Lenten Reflection 2/28

 Today is the final day for Pope Benedict XVI.  He'll spend the day saying good bye to his Cardinals, and then this evening, he will retire to the pope's retreat house.  The Swiss guard will pack up and leave the Vatican and the See will become vacant until a new pope is elected.  The pope has said that he will pledge unconditional reverence and obedience to his successor.  This is the first time a pope has resigned/retired in over 600 years.  Usually, popes stay in their position until they die.  But Pope Benedict seems too tired and worn down to keep going.  The New York Times quotes the pope yesterday as saying that his time as pope "was filled with 'light and joy' but also had its darker moments when 'the Lord seemed to be sleeping.'"

One of the most stressful things this pope has had to deal with has been scandal in the institution.  Church scandals are certainly nothing new, but these days, everyone knows every detail about them, and some of the details are really, really horrible.  People have become less likely to overlook the human fallibility of church leaders and are far less likely to give the institution the benefit of the doubt.  We may think that this is a new and modern backlash against religion, but it is really nothing new.  Here is what Paul wrote to the Romans about the temple and its leaders in his day.  As you read it, you can just substitute the word "Christian" for "Jewish," and "Christians" for "Jews" to see how it applies to the church today.

If you’re brought up Jewish, don’t assume that you can lean back in the arms of your religion and take it easy, feeling smug because you’re an insider to God’s revelation, a connoisseur of the best things of God, informed on the latest doctrines! I have a special word of caution for you who are sure that you have it all together yourselves and, because you know God’s revealed Word inside and out, feel qualified to guide others through their blind alleys and dark nights and confused emotions to God. While you are guiding others, who is going to guide you? I’m quite serious. While preaching “Don’t steal!” are you going to rob people blind? Who would suspect you? The same with adultery. The same with idolatry. You can get by with almost anything if you front it with eloquent talk about God and his law. The line from Scripture, “It’s because of you Jews that the outsiders are down on God,” shows it’s an old problem that isn’t going to go away.

There are plenty of people down on God because of what happens in the church.  There are plenty of people down on God because of what Christians say and do.  That's hard for Christians to hear, but it is the sad truth and will always be the truth.  We're broken people who need a whole lot of help, just like everyone else.  And the pope, like any other church leader these days, is living under the stress of a changing world and a changing church.  The church as a corporate institution has become unsustainable on a whole lot of levels and resisting change only makes things worse.

I can't imagine the stress of being a pope - being trapped between the call of God, the outcry of the people and the demands of an extremely powerful institution.   But this outgoing pope knows as well as I do that the Lord is not sleeping, even if on his tougher days it seemed like it.  If things aren't working out for us in the church it's not because God is sleeping.  It's because we are.


Today's Readings:  Jer. 4:9-10,19-28; Rom. 2:12-24; John 5:19-29
Elsa is reading The Message translation this year. 

Lenten Reflection 2/27

Paul writes to the Romans: 

"Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors."  

I like the saying that every time you point your finger at someone else, there are three fingers pointing right back at you.  Whenever you notice you're being critical, it's a really good bet that there's something coming up in you that you should probably take a look at first.

I've got to say that praying the news is getting very repetitive this week - all I'm hearing about is the sequester.  And it is getting upsetting to listen to each side continue to point fingers at one another despite the looming deadline.  Each critical statement about the other side might as well be, "I have no ability to see life from anywhere other than in my own little shoes!"  

My prayer today has been that some of these pointing hands be somehow transformed into hands that reach out across the aisle and create bridges instead of divides.   

Today's Readings:  Jer. 3:6-18; Rom. 1:28-2:11; John 5:1-18
Elsa is reading The Message translation this year. 

Lenten Reflection 2/26

There's an article in the top news section of the NY Times this morning about a woman who discovered that her husband, a NYC police officer, had been visiting many fetish websites and was involved in online chats in which he and others fantasized repeatedly about brutally torturing and killing women.  In their conversations they would fantasize about real women they actually knew, including the wife.  The wife obviously felt threatened by these chats and reported her husband to the authorities, and now the officer is on trial for plotting to kill a number of women.  There is no evidence that any of the women that this man was accused of plotting to kill were actually kidnapped or harmed.  So at his trial the question being explored is, "When does a fantasized crime become an actual crime?"

