Category Archives: Lent

Lenten Wilderness Guide (Week 2)

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Lenten Field Guide // Week 2: Evil’s Toolbox

     The story of the devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness as Jesus is fasting and praying is an interesting one. It calls to mind tools that evil uses to tempt us into living into what it hopes for us: disconnection, insatiable greed, selfishness, devisive-ness, and rampant individualism. These tools tempt us to hoard our power and privilege and use those in service to ourselves to get ahead. Just as the devil tempted Jesus to make bread from stones, so too are we tempted to eat of unholy means. But Jesus knew that you become what you consume. He did not want to consume bread made from unholy power. He wanted bread that was made of love; bread that lifted up the lowly and brought down the unjust mighty from their thrones. He wanted the good stuff.

One of the most successful tricks that the devil plays on us is going after our identities. In this story, the devil says to Jesus: “since you are… then do this.” It was tempting for Jesus to display all of his might, but he would have been doing this at the bequest of evil. And… he refused to cooperate with evil. Gandhi taught this based upon Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount: be noncooperative with evil.

Based on the unholy structures that have created a stratified system in society, if you are white, you have more privilege than people of color. If you are in a straight relationship, you have more privilege than one that is gay or lesbian. If you identify as cis-gender, you have more privilege than someone who identifies as trans*gender. If you live far above the poverty line, you have more privilege than people who live below or near it. How will you deal with this privilege and the power it brings? Will you eat bread made from stones of greed, selfishness, and evil, or will you eat bread made from love?

Scripture to consider: Matthew 4:1-11 

Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. 2 After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.”4 Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.” 5 After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, 6 “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.”7 Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God.”8 Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 He said, “I’ll give you all these if you bow down and worship me.”10 Jesus responded, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” 11 The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him.

 

 

 

Lenten Wilderness Guide (Week 1)

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Lenten Field Guide // Week 1: On Doing Hard Things

     This Lenten season, the faith community I serve will be walking through an in-depth look at the story of Jesus going into the desert, fasting, and experiencing temptation by the devil. Each week, this scripture found in Matthew will be present in the Lenten sermons and the Field Guides will be focused on this text where the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into a wilderness space. It is no surprise that Jesus is in the physical wilderness; he quiets himself and matches the landscape so that he may focus on prayer and resisting temptation. Consider that perhaps Jesus needed this trial to prepare his heart, body, and mind for the horror of what he was soon to endure down the Via Dolorosa to the cross at Golgotha.

It is hard to find anything redemptive about suffering. Some suffering may not have anything redemptive about it. Chris Stapleton’s recent song, Broken Halos, says it well:

“Seen my share of broken halos,

Folded wings that used to fly…

Don’t go looking for the reasons

Don’t go asking Jesus why

We’re not meant to know the answers

They belong to the by and by”

Some answers just belong to the by and by. And that’s okay. And, at the same time, sometimes the trials that come into our lives develop within us a deeper well, which hopefully will contain empathy for others because we ourselves know what pain feels like. This well will also hopefully develop in us the strength to live into our powerful baptismal vows, to actively resist evil, injustice, and oppression in the world.

In times of trial and temptation, it is very difficult to step back and see the new work that God is doing or maybe what we are being prepared for, but resting in the knowledge that the work is going on, even when you cannot see it, is comforting. Maybe these are birth pains of a greater good, deeper justice, and path to becoming your best self. Vulnerability and shame researcher, Dr. Brene Brown says: “I think our capacity for wholeheartedness can never be greater than our willingness to be broken-hearted. It means engaging with the world from a place of vulnerability and worthiness.”

Scripture to consider: Matthew 4:1-11 

“Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. 2 After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.”4 Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.” 5 After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, 6 “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.”7 Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God.”8 Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 He said, “I’ll give you all these if you bow down and worship me.”10 Jesus responded, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” 11 The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him.

Journeying through Lent with Children: 

If you didn’t get a chance to attend an Ash Wednesday service, take some time to talk with your child(ren) about what Ash Wednesday means.

When we receive ashes, it is a mark that we know that we belong to God and that there is nothing that we can do or can’t do in life that will keep us from belonging to God and being loved by God. Some days, we know in our minds that we are loved by God, but on this day, you get to see with your eyes that you are loved by God.

Acts of Devotion and Spirituality: Consider joining a small group this Lent in your faith community or if you are in a book group, consider choosing a book that focuses on Lent.

 

Lenten Wilderness Guide (Intro)

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Dear fellow journeyer,

The winter has been warm this year; perhaps you welcome this or perhaps this is disorienting. In any case, as the earth sleeps, we will soon enter the season of Lent.

Lent looks pretty different for the diversity of folks who observe it. Some folks are more comfortable adding something to their routines/ lives to focus on God, while other folks remove routine items/ practices so that they may better focus on God. Either way, the idea is to prepare yourself spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically for the high Holy day of Easter, the day of celebration of the resurrection of the Christ. This is the day, which I believe theologically, that the Creator God gave a finality to Death (read: evil, sin, and greed) insofar as saying “Death does not win.”Lent Field Guides

Practically, Lent can be a structured time that one brings a level of discipline to one’s life which, oddly enough, can create liberation. I use liberation here to suggest a time where one takes a step away from the rat race that one’s life can snowball into in pursuit of the completion of the never-ending to-do list or even the pursuit of self-affirmation through external sources (especially other people). Instead, this Lenten season, what if we focus our pursuits on stillness, self-care, intentional service, and self-affirmation through internal/spiritual means?

