Maundy Thursday is the Thursday of Holy Week (the Thursday before Easter). It was the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, sharing a meal with them which we call the Last Supper.
The name Maundy Thursday is derived from the Latin word mandatum which means commandment and it refers to the "new commandment" of John 13:34.
Jesus tells us to “love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples – when they see the love you have for each other.” (John 13:34-35).
Why? Why would he command us to love each other? Is he simply a naïve romantic, a surfer messiah seeking only “peace, man?” Does He have an inescapable obligation to push for love, even when love doesn’t work, or even causes more pain?
Henri Nouwen was a Catholic priest who taught at several theological institutes and universities in his home country of the Netherlands and in the United States. He shared the final years of his life with people with mental disabilities at a home community in Toronto. In his teaching, he often shared the following story about “The Old Man and the Scorpion.”
“Once there was a very old man who used to meditate early every morning under a large tree on the bank of the Ganges River in India. One morning, having finished his meditation, the old man opened his eyes and saw a scorpion floating helplessly in the strong current of the river. As the scorpion was pulled close to the tree, it got caught in the long tree roots that branched out far into the river. The scorpion struggled frantically to free itself but got more and more entangled in the complex network of the tree roots.
“When the old man saw this, he immediately stretched himself onto the extended roots and reached out to rescue the drowning scorpion. But as soon as he touched it, the animal jerked and stung him wildly. Instinctively, the man withdrew his hand, but then, after having regained his balance, he once again stretched himself out along the roots to save the agonized scorpion. But every time the old man came within reach, the scorpion stung him so badly with its poisonous tail that his hands became swollen and bloody and his face distorted with pain.
“At that moment, a passerby saw the old man stretched out on the roots struggling with the scorpion and shouted: ‘Hey, stupid old man. What’s wrong with you? Only a fool risks his life for the sake of an ugly, useless creature. Don’t you know that you may kill yourself to save that ungrateful animal?’
“Slowly the old man turned his head, and looking calmly in the stranger’s eyes, he said: ‘Friend, because it is the nature of the scorpion to sting, why should I give up my own nature to save?’
“Well,” Nouwen says, “that’s the question: Why should we give up our nature to be compassionate even when we get stung in a biting, stinging world?” He goes on to say that the story “challenges us to show that to embrace is more human than to reject, that to kiss is more human than to bite, to behold more human than to stare, to be friends more human than to be rivals, to make peace more human than to make war – in short, that compassion is more human than strife.”
Jesus tells us to “love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples – when they see the love you have for each other.” (John 13:34-35).
By Friday of this week (if you don't know the way the story ends) it looks like the wrath of God has eclipsed the love of God. But it isn't so. Mercy triumphs over Judgment at Easter: love triumphs over wrath. Love is the new commandment given on this night by Jesus after he has washed the disciples' feet.... "Love one another as I have loved you." This is the "mandatum novum" from which the name "Maundy Thursday" comes.
In those days it was usual for a servant to wash the guests’ feet on arrival. On this occasion there was no servant present and none of the disciples volunteered to do the menial task. Instead, Jesus got up and washed his disciples’ feet, giving them an object lesson in humility and service.
But the disciples didn't fully comprehend how deeply Jesus has loved them. After all they had been through, it took a king on his knees with a towel around his waist to prove to them the loving, servant heart of God (what if our President, or a king, were to wash the feet of a bunch of fishermen today? What if it were your feet?). But even so, Peter the disciple doesn't understand why Jesus would defile himself in this way.
If Peter finds it hard to accept that Jesus his king would humiliate himself by washing his followers' feet, he will be even more confounded tomorrow. For there will be another demonstration of how God loves on Good Friday, when the perfect love of God in Jesus faces the wrath of God against evil, and love triumphs in the end. All for the love of us.
