If I could paint, I would paint a picture of the Lenten trail. I see in my mind’s eye – the lamb of God, holding high the flag of the cross, leading us on toward the summit of our Christian faith. Some of us are weary, some of us are innocent; some with eyes cast down, some with eyes lifted high; some acutely aware of what is to come, and some of us blissfully ignorant. We will falter on this trail, many of us like Peter, determined not to deny Christ, diligent to follow our Savior wherever he leads. But there comes that moment on the path – when for us the rooster crows, and we know we are undone. We reach the hill of Calvary looking for triumph but watch as the unspeakable speaks. – The cry of the crowd echoes in our broken hearts – “Come down! Save yourself!” “O Jesus, be the triumphant One, show your power!”
Yet didn’t we know it wasn’t going to be his strength that would save us? Didn’t we hear John say, “Behold the lamb of God?” Doesn’t Isaiah say – “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed?” (Isa 53:5 NAS) Who is this Jesus? This is God? How can this be? A suffering God?
Yet, we look around at each other – recognizing pain when we see it, because we know pain. We know suffering, some more than others. This is the company we keep – whether that pain is on us, or to us, or in us, we walk this trail with suffering kindred spirits. And so, is this not the God we need, one who knows our weaknesses but also knows our sin, yet never having sinned? I read somewhere that people are not saved through Jesus’ miracles, but through his wounds. All of it, our suffering, our wounds, our sin is gathered up into the indestructible love of God. And so, our Christ is a servant who suffered to the very end.
It’s night now – in fact it’s been dark for so long – We heard that last cry of his. It will probably stay with us until the day we die – that cry that mirrored our own – our fears of being forsaken, spoken by the Lamb who was slain for us. We know now why this had to be. We weep. But I think we know this is not final. If all the things he said about dying were true, then the other things must be true too. Could it be so? I don’t think our Lenten trail ends here. An old preacher once said, (actually he yelled it…) “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s a comin!” I leave you with another image of our journey – we’ve followed the Lamb, we’re weary and frightened and a little beat up. But there’s just something about what that old preacher said. And didn’t Jesus tell us this as well? Sigh, c’mon friends. We’ll do it together.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. (ESV)
Step One – Read the passage slowly, attentively. Allow yourself to be taken in by the words – pay attention to any word or phrase that strikes you in the passage. (If you haven’t studied this passage, you may find this first reading will stir observation questions in you – such as who, what when, where, how).
Step Two – Read it again. Meditate and reflect on the passage. What is it in your life that needs to hear that word or phrase? This is an incredibly challenging passage. Sit in silence for a time, attending to the thoughts, images and impressions that begin to come to you. Turn that into prayer. Who do you think of when you think of your enemy? Where have you struggled to forgive or to love your enemy? – commit that to God.
Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?
Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do? Is there more forgiveness work that needs to be done? What does going the extra mile look like for you? What does loving your enemy look like?
Lectio Quote: Forgiveness
The triumph of sin, the main sign of its rule over the world, is division, opposition, separation, hatred. Therefore, the first break through this fortress of sin is forgiveness: the return to unity, solidarity, love. To forgive is to put between me and my “enemy” the radiant forgiveness of God himself. To forgive is to reject the hopeless “dead-ends” of human relations and to refer them to Christ. Forgiveness is truly a “breakthrough” of the kingdom into this sinful and fallen world. (Great Lent, p. 27)
You can go through the same steps that we use for Lectio Divina for Scripture, or simply take some time and read this quote slowly and seek the Holy Spirit’s help to press into this word on forgiveness.
As I entered this season of Lent I went back to my rule of life which I had decided on at the beginning of the year. I’ve written a bit about what a rule of life is. It’s simply a way to stay aligned with what God is calling you to become, not a way to measure what you’ve done. It’s a marker, a signpost. It can include all measure of things. A question, a song, a Scripture, a prayer… Whatever God leads you to! I have found there is no end to the resources out there. I have simply included in my observation of Lent some of the decisions I made at the beginning of the year. I hope this serves as a reminder for you as well.
The question I try to ask each day when I start it is this: “How will I live out my baptism today”? The scripture that comes to mind is the passage from Romans 6:4-11:
Rom 6:4-11 –We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin–because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
I also call to mind the word from Alexander Schmemann about baptism and the rule of life:
“…to remain faithful to his baptism, living by it, making it always the source and power of his life, a constant judgment, criterion, inspiration, ‘rule of life’.”
And then from St. Patrick:
I arise today: Through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
“Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead” ( Colossians 2:11b-12).
I arise today Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
May this prayer guide us in living out our baptisms.
I’ve wanted to write for several days now about a practice I’ve engaged in over the last few years. It’s become a pretty popular exercise, and you’ll find all kinds of information out there on the world wide web! I was probably first exposed to it through using a planner created by Sacred Ordinary Days. The idea goes back to the 6th century when a monk named Benedict developed it for his monastery. I’m not going to go into much detail here but google it and find what you can, if you’re interested.
What I do want to say is that a rule of life is not a set of resolutions, or a mission statement or a set of rules. It is not a list of things that need to be done; it’s about ways we are called to live. Rule refers to measure not regulation. This past year I sat with the idea for several months, and let it simply emerge out of my relationship with God, and some things He was calling me to.
“It is a commitment to live in a certain way. It is created with prayer and discernment as we consider the way God made us and the unique ways we are invited to partner with God in kingdom building” (Sacred Ordinary Days).
