other preachers – was convinced that by taking
time out to concentrate on certain scripture lessons, folks could
experience a power and wholeness and wellness that they never knew
possible.
Of course, I think that, too.
Each Sunday between
now and Easter, I will be focusing on specific practices that have
proven to put us more in tune with the ultimate power and purpose of the
universe.
Aligning our lives with the moral direction of the universe is probably the most primal of all our activities –
and that is something we cannot do with a compass or a clock.
It is something we can only do in a community like this one.
For your sake, each day during this time before Easter, take time for a time out.
And be here next week as we explore certain practices proven to lead us in the right direction.
Amen.
This
is a portion of a sermon delivered from the pulpit of Christ
Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, on February 28,
2010, by Clyde E. Griffith.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sunday, February 28, 2016
A Lenten Awe-roebic Exercise: Pray (Preferably in Private)
We need more awe-robic exercise in our world.
We meet God daily in all we do and all we see.
All we have to do is to open ourselves to God's welcoming Presence.
When we do that, we have begun to pray.
So, here we are: now the fourth Sunday in Lent.
In just two weeks we will be remembering and celebrating Palm Sunday
Easter is now just three weeks away!
Of course, Christians have been remembering and celebrating the Resurrection – Easter – since day one.
It is the single most important event of our faith.
It is the defining moment – of our faith,
of our understanding of the world,
of our lives.
It was an event that was truly awe-inspiring to all those who experienced it.
It was awe-inspiring to all those were told of it, as well.
It was so awe-inspiring that grown men and women turned their lives around
and started living for a cause far grander than the empire,
and far more intimate than the family.
But, as Lily Tomlin noted, today, you and I seem to living a world that devalues inspiration,
and arouses little awe in us.
So, she concludes, and I agree with, we need more awe-robic exercise in our world.
And, so that really what we’re about here during these days of Lent, this time before Easter.
We are about promoting certain Lenten Practices, Awe-Robic exercises, really.
We began with the admonition to Take Time to Observe Lent.
We were encouraged to do like Jesus did,
take some 40 days to think about the big picture.
Spend 40 days to become more aware of the awe-someness of the world around us.
We were encouraged to start a daily awe-list – at the end of each to think back on what was truly awesome, to recount the awe-inspiring events of the day.
Last week, we heard about another Lenten Practice: Fasting.
Fasting can be a real eye opener – it was for Jesus,
it was for countless individuals throughout history,
and it is for many people today.
But, we discovered that what we think of as fasting is not the same as what God sees as important.
It is when we fast as God instructs us, that our eyes are opened in new ways as awe events literally explode before us.
And so, today, we hear about another Lenten Practice: Pray (Preferably In Private).
James wrote:
The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.
The Apostle Paul left us a clue when he said: Pray Unceasingly.
Jesus gave specific instruction:
When you pray, do not be ostentatious, like the hypocrites!
Do it in private and don't use a lot of meaningless words.
(God already knows what you need before you ask.)
If you forgive others, you will be forgiven.
Maybe you saw the cartoon in the funny papers:
Two little kids were standing there in their pajamas beside their bed with a toy telephone between them.
One is instructing the other in the finer arts of saying their bedtime prayers.
He says: "Now, remember you don't have to worry about God being too busy when you call, because God has "Call Waiting".
And you don't have to worry about nobody being home, because God has "Call Forwarding".
And remember, it's always a Toll Free Call.
And God never puts anyone "On Hold."
Don't hang up, your call will be answered in the order in which it is received.
And Operators are standing by ready for your call."
And that's about it, isn't it?
Again, James proclaims, what most of you in this room know: The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.
Over 6000 scientific studies have been published in the last ten years!
Over half of these studies show under laboratory-controlled conditions, prayer does something truly remarkable. My file of references gets thicker every year!
While the belief that prayer heals is older than recorded history, you should know about some of this very recent research.
I have talked about some of these studies before, but just a few months ago, Time Magazine had cover stories on the power of faith to heal.
Universities all over the country – and all over the world – are devoting major efforts to document what people of faith have believed for years and years.
The University of Pennsylvania has a whole department dedicated to the study of Spirituality and the Mind.
Of particular interest to me is the discovery that it can be demonstrated that prayer actually invokes changes the brain – and some of these changes can be permanent.
Prayer actually improves memory – Time Magazine, February 23, 2009, Dr. Andrew Newberg, How God Changes Your Brain.
One study at the University of Virginia, showed that orthopedic patients in the hospital that were visited by chaplains needed less medical care than those that weren't visited by chaplains.
They made fewer calls to the nurse for help,
they got out of the hospital an average of two days earlier than those who didn't receive spiritual support,
And they needed much much less pain medication, than those who never saw a chaplain.
Another study was done among coronary patients in a VA hospital near Boston.
Patients were undergoing care for heart attack and chronic heart disease, and endured bypass operations, valve replacements, and open heart surgery.
An experimental group was selected randomly to receive daily visits from a chaplain.
The other group received less frequent visits, or none at all.
Again, those who received regular care from a pastor, went home one or two days sooner than those who did not.
Now, the VA attached some dollars and sense to this study, and concluded that providing a chaplain visit for a patient cost no more than $100 a day, and resulted in savings as much as $4000 a day.
Total savings from a robust and prayerful chaplain's program could amount to several million dollars a year for each hospital.
Another study was done at a hospital in San Francisco (General Hospital) of people who were admitted to the coronary care unit suffering congestive heart failure, heart attack, low blood pressure and other heart problems.
Half of these patients were assigned to a group of regular churchgoers who were asked to pray regularly for the health and recovery of the patients – whom they never met.