But there is at least one more level still. To meet the living Christ here, now. Another phrase that John records Jesus saying in this story is spoken when Peter objects to having his feet washed. Jesus says, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." Another translator offers, "If I do not wash you, you will have no heritage with me." Jesus spoke to Peter then. Jesus speaks to us today. This is about Jesus expressing love for us. This is about Jesus serving us. This is about our recognition and acceptance of the gift that is offered. Jesus offers to cleanse away the grime of life’s journeying. With a basin and towel, with his death upon the cross. To put a few more words in Jesus’ mouth, what he says to Peter and to us is: "If you do not let me do this for you… If you do not accept my death upon the cross as my gift to you, then you will not truly receive the heritage that is yours… the inheritance of new and eternal life lived in joy in the very presence of God."
We are challenged right now, right in this moment. Will we accept Christ’s service, the gift of his death?
Each of us undoubtedly has many reasons not to. Pride. I do not need anyone’s service. False humility. I am not worthy of such a sacrifice. A profound discomfort with being beholden. Very beholden. No thank you, Jesus. Just imagine that the person who washes your feet this night in this room offers to die for your sins tomorrow. Would you accept such a sacrifice? Such action is not a part of our relationships with one another as individuals within the Body of Christ, but it is a part of our relationship with the living Christ. It is what brings us into relationship with the living Christ. Here. Now.
There was a lot going on in the upper room the evening of the Last Supper. It is good to remember those events and reflect upon their meaning for us. But the living Christ is present in this room this day. Will you let Jesus be your servant? Will you let him give his life for yours?
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Who is the Messiah?
Who is Jesus? Who is the Messiah? For Christians this is one of the basic questions of faith. This following passage in Luke’s gospel deals with that question by noting a short controversy between Jesus and the leadership. Previous attempts to stump him had failed, but now Jesus will silence his opponents with a question about the most important figure in Jewish promise, the Son of David, Messiah. It is Jesus' turn to ask a question and seek answers. How will the leadership fare in the hot seat?
Jesus raises a rabbinic antinomy (A contradiction between principles or conclusions that seem equally necessary and reasonable; a paradox.) The question is asked both before and after a quotation of Psalm 110:1. "How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David? David himself declares in the Book of Psalms, `The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." ' David calls him `Lord.' How then can he be his son?" Jesus' goal is not to deny either premise but to show a relationship between two concepts that otherwise might appear to be in tension. In effect, Jesus is saying, more important than Jesus being David's son is that he is David's Lord.
In fact, Jesus does not answer the question, nor does his audience. Instead the audience and Luke's reader are left to ponder it. (Excerpt from the IVP New Testament Commentaries series.)
It occurs to me that I might benefit as well from considering Jesus (non) answer to the question. Jesus speaks to us in many ways: nature, people, and events… In listening to Jesus in prayer, I can focus on Scripture as God’s word to me here and now. What the text meant to the original writers/ hearers, to others throughout history, may be helpful - but it can also distract from what God is saying to me now.
In any relationship, there is a great difference between hearing the words and really listening. So being attentive as I pray becomes essential.
Scripture is comparable to food. It needs to be taken in, chewed over, tasted, to be nourishing.
So today, as part of our Holy Week observance, let’s try something novel. Let’s let Jesus teach us through His Spirit.
Find a place that you can hide away, so that you don’t have to be inhibited in your response.
Let yourself relax. Take your tongue off of the roof of your mouth, and let your shoulders drop down and away from you ears.
Trust that Jesus is with you through His Spirit. It’s one of the things that He promises us in the Bible.
Simply begins to read Psalm 110 (below) as an act of prayer. Assume on His grace to listen, to hear His word to you now…
Use imagination, PICTURE the scene, become involved, with whom or what do I identify?
Read very slowly. PONDER. If you feel safe, you can even read aloud.
Repeat./Read/Ruminate/ Reflect/ Respond/ Rest.
