My dear fellow pilgrims,
This first quarter of this year is an incredibly busy, action-packed time! Concerts, Wine Tasting, Bishop’s Visitation, Annual Meeting, Diocesan Convocation, Youth Sunday & Camp Weed Sunday (that’s all January)… Then – Black History Month activities (guest preachers and choirs and musicians, Edward Waters Choir concert, play), Super Bowl, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, Ash Wednesday, Cruise, Lenten Programs, Vestry Training Conference, Oyster Roast & Silent Auction, Contemplative Service, Spring Break, Bausch & Lomb Tennis, TPC Golf, Holy Week & Easter, Mission Trip to Antigua.
Whew – I’m worn out just thinking about all this activity!!! And this is only events directly related to the parish; obviously all of our lives are filled to various extents with other things. And – in the middle of this, is LENT. Hmmm – can we fit it in this year? Are we too busy to slow down and take stock of our lives as God’s children? Doesn’t even the fact of asking that question mean that the answer is YES?!
Joan Chittister, OSB writes in her book The Rule of Benedict about Lent:
“… Lent is the process of emptying our cups. Lent is the time for trimming the soul and scraping the sludge off a life turned slipshod. Lent is about exercising the control that enables us to say no to ourselves so that when life turns hard of its own accord we have the spiritual stamina to say yes to its twists and turns with faith and with hope… Benedict tells us that Lent is the time to make new efforts to be what we say we want to be.” (p. 136).
TO BE WHAT WE SAY WE WANT TO BE.
Just like with the whole New Year’s Resolution thing with many people, we have the choice, we decide for ourselves – will we actually do this or just think – “Oh, some day I’ll get around to getting a grip on my life”?
I have had a period of time recently where I haven’t seemed to be able to get a grip on several aspects of my life. Have you? I don’t like it. It’s frustrating and it makes me crazy. I know there is this issue of fooling ourselves into believing that we actually have control over our lives – I’m not talking about control, just knowing that I do have a brake pedal even though the roller coaster is going faster than I thought it would.
Hopefully you won’t write these thoughts off as the babbling of some crazy man, but as one who is looking forward to Lent. Looking forward to the Church’s gift of a season dedicated not to controlling my life by myself, but by actively giving my life to God, yet one more time. I need a time to “make new efforts to be what I say I want to be”. Don’t you?
Look for some of the ways St. Peter’s will give us Bread For The Journey for Lent. And – for Christ’s sake – and yours, please choose to eat that bread. Godspeed!