None of the patients, none of the doctors, none of the nurses, knew they were on anyone's prayer list. And what they found out was startling:
● The patients that were prayed for were far less likely to require antibiotics – they had fewer infections from their surgery.
● None of those who were being prayed for needed help with breathing while a dozen of the patients who were not prayed for required mechanical breathing support following the surgery,
● and (Fewer of those chosen for prayer died – but the difference wasn't statistically significant.)
The results of this study caused quite a stir when they were published in the Southern Medical Journal.
One physician at the time wrote: "Maybe we doctors ought to be writing on our order sheets, 'Pray three times a day.'"
I am sure that if this study went one step further, and told the patients they were being prayed for, the results would have been even more dramatic.
As some of you know from your experience, there is something invigorating knowing that you are being prayed for.
Knowing that you are connected to a network of prayers is buoying to your soul – and it brings peace and confidence.
Prayer works.
The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.
Measurements show that a hospital visit by a pastor reduces stress hormones, produces a calming effect, and stimulates the production of endorphins in the patient.
Now, understand what is being said here.
Bad things happen to good people.
Good people get ill.
Bodies wear out.
Good people die.
But, prayer lets you face your illness squarely, actually producing a strength in your body and psyche to face your situation and get through it.
Prayer prepares you for what is to come.
The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.
It may not change the situation we find ourselves in and it may not give us the miracle we want,
but what happens is, prayer changes us.
As one writer put it well, "Through prayer, we find inner resources of strength and hope and courage we didn't know we had.
Through prayer we are no longer facing our fears and pains alone;
God is there beside us,
renewing our spirit,
restoring our soul,
and helping us carry the burden when it becomes too heavy for us to bear."
Prayer has a powerful affect:
on our bodies, on our minds, on our lives.
To really clue in, to really experience change,
to really know what prayer can do for us, Paul tells us, to "Pray unceasingly."
But, what does that mean?
Standing at a prayer wall all day from morning to night?
Kneeling at the foot of the cross 24 hours a day?
Reciting a mantra over and over and over again?
No.
Pray unceasingly means to live in a state of prayerfulness.
Wherever you are,
whatever you are doing,
whatever is going on around you,
know that God is with you,
and is in conversation with you –
helping you through the events,
guiding the way,
providing strength and support you know you never had alone.
I’ve mentioned it before, and many people have no idea what I’m talking about, but I will try again:
In a very real way, my prayer mentor is Tevye.
Do you remember Fiddler on the Roof?
In this marvelous story, you remember the old man, the papa, Tevye, was constantly talking to God.
There was a comedic effect as he constantly was getting his Bible facts confused, but Tevye is depicted as being in constant prayer with the Almighty.
He prayed when he delivered his milk,
he prayed when his wife got on his nerves,
he prayed when he rejoiced with a daughter,
he prayed when he met people.
Prayer helped him get through the difficulties and tragedies and joys of his life.
O, for sure, God didn't "smite him with riches" as he jokingly talked to God about, but Tevye didn't really expect that to happen.
The point is: there was never a moment when Tevye did not know that God was with him.
Tevye was sure and certain of his relationship with God.
And Tevye gives clues to us as well.
There is an ancient parable that speaks to our situation.
There was a bunch of fish swimming in the sea.
And this rather young fish swam up to an older and wiser-looking fish and asked, "Excuse me, but I have heard of this wonderful place called the Ocean where all manner of living creatures and colorful things live?
I have decided to go there where life is much richer.
I have been searching everywhere.
But I can’t seem to find the way.
Can you help me?"
The older fish said, "Son, This is it! You're in the ocean now.
It doesn't get any better than this. This is the ocean."
The young fish put his nose up, and said, "Silly old man, what do you know.
This is only water. I'm looking for the ocean."
And off he swam to continue his search.
It takes a wise fish indeed to perceive the ocean in which it lives.
Not knowing a life outside the ocean, it is hard for it to see the environment in which it lives.
Like the fish, whose relationship with the ocean is a given, so is our relationship with God.
God surrounds us with love every moment of our life.
There is power in this love.
And there is a standing offer of friendship and communication on God's side.
All we have to do is risk believing in the offer and open ourselves to God's welcoming Presence. When we do that, we have begun to pray.
As Tevye did.
As James did.
As Paul did.
As Jesus did.
Prayer can take many forms – sometimes we attempt to communicate in a communal way, like we do here in church;
sometimes we attempt to communicate in a personal way behind closed doors;
sometimes we attempt to communicate in a traditional way by using words that have inspired people through the ages.
But, praying unceasingly means doing it right in the midst of our daily activities.
Whether we are writing a letter, playing golf,
talking with someone on the telephone,
bandaging a bruised knee,
or challenging an unjust policy,
we make it all prayerful by recognizing the presence of God with us in what we do,
when we do it, where we do it.
Our prayer can start from our work,
the important relationships of our lives,
the things we wonder at,
the restlessness and loneliness of our hearts,
our experiences of success and satisfaction,
a painful conversation, a recent gift of love.
We meet God daily in all we do and all we see.
Our prayer rises spontaneously in the presence of mountains or sea,
in park or woods,
at sunrise or sunset,
on fishing and camping trips,
at the sight of beautiful flowers, birds, animals, or persons.
Enjoying something fully – even something as basic as food, drink, a bath or shower, a hug, a nap – if it is done with an awareness of God – can be prayer.
When we understand this basic truth about prayer, few people can walk away un-awed by the relationship and the power that resides within that relationship.
That’s what prayer is.
And that’s why it is an important part of our Lenten Awe-Robic exercise program.
You won’t want to miss next week for part 5 of our Lenten Awe-Robic exercise program.