If a word or phrase touches your heart, savor it, repeat it, rest in it, return to it in a later prayer period, carry it in your heart for the rest of the day – maybe even for the rest of your life.
Don’t hurry. Don’t try to look for lessons or profound thoughts.
(and if you find yourself in a sharing mood, let me know how it goes.)
Psalm 110
A David Prayer
1-3 The word of God to my Lord: "Sit alongside me here on my throne
until I make your enemies a stool for your feet."
You were forged a strong scepter by God of Zion;
now rule, though surrounded by enemies!
Your people will freely join you, resplendent in holy armor
on the great day of your conquest,
Join you at the fresh break of day,
join you with all the vigor of youth.
4-7 God gave his word and he won't take it back:
you're the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest.
The Lord stands true at your side,
crushing kings in his terrible wrath,
Bringing judgment on the nations,
handing out convictions wholesale,
crushing opposition across the wide earth.
The King-Maker put his King on the throne;
the True King rules with head held high!
The Message
Jesus raises a rabbinic antinomy (A contradiction between principles or conclusions that seem equally necessary and reasonable; a paradox.) The question is asked both before and after a quotation of Psalm 110:1. "How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David? David himself declares in the Book of Psalms, `The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." ' David calls him `Lord.' How then can he be his son?" Jesus' goal is not to deny either premise but to show a relationship between two concepts that otherwise might appear to be in tension. In effect, Jesus is saying, more important than Jesus being David's son is that he is David's Lord.
In fact, Jesus does not answer the question, nor does his audience. Instead the audience and Luke's reader are left to ponder it. (Excerpt from the IVP New Testament Commentaries series.)
It occurs to me that I might benefit as well from considering Jesus (non) answer to the question. Jesus speaks to us in many ways: nature, people, and events… In listening to Jesus in prayer, I can focus on Scripture as God’s word to me here and now. What the text meant to the original writers/ hearers, to others throughout history, may be helpful - but it can also distract from what God is saying to me now.
In any relationship, there is a great difference between hearing the words and really listening. So being attentive as I pray becomes essential.
Scripture is comparable to food. It needs to be taken in, chewed over, tasted, to be nourishing.
So today, as part of our Holy Week observance, let’s try something novel. Let’s let Jesus teach us through His Spirit.
Find a place that you can hide away, so that you don’t have to be inhibited in your response.
Let yourself relax. Take your tongue off of the roof of your mouth, and let your shoulders drop down and away from you ears.
Trust that Jesus is with you through His Spirit. It’s one of the things that He promises us in the Bible.
Simply begins to read Psalm 110 (below) as an act of prayer. Assume on His grace to listen, to hear His word to you now…
Use imagination, PICTURE the scene, become involved, with whom or what do I identify?
Read very slowly. PONDER. If you feel safe, you can even read aloud.
Repeat./Read/Ruminate/ Reflect/ Respond/ Rest.
If a word or phrase touches your heart, savor it, repeat it, rest in it, return to it in a later prayer period, carry it in your heart for the rest of the day – maybe even for the rest of your life.
Don’t hurry. Don’t try to look for lessons or profound thoughts.
(and if you find yourself in a sharing mood, let me know how it goes.)
Psalm 110
A David Prayer
1-3 The word of God to my Lord: "Sit alongside me here on my throne
until I make your enemies a stool for your feet."
You were forged a strong scepter by God of Zion;
now rule, though surrounded by enemies!
Your people will freely join you, resplendent in holy armor
on the great day of your conquest,
Join you at the fresh break of day,
join you with all the vigor of youth.
4-7 God gave his word and he won't take it back:
you're the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest.
The Lord stands true at your side,
crushing kings in his terrible wrath,
Bringing judgment on the nations,
handing out convictions wholesale,
crushing opposition across the wide earth.
The King-Maker put his King on the throne;
the True King rules with head held high!
The Message
a long Tuesday
The Tuesday following Jesus entry into Jerusalem was a long day of controversy.
