Continuing in the series of the 7-step discipleship process that was originally published in 1934 by Forward Movement, we come to step four. As a reminder, the first three steps were to Turn, Follow, and Learn.
The next step in this discipleship process is Pray.
Prayer is a funny thing. It's something that we are mandated to do (“Pray then in this way;” “Persevere in prayer;” “Pray in the Spirit at all times;” “Devote yourselves to prayer” as a few examples) in Scripture. It is something that takes discipline. It is something people are uncomfortable with. It is something people feel they need to be taught how to do (“Teach us to pray”).
Prayer, in its most broad sense, is any raising of the heart to God. It involves petition, intercession, and thanksgiving. It involves a lot of listening. It makes use of a variety of physical positions such as standing, upraised arms, kneeling, folded hands, and prostration (notice the position of the priest's hands and arms during the Eucharist prayer, for instance). It can be spoken or silent.
Because of all that, I think people are reluctant to pray outside of church because they “might be doing it wrong.” Of course, I could be wrong in that assessment, but I've had enough people ask me for help and strategies that I tend to think I'm correct. Regardless, prayer seems to be one of those things that we all know we should do but either never have the time or are too unsure of how that it slips through the cracks of our busy lives.
Here are a few tips on praying:
Read the Psalms daily (the BCP groups the Psalms into “First Day: Morning Prayer,” “Fourteenth Day: Evening Prayer,” etc. through the thirty days of the month). Daily Morning Prayer is offered Monday through Friday at 7:15 a.m. in the Chapel. Read through the Noonday service on page 103 of the BCP. Read through the Daily Devotions beginning on page 136 of the BCP. Read the Order for Compline before bed (BCP 127). Take a copy of the Prayers of the People home and pray daily for the people on our intercession list. Pick up a copy of the Day-by-Day in the narthex. Ask God every day, “What would you have me do?” and then sit in silence listening. There are five sentences in the Lord's Prayer or, depending on how you do it, seven clauses: spend one day of the week focusing on each sentence or clause.
There are many ways, forms, and styles to prayer. If you look through that short list I just provided you will notice one thing they all have in common – daily. There is no “wrong way” to pray; but prayer, like exercise, works best if done daily. To borrow a popular advertising slogan – Prayer: Just Do It.
As we choose to Turn and Follow Christ, Learning to become better disciples, never forget that daily Prayer will help keep us grounded in our relationship with God.
Amen.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
May 4, 2016
Continuing in the series of the 7-step discipleship process that was originally published in 1934 by Forward Movement, we come to step three. As a reminder, the first two steps were to Turn and Follow. Which, by the way, makes complete sense if you think about it.
The third step in this discipleship process is Learn.
At the end of Matthew's gospel, Jesus commissions his followers to go and make disciples, to baptize and teach. In other words, Jesus is commissioning his disciples to make more disciples.
A disciple is one who both follows and learns. We are all followers of Christ by virtue of our baptism. It was at our baptism that we, or people on our behalf, were asked, “Do you promise to follow and obey [Jesus] as your Lord?” And we, or our sponsors, answered, “I do.” So through our baptism, through our participation in the life of the church, and through our attempts to live as Jesus lived, we are followers of Christ.
But a disciple is also one who learns. We begin learning at an early age, first by watching the world around us, then by imitating what we are seeing and hearing, and then by learning skills and concepts far beyond where we started. Hopefully learning is a life-long endeavor. How many of us, though, basically ended our religious education after fifth grade, or after our parents no longer forced us to attend Sunday school? How many of us do not feel the need to learn anything new when it comes to our faith because, “That's the way we've always done it and God never changes?”
For us to become a disciple in the truest sense of the word, we need to spend time learning. Christianity is like the ocean: if all you know of the ocean are the waves crashing onto the beach, you're missing out on more diversity and wonder than you can imagine. There is more diversity and wonder in Christianity than you can possibly imagine, but you won't know about any of it unless you take the time to learn about it.
Take time to read the Bible regularly. Delve into the Church Fathers and Mothers. Read a commentary on your favorite biblical book. Discover a new prayer practice. Expand your knowledge of Christian music. Attend Bible study between services. Join the book group. Submit an idea for an after-service forum, and then attend. Order something from Forward Movement. Become familiar with more than pages 355-365 of the BCP. Learn about icons. The list is endless and only limited by your imagination.