Amen.
This is a portion of a sermon delivered to the congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, on March 14, 2010, by the Reverend Clyde E. Griffith.
We meet God daily in all we do and all we see.
All we have to do is to open ourselves to God's welcoming Presence.
When we do that, we have begun to pray.
So, here we are: now the fourth Sunday in Lent.
In just two weeks we will be remembering and celebrating Palm Sunday
Easter is now just three weeks away!
Of course, Christians have been remembering and celebrating the Resurrection – Easter – since day one.
It is the single most important event of our faith.
It is the defining moment – of our faith,
of our understanding of the world,
of our lives.
It was an event that was truly awe-inspiring to all those who experienced it.
It was awe-inspiring to all those were told of it, as well.
It was so awe-inspiring that grown men and women turned their lives around
and started living for a cause far grander than the empire,
and far more intimate than the family.
But, as Lily Tomlin noted, today, you and I seem to living a world that devalues inspiration,
and arouses little awe in us.
So, she concludes, and I agree with, we need more awe-robic exercise in our world.
And, so that really what we’re about here during these days of Lent, this time before Easter.
We are about promoting certain Lenten Practices, Awe-Robic exercises, really.
We began with the admonition to Take Time to Observe Lent.
We were encouraged to do like Jesus did,
take some 40 days to think about the big picture.
Spend 40 days to become more aware of the awe-someness of the world around us.
We were encouraged to start a daily awe-list – at the end of each to think back on what was truly awesome, to recount the awe-inspiring events of the day.
Last week, we heard about another Lenten Practice: Fasting.
Fasting can be a real eye opener – it was for Jesus,
it was for countless individuals throughout history,
and it is for many people today.
But, we discovered that what we think of as fasting is not the same as what God sees as important.
It is when we fast as God instructs us, that our eyes are opened in new ways as awe events literally explode before us.
And so, today, we hear about another Lenten Practice: Pray (Preferably In Private).
James wrote:
The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.
The Apostle Paul left us a clue when he said: Pray Unceasingly.
Jesus gave specific instruction:
When you pray, do not be ostentatious, like the hypocrites!
Do it in private and don't use a lot of meaningless words.
(God already knows what you need before you ask.)
If you forgive others, you will be forgiven.
Maybe you saw the cartoon in the funny papers:
Two little kids were standing there in their pajamas beside their bed with a toy telephone between them.
One is instructing the other in the finer arts of saying their bedtime prayers.
He says: "Now, remember you don't have to worry about God being too busy when you call, because God has "Call Waiting".
And you don't have to worry about nobody being home, because God has "Call Forwarding".
And remember, it's always a Toll Free Call.
And God never puts anyone "On Hold."
Don't hang up, your call will be answered in the order in which it is received.
And Operators are standing by ready for your call."
And that's about it, isn't it?
Again, James proclaims, what most of you in this room know: The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.
Over 6000 scientific studies have been published in the last ten years!
Over half of these studies show under laboratory-controlled conditions, prayer does something truly remarkable. My file of references gets thicker every year!
While the belief that prayer heals is older than recorded history, you should know about some of this very recent research.
I have talked about some of these studies before, but just a few months ago, Time Magazine had cover stories on the power of faith to heal.
Universities all over the country – and all over the world – are devoting major efforts to document what people of faith have believed for years and years.
The University of Pennsylvania has a whole department dedicated to the study of Spirituality and the Mind.
Of particular interest to me is the discovery that it can be demonstrated that prayer actually invokes changes the brain – and some of these changes can be permanent.
Prayer actually improves memory – Time Magazine, February 23, 2009, Dr. Andrew Newberg, How God Changes Your Brain.
One study at the University of Virginia, showed that orthopedic patients in the hospital that were visited by chaplains needed less medical care than those that weren't visited by chaplains.
They made fewer calls to the nurse for help,
they got out of the hospital an average of two days earlier than those who didn't receive spiritual support,
And they needed much much less pain medication, than those who never saw a chaplain.
Another study was done among coronary patients in a VA hospital near Boston.
Patients were undergoing care for heart attack and chronic heart disease, and endured bypass operations, valve replacements, and open heart surgery.
An experimental group was selected randomly to receive daily visits from a chaplain.
The other group received less frequent visits, or none at all.
Again, those who received regular care from a pastor, went home one or two days sooner than those who did not.
Now, the VA attached some dollars and sense to this study, and concluded that providing a chaplain visit for a patient cost no more than $100 a day, and resulted in savings as much as $4000 a day.
Total savings from a robust and prayerful chaplain's program could amount to several million dollars a year for each hospital.
Another study was done at a hospital in San Francisco (General Hospital) of people who were admitted to the coronary care unit suffering congestive heart failure, heart attack, low blood pressure and other heart problems.
Half of these patients were assigned to a group of regular churchgoers who were asked to pray regularly for the health and recovery of the patients – whom they never met.
None of the patients, none of the doctors, none of the nurses, knew they were on anyone's prayer list. And what they found out was startling:
● The patients that were prayed for were far less likely to require antibiotics – they had fewer infections from their surgery.
● None of those who were being prayed for needed help with breathing while a dozen of the patients who were not prayed for required mechanical breathing support following the surgery,
● and (Fewer of those chosen for prayer died – but the difference wasn't statistically significant.)
The results of this study caused quite a stir when they were published in the Southern Medical Journal.
One physician at the time wrote: "Maybe we doctors ought to be writing on our order sheets, 'Pray three times a day.'"
I am sure that if this study went one step further, and told the patients they were being prayed for, the results would have been even more dramatic.
