the long journey needs refreshment

The journey this Lent has been deeper than others in recent years. I have been stressing with our congregation that Lent is a tithe (1/10th) of the year to give ourselves fully to God. It is a time to grow more deeply in our practice of the spiritual disciplines. That the journey with Jesus is like crossing a desert. You can start out somewhat easily, but along the way you will need some water. Many of us burn out on this journey. The spiritual disciplines are like the water of the desert journey. Without them, we will not make it. And we will wind up probably being more "churchified" rather than disciples and apostles. Its the refrain of the retirees, "The young people need to take over." But the young people aren't around to take over. And now congregations struggle to let go often of their treasured personal history and their buildings while God is trying to call them out to a new time, a new era, a new creation. But the "canteen" is dry and we are afraid. And the road ahead seems to not even dead-end, but just gradually to peter out.

So, we are seeking to do more listening than talking around Fairlawn West...which is one of our stated bedrock beliefs of our congregation about prayer. Pray to listen more than to chat.

A great voice of God comes from Madeleine L'Engle:

“Have courage and joy. Sometimes our moments of greatest joy come at [the] times of greatest courage,” she says simply. “Our children need to hear over and over again that there is no such thing as redemptive violence,” she adds. “Violence never redeems. And what we do does make a difference!”

Madeleine pauses before reinforcing, softly emphasizing each word, “Be brave! Have courage! Don’t fear!” And echoing the message proclaimed and lived by all prophets, she adds, “Do what you think you ought to do, even if it’s nontraditional. Be open. Be ready to change."

Sacred time and space in an urgent world

Sacred space and sabbath are core places/experiences as a child of God. Right now our country is trying to hurry to fix our economic wows. The urgency is important, but we will create more havoc and chaos if we continue to rush into this without time and space which is focused solely on God. Listening to God. Being with God.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Christian martyr of WW II - killed by the Nazis just a few days before the Allies liberated his prison, celebrated the Lord's Supper weekly in his cell using the toilet seat cover as the communion table, with other prisoners and guards receiving it as he officiated. Nothing was more urgent than this, to be at table with our Lord and other brothers and sisters.

David Loar
Fairlawn West United Church of Christ
Akron, Ohio

give up money for Lent

What if we gave up money for Lent? Ok. Then how about giving up using the atm and credit card for Lent.

The point is, if we are really serious about "giving up" something that God could use to help us grow spiritually deeper as a disciple of Jesus Christ, it seems to me money would be a good one. It clearly is at the center of most of our lives, and is the greatest competitor with God for our attention, let alone our devotion.

Lent...trying to fan the flames

Reflection for a day in Lent, Feb 27...

Ok. So we're into Lent a few weeks and all that great intention back a few weeks ago...well, its been blown away by the wind or at least, its blowing in the wind. Like an old flag that should be replaced, the journey with Lent quickly becomes shredded. It begins to become forced in around the regular activities of the day and week. And then eventually (in a few short weeks), it becomes "something I need to do" again.

So, here we are at crunch time. A few weeks into Lent. Its time to buck up and decide whether you are going to turn your day over to God as you said you were going to back there on Ash Wednesday.

Psalm 118
20Here is the gate of the LORD!

Everyone who does right

may enter this gate.

21I praise the LORD

for answering my prayers

and saving me.

22The stone that the builders

tossed aside

has now become

the most important stone.

23The LORD has done this,

and it is amazing to us.

24This day belongs to the LORD!

Let's celebrate

and be glad today.

25We'll ask the LORD to save us!

We'll sincerely ask the LORD

to let us win.

26God bless the one who comes

in the name of the LORD!

We praise you from here

in the house of the LORD.

27The LORD is our God,

and he has given us light!

Start the celebration!

March with palm branches

all the way to the altar. 28The LORD is my God!

I will praise him and tell him

how thankful I am.

29Tell the LORD

how thankful you are,

because he is kind

and always merciful.

podcast on Lent and Cabin Fever

Here's the link for a new podcast as of today entitled "A Good Lent and Cabin Fever."