The entry into Jerusalem was followed by the confrontation and cleansing of the temple.
And now Jesus was being accosted by at least three different groups driven by three distinct agendas.
In Luke 20, Jesus was being criticized by the religious leaders of Jerusalem. Physical violence wasn’t an option to get rid of Jesus, because of the adoring crowds (19:47-48). So they challenged Jesus with trick questions - first about His authority (1-8), then about seditious political ideas (19-26) and finally theology (27-39). By 20:40, each group has asked a question and every possibility has been explored. Their efforts to “expose” Jesus have been unsuccessful. Instead, the hardness of their hearts, and the truth of their motives have become apparent. And in the process, Jesus’ ascendancy stands in stark contrast. His wisdom is infallible, and His insight is piercing.
It is easy at this point to turn these religious leaders into mere caricatures, and to ridicule their inability or unwillingness to see the rightness of Jesus’ words and presence.
And this is the point where the Holy Spirit says, “Wait a minute…”
Do I really think that these men were dumb? Were they utterly insensitive to the world around them? Did they think that their motives were wrong? They expressed the true posture of their souls by directly challenging Jesus, and rejecting His authority.
I don’t have the guts to do that. I challenge Jesus by being flippant about His authority. I challenge Jesus by insisting on going my own way (in an acceptable and sophisticated way, of course.)
My pastor Pieter Van Waarde said it well in the message this weekend;
“I just want to do things my way. I want to make my own choices and I want to be my own person. I may like God, in fact I might even want to be like God (in the sense that I want to do good things), I just want to do it my way. I want to be in control. It all sounds so innocent when we say it that way. But, in reality that orientation sets us at odds with God and his ways – and the longer we live that way the further off track we get. In fact, the more we all live like that the messier the world becomes.
When you boil it all down, it is really a matter of “unintended consequences”. We say that we are just trying to do our own thing, never seeing what that mindset does to the way life is supposed to be lived…Or to put it another way, God has all this goodness available to us, but we can’t see it because we have become too absorbed in our own way of doing things. We don’t see what we have done, and I think (by and large) people really never see the significance of this decision until they start feeling consequences of their own foolish choices.”
Whether through direct challenge or through indirect methods likes flippancy or apathy, it all boils down to questioning Jesus authority. And this questioning is motivated by a desire to control what should be his – control of our own lives.
“Jesus, you have experienced my ungratefulness many days. You have been patient, and right, every time that I have challenged you with my withdrawal. I add my voice to that of the Psalmist, and pray, “Do not forsake the (life) you have planted.” After processing through this day of controversy, and examining my own role in creating days of controversy for You, I am reminded again – I need your mercy. Thank you for this truth - as long as there is any desire in my heart to know you, you continue to hold open the way of reconciliation and redemption. Amen.”
The entry into Jerusalem was followed by the confrontation and cleansing of the temple.
And now Jesus was being accosted by at least three different groups driven by three distinct agendas.
In Luke 20, Jesus was being criticized by the religious leaders of Jerusalem. Physical violence wasn’t an option to get rid of Jesus, because of the adoring crowds (19:47-48). So they challenged Jesus with trick questions - first about His authority (1-8), then about seditious political ideas (19-26) and finally theology (27-39). By 20:40, each group has asked a question and every possibility has been explored. Their efforts to “expose” Jesus have been unsuccessful. Instead, the hardness of their hearts, and the truth of their motives have become apparent. And in the process, Jesus’ ascendancy stands in stark contrast. His wisdom is infallible, and His insight is piercing.
It is easy at this point to turn these religious leaders into mere caricatures, and to ridicule their inability or unwillingness to see the rightness of Jesus’ words and presence.
And this is the point where the Holy Spirit says, “Wait a minute…”
Do I really think that these men were dumb? Were they utterly insensitive to the world around them? Did they think that their motives were wrong? They expressed the true posture of their souls by directly challenging Jesus, and rejecting His authority.