As some of you know from your experience, there is something invigorating knowing that you are being prayed for.
Knowing that you are connected to a network of prayers is buoying to your soul – and it brings peace and confidence.
Prayer works.
The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.
Measurements show that a hospital visit by a pastor reduces stress hormones, produces a calming effect, and stimulates the production of endorphins in the patient.
Now, understand what is being said here.
Bad things happen to good people.
Good people get ill.
Bodies wear out.
Good people die.
But, prayer lets you face your illness squarely, actually producing a strength in your body and psyche to face your situation and get through it.
Prayer prepares you for what is to come.
The prayer of a good person has a powerful affect.
It may not change the situation we find ourselves in and it may not give us the miracle we want,
but what happens is, prayer changes us.
As one writer put it well, "Through prayer, we find inner resources of strength and hope and courage we didn't know we had.
Through prayer we are no longer facing our fears and pains alone;
God is there beside us,
renewing our spirit,
restoring our soul,
and helping us carry the burden when it becomes too heavy for us to bear."
Prayer has a powerful affect:
on our bodies, on our minds, on our lives.
To really clue in, to really experience change,
to really know what prayer can do for us, Paul tells us, to "Pray unceasingly."
But, what does that mean?
Standing at a prayer wall all day from morning to night?
Kneeling at the foot of the cross 24 hours a day?
Reciting a mantra over and over and over again?
No.
Pray unceasingly means to live in a state of prayerfulness.
Wherever you are,
whatever you are doing,
whatever is going on around you,
know that God is with you,
and is in conversation with you –
helping you through the events,
guiding the way,
providing strength and support you know you never had alone.
I’ve mentioned it before, and many people have no idea what I’m talking about, but I will try again:
In a very real way, my prayer mentor is Tevye.
Do you remember Fiddler on the Roof?
In this marvelous story, you remember the old man, the papa, Tevye, was constantly talking to God.
There was a comedic effect as he constantly was getting his Bible facts confused, but Tevye is depicted as being in constant prayer with the Almighty.
He prayed when he delivered his milk,
he prayed when his wife got on his nerves,
he prayed when he rejoiced with a daughter,
he prayed when he met people.
Prayer helped him get through the difficulties and tragedies and joys of his life.
O, for sure, God didn't "smite him with riches" as he jokingly talked to God about, but Tevye didn't really expect that to happen.
The point is: there was never a moment when Tevye did not know that God was with him.
Tevye was sure and certain of his relationship with God.
And Tevye gives clues to us as well.
There is an ancient parable that speaks to our situation.
There was a bunch of fish swimming in the sea.
And this rather young fish swam up to an older and wiser-looking fish and asked, "Excuse me, but I have heard of this wonderful place called the Ocean where all manner of living creatures and colorful things live?
I have decided to go there where life is much richer.
I have been searching everywhere.
But I can’t seem to find the way.
Can you help me?"
The older fish said, "Son, This is it! You're in the ocean now.
It doesn't get any better than this. This is the ocean."
The young fish put his nose up, and said, "Silly old man, what do you know.
This is only water. I'm looking for the ocean."
And off he swam to continue his search.
It takes a wise fish indeed to perceive the ocean in which it lives.
Not knowing a life outside the ocean, it is hard for it to see the environment in which it lives.
Like the fish, whose relationship with the ocean is a given, so is our relationship with God.
God surrounds us with love every moment of our life.
There is power in this love.
And there is a standing offer of friendship and communication on God's side.
All we have to do is risk believing in the offer and open ourselves to God's welcoming Presence. When we do that, we have begun to pray.
As Tevye did.
As James did.
As Paul did.
As Jesus did.
Prayer can take many forms – sometimes we attempt to communicate in a communal way, like we do here in church;
sometimes we attempt to communicate in a personal way behind closed doors;
sometimes we attempt to communicate in a traditional way by using words that have inspired people through the ages.
But, praying unceasingly means doing it right in the midst of our daily activities.
Whether we are writing a letter, playing golf,
talking with someone on the telephone,
bandaging a bruised knee,
or challenging an unjust policy,
we make it all prayerful by recognizing the presence of God with us in what we do,
when we do it, where we do it.
Our prayer can start from our work,
the important relationships of our lives,
the things we wonder at,
the restlessness and loneliness of our hearts,
our experiences of success and satisfaction,
a painful conversation, a recent gift of love.
We meet God daily in all we do and all we see.
Our prayer rises spontaneously in the presence of mountains or sea,
in park or woods,
at sunrise or sunset,
on fishing and camping trips,
at the sight of beautiful flowers, birds, animals, or persons.
Enjoying something fully – even something as basic as food, drink, a bath or shower, a hug, a nap – if it is done with an awareness of God – can be prayer.
When we understand this basic truth about prayer, few people can walk away un-awed by the relationship and the power that resides within that relationship.
That’s what prayer is.
And that’s why it is an important part of our Lenten Awe-Robic exercise program.
You won’t want to miss next week for part 5 of our Lenten Awe-Robic exercise program.
Amen.
This is a portion of a sermon delivered to the congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, on March 14, 2010, by the Reverend Clyde E. Griffith.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
A Lenten Awe-roebic Exercise: Fast (It's the Lord's Work)
When you fast, be sure that you wash your face and comb your hair.
During Lent this year we are looking at various Lenten Practices – what I have called awe-robic exercises – that we do pretty routinely whenever we come to worship here at Christ Church –
Awe-Robic Exercises which, if lifted up and practiced, could change our perception of reality and leave us in a much better position to know what happened on that first Easter morning so long ago.
The first awe-robic exercise we looked at was to Observe Lent.
