Something significant happens when people sing together.
In
singing together, we engage in corporate worship – it takes what each
of us does here and moves it from a personal experience to a group
experience.
Singing together is an awesome experience.
Singing together increases an awareness of other-ness.
That you are a part of a much larger whole –
an awareness that inspires awe.
Today we take up another Lenten Practice: Singing !!! – learn a new song.
Apparently from the very beginning, when Christians have come together, they sang songs together.
The very earliest descriptions we have of Christian meeting always include an allusion to the singing of songs together.
God's people have always been a people who sung.
Singing together is biblically commanded –
and edifying to those who participate.
You
see, in singing together, we engage in corporate worship – it takes
what each of us does here and moves it from a personal experience to a
group experience.
Of course, at the very beginning they sang from the Psalm Book –
it contained the songs they knew –
the songs they were familiar with.
They used the Psalm Book as their hymn book –
and as their prayer book
and as their worship book.
What we have found out, and what we are quite sure of, is that something significant happens when people sing together.
One of the most profound encounters with the holy through the power of song I ever encountered was some 40 years ago.
We were living in the San Francisco area when a young man who went by the name of Donovan came to do a concert.
The
concert was in the Cow Palace (a large venue like the Spectrum) – a
place where the professional basketball team played, a place were large
numbers of people could gather to hear a concert.
And Suzanne and I went.
There must have been 20,000 seats that night.
In the center of the room was a small stage with a single microphone on it.
When it was time, the lights went down, a voice intoned: “Ladies and gentlemen, Donovan.”
And this young man walked out alone from somewhere, through the crowd carrying a guitar.
He
walked up on to the stage and sat down, cross-legged right there in the
middle of the stage – in the middle of 20,000 pairs of eyes staring
down at him.
And he started to sing.
And for over two hours this one man with his guitar mesmerized the crowd of 20,000 people with his songs.
The
power of his music and song we experienced that night was far more
powerful than what is experienced in the loud amplified staged concerts
that we expect in a venue as large as the Spectrum today.
It truly was an awesome experience.
Another
most profound encounter with the holy through the power of song was
experience right here in Philadelphia, just a couple of years ago.
I’ve
mentioned before how Suzanne and I were privileged to be among an
audience of some 2500 people gathered at the Kimmel Center to hear a
concert of some 650 singers from Presbyterian churches all over the
Philadelphia area.
I mean, think about it – 650 voices in concert!
There had never been that many singers assembled for a concert in the Kimmel Center – before or since!
A choir of 650 people.
650 Presbyterians lending their voices in concert with the magnificent Kimmel Center mammoth pipe organ.
It was a magnificent experience.
The music of the voices and the organ filled the auditorium and moved the souls of all in attendance that day.
It was truly awesome – awe inspiring.
As I sat there with the music infusing my very being, I was glad I was there,
but I really didn’t want to be where I was.
Our seats were maybe 40 feet from the nearest singers, but I wanted to be closer.
I wanted to be there in the midst of them –
feeling their energy,
hearing their voices,
joining right in – singing for all I was worth.
After the concert I ran in to several of the choir members in the rest room line.
And, I commented that it was an awesome experience for us – and I could only imagine what it must have been like for them
to be in the midst of 649 other singers
all singing at the top of the lungs
being heard as one.
And, to a person, they all said it was the best day of their lives!
It was an awe-inspiring experience –
for the participants and for those present to hear the performance.
We all know that there are some performers that people go to see and to hear –
whose performance commands rapt attention from the those present.
And, at times, we might even feel we are in the presence of greatness when we are there.
And, there are other performers who feel that is their “job” to involve the audience in the performance.
People go to the concerts of these performers knowing the lyrics to all the songs –
and feel like they have to join in.
Suzanne and I had another experience a couple of years ago that struck a chord with me.
We were on an airplane returning to Philadelphia from one of our trips to the midwest.
Our plane had three seats on either side of the isle.
And seated in the window seat of our row, was a little old lady with snow white hair.
Almost as soon as we sat down she started talking with Suzanne.
She had never been to Philadelphia before, was flying in to visit with brother in Newark.
(I thought to myself, yeah but you’re not going to be in Newark when you get to Philadelphia.)
But, Suzanne was game so she asked the question, where are you coming from.
The woman’s face lit up as she allowed that she had just returned from a two week cruise.
Ever the trooper, Suzanne then ventured: “O, where did you go?”
The little old woman scrinched her face a bit, and said, “O I don’t know. We didn’t go anywhere, really.”
She said, “It was an Elvis cruise.”
That’s when she got my attention.
“There
were twelve Elvis impersonators on board – and it was non-stop music
from dawn to dusk – it was great – we didn’t care where the ship was
going.”
An Elvis cruise.
Well, you can be sure that those folks on that cruise did not go on the cruise to hear Elvis impersonators.