I don’t have the guts to do that. I challenge Jesus by being flippant about His authority. I challenge Jesus by insisting on going my own way (in an acceptable and sophisticated way, of course.)
My pastor Pieter Van Waarde said it well in the message this weekend;
“I just want to do things my way. I want to make my own choices and I want to be my own person. I may like God, in fact I might even want to be like God (in the sense that I want to do good things), I just want to do it my way. I want to be in control. It all sounds so innocent when we say it that way. But, in reality that orientation sets us at odds with God and his ways – and the longer we live that way the further off track we get. In fact, the more we all live like that the messier the world becomes.
When you boil it all down, it is really a matter of “unintended consequences”. We say that we are just trying to do our own thing, never seeing what that mindset does to the way life is supposed to be lived…Or to put it another way, God has all this goodness available to us, but we can’t see it because we have become too absorbed in our own way of doing things. We don’t see what we have done, and I think (by and large) people really never see the significance of this decision until they start feeling consequences of their own foolish choices.”
Whether through direct challenge or through indirect methods likes flippancy or apathy, it all boils down to questioning Jesus authority. And this questioning is motivated by a desire to control what should be his – control of our own lives.
“Jesus, you have experienced my ungratefulness many days. You have been patient, and right, every time that I have challenged you with my withdrawal. I add my voice to that of the Psalmist, and pray, “Do not forsake the (life) you have planted.” After processing through this day of controversy, and examining my own role in creating days of controversy for You, I am reminded again – I need your mercy. Thank you for this truth - as long as there is any desire in my heart to know you, you continue to hold open the way of reconciliation and redemption. Amen.”
another post in the move toward Easter
What follows is an thoughtful reflection on the act of prayer. The letters that the excerpt comes from are still viewed as required reading for many Benedictine sisters and brothers. I think that it is appropriate not only for this week. The first sentence will tell you why.
CT
The Struggle of Prayer
by Dom John Chapman
Prayer, in the sense of union with God, is the most crucifying thing there is. One must do it for God's sake; but one will not get any satisfaction out of it, in the sense of feeling "I am good at prayer. I have an infallible method."
That would be disastrous, since what we want to learn is precisely our own weakness, powerlessness, unworthiness. Nor ought one to expect "a sense of the reality of the supernatural" of which I speak. And one should wish for no prayer, except precisely the prayer that God gives us -- probably very distracted and unsatisfactory in every way.
On the other hand, the only way to pray is to pray; and the way to pray well is to pray much. If one has no time for this, then one must at least pray regularly. But the less one prays, the worse it goes. And if circumstances do not permit even regularity, then one must put up with the fact that when one does try to pray, one can't pray -- and our prayer will probably consist of telling this to God.
As to beginning afresh, or where you left off, I don't think you have any choice. You simply have to begin wherever you find yourself. Make any acts you want to make and feel you ought to make, but do not force yourself into feelings of any kind.
You say very naturally that you do not know what to do if you have a quarter of an hour alone in church. Yes, I suspect the only thing to do is to shut out the church and everything else, and just give yourself to God and beg Him to have mercy on you, and offer Him all your distractions.
Taken from The Spiritual Letters of Dom John Chapman, osb.
© Copyright 1938 Sheed and Ward, London, England.
CT
The Struggle of Prayer
by Dom John Chapman
Prayer, in the sense of union with God, is the most crucifying thing there is. One must do it for God's sake; but one will not get any satisfaction out of it, in the sense of feeling "I am good at prayer. I have an infallible method."
That would be disastrous, since what we want to learn is precisely our own weakness, powerlessness, unworthiness. Nor ought one to expect "a sense of the reality of the supernatural" of which I speak. And one should wish for no prayer, except precisely the prayer that God gives us -- probably very distracted and unsatisfactory in every way.