As I did last fall and also Advent, I am writing weekly devotionals for the Lenten season. I hope that whether you live alone or with families, these field guides will support you in faith formation in your home. I invite you to take an active role in Lent because I hope this will intentionally create space in your life to focus on God.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday which is on February 26th, 2020. I look forward to journeying together through it, all the way into the solemness of Holy Week.

It seems like all is dead in winter, but it is actually just a time of sabbatical for much of creation.

Let us not be fooled into thinking Death has won.

Kate

Top 10 Learnings of Lent [so far]

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1. Lent is a time of learned relentlessness and persistence, also known in the theological world as faithfulness. Faith and following Christ should not be easy.

2. “The Gospel is always an invitation: come and follow me.” –Douglas Meeks and yet, “Do not be afraid to put the Bible into its [Ancient Near Eastern] context.” –Annalisa Azzoni

3. If love is easy, it’s not that kind of deep and abiding love that I am looking to engage in.

4. Retraining one’s body with discipline and care is liberating.

5. I still don’t know how to fix a toaster.

6. Courage without vulnerability isn’t actually courage at all.

7. If you have never had to fight for who you are, I’m not really interested in your opinion or critique of me.

8. Job searching and vocation naming is hard, yet Holy Work.

9. Lean into the good things which are all around you because they are indeed, all around you.

10. It seems like all is dead in winter, but it’s actually just a time of sabbatical for much of creation. Don’t be fooled into thinking Death has won.

I Want God: Entering Into the Lenten Journey

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I am most grateful today for the ice storm which brought forced rest into my life this week. This rest allowed time for reflection, which seems like the most appropriate way to honor Shrove Tuesday as I prepare to enter into Lent. You may wonder why someone who is so very Baptist might observe a liturgical season such as Lent. However, it is my very autonomy as a Baptist which allows me the latitude to explore seasons that would more typically be observed by higher churches, like The Episcopal Church or the Catholic Church.IMG_5751

Lent looks pretty different for the diversity of folks who observe it. Some folks are more comfortable adding something to their routines/ lives to focus on God, while other folks remove routine items/ practices so that they may better focus on God. Either way, the idea is to prepare yourself spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically for the high Holy day of Easter, the day of celebration of the resurrection of the Christ. This is the day, which I believe theologically, that the Creator God gave a finality to Death (read: evil, sin, and greed) insofar as saying “Death does not win.”

Practically, Lent can be a structured time (six weeks) that one brings a level of discipline to one’s life which, oddly enough, creates liberation. I use liberation here to mean a time where one is freed from the rat race that one’s life can snowball into in pursuit of the completion of the eternal to-do list, the pursuit of self-affirmation through external sources (especially other people), or even the pursuit of service to others. In naming these things, it is easy to see that though they may not necessarily be harmful, however, the pursuit of them necessarily detracts from the pursuit of their opposites (ie. stillness; self-affirmation through internal/ spiritual means; self-care). These lists may not be entirely fair, but I suspect they are plausible enough that they sound familiar.

So alas, here is my impetus to observe the Holy Lenten season. Most simply put:

I want God.

I want to prepare myself (as much as possible in my feebleness) for the observance of the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Eternal Word, the Son, the second person of the Triune God, Christ Jesus. I want to slow myself so that I may open myself to the mystery of grace, mercy, and love that the Creator God, the first person of the Triune, gifted creation with in the act of the Incarnation. Because of this act, God, Emmanuel is with us. This is a gift that I must seriously consider in the next six weeks.

To find a starting point for my Lent practice, I dwell on the words of an Anglican systematic theologian, Sarah Coakley. For Coakley, contemplation (which she classifies as an ascetic discipline) must be a serious endeavor in a Christian’s life. She defines contemplation as particular kind of prayer, wherein one repeatedly waits on God in silence. This practice cultivates the work of the Spirit, the third person of the Triune, who is often reduced to fluff, but who is actually a fierce subverter of powerful and evil institutions. Further, contemplation is a vulnerable act as one sits and receives the divine gifts that God gives, but in this process, the self is expanded. This makes much sense to me; when one is quiet and open, one can see much more about oneself and the world than one could in the midst performing a series of tasks.

I foresee this practice of contemplation (along with the removal of activities which preclude me from contemplation), as being a dear companion through the journey of Lent. I want God. I want to be opened, filled, humbled, and challenged by the Creator who first prepared this journey for me. My prayer is that this season would be as meaningful for you as I hope it will be for me. May we sustain ourselves through this Lenten season with the richness of God’s mercy, God’s justice-making, and God’s Love.

In closing, I’ll leave you with a last quote from Coakley, which can be easily re-written into a prayer:

Contemplation makes great ethical demands– to lose one’s life in order to gain it, to turn the other cheek, to love one’s enemies. It is not a form of disengagement, but of passionate reordered engagement.1

May it ever be so.

1) Sarah Coakley, God, Sexuality, and the Self: An Essay ‘On the Trinity‘ (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013) 340-344.