Lenten Discipline -- April 4

Lenten discipline of the day: 

light a candle.

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world."  In lighting a candle to mark the beginning of a time of prayer, or as a symbol of prayer on behalf of a specific person or situation, our prayers become symbols of Christ's light which shines even in the darkest of places.  

Take five minutes today to light a candle, if you are able, and listen to this Taize prayer:

(If you are reading this by mail or on a mobile device, you may need to clink this link to see the video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmxXwAgkhWQ 

Lenten Discipline -- April 2

Lenten discipline of the day:

introduce yourself to your neighbor

Some neighbors are easier to love than others.  You would think that Jesus would cut us some slack when it comes to being in relationship with some kinds of people. Unfortunately, Jesus is a stickler on this point about loving neighbors.  We are COMMANDED to give our best to people we find difficult to accept, much less love.  

Yikes, right?

Since we've been married, my husband and I have lived in seven different apartments/houses in three different cities, and I have to admit that we've only gotten to know our neighbors beyond a pleasant nod in two of those places.  If you ask me why, the easy, mostly-true answer would be that we were busy and hardly ever home.  The more completely honest answer would be that there have been a lot of people nearby that we just didn't like for all kinds of ridiculous reasons. 

Who is God calling you to meet?  Who is the neighbor you've avoided?  

Lenten Discipline -- April 1

(Best viewed full screen)

Lenten discipline of the day: 

read Psalm 121 

A Song of Ascents.
¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills—
   from where will my help come? 
² My help comes from the Lord,
   who made heaven and earth. 

³ He will not let your foot be moved;
   he who keeps you will not slumber. 
⁴ He who keeps Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep. 

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;
   the Lord is your shade at your right hand. 
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night. 

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all evil;
   he will keep your life. 
⁸ The Lord will keep
   your going out and your coming in
   from this time on and for evermore.

Lenten Discipline -- March 28

Lenten discipline of the day:

tell someone what you are grateful for.

Expressing gratitude is something most of us were taught to do as children ("Write your grandmother a thank you note!!  Say please and thank you!!"), but we so easily forget to do as adults.  When we are in a hurry, when we are distracted, when we are centered on ourselves and our worries, it is easy to overlook the people closest to us and the many ways they make our lives rich and full.  Yet we know how powerful a simple "thank you" can be because gratitude is something we crave for ourselves.  Receiving gratitude is how we know that we matter, and that we've made a difference.

I have a former boss who gave me a job in advertising when I was inexperienced young woman right out of school.  He trusted me with increasing responsibility and encouraged me even when I messed up badly. He was both a mentor and a friend, and as I look back on my life, I have realized I'd probably be a very different person if I had not met him.  A couple years ago, I had lunch with him and told him how much I appreciated the difference he made for me, and how formative he was in my life.  I realized that he had even played a role in my decision to enter ministry!  It was a conversation that mattered to both us.  

When Fred Rogers was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 1997, he brought a Hollywood audience to tears by asking them to think about and remember the people who had "loved them into being."  Can you think of someone like that in your life?  When was the last time you simply said, "Thank you," to someone who has made all the difference to you?

Lenten Discipline -- March 27

Lenten discipline of the day:

adopt a prayer routine.

I discovered a long time ago that I am lousy at spontaneous prayer.  If I am to have a rich and meaningful prayer life, I have to plan for it and make time for it, just as I make time for other things I do routinely to keep myself healthy and well -- like showering, eating, exercising, etc.  So I begin each day with prayer, guided by Daily Prayer PC(USA) which provides brief services based on the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship, including psalms for the day, readings from the daily lectionary, and prayers of thanksgiving and intercession.  And I do it all using my iPhone -- yes, there's even an app for prayer!  http://www.pcusa.org/news/2012/10/31/daily-prayer-app-here/  

Paul exhorts for us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), which is a worthy goal, but the first step, I think, is to just make time each day to devote to prayer, in whatever way feels authentic to you.  For me, I need the liturgical structure of the Daily Prayer, although I may pray at other times of the day in many other ways.  Some folks in my congregation appreciate a devotional book like Upper Room, Guideposts or These Days.  The key is to find a structure that works for you and stick with it.  

Another on-line resource for something similar to Daily Prayer comes from our Episcopalian brothers and sisters:  http://dailyoffice.org.

I apologize for lack of posting yesterday.  I have the flu and am just now beginning to come out of the fog of fever and nausea.  

Lenten Discipline -- March 25

Lenten discipline of the day:

allow yourself to be vulnerable enough to ask for help.

Whenever I talk to someone who spends a lot of time volunteering or has just come back from a mission trip or some other endeavor where they've helped people in need, they always say the exact same thing.  "I get more out of it than the people I helped."  Which is to say that helping other people gives most of us a very deep and good feeling.  Just watch a small child who is entrusted with their first small tasks around the house.  Children love to "help" their parents.  Human beings seem to have a deep-seated need to be needed.  We want to be useful and connected to other people!

Which is why I am always flummoxed by people who will not allow other people to help them. I am frustrated by those who will not admit that they need help.  Especially in the church.  Many of us have drunk the self-sufficiency cultural kool aid so deeply that we are wholly unwilling to allow any one to lend us a hand.  And if, God forbid, we have no option but to rely on someone else, we feel ashamed.  As if we're not good enough or tough enough.  I used to think this was a predominantly male trait, but I've seen it often enough in women to know that it affects everyone.  None of us want to be vulnerable.  We don't want to ask for anything from anyone.  We don't want to take the risk of appearing weak or needy.

I invite you to practice allowing yourself to be a blessing to someone else by allowing them to bless you by giving you a part of themselves.  Ask a co-worker for advice on a problem.  Ask your child (no matter their age) for assistance or for a hug.  Instead of driving yourself somewhere, ask for a ride. Let someone open the door for you.  If someone asks, "Can I help?" say, "Yes."  

Over the past few years, I've become a great fan of Brene Brown, a researcher who writes about issues such an the importance of vulnerability and how it leads to more whole-hearted and healthy living.  I think vulnerability is a key issue for the church because it's what we see so clearly in scripture -- a God who commits to the world, gives humanity free will, offers laws and guidance, begs people to treat each other well, gets angry when they don't, and continues to draw near to us to invite us into relationship with God restore our broken relationships with one another.  And God even took on the vulnerability of human flesh to draw near to us in the person Jesus Christ.

If you have never see the TED talks by Brene Brown, I invite you to take some time today (or whenever you can) to watch her first TED talk from 2010.  http://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7o

Lenten Discipline -- March 24

Lenten discipline of the day:

sing a prayer.

Santus from "REQUIEM" by Gabriel Faure

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Dominus Deus Saboth
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua
Hosanna in excelsis
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini
Hosanna in excelsis.

(English):

Holy, holy, holy, Lord

God of hosts.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.