Ash Wednesday always holds a bit of anxiety. The holidays are over, the year has opened to a brand-new page, and you can almost hear the binding on the new journal crack open. There's a blank page staring back.
There's a 40-day story to write during Lent, and the questions are familiar: Should I give something up for Lent? What's my plan for these 40 days? If I try and steer myself too much or be too harsh on myself, I know I'll run out of steam in a couple weeks. If I don't take Lent seriously enough, I'm missing the chance to actually get something out of it.
I don't know the forecast for these 40 days, and I'm the first to admit that I need some guidance, some encouragement. And I need some grace.
If you are in a boat that bears any resemblance to mine, the hope is that Dietrich Bonhoeffer will serve as a great guide for these 40 days. I have never walked with him this intentionally through Lent. But I trust him as a guide. Suffice it to say that Bonhoeffer was a courageous Christian leader during the Second World War, and his conviction, that our identity as disciples of Jesus Christ shapes every fiber of our being and molds every action we undertake, has pushed Christians for decades to encounter God at the very center of our lives.
Along these lines, the British essayist G. K. Chesterton once wrote: "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried."
The hope for these 40 days is that we may all be led to a deeper encounter with God "at the center of life."
The book, "40-Day Journey with Deitrich Bonhoeffer", edited by Ron Klug, will be our guide. For those of you who have let me know you want a copy, they will be available on Sunday.
Until then, I will be posting the first couple of days worth of entries, albeit in a parred-down version.
So on Day 1, we begin with this question:
"Those who follow Jesus' commandment entirely, who let Jesus' yoke rest on them without resistance, will find the burden they must bear to be light. In the gentle pressure of this yoke they will receive the strength to walk the right path without becoming weary... Where will the call to discipleship lead those who follow it? What decisions and painful separations will it entail? We must take this question to him who alone knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ, who bids us follow him, knows where the path will lead. But we know that it will be a path full of mercy beyond measure. Discipleship is joy."
- from his book, Discipleship
Consider these words from the gospel according to Matthew:
Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30
Prayer for today:
Lord Jesus, only you know where my path will lead, but I trust that, even if I do not know either the way or the destination, you are with me and before me, and I follow you with joy.
Amen
Godspeed your journey, friend, and give you strength.
ReplyDeleteI pray this for you even as I pray it for me.
“Do you sense there are places Jesus might want to lead you where you would rather not go?”
ReplyDeleteUsually, Jesus doesn’t ask me if I want to go somewhere—he just makes life happen and I am inextricably carried on the current of his predilections.
Take this week (please). My assistant of 12 years and I have been an incredible team working together as only teams can do—mostly intuitive stuff born of deep experience and meshed personalities clearly understanding one another and the reasons we are here (for the goal and for the fun of working toward it).
Well, this gem of a person, healthy as can be, capable of so much goodness, suffers a massive, never-before-indicated-there-was-a-problem, heart attack. I do not have categories to define the trauma to the player, the team and its effectiveness. So, I’d rather not go here, but there it is, we’re going…and not because anybody asked.
BTW, she is critical, on some level of life support, with 15-25% of heart function. Once, since early Saturday morning, she communicated with her eyelids to her husband to a request to move them. My gosh we reeled with delight at the news!
Indeed, “we may all be led to a deeper encounter with God "at the center of life."
Scott,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear of this tragic event in your assistant's life. Our thoughts and prayers will be with her and her family. And with you as well. May you experience signs of God's care and comfort, even on this hard road. Peace to you.