By consciously setting aside time on a periodic basis to consider how our faith affects our life, we take the first step toward awe-awareness – being aware of the inspired nature of the created world in which we live.
Then we looked at the importance of regular worship participation for our well-being.
And, today, we tackle the notion of Fasting.
We know what fasting is, don’t we?
We have heard about people who fast,
we have read about people who fast,
perhaps even a few in this room have fasted in the past.
While we know what it is, fasting is certainly not main stream for us, or for anyone we know, is it?
But, we know what fasting is.
The dictionary definition is going without food and/or drink for a period of time.
We are told that Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness before he began his ministry.
Gandhi fasted.
Martin Luther King, Jr. fasted.
Peace demonstrators fasted.
Some prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center fasted.
In fact, fasting seems to be something some people do in an attempt to attract attention to their cause.
Personally, I have never understood this on at least two counts:
I am sure that I could fast for a week – or even 40 days and 40 nights – and no one would care.
No one would notice.
Nothing would change.
And, secondly, I know you will find this hard to believe, but when I go without food, I get cranky.
I know, it is so against the image you have of me, but I do get cranky when I go without food for too long.
I am unbearable.
I know, it is hard to believe, but ask Suzanne.
When I was discussing this with my daughter, she asked, well how long have you ever gone without eating.
I responded: “Oh, eight or nine hours.”
We know what fasting is:
Going without food and/or drink for a period of time.
People of the Jewish faith knew what fasting was.
In fact, it had become a sacred act – something a person did regularly in order to gain favor with God.
Fasting and offering animal sacrifice were part and parcel of how they expressed their faith.
The early Christians knew what fasting was.
After all, they were Jews at first,
and fasting was still practiced as a way of humbling oneself in order to get your priorities in life straight.
So, we are told, Jesus fasted before he began his ministry – for 40 days and 40 nights, we are told.
[By then, I would be soooo cranky.]
Because it was so widely practiced, we are told that Jesus felt like he had to address the issue right there during his sermon on the mount.
When you fast, he says.
Not if you fast, but when you fast.
You do it, you know you do, so listen, when you do it, don’t do like the hypocrites do by putting on a sad face and making a show of it,
but make sure you wash your face and comb your hair so others won’t know what you are doing.
Wash your face and comb your hair is good advice.
When the practice of our religion is done in public for all to see – for people to see how holy you must be, it is wrong, Jesus said.
Good advice.
But, there is a problem with our understanding of this fasting concept.
Long before Jesus, 3-400 hundred years before Jesus, this prophet appeared in Judea and began spouting the weirdest things.
This prophet spoke for the Lord God.
He spoke with authority to the priests and to all the people.
Everyone knew him and recognized his authority.
They listened to him and even came to him for advice.
The people of faith came to him with their complaints.
Look, they said.
It seems as if the Lord has abandoned us.
We have been left to cope all alone.
We hear nothing from the Lord.
Bad things happen to good people – and we don’t know why.
We pray and nothing happens.
We fast and nothing happens.
What gives.
Why should we fast if the Lord never notices?
Why should we starve ourselves if the Lord pays no attention?
And, the 58th chapter of Isaiah tells us that in response to those complaints the Lord said:
The truth is that at the same time you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers.
Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. [You get cranky, the Lord says.]
Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers?
When you fast, you make yourselves suffer;
you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on.
Is that what you call fasting?
Do you think I will be pleased with that?
And, then to everyone’s surprise, the concept of fasting gets completely redefined.
Do you think I will be pleased with that?
Do you think that going without food and or drink for a period of time is going to get my attention?
Do you think that going without food and or drink for a period of time is going to get my favor?
Do you think that going without food and or drink for a period of time is going to influence what happens to you?
Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers?
If you fast to have influence with the Lord God the Creator of the Universe and all there is, your faith is on the wrong track.
If you think any of your faith rituals is going to influence me, you have another think coming.
And, Isaiah drops the hammer:
The Lord says words they did not want to hear –
Words we do not want to hear today.
"This is the kind of fasting I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
This is what it really means to worship the LORD.
Remove the chains of prisoners who are chained unjustly.
Free those who are abused!
Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless.
Give clothes to those in need;
don't [ever] turn away your relatives.
"get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,
[Be] generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, "
This is what this religion is all about.
This is what I notice.
This is what gets my attention.
This is the Lord’s work.
Later on, Jesus picks up this theme when he says this is what is going to be on the final exam –
this is what you will be asked about during your orals –
this is what you will be judged on.
Because this is our calling.
This is what we are to be doing.
This is what we are about.
Our faith is about living for others.
When we give of ourselves for another, we make the ultimate call.
Jesus would say, when you do these things for these people, you doing these things for me –
you are doing these things to me.
For sure, this requires radical reorientation.
This goes so against what we were taught –
and what we learned so well –
and what we all bought in to.
Its not about me.
When it is about me, it is a distorted reality.
For the promise is made – and has been so many times throughout history – and there are some people in this very room – who can vouch for veracity of the promise:
when you work toward these ends,
when you do this ministry for others,
when you live your life so others may live better,
you will have great rewards.
"Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed.
I will always be with you to save you;
my presence will protect you on every side.
When you pray, I will answer you.
When you call to me, I will respond."
That’s the promise.
That’s the bargain.
"If you put an end to oppression,
to every gesture of contempt,
and to every evil word;
(10) if you give food to the hungry
and satisfy those who are in need,
then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon."
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
This is the kind of fasting the Lord wants.
This is the kind of fasting the Lord responds to.
This is the kind of fasting that is part and parcel of our faith.
This is the kind of fasting that can only increase our awe-awareness.
