ADVENT'S COMFORTING KING

"Please don't go to bed before me," one of our children begs night after night; this was fine when they kept our hours, but as teenagers the plea is harder to manage! Our presence comforts and lightens the darkness. There is Another who brings light to dark places. 

"Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness covers the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you." Isaiah 60:1, 2

Isaiah must have known the Advent New England had! Rain, fog and mist have darkened nearly all the days of Advent. It has been a weary journey: trudging "up hill both ways" spiritually. "The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." John 1:5

 I have spent some days not understanding this Light. How about you?

"The Virgin will be with Child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Emmanuel~ which means, 'God with us.'" Matthew 1:23

I know the words, but honestly, what does, "God with me." look like in reality, in me, in Advent? He comes to brighten the darkest sky, illumine the treacherous path and bring Himself as our constant hope and help. I have Someone waiting up in the dark with me.

Medicine from Sacred Writing:

                   "The King is everywhere present (with us) and observes what is done. 

                  Therefore... show in your life much gentleness, much purity, 

               for we have a King who beholds our actions  continually. 

              In order then that this light may ever richly enlighten us,

let us gladly accept  these bright beams, 

         for so shall we enjoy both the good things present 

              and those to come, through the grace and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

John Chrysostom     Fourth century

ADVENT'S EXILE

Heaviness sufficates my soul. I can't see my way to love and light and God in the mist. Fear hangs heavy in hearts and minds; despair grips some as they grasp for hope in the dark. My feet are walking Advent, but my heart is far behind.

"Come, Child, sit with Me awhile. Take a seat at the table and learn from Me. You are looking for light in dark places, for love where love is not yet present. You long to find Me in situations, but it is My chidlren who bring My love, light and Presence. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will have joy. The sorrow you feel is your exile." When the burdens are heavy, the regret unending, the sin startling, the alienation alarming, pour your heart out to Me. Root yourself in My love and not bitterness. Give way to holy grief as I enter in." 

Morning fog grips me, but turning to gaze within I find light. Have you found Him?

Medicine from Sacred Scripture:

" 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to me, and I will lsiten to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you and I will bring you back from captivity,' says the Lord."

Jeremiah 29:12-14

ADVENT'S PRAYER

Father, you say, "if I remain in You and you in me I will bear much fruit,"

that, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, 

 faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22

You also say, "Apart from You I can do nothing." John 15:5

How, Father, do I do this?

"Listen, My Child, and walk close to Me. Love covers a multitude of sins... yours and others, see everything with My eyes of love: every interaction, every moment, every person, every thing you put your hands to. Let My love fill you, frame your perspective, inform your thoughts and actions. Remain in My love and the pain will turn to prayer, the hurt to tears that soften your heart towards others and even the list in your hands will turn to love when you  give it to Me. Your list is long because you love much. Love without the list, love from the heart and your actions will follow."

"Be love."

God, let me worship you in spirit and truth this Advent.

Medicine from Sacred Writings:

"He who upholds the world lieth in a manger, and He who careth for all things is a nursling in swaddling bands. The Temple is founded and God dwells therein. And wise men come and straight away worship Him..."

St. John Chrysostom    Fourth Century

ADVENT'S UNEXPECTED MELTDOWN

I'm not seeing Christmas here. Show me snow, give me twinkling lights, Someone work with me here. Heavy fog blanketed our pond at noon, driven away only by dreary rain falling drop by dismal drop all afternoon. It does not feel like Christmas.


At times in life the outside mirrors the inside. How do I find God in the rush, the noise, the endless lines and shopping lists? How do I reconcile my, "to do, list with my, "I need," list. There is a song from the musical, Annie: "I need a little Christmas, right this very minute..."  I feel like Annie on the inside.

How can I hold the tensions of my spiritual need and my every day demands? Joseph struggled as an unwilling participant in Jesus' arrival as his bethrothed expected a Child not his own. His spiritual need surely conflicted with the demands of a righteous Jewish man. He muddled through reconciling the situation as best he could, until an angel spoke to him.

I need God to speak into my confusion, my chaos, my need and my unending lists. He speaks peace and calms my soul. Just as God guided Joseph, so He will guide me. The angel's words are telling:

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, 

because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 

She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, 

because He will save His people from their sin." 

Matthew 1:20-21

I am compelled to admit I am afraid and need a Savior. One to save me from my sin, my lists, my fear and worry. He is near and sends His angels to bring this news:

 "Do not be afraid, 

I bring you Good News of great joy

 that will be for all people.

Today in the town of David 

a Savior has been born to you; 

He is Christ the Lord."

 Luke 2:10-11

God thank you that you know our hearts, the fear and worry we carry within us. Speak your Good News into our hearts that we might share your great joy.

Medicine from Sacred Writings:

"Joseph heard the angel say the very things which he thought in his mind,

 this afforded him an unquestionable sign that one had come from God to say it.

For to Him alone it belongs to know the secrets of the heart."

John Chrysostom   Fourth Century

ADVENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT

The very fiber of the Italian cities seemed to sing with angelic presence. They were everywhere: in churches, on buildings and adorning bridges. This unidentified angel hung near a window in Sienna. What is she saying as she crushes a sword under her feet and wields a shield above her?