One outside expert was quoted as saying that this case "highlights the fact that there are 'dark corners' of the Internet 'where a whole range of illegal and immoral conduct takes place, and the general public has only a vague and fleeting knowledge that these places exist.'  He noted that the Internet, as a medium of expression and communication, also makes it possible for people with interests as benign as stamp collecting or as grisly as cannibalism to find and validate one another in community forums."

In his letter to the Romans this morning, Paul says people often "trade the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand."  The image of worshiping a carved idol, a man-made statue of a personal God instead of bowing down to the one beyond-all-time-and-space-and-knowledge God is a familiar Old Testament image.  Paul reframes it a bit by calling this choice "trading the true God for a fake God," and "worshiping the God you make yourself instead of the God who made you."  Paul says that when you go rogue like that, it is not long before you'll find yourself living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out.

I can't wrap my mind around whether that officer's real conversations with other real men about hurting real women they knew are a real crime or not.  But I think I can quite confidently say that he had certainly gone off to 'worship' a God he'd created himself, rather than honoring the one, unifying God that created and loves us all. 

Today's readings:  Jer. 2:1-13; Rom. 1:16-25; John 4:43-54
Elsa is reading The Message translation this year.

Lenten Reflection 2/25

 

Today we begin reading Romans.  It's one of my favorite of Paul's letters - there are some of the most comforting words I've ever read in this letter, and also some of the most challenging.  Got to say one thing for Paul: he's not lukewarm.  As he opens the letter, he defines very clearly what it means to be a Christian.  1. We've been given the gift of new life, and 2. we've been called to an urgent task of sharing this new life with others.  He says to his readers, "You are who you are through this (1. gift) and (2. call) of Jesus Christ!"  What defines us as Christians is what we've been given by God and by what we are called to do through that gift.

In another letter (to the Galatians), Paul famously says that "it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."  When Paul says that we are granted new life through Christ, he doesn't mean that Jesus' life just enhances our own - he means that it completely replaces it.  We ourselves, our egos and desires and wills, must die - be crucified - so that Christ's new life can enter into us and take us over.  Paul says we need to let go of ourselves completely and allow Christ to live in and through us.  This is both a fearful and wonderful thing - to fully let go and let God.  But if you've ever experienced a taste of it, you know how liberating it is.

Many have felt this awesome love and liberation from God and then tried to vigorously promote it to others.  But I don't think Paul means that we need to shove our experience of God down other peoples' throats.  If we have found ourselves awakened to the liberation of God, others will be attracted to us, and we are then called to find ways to share the strangely good news of God's liberation with others who are struggling.  Paul says this is an urgent task - to reach out to others in this broken world and assure them that they don't have to struggle under the burden of self, but can lay their burdens down and have a whole new life in this way of Jesus.  Paul described this in another way in a different letter: As Christians, we become Christ's ambassadors.

I was really struck by the words "Urgent Task" in the reading today, because as I've been praying the news in these days of Lent, I've come up against a lot of urgency.  Take, for example, the meteorologists that have decided to give winter storms provocative names and seem to relish predicting horrendous disasters.  "Go out and get your milk and eggs and rev up those generators right now - you're going to be trapped under a snowdrift for weeks!"

And this morning, once the news about the Oscars had been reported, the main story was that the sequester is looming.  This is the last week to avoid it and it's looking likely that we won't.  If this is the case, by the end of March there will be spending cuts across the board that may cause disruptions in many services and the loss of a number of jobs.  Government agencies are already making their layoff plans.

The whole sequester proposal was meant to create a huge sense of urgency - it was thought that no one in congress would be able to abide such random cuts and would therefore be forced to work together across the aisle to create a better solution together.  But it seems that political rancor and drawing lines in sand are more important to politicians than true cooperation on this issue.  It is speculated that politicians, while unwilling to make concessions yet, might actually be hoping that the effects of the sequester will be so awful that no one will be able to blame them for finally "having to" cooperate.  But this morning one commentator said that the worst thing that could happen is that nothing happens - that the cuts take place and there's no real outcry.  Sure, a lot of services and jobs will be lost, but if people don't get up in arms about it, then politicians won't need to do anything differently in the future.  And of course, the people who will suffer most will be those who already rely on public funding.  The poor just get poorer.

The potent combination of partisan politics and public apathy are not good news for our nation.  And I think our leaders are missing what the real urgent task here is.  I know we're not all Christians in this country, but I think the idea of allowing something greater than yourself to take the place of your own ego is a common ideal.  In the realm of politics, this has traditionally been called "working for the common good."  I believe that our leaders need to be ambassadors - not for their own interests - but for the common good.  If the common good were really our most urgent task, our leaders would have to get beyond their own personal or partisan needs for power, influence and getting re-elected to offer true selfless service as the "public servants" they are elected to be.

