Change, an Invitation to Life: The Journey Continues

Change, an Invitation to Life: The Journey Continues: As Jesus continues his journey toward Jerusalem (Luke 13:31ff), he runs into a group of Pharisees who warn him that Herod Antipas wants t...

The Journey Continues

As Jesus continues his journey toward Jerusalem (Luke 13:31ff), he runs into a group of Pharisees who warn him that Herod Antipas wants to kill him. Remember these are the people who the gospels tell us were some of Jesus’ greatest enemies and yet they warn him that his life is in danger. Just something to think about as we look at human relationships. Jesus tells them, “thanks, but no thanks.” He tells them in essence that “I must be about my father’s business: healing, casting out demons and doing and teaching those things God sent me into the world to do and teach. My journey must end in Jerusalem because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.”

Jesus tells them and reminds us that he is a prophet, and that as a prophet he must proclaim God’s word, and FACE THE CONSEQUENCES. As we travel on our Lenten Journey we can learn from Jesus that God also calls us to be prophets, and that we too must proclaim God’s word and we too must FACE THE CONSEQUENCES. I do not know about you, but I get excited about proclaiming God’s word, less excited about facing the consequences. Since, however, this is our call, let’s look at some of the ways God gives us strength to do both.

In Genesis 15 we see God telling Abraham, “do not be afraid, because I am your shield, and your reward shall be great.” During this season of reflection, let’s claim this promise for ourselves. Psalm 27 also gives us encouragement: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? . . .One thing have I asked of the Lord; . . .One thing I seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. . .For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter; he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling and set me high upon a rock.” These and other promises from scripture give us hope, courage and confidence that we can live the prophetic life to which we are called and face whatever consequences follow.

For Christians during our Lenten Journey this encouragement we find in scripture can be very practical: worship every Sunday; find a group with which to meet weekly for study, reflection and prayer; gather together as a body in the presence of our Bishop. We can also find encouragement in acts of kindness like keeping our community clean, or serving at a local homeless shelter or helping to meet other needs in our area.

Our Lenten Journey is a model, a paradigm, for our life’s journey. I know something about the journey’s of many of my friends, as well as many other people with whom I cross paths in the many facets of my life, but the journey I know best is my own journey and I share a portion of that journey with the hope that my journey will open a window for you into your own journey, your own life, your own prophetic calling.

Many years ago my journey took me to Ponce, Puerto Rico and later to Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. I was first in training to be in the United States Peace Corps, and then a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching at The National Forestry School in the Dominican Republic. I learned many things on this journey that helped make me the person I am and gave me some of the tools I needed to be a prophet and to face the consequences. First I learned patience, I learned that not everything comes quickly or easily. I learned that we live for the long haul and that many things worth knowing and doing are not learned easily or quickly, that they take hard work and lots of time.

I also learned the importance of listening. I began to understand that we learn more by listening than we do by talking. This was an easy lesson since I was learning Spanish at the time and I had to listen more than I talked. I spent many afternoons with my elderly land lady on her front porch drinking Shafer’s beer and listening, and listening, and listening to her talk in Spanish.  In an environment and culture so different from that with which I was familiar, I learned to “listen” with all my senses: to be open to sights, sounds, colors, smells, texture, and ideas which were different from those I brought to the table.

There was a sign in our Peace Corps Training center that stated: “Do not seek to understand, seek to be present, to experience; for understanding will come later, or not at all.” God calls us to be present in this world, to enter life with open minds, open hearts and open hands; to live life to the fullest. This is what our whole Lenten Journey is all about: to be open to God; to be open to All of God’s People; There is truly something to be said for film director, Woody Allen’s, proclamation that “showing up is half the battle.” Early Christian Monk, Brother Lawrence, calls this “practicing the power of the presence of God.”

May our Lenten Journey lead us to an understanding of the world around us, but mostly, may it lead us to understand ourselves, and our relationship to the Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier of all life.

Pilgrimage, Journey, Life

Pilgrimage, Journey, Life

The Christian life, in fact, all life is a journey. There is a lot of truth in the old saying, “getting there is half the fun.” Not only is the fun in the journey as much as in the destination, but learning and growing are also more in the journey than in the arrival. We learn from our companions on the way; we learn from the experiences we have on the way, good or bad, pleasurable or painful, joyful or miserable.

Yes, all life is a journey, but for people of faith there are “journeys within the journey.” For Christians, the season of Lent is one of those journeys. The models for our Lenten Journey are the Gospel stories of Jesus’ 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. In Luke 4:1-13, Jesus is lead into the wilderness by the Spirit to be “tempted by Satan.” Jesus spends 40 days fasting, praying and, I believe, focusing on God’s call and plan for his life, and what that will look like for Jesus who is not only fully God but fully human. This wilderness journey was necessary for Jesus to really know within himself who he was and who God called him to be.

Lent gives us that same wilderness opportunity to wrestle with ourselves, to wrestle with our God and with our own demons; to face the same temptations Jesus faced. We too, on our earthly journey, will struggle with the temptations of comfort, power, possessions, fame and influence. Without setting aside time and space for reflection the struggles can turn out to be just that, struggles. With “wilderness time” they become opportunities for growth and learning.

Several years ago, falling into the temptation for power, possessions and fame, I was “given” one such opportunity for learning and growth. I had been, in my opinion, a successful Episcopal Priest: a good pastor, preacher and teacher. I was the Rector of a church which had grown from 130 to 500 members and from a budget of $70,000 a year to a budget of $250,000 a year. People said really flattering things about me, and some even proclaimed I would become a bishop. When I was called to a much larger church, with a much larger budget and a much larger salary, I jumped at it! After all, “there is nothing wrong with power and possessions and fame.”

As it turns out, I did not become the greatest priest in the World, I did not become a bishop, and I lost my job after two and a half years, thus affirming Jesus’ wisdom in turning down the tempter. As a part of my earthly pilgrimage, my life’s journey, it was life changing, and while not fun to go through (in fact it was quite miserable) for me, my family,  and lots of other people, this experience helped make me who I am, it helped make me stronger. The Christian season of Lent and the Christian traditions of prayer and meditation have been opportunities to reflect on the past, grow from those experiences and look toward the future, while living for today, the only day promised to any of us.

I want to add that out of this experience and reflection on it and praying about it, I learned many valuable lessons. I learned the importance of Mental Health Counseling and Anti-depressants as tools God uses along with our prayers and our friends to lead us out of the wilderness. I built (or was given) many friendships that have lasted for the past ten years and some of which will last a lifetime. These friendships have strengthened me and my faith, and while I did not become the greatest priest in the whole world, I have been given a vision and wisdom to invite God to be a part of my Pilgrimage.

During this Lenten pilgrimage my prayer for all of us is that we will ask ourselves three questions and then take the time and find the space to listen to the answers. Like Jesus, listen to the answers from God and from our own heart, mind and soul.  The questions are: 1) What is important to me? 2) Why is this important? 3) What now?

This Lenten Journey calls us to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as we love ourselves (implying that we love ourselves first) to strive for Justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being.” (Book of Common Prayer, page 305)

Blessings and Peace on your way, and remember, “Getting there is half the fun!”