Discipleship is more than simply tagging along for the ride. It takes effort and intentionality. It requires us to not only follow, but to learn. It can challenge us and make us uncomfortable, as well as reassure us and comfort us. You are a disciple of Christ; what have you learned about your faith this week that you didn't know about last week?
Amen.
The third step in this discipleship process is Learn.
At the end of Matthew's gospel, Jesus commissions his followers to go and make disciples, to baptize and teach. In other words, Jesus is commissioning his disciples to make more disciples.
A disciple is one who both follows and learns. We are all followers of Christ by virtue of our baptism. It was at our baptism that we, or people on our behalf, were asked, “Do you promise to follow and obey [Jesus] as your Lord?” And we, or our sponsors, answered, “I do.” So through our baptism, through our participation in the life of the church, and through our attempts to live as Jesus lived, we are followers of Christ.
But a disciple is also one who learns. We begin learning at an early age, first by watching the world around us, then by imitating what we are seeing and hearing, and then by learning skills and concepts far beyond where we started. Hopefully learning is a life-long endeavor. How many of us, though, basically ended our religious education after fifth grade, or after our parents no longer forced us to attend Sunday school? How many of us do not feel the need to learn anything new when it comes to our faith because, “That's the way we've always done it and God never changes?”
For us to become a disciple in the truest sense of the word, we need to spend time learning. Christianity is like the ocean: if all you know of the ocean are the waves crashing onto the beach, you're missing out on more diversity and wonder than you can imagine. There is more diversity and wonder in Christianity than you can possibly imagine, but you won't know about any of it unless you take the time to learn about it.
Take time to read the Bible regularly. Delve into the Church Fathers and Mothers. Read a commentary on your favorite biblical book. Discover a new prayer practice. Expand your knowledge of Christian music. Attend Bible study between services. Join the book group. Submit an idea for an after-service forum, and then attend. Order something from Forward Movement. Become familiar with more than pages 355-365 of the BCP. Learn about icons. The list is endless and only limited by your imagination.
Discipleship is more than simply tagging along for the ride. It takes effort and intentionality. It requires us to not only follow, but to learn. It can challenge us and make us uncomfortable, as well as reassure us and comfort us. You are a disciple of Christ; what have you learned about your faith this week that you didn't know about last week?
Amen.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
April 27, 2016
Last week I began writing on the 7-step process of discipleship that was originally published by Forward Movement in 1934 and presented to the clergy of the diocese. The first step in the process is Turn.
The second step in this discipleship process is Follow.
Our turning to the Lord can take many forms. We can be called by God to turn to a new life. We can recognize our life's path is not what it should be, so we turn to something more productive. We can recognize we have sinned in thought, word, or deed, and turn back to a godly life. But once we turn, what then? Left to our own devices, we will most likely find ourselves in the very same spot.
But if we turn and Follow, we're onto something. To follow something or someone implies a few things. First, implies making a conscience decision to let someone else take the lead. If we are on a journey to an unknown location, or visiting a new city, we let someone who knows where they're going take the lead.
Another thing that following implies is trust. Are we willing to trust the person leading us to get us to the right place? Are we willing to trust that the person leading us won't lose us, either intentionally or unintentionally? For those of you who have followed someone in a car, yellow lights can be particularly stressful.
A final thing that following implies is understanding. When we are talking to someone, whether we are giving instructions, making an argument, or trying to teach something, the phrase, “Do you follow me?” comes up. And when we follow, with our full and complete attention on who is leading, we can and do come to an understanding. We understand how to get from Point A to Point B. We understand the point someone is trying to make. We understand how to better do the task we set out to learn.
But probably the most important thing to know about the word follow is that it is a verb. It is an action word. When we follow, we are doing something active. When we follow, we are, or should be, fully engaged. Now it is possible to follow without paying attention to where you're going, to “blindly follow” without being invested in the journey; but when we blindly follow, we run the risk of not learning anything about where we are going, the person leading us, or a new point of view.
As we go through our Christian journey, are we truly following Jesus? Are we allowing him to take the lead in our lives? Do we trust him to get us to the right place? Do we trust that he knows the way better than us? Are we being active in our discipleship?
These are, of course, only questions you can answer. My prayer is that, as you turn to God from whatever is pulling you away, you will also follow Christ in an active way.
Amen.
The second step in this discipleship process is Follow.
Our turning to the Lord can take many forms. We can be called by God to turn to a new life. We can recognize our life's path is not what it should be, so we turn to something more productive. We can recognize we have sinned in thought, word, or deed, and turn back to a godly life. But once we turn, what then? Left to our own devices, we will most likely find ourselves in the very same spot.
