THE SEASON OF EPIPHANY
++++++++++++++++++++++

ALL I WANT FOR LENT IS MY TWO FRONT TEETH?

“Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart … rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love …”             Joel 2:12-13a

Even though some of us may still be looking for “our two front teeth” for Lent, my not-so-favorite Christmas jingle does lend itself for reflection as we enter the Season of Lent next Wednesday, Ash Wednesday. Well, sort of, kind of, maybe a little stretch, but it does sort of fit the time to come, maybe. As described in A Revised Dictionary for Episcopalians, Lent is “the season of preparation for Easter and a time of fasting, penitence, almsgiving, prayer, and study. In the early church, sinners who had been publicly excommunicated from the church began a forty-day period of penitential discipline so that they could be readmitted to communion on Easter Day.” [p.74] So, as we hear from the prophet Joel, the work of Lent is about a CHANGE OF LIFE … a CHANGE OF SPIRIT … a MATTER FOR OUR HEART.

During the Season of Lent last year, I offered time for learning and sharing around the classic book Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. The small but faithful group gathered spent time learning, conversing, and growing in the spiritual work of THE INWARD DISCIPLINES, THE OUTWARD DISCIPLINES, AND THE  CORPORATE DISCIPLINES. We spoke about the way of spiritual transformation in our lives, and importantly how we might become AGENTS OF TRANSFIGURATION AND TRANSFORMATION through our life and our parish into our community and our world. We took to heart the work of Lent is all about a CHANGE OF LIFE … a CHANGE OF SPIRIT … a MATTER FOR OUR HEART. Well, sort of, kind of, maybe a little stretch, but it does sort of fit the time to come, maybe.

As I come to this Ash Wednesday in my journey of life and spirit, I have been noticing the number of people connected to my life who have died “suddenly and unawares” as we hear and pray in The Great Litany on the First Sunday in Lent. The words at the imposition of ashes echo louder than usual in my heart – “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” For me, it brings pause to hear the invitation of God yet again into LIVING my holy Lent, with the desiring to be INSPIRIED to live the disciplines of faith that will grow my being the disciple God calls me to be, and not just ASPIRING to live into the disciplines of faith sort of, kind of, maybe.

It seems to me that living our faith daily is really A MATTER FOR OUR HEART … IT REALLY IS! “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart … rend your hearts and not your clothing …”

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

In peace always, your servant in Christ,
Paul+