What’s happened since my previous posting about observing Lent? My Protestant tradition seldom emphasizes Lent so I’m a novice at its practice. With Easter now over, what did I learn from my Lenten experience? Will I practice it in the future? Here are some reflections from a backwards look.
First, I’ve discovered that change is often incremental not hyperbolic in my life. I would like to say that my Lenten practices “changed my life” (a typical evangelical response!). However, as I age, much of my life change is subtle not explosive. It’s like looking into a telescope or microscope.
When we first look at the object through the lens it may appear blurry or out of focus. As we adjust the lens the subject becomes clearer and more pronounced. That is how a lot of spiritual change happens in my life these days — the Holy Spirit brings a finer focus on life issues rather than a burst of transformation. This happened at Lent.
How has God “fine-tuned” my life through Lent?
Pre-decisions make good decisions. I decided to give up the morning news for Jesus this year. Instead of “bad news” I chose “good news.” My typical schedule prior to Lent had me watching some national and local news to start the day. This seems an innocuous practice. After all, why not find out about the weather? However, my 5 minutes to see the weather forecast often turned to 10 minutes and then to 20 minutes. I was sucked into the daily news cycle! My intention to spend time with God first-thing in the morning got pushed back and I became absorbed in the news. My Lenten sacrifice changed this.
Instead of watching the “bad news” of everyday crises, murders, hurricanes, jury decisions, and political corruption, I chose the “good news” of the Scriptures. I decided not to watch the news first; this pre-decision made my daily decisions easier. I could now leisurely enjoy my time with God because I had more time!
Augustine was right! Saint Augustine famously said: “Since we become what we behold, we must ensure that what we behold is what we want to become.” In other words, what we pay attention to shapes our lives. Ultimately, what we pay attention to reveals what we love and what we love we prioritize. By putting a priority on meeting God in the Scriptures over the news, I was choosing to behold Him.
This choice affected my life in little ways. The consistency of the practice created a healthy discipline. This healthy discipline created a renewed desire to meet with God. I found myself reflecting on God’s word for the day in those spare moments when the mind is prone to wander. What I had “beheld” — looked at in the morning — was beginning to shape my inner life during the day.
Enjoy the drama of the sacraments. The simple definition of a sacrament is that it’s a physical action or object representing spiritual reality. The ashes on the forehead from Ash Wednesday represent the spiritual reality of my sinfulness and the brevity of life. The physical clearing of the Lutheran church’s altar and the dimming of the lights in the sanctuary on Maundy Thursday represents the coming darkness of Good Friday. The scent of the wine and the crunch of the communion wafter on Good Friday represents the new covenant that Jesus was making through the cross.
The drama in the physical representation of these truths sparks my imagination and draws me into the experience. My body soaks in the sights, smells, and tastes of these re-enactments. The drama of the action makes the spoken and read words come alive. All five senses are employed rather than only the sense of hearing.
We need to do something different on Good Friday. Attending a Good Friday service is part of our Easter celebration. As Peggy and I reflected on the day, we concluded that next year we should spend the day differently.
I spent the day doing yardwork in the morning and working on correspondence in the afternoon. After attending our 5 pm Good Friday service we went out to dinner at an Outback Steakhouse. This picture seemed out of sync given the solemnity of the day we were celebrating.
What would we change? Maybe we need to fast for the day. Maybe we need to walk through the Stations of the Cross at the Catholic Seminary across the street. Maybe we need to spend the day in quiet reflection and prayer. Maybe we need to invite friends over after the service for discussion on the meaning of Good Friday and the expectation of Easter. We’re not sure what we’re going to do but next year Good Friday will be different for the Mowrys.
Walking through the church seasons teaches me how I must orient my life around God’s intrusion, His invasion, His intersection with the flow of history. We will always have earthquakes, famines, and political crises. Nothing changes; we’re not going anywhere. The seasons of the traditional church calendar tells us a different story. God has invaded history and is working out His redemptive plan and I need this reminder in ways that engage my total self, and which calls me to a life of sacrifice with joy. This happens at Lent. I will be practicing it again next year.