On the other hand, the only way to pray is to pray; and the way to pray well is to pray much. If one has no time for this, then one must at least pray regularly. But the less one prays, the worse it goes. And if circumstances do not permit even regularity, then one must put up with the fact that when one does try to pray, one can't pray -- and our prayer will probably consist of telling this to God.
As to beginning afresh, or where you left off, I don't think you have any choice. You simply have to begin wherever you find yourself. Make any acts you want to make and feel you ought to make, but do not force yourself into feelings of any kind.
You say very naturally that you do not know what to do if you have a quarter of an hour alone in church. Yes, I suspect the only thing to do is to shut out the church and everything else, and just give yourself to God and beg Him to have mercy on you, and offer Him all your distractions.
Taken from The Spiritual Letters of Dom John Chapman, osb.
© Copyright 1938 Sheed and Ward, London, England.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
a devotion for Palm Sunday
According to the World Book Encyclopedia, Palm Sunday is a moveable feast in the Christian calendar which falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates an event reported by all four Canonical Gospels (Mark 11:1-11, Matthew 21:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.)
This Sunday before Easter (also referred to as Passion Sunday) remembers Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem near the end of a public ministry.
When Jesus entered the city with his group of followers, people laid palm branches on the road before him and greeted him as the long-awaited Messiah, shouting, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Their celebrating didn’t last long. As they heard his teachings and saw his behavior over the next few days, both religious leaders and people on the streets turned against Jesus. Many in the admiring crowds who were shouting “Hosanna!” turned to shouting “Crucify him!”
So here is my confession. I have a hard time connecting emotionally to Palm Sunday because the Bible text describes people who'd become hypocrites. They were throwing palm branches and praising Jesus one day and shouting for his death the next. But that wasn't hypocrisy - that was just humankind being fickle. Like me, those people were volatile. They praised the Lord on Sunday, denied Him on Thursday and begged for His murder on Friday. The text doesn’t state this, but I imagine that they second guessed their actions by the next Sunday. They were influenced by their peers while in the crowd facing Pilate. They feared for their own safety. They were happy when they were healed, or had their own needs met.
Palm Sunday hooks me because it seems to be the date that humanity's weakness is recognized. Palm Sunday points to people in all of their unpredictability and flightiness. Palm Sunday asks me to examine the condition of my own heart. Palm Sunday gives me the opportunity to examine my own faithfulness to Christ.
It is rather easy to strive towards piety when everything seems to be going well but when unexpected drama happens, what then? When we have to endure incessantly through physical or spiritual pain, what then? When God seems distant and all is dark and dejected, what then? When life seems unfilled and aimless, what then? Has our faith rooted itself deeply enough to help us cope with these situations, so that they do not control us?
Palm Sunday shines a bright spotlight on the fact that I need help. A lot of help. ..right now. I need to know if there is hope.
Palm Sunday points ahead to the hope that is on the horizon…wait for it…
This Sunday before Easter (also referred to as Passion Sunday) remembers Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem near the end of a public ministry.
When Jesus entered the city with his group of followers, people laid palm branches on the road before him and greeted him as the long-awaited Messiah, shouting, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Their celebrating didn’t last long. As they heard his teachings and saw his behavior over the next few days, both religious leaders and people on the streets turned against Jesus. Many in the admiring crowds who were shouting “Hosanna!” turned to shouting “Crucify him!”
So here is my confession. I have a hard time connecting emotionally to Palm Sunday because the Bible text describes people who'd become hypocrites. They were throwing palm branches and praising Jesus one day and shouting for his death the next. But that wasn't hypocrisy - that was just humankind being fickle. Like me, those people were volatile. They praised the Lord on Sunday, denied Him on Thursday and begged for His murder on Friday. The text doesn’t state this, but I imagine that they second guessed their actions by the next Sunday. They were influenced by their peers while in the crowd facing Pilate. They feared for their own safety. They were happy when they were healed, or had their own needs met.