But if we turn and Follow, we're onto something. To follow something or someone implies a few things. First, implies making a conscience decision to let someone else take the lead. If we are on a journey to an unknown location, or visiting a new city, we let someone who knows where they're going take the lead.
Another thing that following implies is trust. Are we willing to trust the person leading us to get us to the right place? Are we willing to trust that the person leading us won't lose us, either intentionally or unintentionally? For those of you who have followed someone in a car, yellow lights can be particularly stressful.
A final thing that following implies is understanding. When we are talking to someone, whether we are giving instructions, making an argument, or trying to teach something, the phrase, “Do you follow me?” comes up. And when we follow, with our full and complete attention on who is leading, we can and do come to an understanding. We understand how to get from Point A to Point B. We understand the point someone is trying to make. We understand how to better do the task we set out to learn.
But probably the most important thing to know about the word follow is that it is a verb. It is an action word. When we follow, we are doing something active. When we follow, we are, or should be, fully engaged. Now it is possible to follow without paying attention to where you're going, to “blindly follow” without being invested in the journey; but when we blindly follow, we run the risk of not learning anything about where we are going, the person leading us, or a new point of view.
As we go through our Christian journey, are we truly following Jesus? Are we allowing him to take the lead in our lives? Do we trust him to get us to the right place? Do we trust that he knows the way better than us? Are we being active in our discipleship?
These are, of course, only questions you can answer. My prayer is that, as you turn to God from whatever is pulling you away, you will also follow Christ in an active way.
Amen.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
April 20, 2016
Last week, while away at clergy conference, I wrote about the 7-step process of discipleship that was originally published by Forward Movement in 1934. Over the next seven weeks I want to use this space to focus on each step.
The first step in this discipleship process is Turn.
This idea of turning has at its core an understanding that this is a repetitive act. It begins at our baptism when we, or people on our behalf, are asked, “Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior?” It is asked again in the Baptismal Covenant when all present are asked, “Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?”
As we read through Exodus or Judges, we may be tempted to show a lack of sympathy or empathy to the Israelites for their repeated failings. Whining about being led away from slavery. Complaining about not having enough food to eat. Worshiping a golden calf. Forgetting what the Lord had done for them and, once again, doing evil in the sight of the Lord. The Israelites were indeed a stiff-necked people, refusing to bow down before the Lord.
But if we are honest with ourselves, we need to admit that we are no different. We continually put our relationship with God on the back burner in favor things that give us immediate gratification. We allow our personal treasures to dictate where our heart is rather than work to have our treasures reflect the heart of God. We belligerently maintain a position of rightness without seeing how our words and actions hurt those around us, or without taking the time to listen and honestly consider that we might be wrong. We are indeed a stiff-necked people.
With all of the temptations, personal desires, and selfish interests facing us every day, it's important to recognize that we are in constant need of turning back to the Lord. We need to admit that we aren't going in the right direction, either through our thoughts, words, or actions. We need to be willing to ask, “Is this what God would have me think/say/do?” And we need to be willing to accept that the answer just might be, “No,” and repent and return to the Lord.
The other part of willingly turning to the Lord is to understand that God may send you on a journey you don't think you're prepared for. Moses turned aside and was sent to lead the Israelites to freedom. The disciples turned away from their various businesses and were sent to proclaim a new way of relating to God. History is full of people who turned to the Lord and did amazing things. History is also full of people who turned to the Lord and simply managed to live their lives a little better.
Every day we are given the opportunity to begin again. Every day we are given the opportunity to live for others, not just ourselves. Every day we are given the opportunity to treat another person with dignity and respect. Every day we are given the opportunity to listen to what God would have us do.
This day, will you turn to the Lord?
Amen.
The first step in this discipleship process is Turn.
This idea of turning has at its core an understanding that this is a repetitive act. It begins at our baptism when we, or people on our behalf, are asked, “Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior?” It is asked again in the Baptismal Covenant when all present are asked, “Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?”
As we read through Exodus or Judges, we may be tempted to show a lack of sympathy or empathy to the Israelites for their repeated failings. Whining about being led away from slavery. Complaining about not having enough food to eat. Worshiping a golden calf. Forgetting what the Lord had done for them and, once again, doing evil in the sight of the Lord. The Israelites were indeed a stiff-necked people, refusing to bow down before the Lord.