Today's readings: Jer. 1:11-19; Rom. 1:1-15; John 4:27-42
Elsa is reading The Message translation this year.

Lenten Reflection 2/22

Indian people listen to a speaker, unseen, while they participate in a protest against a new sexual violence law as the parliament convenes in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. Activists say the law is inadequate and it only partially followed the recommendations of a government panel set up after the fatal gang rape of a woman in New Delhi led to nation-wide protests. (ALTAF QADRI/AP Photo)

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/02/22/2484902/rape-and-killing-of-3-young-sisters.html#storylink=cpy

The Associated Press reports that a recent abuduction, rape and killing of three young sisters, ages 7, 9 and 11 has again inflamed the people of India to do something about violence against girls and women.  The girls' bodies were found in a community well on February 16, two days after they disappeared from school.  The victims' mother said police did not take the case seriously and did nothing for several days until villagers held protests.  Teams are now mobilizing to find the rapist.

As the World Health Organization says, violence against women is a global phenomenon.  It includes sexual violence, intimate partner violence, female genital mutilation, femicide and human trafficking.  The health consequences of such violence is long term and far reaching.  It is not only a problem in other countries.  The department of justice has an entire department - the office of violence against women - dedicated to these issues.  This office focuses on the issues of domestic violence, sexual violence, dating violence and stalking.  The Center for Women and Families right here in Bridgeport reported recently that an act of domestic violence occurs every 18 seconds in our country.  They also reported that police were called into over 400 domestic violence incidents in Trumbull alone last year.  Last week, on Feb 14, tens of thousands of actions were organized in 207 countries to name this problem in the One Billion Rising campaign.  Women and men all over the world gathered "to come together and express their outrage, and to strike, dance and RISE against violence."  Violence against women seems deeply entrenched in this world - a problem so vast, shocking and painful it numbs us - and causes us to just ignore it or pretend it isn't there.  I hope that I am seeing signs that we are collectively becoming ready to finally face it.

Jesus was sitting at Jacob's well, hot and tired after a long day of travelling.  He had no bucket, so when a Samaritan woman comes to get water, he asks if she can give him a drink.  The woman is shocked.  Why would a fine, upstanding Jew talk to her - a Samaritan woman.  Jews didn't deign to speak to lowly Samaritans, and men certainly didn't talk to lowly women.  On top of it, this particular woman was of ill repute.  She had been with a number of men.  She would have been shunned even by her own people. But Jesus treats her as an equal, and a lively theological discussion ensues. In fact, this woman is the first person Jesus discloses his identity to.

I've always loved the story of the woman at the well.  Jesus sees this woman fully - even her failures and broken parts - and still treats her with dignity and respect.  Jesus offers living water to her- and because of the hardships she has endured in life, she's thirsty and willing to receive it from him.  Jesus does not treat her - or anyone - as an inferior or like a piece of property.  He assures her that she is God's beloved child.  In a land parched and dry with violence, we need this living water more than ever.

(By the way, the morning psalm appointed for Saturday is Psalm 55.  I've always considered that one an important one for anyone who's been abused to pray.)

Readings for today:  Deut. 10:12-22; Heb. 4:11-16; John 3:22-36
Readings for Saturday:  Deut. 11:18-28; Heb. 5:1-10; John 4:1-26
Readings for Sunday:  Jer. 1:1-10; 1 Cor. 3:11-23; Mark 3:31-4:9
Elsa is reading The Message translation this year.

Lenten Reflection 2/21

"Heartbeat" - a group of Palestinian and Israeli Youth musicians about to tour the U.S.

According to an article by Osseily Hanna on the Huffington Post, 2008, "Aaron Schneyer, a 29 year old musician originally from Washington DC,  received a grant from MTV, as well as a Fullbright scholarship, to go to Israel and create peace programs with Israeli and Palestinian youth from Israel, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Shortly afterwards, Heartbeat was born to not only teach young musicians how to make music and perform, but to coexist respectfully among one another: 'The status quo is separation, hatred and violence. And those three things go hand in hand. The only way to overcome the injustice, violence, and the hatred is to overcome the separation.'"