Palm Sunday hooks me because it seems to be the date that humanity's weakness is recognized. Palm Sunday points to people in all of their unpredictability and flightiness. Palm Sunday asks me to examine the condition of my own heart. Palm Sunday gives me the opportunity to examine my own faithfulness to Christ.
It is rather easy to strive towards piety when everything seems to be going well but when unexpected drama happens, what then? When we have to endure incessantly through physical or spiritual pain, what then? When God seems distant and all is dark and dejected, what then? When life seems unfilled and aimless, what then? Has our faith rooted itself deeply enough to help us cope with these situations, so that they do not control us?
Palm Sunday shines a bright spotlight on the fact that I need help. A lot of help. ..right now. I need to know if there is hope.
Palm Sunday points ahead to the hope that is on the horizon…wait for it…
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
a post for the move toward Easter
This is a short devotion that I put together for Ash Wednesday. While it is no longer timely, it makes sense with the other pieces that I will post here beginning this weekend.
For Christians around the world, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Lent spans 40 weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday and climaxing during Holy Week with Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, and concluding Saturday before Easter. (Easter is March 23 this year.) These 40 weekdays signify the time Jesus spent in the wilderness. The season of Lent can also be a time when Christians devote themselves to introspection and reflection.
Many Christians choose to mark the season of Lent with prayer and fasting. Other Christians during this time give up meat, alcohol and other types of food.
Ash Wednesday derives from the Latin, dies cinerum, which means 'day of ashes'. The use of the ashes comes from the Old Testament image of men who turned away from their sins, and showed their decision by wearing ashes and clothing their bodies with sackcloth. In a practical way, they showed their true selves, and the true desire of their hearts.
So, does this day have any significance for those of us who do not attend a Catholic, Episcopalian or Methodist church?
I believe that it does.
I believe that it can be particularly meaningful for Woodcrest.
One of the main values that we hold and promote is the value of authenticity. We describe it in several different ways. We speak of the need to live life transparently, without masks or personas. We even describe ourselves as a community of helped people helping people. That means that we embrace the fact that we are all damaged, rebellious, and fearful people, who are learning to grasp onto the unconditional love of a Christ who has promised not to harm us, even in our most tenuous state.
We are people who have metaphorically put ashes on our heads, and stepped out of our “show clothes” to allow the world to see us as we really are.
And in that process, we find the same thing that Jesus found in His 40 days in the wilderness. That we are never truly alone. That our Father in Heaven is trustworthy, and will protect us. That it is not only OK, but it is better to live as our true broken selves, in the light of God’s grace.
So should you put some ashes on your forehead today? Maybe. It won’t hurt anything.
But you might also consider taking some time today to slip away out of your regular routine and take a few minutes to talk to God. To talk without worrying if you are saying or doing things right. To talk as someone who is tired of pretending to be something that you are not. To talk like someone who is willing to (quietly and privately) identify yourself as a person who will embrace the idea of living as your true self, in the belief that God will welcome and embrace the true you.
Give it a try. Who knows what might happen?
For Christians around the world, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Lent spans 40 weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday and climaxing during Holy Week with Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, and concluding Saturday before Easter. (Easter is March 23 this year.) These 40 weekdays signify the time Jesus spent in the wilderness. The season of Lent can also be a time when Christians devote themselves to introspection and reflection.
Many Christians choose to mark the season of Lent with prayer and fasting. Other Christians during this time give up meat, alcohol and other types of food.
Ash Wednesday derives from the Latin, dies cinerum, which means 'day of ashes'. The use of the ashes comes from the Old Testament image of men who turned away from their sins, and showed their decision by wearing ashes and clothing their bodies with sackcloth. In a practical way, they showed their true selves, and the true desire of their hearts.
So, does this day have any significance for those of us who do not attend a Catholic, Episcopalian or Methodist church?
I believe that it does.
I believe that it can be particularly meaningful for Woodcrest.