But if we are honest with ourselves, we need to admit that we are no different. We continually put our relationship with God on the back burner in favor things that give us immediate gratification. We allow our personal treasures to dictate where our heart is rather than work to have our treasures reflect the heart of God. We belligerently maintain a position of rightness without seeing how our words and actions hurt those around us, or without taking the time to listen and honestly consider that we might be wrong. We are indeed a stiff-necked people.
With all of the temptations, personal desires, and selfish interests facing us every day, it's important to recognize that we are in constant need of turning back to the Lord. We need to admit that we aren't going in the right direction, either through our thoughts, words, or actions. We need to be willing to ask, “Is this what God would have me think/say/do?” And we need to be willing to accept that the answer just might be, “No,” and repent and return to the Lord.
The other part of willingly turning to the Lord is to understand that God may send you on a journey you don't think you're prepared for. Moses turned aside and was sent to lead the Israelites to freedom. The disciples turned away from their various businesses and were sent to proclaim a new way of relating to God. History is full of people who turned to the Lord and did amazing things. History is also full of people who turned to the Lord and simply managed to live their lives a little better.
Every day we are given the opportunity to begin again. Every day we are given the opportunity to live for others, not just ourselves. Every day we are given the opportunity to treat another person with dignity and respect. Every day we are given the opportunity to listen to what God would have us do.
This day, will you turn to the Lord?
Amen.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
April 13, 2016
I am away at Clergy Conference this week (back in the office tomorrow). It has been a good time of seeing and connecting with friends, getting in some quiet time, eating too much, and listening to our keynote speaker, the Rev. Scott Gunn.
Scott is the current director of Forward Movement. You may be most familiar with that organization through their Day by Day publications. They also produce most of the pamphlets we have on the wall in the narthex. They have grown over the years to include books and other educational materials, and they are constantly looking for new ways to engage the church. Scott is a fantastic speaker and he's giving us a lot of useful information on discipleship and leadership.
And that, Discipleship and Leadership, is exactly what his topic has been.
He began by referring back to 1934 when Forward Movement was created. The person tasked with leading this new arm of the Episcopal Church (I've forgotten his name) wanted to make discipleship an intentional part of the lives of Episcopalians. He came up with a seven-step process because he thought seven tied in nicely with the roughly seven weeks of Lent.
Those seven steps are:
1. Turn. This goes back to our baptismal covenant of “whenever you sin, will you repent and return to the Lord?” Sometimes we need to admit we aren't going in the right direction and need to turn. We also need to be aware that we don't know where we'll end up.
2. Follow. As disciples, we pledge to follow Jesus. Following often means we need to admit that we don't know all the answers, and it requires trusting whom we are following.
3. Learn. Most people stopped learning about their faith after the 4th or 5th grade. We need to make an effort to constantly learn.
4. Pray. There is no right way to pray; but, like exercise, we need to do it daily.
5. Serve. We need to serve by answering God's call for us, and we need to serve others (see Matthew 25).
6. Worship. Weekly worship should be a priority in our lives.
7. Share. We need to share of our abundance, but we also need to share our faith.
These seven steps were first written down in 1934, but they still have a place in our lives today. I will be saying more about these in the future, through Wednesday Words, the Luke's Log, maybe a sermon or two, or any other place I can think of. But for now, as we look to become active disciples in our post-resurrection world, how might you see yourself turning, following, learning, praying, serving, worshiping, and sharing? What do you think you do best? What do you think you need to work on the most?
If you have been looking for a way to strengthen your discipleship and deepen your relationship with God, consider putting this list in a prominent place and reflecting on how you can incorporate these seven steps into you life.
Amen.
Scott is the current director of Forward Movement. You may be most familiar with that organization through their Day by Day publications. They also produce most of the pamphlets we have on the wall in the narthex. They have grown over the years to include books and other educational materials, and they are constantly looking for new ways to engage the church. Scott is a fantastic speaker and he's giving us a lot of useful information on discipleship and leadership.
And that, Discipleship and Leadership, is exactly what his topic has been.
He began by referring back to 1934 when Forward Movement was created. The person tasked with leading this new arm of the Episcopal Church (I've forgotten his name) wanted to make discipleship an intentional part of the lives of Episcopalians. He came up with a seven-step process because he thought seven tied in nicely with the roughly seven weeks of Lent.
Those seven steps are:
1. Turn. This goes back to our baptismal covenant of “whenever you sin, will you repent and return to the Lord?” Sometimes we need to admit we aren't going in the right direction and need to turn. We also need to be aware that we don't know where we'll end up.