This kind of fasting is an important component to an awe-robic exercise program.
It’s the Lord’s work.
And it is what we are to do.
Amen.
This is a portion of a sermon delivered from the pulpit of Christ Presbyterian Church, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, on March 7, 2010.
During Lent this year we are looking at various Lenten Practices – what I have called awe-robic exercises – that we do pretty routinely whenever we come to worship here at Christ Church –
Awe-Robic Exercises which, if lifted up and practiced, could change our perception of reality and leave us in a much better position to know what happened on that first Easter morning so long ago.
The first awe-robic exercise we looked at was to Observe Lent.
By consciously setting aside time on a periodic basis to consider how our faith affects our life, we take the first step toward awe-awareness – being aware of the inspired nature of the created world in which we live.
Then we looked at the importance of regular worship participation for our well-being.
And, today, we tackle the notion of Fasting.
We know what fasting is, don’t we?
We have heard about people who fast,
we have read about people who fast,
perhaps even a few in this room have fasted in the past.
While we know what it is, fasting is certainly not main stream for us, or for anyone we know, is it?
But, we know what fasting is.
The dictionary definition is going without food and/or drink for a period of time.
We are told that Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness before he began his ministry.
Gandhi fasted.
Martin Luther King, Jr. fasted.
Peace demonstrators fasted.
Some prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center fasted.
In fact, fasting seems to be something some people do in an attempt to attract attention to their cause.
Personally, I have never understood this on at least two counts:
I am sure that I could fast for a week – or even 40 days and 40 nights – and no one would care.
No one would notice.
Nothing would change.
And, secondly, I know you will find this hard to believe, but when I go without food, I get cranky.
I know, it is so against the image you have of me, but I do get cranky when I go without food for too long.
I am unbearable.
I know, it is hard to believe, but ask Suzanne.
When I was discussing this with my daughter, she asked, well how long have you ever gone without eating.
I responded: “Oh, eight or nine hours.”
We know what fasting is:
Going without food and/or drink for a period of time.
People of the Jewish faith knew what fasting was.
In fact, it had become a sacred act – something a person did regularly in order to gain favor with God.
Fasting and offering animal sacrifice were part and parcel of how they expressed their faith.
The early Christians knew what fasting was.
After all, they were Jews at first,
and fasting was still practiced as a way of humbling oneself in order to get your priorities in life straight.
So, we are told, Jesus fasted before he began his ministry – for 40 days and 40 nights, we are told.
[By then, I would be soooo cranky.]
Because it was so widely practiced, we are told that Jesus felt like he had to address the issue right there during his sermon on the mount.
When you fast, he says.
Not if you fast, but when you fast.
You do it, you know you do, so listen, when you do it, don’t do like the hypocrites do by putting on a sad face and making a show of it,
but make sure you wash your face and comb your hair so others won’t know what you are doing.
Wash your face and comb your hair is good advice.
When the practice of our religion is done in public for all to see – for people to see how holy you must be, it is wrong, Jesus said.
Good advice.
But, there is a problem with our understanding of this fasting concept.
Long before Jesus, 3-400 hundred years before Jesus, this prophet appeared in Judea and began spouting the weirdest things.
This prophet spoke for the Lord God.
He spoke with authority to the priests and to all the people.
Everyone knew him and recognized his authority.
They listened to him and even came to him for advice.
The people of faith came to him with their complaints.
Look, they said.
It seems as if the Lord has abandoned us.
We have been left to cope all alone.
We hear nothing from the Lord.
Bad things happen to good people – and we don’t know why.
We pray and nothing happens.
We fast and nothing happens.
What gives.
Why should we fast if the Lord never notices?
Why should we starve ourselves if the Lord pays no attention?
And, the 58th chapter of Isaiah tells us that in response to those complaints the Lord said:
The truth is that at the same time you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers.
Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. [You get cranky, the Lord says.]
Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers?
When you fast, you make yourselves suffer;
you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on.
Is that what you call fasting?
Do you think I will be pleased with that?
And, then to everyone’s surprise, the concept of fasting gets completely redefined.
Do you think I will be pleased with that?
Do you think that going without food and or drink for a period of time is going to get my attention?
Do you think that going without food and or drink for a period of time is going to get my favor?
Do you think that going without food and or drink for a period of time is going to influence what happens to you?
Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers?
If you fast to have influence with the Lord God the Creator of the Universe and all there is, your faith is on the wrong track.
If you think any of your faith rituals is going to influence me, you have another think coming.
And, Isaiah drops the hammer:
The Lord says words they did not want to hear –
Words we do not want to hear today.
"This is the kind of fasting I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
This is what it really means to worship the LORD.
Remove the chains of prisoners who are chained unjustly.
Free those who are abused!
Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless.
Give clothes to those in need;
don't [ever] turn away your relatives.
"get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,
[Be] generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, "
This is what this religion is all about.
This is what I notice.
This is what gets my attention.
This is the Lord’s work.
Later on, Jesus picks up this theme when he says this is what is going to be on the final exam –
this is what you will be asked about during your orals –
this is what you will be judged on.
Because this is our calling.
This is what we are to be doing.
This is what we are about.
Our faith is about living for others.
When we give of ourselves for another, we make the ultimate call.
Jesus would say, when you do these things for these people, you doing these things for me –
you are doing these things to me.
For sure, this requires radical reorientation.
This goes so against what we were taught –
and what we learned so well –
and what we all bought in to.
Its not about me.
When it is about me, it is a distorted reality.
For the promise is made – and has been so many times throughout history – and there are some people in this very room – who can vouch for veracity of the promise:
when you work toward these ends,
when you do this ministry for others,
when you live your life so others may live better,
you will have great rewards.
"Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed.
I will always be with you to save you;
my presence will protect you on every side.
When you pray, I will answer you.
When you call to me, I will respond."
That’s the promise.
That’s the bargain.
"If you put an end to oppression,
to every gesture of contempt,
and to every evil word;
(10) if you give food to the hungry
and satisfy those who are in need,
then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon."
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
This is the kind of fasting the Lord wants.
This is the kind of fasting the Lord responds to.
This is the kind of fasting that is part and parcel of our faith.
This is the kind of fasting that can only increase our awe-awareness.
This kind of fasting is an important component to an awe-robic exercise program.
It’s the Lord’s work.
And it is what we are to do.
Amen.
This is a portion of a sermon delivered from the pulpit of Christ Presbyterian Church, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, on March 7, 2010.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
How to Celebrate Lent - According to The Lord
From the book of Isaiah, Chapter 58:
7) What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry
7) I want you to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people.
7) Give clothes to those in need
7) being available to your own families.
9) Don't mistreat others
9) Don't falsely accuse others
9) Don't say something cruel or ugly to another
9) get rid of unfair practices
9) quit blaming victims
9) quit gossiping about other people's sins
10) be generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
13) treat Sunday with respect by refraining from your normal activities,
and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals
13) treat the Sabbath as a day of joy
13) make Sunday a day of celebration
Saturday, February 20, 2016
During Lent This Year:
Feast on faith.
Fast from despair;
Feed on hope.
Fast from depressing news;
Feed on prayer.
Fast from discontent;
Feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger and worry;
Feed on patience.
Fast from negative thinking;
Feast on positive thinking.
Fast from bitterness;
Feed on love and forgiveness.
Fast from words that wound;
Feast on words that heal.
Fast from gravity;
Feed on joy and humor.
Fast from gossip;
Feast on the Gospels.
Fast from junk foods;
Feast on the Bread of Life.
Fast from bad news;
Feast on “The Good News.”
Fast from darkness;
Feast on the Light.
Fast from the secular;
Feast on the sacred.
Fast from despair;
Feast on hope.
Fast from revenge;
Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from tears of sorrow;
Feast on tears of joy.
Fast from getting;
Feast on giving.
Fast from complexities;
Feast on simplicities.
Fast from horror;
Feast on humor.
Fast from listlessness;
Feast on laughter.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Let No One Suspect
Jesus warns against us doing all pietistic acts in public:
when you pray, go off by yourself and shut the door – and by the way, stop using all those empty phrases.
When you give alms – do it in secret, don’t even let one hand know what the other is doing.
When you fast – that is to say
when you work to break the chains of injustice,
or to get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
or to free the oppressed,
or when you share your food with the hungry,
or when you invite the homeless poor into your homes,
or when you put clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
or when you are available to your own families –
do it on your own time.
These are not things you seek publicity for.
These are not things you should call attention to.
For sure, these things are to be done –
but do it under the radar.
Wash your face and comb your hair.
Let know one suspect.
I think it is clear that we need to pay more attention to these admonitions.
This is essential to the faith that has been passed on to us.
We can choose to ignore it – to our peril.
Or, we can take it to heart and spend these 40 days in Lent to deepen our faith and how it impacts our life – who we are and what we do.
Check it out.
when you pray, go off by yourself and shut the door – and by the way, stop using all those empty phrases.
When you give alms – do it in secret, don’t even let one hand know what the other is doing.
When you fast – that is to say
when you work to break the chains of injustice,
or to get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
or to free the oppressed,
or when you share your food with the hungry,
or when you invite the homeless poor into your homes,
or when you put clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
or when you are available to your own families –
do it on your own time.
These are not things you seek publicity for.
These are not things you should call attention to.
For sure, these things are to be done –
but do it under the radar.
Wash your face and comb your hair.
Let know one suspect.
I think it is clear that we need to pay more attention to these admonitions.
This is essential to the faith that has been passed on to us.
We can choose to ignore it – to our peril.
Or, we can take it to heart and spend these 40 days in Lent to deepen our faith and how it impacts our life – who we are and what we do.
Check it out.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Doing Kosher Acts of Faith
When Jesus addressed the crowd about correct methods of righteousness, everyone knew what he was talking about.
They knew about the three legs on the stool of righteous living.
These days we don’t like to read this passage –
the only time it is brought up in the Lectionary is for Ash Wednesday services.
So folks that never go to Ash Wednesday services never have an occasion to hear this in church, unless their pastor is somewhat eclectic in his or her approach to Scripture.
But, we need to hear these words.
He said: “It is good to put the disciplines of godly living into practice.”
Jesus assumes you will be praying – and even tells you how.
Jesus assumes you will give alms.
Jesus assumes you will fast –
But, he warns about making a show of things when you do these acts of faith –
these acts of godly living.
In fact, Jesus says it is not kosher to do faith acts for show.
They knew about the three legs on the stool of righteous living.
These days we don’t like to read this passage –
the only time it is brought up in the Lectionary is for Ash Wednesday services.
So folks that never go to Ash Wednesday services never have an occasion to hear this in church, unless their pastor is somewhat eclectic in his or her approach to Scripture.
But, we need to hear these words.
He said: “It is good to put the disciplines of godly living into practice.”
Jesus assumes you will be praying – and even tells you how.
Jesus assumes you will give alms.
Jesus assumes you will fast –
But, he warns about making a show of things when you do these acts of faith –
these acts of godly living.
In fact, Jesus says it is not kosher to do faith acts for show.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Fasting has nothing to do with diet.