One of the main values that we hold and promote is the value of authenticity. We describe it in several different ways. We speak of the need to live life transparently, without masks or personas. We even describe ourselves as a community of helped people helping people. That means that we embrace the fact that we are all damaged, rebellious, and fearful people, who are learning to grasp onto the unconditional love of a Christ who has promised not to harm us, even in our most tenuous state.
We are people who have metaphorically put ashes on our heads, and stepped out of our “show clothes” to allow the world to see us as we really are.
And in that process, we find the same thing that Jesus found in His 40 days in the wilderness. That we are never truly alone. That our Father in Heaven is trustworthy, and will protect us. That it is not only OK, but it is better to live as our true broken selves, in the light of God’s grace.
So should you put some ashes on your forehead today? Maybe. It won’t hurt anything.
But you might also consider taking some time today to slip away out of your regular routine and take a few minutes to talk to God. To talk without worrying if you are saying or doing things right. To talk as someone who is tired of pretending to be something that you are not. To talk like someone who is willing to (quietly and privately) identify yourself as a person who will embrace the idea of living as your true self, in the belief that God will welcome and embrace the true you.
Give it a try. Who knows what might happen?
Time to dust this off andsee if it will start up again...kind of like my lawnmower.
Oy!
So long between posts...
I thought that I would share some of my most visited sites. The first three are cool spots for theological education and challenging listening.
The last two are for to laugh until you pee your pants.
You can choose the ones that best fit your needs today.
http://covenantseminary.edu/worldwide/
Covenant Worldwide:
* Offers free downloads of Covenant Theological Seminary courseware and study guide materials.
* Encourages the sharing and distribution of its material for non-commercial purposes in order to serve and equip God's people throughout the world.
The courseware posted on this site comprises an assortment of classes from Covenant Seminary's master's degree programs. Their selection is designed to provide a broad, foundational knowledge of the Scriptures as well as guidance for engaging a variety of ministry contexts through the study of church history, doctrine and practice.
http://www.ccel.org/
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
A steadily-growing library of 14th-20th Century public domain texts by well-known Christian thinkers. This site includes documents by Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, St. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Soren Kierkegaard, Dante, C.H. Spurgeon and more.
http://christianaudio.com/
Scroll down the left side to the page to the link for a free monthly download. Great stuff …
http://mrdeity.com/
Simply genius. Makes me larf out loud.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_X5uR7VC4M
You Suck at Photoshop. A gift from my friend Brad. Some of the best teaching on the net. Do not click if you are easily offended. (But if you are easily offended, why are you reading this blog?)
So long between posts...
I thought that I would share some of my most visited sites. The first three are cool spots for theological education and challenging listening.
The last two are for to laugh until you pee your pants.
You can choose the ones that best fit your needs today.
http://covenantseminary.edu/worldwide/
Covenant Worldwide:
* Offers free downloads of Covenant Theological Seminary courseware and study guide materials.
* Encourages the sharing and distribution of its material for non-commercial purposes in order to serve and equip God's people throughout the world.
The courseware posted on this site comprises an assortment of classes from Covenant Seminary's master's degree programs. Their selection is designed to provide a broad, foundational knowledge of the Scriptures as well as guidance for engaging a variety of ministry contexts through the study of church history, doctrine and practice.
http://www.ccel.org/
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
A steadily-growing library of 14th-20th Century public domain texts by well-known Christian thinkers. This site includes documents by Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, St. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Soren Kierkegaard, Dante, C.H. Spurgeon and more.
http://christianaudio.com/
Scroll down the left side to the page to the link for a free monthly download. Great stuff …
http://mrdeity.com/
Simply genius. Makes me larf out loud.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_X5uR7VC4M
You Suck at Photoshop. A gift from my friend Brad. Some of the best teaching on the net. Do not click if you are easily offended. (But if you are easily offended, why are you reading this blog?)
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