2. Follow. As disciples, we pledge to follow Jesus. Following often means we need to admit that we don't know all the answers, and it requires trusting whom we are following.
3. Learn. Most people stopped learning about their faith after the 4th or 5th grade. We need to make an effort to constantly learn.
4. Pray. There is no right way to pray; but, like exercise, we need to do it daily.
5. Serve. We need to serve by answering God's call for us, and we need to serve others (see Matthew 25).
6. Worship. Weekly worship should be a priority in our lives.
7. Share. We need to share of our abundance, but we also need to share our faith.
These seven steps were first written down in 1934, but they still have a place in our lives today. I will be saying more about these in the future, through Wednesday Words, the Luke's Log, maybe a sermon or two, or any other place I can think of. But for now, as we look to become active disciples in our post-resurrection world, how might you see yourself turning, following, learning, praying, serving, worshiping, and sharing? What do you think you do best? What do you think you need to work on the most?
If you have been looking for a way to strengthen your discipleship and deepen your relationship with God, consider putting this list in a prominent place and reflecting on how you can incorporate these seven steps into you life.
Amen.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
March 30, 2016
The Wednesday Word
“How was your Easter?”
“Did you have a good Easter?”
These are questions I've been asked several times in the past few days. It's certainly a valid question since people know that, being “in the business,” I tend to be more involved than other people. I think they want to know if I thought Easter services went well (they all did). Or maybe it's their way of making sure I didn't overdo it and was able to enjoy the celebration (I didn't and I did). Or maybe it's simply a way to make polite conversation.
And while the intent of the question can be any of the above suggestions, they all miss the mark. They miss the mark because they are implicitly referring to Easter Day. And they miss the mark because there's an assumption that, like Christmas, Easter is a one-day celebration.
While it is true that we make a big deal out of Easter Day (and rightfully so) with gatherings of family and/or friends, Easter egg hunts, baskets, fancy dresses, new suits, and baptisms, it's important to remember that Easter is a season lasting 49 days, followed by the day of Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit on the fiftieth day.
In recent years there has been a movement to honor the Easter season with a spiritual discipline in the same way as we honor the Lenten season, but with the focus on resurrection and new life rather than self-denial and repentance. This relatively new form of joyful spiritual discipline has come to be known as the via lucis, or Way of Light.
Because this is a relatively new discipline in the church, it's not surprising that it's still being tinkered with. There are several versions available, and you could easily find them with a little poking around the internet. But to save you the trouble, I'm providing a link to one I found that I think matches up with the Good Friday Stations of the Cross quite well:
http://www.stgregoryspreston.org.uk/_webedit/uploaded-files/All%20Files/Stations%20of%20the%20Resurrection.pdf
How might we be changed if during this Easter season we celebrated the joy of the resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit all fifty days? Would it make a difference if you spent these fifty days of Easter looking for instances of new life and the presence of the resurrected Christ in the world around you?
So the next time someone asks you, “How was your Easter?” be sure to tell them it's just starting.
Amen.
“How was your Easter?”
“Did you have a good Easter?”
These are questions I've been asked several times in the past few days. It's certainly a valid question since people know that, being “in the business,” I tend to be more involved than other people. I think they want to know if I thought Easter services went well (they all did). Or maybe it's their way of making sure I didn't overdo it and was able to enjoy the celebration (I didn't and I did). Or maybe it's simply a way to make polite conversation.
And while the intent of the question can be any of the above suggestions, they all miss the mark. They miss the mark because they are implicitly referring to Easter Day. And they miss the mark because there's an assumption that, like Christmas, Easter is a one-day celebration.
While it is true that we make a big deal out of Easter Day (and rightfully so) with gatherings of family and/or friends, Easter egg hunts, baskets, fancy dresses, new suits, and baptisms, it's important to remember that Easter is a season lasting 49 days, followed by the day of Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit on the fiftieth day.
In recent years there has been a movement to honor the Easter season with a spiritual discipline in the same way as we honor the Lenten season, but with the focus on resurrection and new life rather than self-denial and repentance. This relatively new form of joyful spiritual discipline has come to be known as the via lucis, or Way of Light.