These young musicians have found common ground in their music - and in their lives - through the Heartbeat program.  One member of the group is quoted, "I really see that there's no big difference between us. We [Heartbeat band members] are the same, and we have this connection that is really powerful, that can give the message to everyone else."  The group started in the Jerusalem area, but because youth in surrounding areas are interested in taking part, the group is now also holding workshops in Haifa.  Tonight, they begin their first two week US Tour of east coast universities where they'll play music and hold workshops on their peace work (they're scheduled to play at Yale on March 3).

In the gospel this morning, Jesus says that everyone who makes a practice of doing evil and who is addicted to denial and illusion hates God-light and won't come near it to avoid being exposed.  But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.

In Jerusalem, bombings and displays of military force keep people from coming out of their homes, keep them from trusting one another and create an atmosphere of suspicion and fear.  It's a culture of back room strategies, espionage and violence.  But here are some young people who want to walk away from that darkness and into the light.  They play out on street corners and in public squares, proclaiming God-light instead of darkness.  And more and more youth want to take part and share the light with others. 

I've been blogging on the daily readings and praying the news as a Lenten practice, so I've had a strong daily dose of how the news is almost all about our darkness.  So when you happen to see a ray of light, it really glows brightly.  Who wants to go with me up to New Haven on the 3rd?

Today's readings: Deut. 9:23-10:5; Heb: 4:1-10; John 3:16-21

Elsa is reading The Message translation this year.

Lenten Reflection 2/20

'

You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it's headed next. That's the way it is with everyone 'born from above' by the wind of God, the Spirit of God. "  - John 3:8

It seems to me that not everyone that's wandering is lost.  There are frequent times in life in which we really don't know where we're headed or where we'll end up.  But I think that's the way the Spirit likes to work it.   It's a way of reminding us that the only reliable road map we have in life is our trust in God.

In the recent readings from Deuteronomy, the Israelites have been wandering around in the wilderness for years already (and they don't like it one bit). And Nicodemus, too, must have felt like some kind of wanderer sneaking out in the middle of the night to talk with Jesus.  His Pharisee colleagues would have thought he was mad - and a traitor.  But the spirit is like that.  It leads us out of our comfort zones.  And though we may feel like we're lost, God's got it covered, and is showing us as we wander forth - telling us - giving us - just what we need to move forward in faith.  The Israelites in the desert were certainly not on their best behavior while wandering, yet God still brought them to a better place.  The writer of Hebrews points out that it was just the Israelites that turned deaf ears to God who died in their wandering. 

I was thinking of all this as I heard about "the Sequester" on the news for about the billionth time this morning.  Each side is accusing the other of being uncooperative.  No one wants to make concessions.  Everyone wants it their way.  It's all someone else's fault.  People are drawing lines in the sand.  They sometimes seem like children that are sticking their fingers in their ears and saying, "I can't hear you - la, la, la, la, la, la..."

It seems like our political leaders have been wandering around in the desert for quite a while now in addressing our communal budgetary problems.  It is my prayer that at least some of them are wandering around in this wilderness with open ears, minds and hearts.  In any case, I am sure that God's got it covered.  The Holy Spirit is always at work - even in the halls of Congress, the White House and the Supreme Court.  Who knows: maybe this crazy bipartisan bickering and the propensity of our leaders to make icons  -golden calves - of things that are not God (things like power and money and influence and - of course - getting elected again) will eventually nudge us all to go forward in faith instead of fear, focusing on the greater good instead of just our own interests.

Until then, I pray for our leaders ears to be unstopped and their hearts and minds to be opened to something much greater than themselves.

Today's readings:  Deut. 9:13-21; Heb. 3:12-19; John 2:23-3:15
Elsa is reading The Message translation this year.

Lenten Reflection 2/19

Talk about a God of second chances - or third, or fourth, or hundredth...

Today in Deuteronomy  Moses tells the people that the only reason they're getting the chance to go into the land of milk and honey is because the people who lived there before were even worse than they are and are being booted out.  The land happens to be free right now.  It's not because they earned it or deserve it - in fact, Moses describes well the multiple infractions against God's law these people have committed.  Why, even at the very moment Moses was up on the mountain receiving the commandments written in stone, the people were down below merrily messing up big time once again!

Yet, God still gives them another chance to come into a better place.  The whole 40 years in the wilderness was one instance after another of the people screwing up and God giving them another chance.

Which brings me to Mark Sanford.  Remember him?  He was the governor of South Carolina that "disappeared" on a hike in the Appalachians few years ago, but then it turned out that the married governor wasn't hiking, but using state funds to go visit his mistress in Argentina.  Sanford resigned in shame back then, and he's now divorced, has paid the state back for his South American romps, and is now--- wait for it --- he's now running for congress in South Carolina's 1st congressional district.