They went because they knew all the Elvis songs and relished the opportunity to sing along with the Elvis impersonators.
Something powerful happens when you sing along.
Something powerful happens when you are in the chorus –
when people on either side of you and in front and behind you are joining their voices in song.
Pete Seeger has been on a life-long mission to go wherever he could just to engage people in song.
Like
many other performers, he judges the success of his performance by
getting the folks to sing along in concert with one another.
Over the years, Pete Seeger has perfected the art of getting folks to join right in singing their song.
When
he first started out, Peter Seeger recognized the power of voices in
song and on the front of his signature banjo he painted the words: Warning: this instrument conquers hate.
Singing together is an awesome experience.
Singing together increases an awareness of other-ness.
That you are a part of a much larger whole –
an awareness that inspires awe.
I
have to believe that corporate singing is vital to what we do when we
come together for this awe-robic exercise we call Christian Worship.
Occasionally, I have someone say to me, why do we sing so much at this church?
Other churches don’t sing as much as you do.
And, I think, well, that’s to their detriment.
As the song goes, we sing because we are happy.
We sing because we know we are free –
free from old baggage which tends to weigh us down.
We don’t worry if our song is not good enough for anyone else to hear.
We sing because there is inspiration in voices singing together.
We sing because it inspires awe – and that’s a good thing.
May your life go on in endless song.
May your song last your whole life long.
And let the world sing along.
Sing! Learn a new song!
It is truly an awe-robic exercise.
Amen.
This
is a portion of a sermon delivered 03-21-2010 to the congregation of
Christ Presbyterian Church -- a center of faith in Drexel Hill,
Pennsylvania
Showing posts with label Spiritual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiritual. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 1, 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.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
A Time to Think of Things Spiritual
Traditionally, Christians have taken time before Easter to think on things spiritual.
Taking clues from Jesus who before beginning his ministry took a 40 day hiatus, the church has set aside this amount of time during this season when the days lengthen to concentrate on how the faith we profess affects the life we lead.
Through the years, people have used different tools to encourage such thoughts.
Recalling that the Bible says that Jesus fasted for 40 days, many people choose a form of that to help place them in the proper mindset to receive and perceive spiritual thoughts.
The idea of “giving something up” for Lent became a substitute for an all-out fast for Westerners living in an increasingly secular society.
But, we all know that negative behavior in itself does little to stimulate Spiritual thoughts. And, far more important than giving up something for Lent is a proactive behavior specifically designed to encourage thoughts about our faith and the life we lead.
And, so each of us is encouraged to do something specific during this time before Easter:
• read a book, (Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, by Marcus Borg, will certainly generate thoughts and stimulate conversation with others)
• use a daily devotional guide to help stimulate your thoughts, (if you already use one on a regular basis, add another specifically designed to stimulate new thoughts for the season.)
• pray (set aside a certain time each day, or place a post-it-note with the word “PRAY” on your computer or in a prominent place to remind you that the proper time to pray is any time, all the time)
• do something for others you have not done before (perhaps write a note to people on your Christmas card list – just think what the recipient will think when they hear from you from “out of the blue”, so to speak)
• Come to church every Sunday until Easter
Whatever you choose to do, I encourage you to choose to do something during this season.
You will find your faith stimulated and your life enhanced.
This season, this Lent, can be of tremendous significance to you – if you let it, if you participate in it.
Taking clues from Jesus who before beginning his ministry took a 40 day hiatus, the church has set aside this amount of time during this season when the days lengthen to concentrate on how the faith we profess affects the life we lead.
Through the years, people have used different tools to encourage such thoughts.
Recalling that the Bible says that Jesus fasted for 40 days, many people choose a form of that to help place them in the proper mindset to receive and perceive spiritual thoughts.
The idea of “giving something up” for Lent became a substitute for an all-out fast for Westerners living in an increasingly secular society.
But, we all know that negative behavior in itself does little to stimulate Spiritual thoughts. And, far more important than giving up something for Lent is a proactive behavior specifically designed to encourage thoughts about our faith and the life we lead.
And, so each of us is encouraged to do something specific during this time before Easter:
• read a book, (Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, by Marcus Borg, will certainly generate thoughts and stimulate conversation with others)
• use a daily devotional guide to help stimulate your thoughts, (if you already use one on a regular basis, add another specifically designed to stimulate new thoughts for the season.)
• pray (set aside a certain time each day, or place a post-it-note with the word “PRAY” on your computer or in a prominent place to remind you that the proper time to pray is any time, all the time)
• do something for others you have not done before (perhaps write a note to people on your Christmas card list – just think what the recipient will think when they hear from you from “out of the blue”, so to speak)
• Come to church every Sunday until Easter
Whatever you choose to do, I encourage you to choose to do something during this season.
You will find your faith stimulated and your life enhanced.
This season, this Lent, can be of tremendous significance to you – if you let it, if you participate in it.
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