“It helps us to stay connected to God in the present moment by noticing the now – not by adding disciplines to an already busy life but by becoming conscious of God in what we are already doing. Our part is to remain available, to listen, to observe, to act, to be. This enables us to remain spiritually alive – mindful of God’s presence with us” (Northumbria Community).
The rule of life is descriptive not prescriptive. Henri Nouwen said this about it – “it does not prescribe, it invites, it does not force, but guides.”
So that’s a quick view into the idea – and you will find all kinds of different ways to create your rule of life, should you choose to do it. I did not start 2023 with a clear idea of what I wanted here – but a few things directed me toward what I wanted it to do.
…regla, a feminine noun, carries gentle connotations;
a sign post, a railing, something that gives me support
as I move forward in my search for God.
Esther de Waal
The first was this definition by Esther de Waal. – I loved that she refers to it as a feminine noun (whereas I think of mission statements as being more masculine in tone – not bad, just very action oriented!).
I knew I wanted something to measure my intentions by and I loved the picture of a signpost. One of the ways I’m wired is that I’m not a details sort of person; I’m more drawn to the big picture. I’m much more likely to tell you how to get somewhere by giving you landmarks, not mile markers! The relevance here is that I am more drawn to symbols (pictures) than instructions. But that’s not true of all of us is it? We may all approach this idea of a rule of life differently. My only recommendation is that we keep it “being” centered, not “doing” centered.
Secondly, I found what I needed in a word by Alexander Schmemann, as I was reading Of Water and the Spirit during Lent last year. It says it all for me… well maybe not all, as you’ll see in a minute. But this quote by him changed the way I started each day.
…that he may remain faithful to his baptism, living by it, making it always the source and the power of his life, a constant judgment, criterion, inspiration, rule of life.
Alexander Schmemman, Of Water and the Spirit
I will explore this more in our journey through Lent (if you stick around for that). The pastoral schools led by Leanne Payne, were, from her perspective, a school of baptism; a preparation for and an affirmation of our baptisms! And they truly were. In some liturgical traditions, this is what the season of Lent is about: helping prepare converts for baptism (which happens on Easter). And I thought – what a way to approach Lent! To spend those weeks affirming my baptism by asking the question – “how will I live out my baptism today?” I’ve been trying to do that on a regular basis throughout the whole year. But “Into Our Bones” for the season of Lent will pursue this in a very intentional manner.
Last year, sometime around June or July – I felt I had a sense of what God was calling me to do in creating a rule of life. I had been praying and reading – and found a few scriptures that were really relevant to the season I was in. (Some people take one word for the whole year – and it becomes something like a rule of life). I had a few quotes, a prayer, and a few questions. As I approach 2024, I’m finding it easier to formulate something that will serve as a signpost for my journey through the year. I’ll share them here.
Schmemann’s quote on baptism is right up there for me. As I ask the question (daily, weekly??) “how will I live out my baptism today?” I know it will include confession, repentance, forgiveness, joy, death, resurrection! So many things…
I’ve also been led to a Scripture passage for 2024 – 2 Peter 1:3 – His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence… (ESV) I know for me I desire to live more fully from Christ’s incarnation in me!
I’ve found a quote that is meaningful to me:
Above all else, trust in the slow work of God.
Pierre Teilhard
And then a prayer – Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour, that I may not be one moment apart from thee, but may rely on thy Spirit to supply every thought, speak in every word, direct every step, prosper every work, build up every mote of faith, and give me a desire to show forth thy praise; testify thy love, advance thy kingdom. I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year, with thee, O Father, as my harbor, thee, O Son, at my helm, thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails. The Valley of Vision (a compilation of Puritan Prayers), Arthur Bennett.
A word God gave me at Cedar Springs last year was about how He wanted me to use the years left to me (I know… I’m not that old!) My calling in this season of life is to share the wisdom God has carved out of me (carved into me) through His sanctifying work – whether in joy or sorrow, suffering or peace, absence or presence. Identifying your calling in the season you are in provides a great signpost not only to your intentions but to the decisions you make about how you spent your time, your resources.
And finally, this question has been on my heart for the last few years – Dealing with chronic pain, being prayed for, being willing to be prayed for when the answers have not gone the way I’ve wanted, have made me wrestle with this question: “What is the posture toward pain that God is calling me to?” It’s an unsettling, deep and profound question because I have to approach it in honesty and humility. It causes me to “reason together with the Lord” (Isa. 1:18).
Let me summarize -a rule of life is simply a way to stay aligned with what God is calling you to become, not a way to measure what you’ve done. It’s a marker, a signpost. It can include all measure of things. A question, a song, a Scripture, a prayer… Whatever God leads you to! I have found there is no end to the resources out there. I’m reminded of part of St. Patrick’s Breastplate. It would make a great signpost or rule of life.
I arise today Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I could say more, but I won’t! Let me leave you with this as you consider a rule of life, and I’m including myself in it.
May it start in us through the song God has sung over us through all our days. May it spring from a place of hunger, and a desire for transformation that can only result in our becoming like Him. May we be resolute in casting off any hindrance, any sin, any relationship that inhibits His sanctifying work in us. May we live out our baptisms every day. From the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep may we remember to take our place in His death and in His resurrection – through prayer, through confession, through practicing His presence, through virtue, and through love.