"I've experienced how none of us go through life without mistakes. But in their wake we can learn a lot about grace, a God of second chances and be the better for it," Sanford says in an ad that is currently on the airwaves in South Carolina.

OK, a space has opened up, and Mark Sanford does now have the chance to enter it.  And who knows, maybe he has 'wandered around in the wilderness' long enough and is ready to enter politics again (not to say that politics is a land of milk and honey). But you can see the Biblical references he's calling on here, right?  In his ad he says he's humbly stepping forward and asking for the voter's help in getting another chance to change Washington.

OK, although I absolutely believe that God gives Mark Sanford (and even people who've done far more heinous things than he has) second, third - even seventy times seven chances in life - that doesn't mean I'd vote for him as my congressman.  Try some real humility, Mr. Sanford.

Today's Readings: Deut. 9:4-12; Heb. 3:1-11; John 2:13-22
Elsa is reading The Message translation this year.

Lenten Reflection 2/18

Lenten Reflection 2/18

In Deuteronomy, Moses has been assuring the people that God will soon bring them into the land of milk and honey.  Today, he warns them: 

"When you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up-- make sure you don't become so full of yourself and your things that you forget GOD... If you start thinking to yourselves, 'I did all this. And all by myself. I'm rich. It's all mine!'-- well, think again."

Paul often refers to the principalities and powers of the world.  In our world, oil companies and tobacco companies seem to fit that bill.  Intent on profits first, they wield their lobbying power over both the  government and consumers, despite the fact - and I do believe this is a fact - that their products do not contribute to the common welfare and good of all.  We know tobacco addicts and kills people.  We know that we are addicted to fossil fuels, even thought they are of limited supply and are leading to environmental ruin.  These industries throw into our faces that the dominant and most powerful operating principle of our society is Profits First.  "I did all this. And all by myself. I'm rich. It's all mine!"

Over 40,000 protesters gathered in Washington yesterday, raising their voices against oil company greed.  It seems like a lot of people, and it is!  However it is just a tiny voice compared to the principalities and powers of the oil industry.  It's at times like these that I need to remember that with God's help, little David slew a giant, and a stuttering shepherd named Moses was able to convince a powerful Pharaoh to let his people go.  And I need to remember that even plain old water can become the finest wine whenever Jesus is among us.  God often has surprises up God's sleeve.  And with God's help, our nation could 'come to itself,' like the prodigal son did that day in the pigsty, and turn away from our addiction to profits and return home to the true abundance of God.

Today's readings: Deut 8:11-20, Hebrews 2:11-18, John 2:1-12

On the topic of the XL Pipeline and one faithful reaction to it, I also highly recommend reading  this article about a little Baptist church in TX.

Lenten Reflection 2/15

A passenger from the cruise ship Triumph kisses the ground
upon returning to land

Lenten Reflection 2/15

The people who got onto Carnival cruise line's luxury liner "Triumph" did not get the cruise they'd hoped for.  A fire on board knocked out the power system, disrupting food preparation, sanitation systems and even forward movement.  For five days, passengers floated in the Gulf of Mexico while tugs slowly got them to shore and toilets overflowed and food went from lavish buffets to cold sandwiches.  The passengers finally made it onto dry land today and a whole lot of press has been devoted to their "ordeal."

OK, so I'm not going to poo poo the stress this caused.  People did not sign up for what they got.  And clearly it was an unpleasant experience, though not life threatening.  People lost out on having a fun and relaxing vacation - and I bet that for some of them, it'll be a whole year before they get another one.  However, I've got to say that what many call an ordeal might be no worse than what some people in the world live with everyday.  In Kampala, Uganda, for example, only 17% of the people have access to piped water.  And that's EVERY day.

In the reading from Deuteronomy today, it says that when you love God and God's commandments, God will love you, bless you, increase you, bless your family, your crops - and basically you'll never have anything bad happen to you ever again - no sickness or afflictions.  Not only that, all your enemies will be complete toast.

I've got to wonder about this.  I've got to wonder about the entitlement of it.  I've got to wonder about how it makes us God fearing westerners think everything should always go great for us, and when it doesn't, some horrible enemy must be to blame (and darn it, we're going to SUE them for it!)