Time and time again the prophets and Jesus reminded people in the past –
and reminds us today –
fasting has nothing to do with diet.
Of course, it is a lot easier for us to think that.
But, Micah tells us, Jeremiah tells us, Jesus tells us – what Isaiah tells us:
"The kind of fasting I want is this:
Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free.
Share your food with the hungry
and open your homes to the homeless poor.
Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear,
and do not refuse to help your own relatives.”Or, as one translator puts it:
"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.”
Time and time again, folks went astray and thought fasting had something to do with diet –
self-deprivation was a whole lot easier to deal with than what the prophets and Jesus said God has in mind.
Fasting has to do with living your faith –
putting flesh on what you say you believe –
enacting your belief.
and reminds us today –
fasting has nothing to do with diet.
Of course, it is a lot easier for us to think that.
But, Micah tells us, Jeremiah tells us, Jesus tells us – what Isaiah tells us:
"The kind of fasting I want is this:
Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free.
Share your food with the hungry
and open your homes to the homeless poor.
Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear,
and do not refuse to help your own relatives.”Or, as one translator puts it:
"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.”
Time and time again, folks went astray and thought fasting had something to do with diet –
self-deprivation was a whole lot easier to deal with than what the prophets and Jesus said God has in mind.
Fasting has to do with living your faith –
putting flesh on what you say you believe –
enacting your belief.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Remembering to Take Time to Take a Time Out
Lent encourages us to look within ourselves to see how we have confused popular cultural values with Christian faith.
We need Lent!
From the very earliest times, Christians took time out before Easter to reflect on their faith, cultivate it, and prepare for a most joyous celebration of Easter.
Remembering that Jesus took 40 days off to prepare for the beginning of his ministry,
the church sets aside these 40 days prior to Easter for us to get ready.
This is a time for us to explore the mysteries of the universe, looking beneath the surface – within ourselves -- examining our own motives and desires, and ascertaining exactly what our commitment is: to what, to whom, and what it means.
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus went out into the desert for 40 days.
For 40 days he lived without food or, presumably water.
For 40 days he confronted his demons.
For 40 days he prayed.
For 40 days he communed with his God.
Suffice it to say, upon completion of his 40 days in the desert, Jesus had a clearer picture of his purpose in life,
of his reason for being,
of his God-given mission.
And he embarked on his course of demonstrating the reign of love on earth.
Traditionally, the church has set aside these 40 days prior to Easter as a time for personal reflection toward discovery of our purpose and renewed commitment to our faith.
Many cultures make a lot over the fasting nature of these 40 days.
Carnival is celebrated in many parts of the world the day before Lent begins as the last chance to eat meat for 40 days!
In this country Mardi Gras is celebrated in New Orleans on “fat Tuesday” – the day before the 40 day fast begins.
Today, we see these 40 days as an opportunity to attend to the parts of our lives that we often neglect. We are challenged to open ourselves in new ways to the Spirit’s transforming power.
Because Presbyterians rebelled against all things Catholic, Lent was never celebrated in most Presbyterian churches until recent years. But, Lent is such a rich time.
It is an excellent opportunity for us to really focus on things that matter.
Lent is meant to remind us that
the days are getting longer –
Spring is right around the corner. Signs of life are preparing to bud right in front of our eyes.
And, we need to prepare ourselves to see these signs!
We need Lent!
Lent encourages us to look within ourselves to see how we have confused popular cultural values with Christian faith.
Through a sustained focus on the life and ministry of Jesus, Lent can help us resist the pressures of this culture.
Lent can remind us that we are called to continue his ministry: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (John 20:21).
Consequently, Lent prepares us for an Easter that is more than bunnies and eggs,
an Easter that begins a whole new reality – a whole new world.
From the beginning, part and parcel of the Lenten observance has been alms giving.
The purpose of fasting is not so much a bodily discipline as it is a sharing discipline. Becoming aware of the needs of others, and responding to them with generous gifts of our time and talents and money are particularly transforming.
During this season, many of our Presbyterian Churches will be emphasizing our One Great Hour of Sharing as a concrete way of self-sacrifice for the needs of others.
The discipline of a daily gift to the One Great Hour of Sharing jar is a concrete way of focusing our thoughts on our individual purpose for living.
It becomes an expression of the faith we proclaim.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
100 Things to do for Lent
"Do you realize how soon Ash Wednesday is? Shoot, y’all, it’s time to start praying on what you’re going to do for Lent."
A few years ago, Meg Hunter-Kilmer posted 100 Things to do for Lent . . .
organanized around the three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Peruse for some great ideas for stimulating your observance of Lent this year.
Monday, February 1, 2016
40 Days, 40 Acts Toward The Best Easter Ever
Jesus took 40 days to prepare himself to do what he was born to do.
Christians hold up 40 days prior to Easter each year to prepare ourselves to experience Easter in the very best possible way.
Rather than giving something(s) up for Lent this year, consider taking something on.
Consider taking on a specific act of generosity each day during Lent this year.
You could have the very best Easter ever.
"What if Lent could be more than just giving stuff up?
What if it could remind us that we're here; alive and able to make a generous difference to the world around us?
Join 75,000 people doing Lent generously this year, with 40 days, 40 brand new reflections and 40 acts of generosity.
Sign up to receive #40acts emails from February 10th until March 24th 2016 and receive a daily dose of generosity during Lent.
With blogs written by Rev. Kate Bottley ( Gogglebox, The Dancing Vicar), Bridget Plass, Dan Usher (Share the Miracle), Emma Scrivener (A New Name) Steve Legg ( Sorted Men's Magazine), Fiona Morrison ( Tearfund), Graham Miller (London City Mission) and many more.
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