Because this is a relatively new discipline in the church, it's not surprising that it's still being tinkered with. There are several versions available, and you could easily find them with a little poking around the internet. But to save you the trouble, I'm providing a link to one I found that I think matches up with the Good Friday Stations of the Cross quite well:
http://www.stgregoryspreston.org.uk/_webedit/uploaded-files/All%20Files/Stations%20of%20the%20Resurrection.pdf
How might we be changed if during this Easter season we celebrated the joy of the resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit all fifty days? Would it make a difference if you spent these fifty days of Easter looking for instances of new life and the presence of the resurrected Christ in the world around you?
So the next time someone asks you, “How was your Easter?” be sure to tell them it's just starting.
Amen.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
March 23, 2016
Today is Wednesday in Holy Week. This is the calm before the storm, so to speak. The Triduum begins tomorrow evening with the Maundy Thursday meal, foot-washing, final Communion of the week, and the stripping of the altar. But today . . . today I have one more day of rest.
The second of two renewal of ordination vows for diocesan clergy happens today in Eugene. Normally I attend these because it's a time to gather and worship with friends and colleagues I don't normally get to see. This year, however, I chose to remain home because I did not want to cancel our own Wednesday Eucharist during Holy Week. And, truth be known, I have at least two more sermons to write, as well as wanting to get out and pay a visit to a person or two whom I haven't seen in awhile.
Today is a good day for doing all of those things.
I hope you had an informative, productive, and blessed Lenten season. I hope you were able to follow your discipline throughout the entire season; and if you weren't, I hope you will revisit it again at another point in the year. Those disciplines, remember, aren't about what you are doing for Lent, but how you are drawing nearer to Christ.
One of the ways we can draw closer to Christ is to participate fully in the events of the Triduum. We can be fully present at the supper and desertion of Maundy Thursday. We can try to remain awake for one hour with Jesus in the garden the night before his arrest. We can journey alongside Jesus as he makes his way to Golgotha, the place of his crucifixion and death on Good Friday. We can mourn with Mary, Mary, and the others as the lifeless body of Jesus lies in a tomb on Holy Saturday. And we can be both dumbfounded and ecstatic as light overcomes the darkness in the early morning and celebrate the risen Christ on Easter Day.
This single liturgy that spans three days is the main event of Christianity. Its all here: life, death, and resurrection; servanthood and glory; betrayal, denial, and forgiveness; promises broken and promises kept; doubt and the seeds of unwavering faith.
Easter is wonderful and bright and joyful and good. But there's no Easter without the cross. It's just as important for us to experience Friday as it is to celebrate Sunday. I invite you, therefore, to participate in all three days of this great liturgy that begins tomorrow night.
But before that . . . today is Wednesday; and today is as good as any to remember the words of Christ in Mark 6:31: Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile.
Amen.
The second of two renewal of ordination vows for diocesan clergy happens today in Eugene. Normally I attend these because it's a time to gather and worship with friends and colleagues I don't normally get to see. This year, however, I chose to remain home because I did not want to cancel our own Wednesday Eucharist during Holy Week. And, truth be known, I have at least two more sermons to write, as well as wanting to get out and pay a visit to a person or two whom I haven't seen in awhile.
Today is a good day for doing all of those things.
I hope you had an informative, productive, and blessed Lenten season. I hope you were able to follow your discipline throughout the entire season; and if you weren't, I hope you will revisit it again at another point in the year. Those disciplines, remember, aren't about what you are doing for Lent, but how you are drawing nearer to Christ.
One of the ways we can draw closer to Christ is to participate fully in the events of the Triduum. We can be fully present at the supper and desertion of Maundy Thursday. We can try to remain awake for one hour with Jesus in the garden the night before his arrest. We can journey alongside Jesus as he makes his way to Golgotha, the place of his crucifixion and death on Good Friday. We can mourn with Mary, Mary, and the others as the lifeless body of Jesus lies in a tomb on Holy Saturday. And we can be both dumbfounded and ecstatic as light overcomes the darkness in the early morning and celebrate the risen Christ on Easter Day.
This single liturgy that spans three days is the main event of Christianity. Its all here: life, death, and resurrection; servanthood and glory; betrayal, denial, and forgiveness; promises broken and promises kept; doubt and the seeds of unwavering faith.
Easter is wonderful and bright and joyful and good. But there's no Easter without the cross. It's just as important for us to experience Friday as it is to celebrate Sunday. I invite you, therefore, to participate in all three days of this great liturgy that begins tomorrow night.
But before that . . . today is Wednesday; and today is as good as any to remember the words of Christ in Mark 6:31: Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile.
Amen.
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