I've got to wonder.  I've heard stories of crew members on that boat continuing to be supportive and cheerful.  Well, sure, that's their job.  But I also heard about people who made the best of the situation and had a vacation anyway, despite the stress and chaos of the unexpected situation.  I wonder if an attitude of gratitude toward God does - truly - bless us deeply.  I wonder if even sickness and affliction can be born with gratitute and peace if you can get into that God loving space.

And I've got to wonder if most of the time our enemies are not outside us - others inflicting things upon us that we are helpless victims of - but live within us.  I wonder if the attitudes we harbor inside us that make us feel entitled to have things the way we want them and that make us blind to the plight of others and keep us isolated at the center of our own universes could be the enemies that really hold us hostage on a daily basis.

If that kind of enemy were made complete toast, I've got to wonder how the world would look.


Readings for today: Deut. 7:12-16; Titus 2:1-15; John 1:35-42
Readings for Saturday: Deut. 7:17-26; Titus 3:1-15; John 1:43-51
Readings for Sunday: Deut. 8:1-10; 1 Cor. 1:17-31; Mark 2:18-22 
Elsa is reading "The Message" translation this year.

Lenten Reflection 2/14

 

Lenten Reflection - 2/14


 This morning, as I was getting the kids off to school, NPR news was on in the background.  Oscar Pistorius, olympic and paraolympic hero, was reported to have been arrested under suspicion of killing his girlfriend.  My boys looked at each other and they looked at me.  How could I find words for this?  How could an athlete so recently praised as a hero to anyone burdened with limitations (which all of us are, in some way) have fallen so far?

In Lent we are reminded that it doesn't matter how fine your reputation is or how good you are at what you do.  Everyone is broken and therefore prone to sin.  It feels very sad to me to hear that someone I have greatly admired has perhaps been involved in perpetrating domestic violence - a sin I find particularly troubling.  It reminds me once again, as I have been reminded so often lately, that the world is very broken, and that any of us might succumb to our most uncontrollable human weaknesses.

In this morning's reading in Deuteronomy, the Israelites, God's chosen people, are told that "God wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important - the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. God did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise God made to your ancestors."  (Deut. 7:7,8a)

God can indeed stoop down into our most broken places and free us from slavery to our worst impulses. And "God keeps this covenant of loyal love with those who love God."

Loving our reputations, our possessions, our power, our control, our perceived safety, our own desires or anything else more than loving God and God's good, orderly direction leads to nothing but trouble.  That goes for you, for me, for celebrities, athletes, politicians, kings - Everyone.

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Want to follow along with the daily lectionary readings this Lent?  They can be found HERE. Scroll down to the section that is headed Daily Office and Daily Eucharistic Lectionary to find the readings for each day.

Lenten Reflection 2/13

Our mortality is front and center on Ash Wednesday - the first day of the season of Lent.  As the creaky, dry ashes are rubbed into your forehead, the priest says, "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return."  This afternoon, about 75 people came to "Ashes to Go" in front of Starbucks.  After Louise and I said a little prayer, applied the ashes and said the words about dust, people would look up, smile, and say thank you.  Thank you?  I just told you that you're going to die and you say thank you?

Old churches were intentionally built with cemeteries right outside their windows to remind the people in the pews of their own deaths every Sunday.  Early monastics would keep all their worldly possessions in their coffins as a reminder of their mortality, and early missionaries would often use their own coffins as their traveling trunks - sometimes even sleeping in them once they arrived at their destination!  There is a certain freedom in living like you're dying - like you've got nothing to lose.  And for the Christian, there is freedom in dying in Christ, for only when we die with him can we be raised into new life.  It's letting go of our own lives to gain them.

I met an Anglican priest from Uganda this morning.  He noted that Ash Wednesday is the one day of the year that you get to visit your own funeral.  And I got to wondering, if I were at my own funeral, what would I like to hear people saying about me?  What kind of love would I hope I'd left behind?  Ash Wednesday is like a wake up call to get moving on making my life into the kind of life that results in the kind of funeral I hope someday to have.  It's also a reminder that I'm already dead in Christ and can therefore trust God in stepping into a whole new life - a whole new me that is more fully in God.

It takes just a small correction of the wheel for a ship's destination to be completely different.  What little corrections can you make in the way you live, love and act in this world to change the outcome of your whole life?  If you can think of even just a little thing you can let go of that will free you from the burden of self, or if you can think of even just a little new practice you can adopt that will mold you more into who you are being called to be - today's the day to start trying these things on.  Lent is a season of practicing being new.