We know what the angel Gabriel said to Mary in Nazareth. His shocking words require some kind of D-Day fan fare. The invasion of time by the Incarnation of God rocks the world; both the forces of good and evil must have stood at attention with the Annunciation.:

"Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." Luke 1:31

Do we know God is with us? Do we know Jesus is reigning? Some grey and dark days we do not sense it. We feel the plight of refugees and the fear of terror, but there is a greater reality. We must cling to the hope God gives when Gabriel announces His invasion plans.

And we can open our hearts and let Him invade the darkness there. 

"In Him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." John 1:5

I pray this Advent season that we might open the eyes of our hearts and know God is with us. Mary's yes ushered in God's abiding presence with us. May we know this truth deeply and allow the light of Jesus to illumine our hearts, minds and lives.

Medicine from Sacred Scripture:

"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. 

We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only,

 who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." 

John 1:14

ADVENT'S ADORATION

Hanging in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy is the Adoration of Mary by Italian Renaissance painter, Correggio. Stunned before Mary's worship I pondered her yes.  A yes with open hands and heart and womb; a yes to judgement, hurt, confusion and misunderstanding. In opening her soul to God all else was on the line: reputation, honor, acceptance and security.

In my mind's eye others have paraded through the manger to worship, but I'd never considered Mary's worship. Her "yes," to God's invitation opened the way for heaven to come down. Gabriel came announcing Good News to one who worshiped by surrendering her will to God as she carried  Jesus into the world. Mary knew whose Son she carried, and so she worshiped in spirit and in truth. She worshiped the Baby she bore. Do we?

We, too, are called to accept an invitation. Jesus longs to dwell in us: "If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My father will love him, and we will make our home with Him." John 14:23 

Paul reminds us, "Do you not know, that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16

Even a small yes welcomes Someone in the door.

This Advent season may our yielding to His will, His Way and His Presence bring healing to our broken world. May we fall on our knees to worship the One who came to save His people from their sin.


Medicine from Sacred Writings:

"How is the Infinite in a womb,

how is He that contains all things carried, as unborn, by a woman; 

how is it the Virgin bears, and continues a virgin? 

How, I pray thee, did the Spirit frame that temple?"

John Chrysostom Fourth Century

THE KEEPER OF THE FOUNTAIN

Leaves have swirled, fallen from heaven. Day after day, week after week, month after month they drop and I have yet to capture the essence of their beauty. Like my days spilling over a fountain of life, I am grasping for meaning, gasping for air, but am unable. Overwhelmed, vulnerable, stripped bare by the passage of time, I too, find myself unmasked by the Voice of the Lord who strips the forest bare. 

I stand in His presence, and then I bow, bending under the weight of time, change, sorrow, sadness, joy and love. All these held in terrible tension. Eyes raised to heaven I can only whisper, "I lift up my eyes to the hills~ where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let my foot slip~ He who watches over me will not slumber." Psalm 121:1-3

Need Someone to watch over you?

Medicine from Sacred Writings:

"The Spirit comes gently and makes Himself known…

the Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true Friend and protector

to save, to heal, to teach, to strengthen, to console...

All your life long will your Guardian, the Comforter, abide with you.

He will care for you, as for His own soldier; 

for your going out and your coming in and your plotting foes. 

And He will give you gifts of grace of every kind.”

Cyrl of Jerusalem said this in the fourth century:

CAPSIZED

It is heartbreaking to watch boats sinking, refugees never arriving to live their dreams. Promises made are lost at sea. They have forsaken all, risked their lives, but are guaranteed nothing. Images swirl in our minds and overwhelm our hearts reminding us how fragile life is. We cannot comprehend such desperation, such need, such peril.

In some small way we are all adrift in a sea of humanity. Oftentimes in his writing John Chrysostom speaks of vessels: 

"So too we must show our will; for we also sail a voyage, not from land to land, but from earth to heaven... let our vessel be stout, that it not be swamped amidst the reverses and despondencies of this life...If we so order our ship we will draw down to ourselves the Son of God, the True Pilot. who will not leave our bark to be engulfed, but though ten thousand winds may blow, will rebuke the winds and the sea, and instead of raging waves, make a great calm." 

Few realize how fragile is the vessel we journey in. My ship is comprised of roles, activities and all that encompasses who I believe I am because of promises made and dreams desired; but this ship capsizes. Children leave, disappoint, distance themselves, rebel, even break our hearts. My ship now lists a little.

Then I consider my other roles: marriage- the vows made and the daily dance of keeping my heart alive amidst the war torn world we live in; friendship- how it ebbs and flows with beautiful beach days with friends and then those same ones moving on while others come alongside, a cry to be known and belong. Now my boat is fairly sinking. I am asked to live, keep loving, keep going when 

all is stripped away.

One comes close and whispers in my heart, "Child, I have come, I will right this ship that is you, so that you can bring many to My love and My heart. You cannot capsize now, though the waves of change crash all around, though you struggle against winds and storms, I am near. Do not be afraid."

Has He come close and raised you up?

Medicine from Sacred Writings:

"Wherefore He tabernacled among us, that we might be able with much fearlessness approach Him, to speak to, and to converse with Him...He revealed Himself to all, and all things everywhere exclaimed, that the King of Heaven was come... He filled up what was broken off, banded together its crevices and shaken portions, and raised up again what was entirely fallen down."

John Chrysostom    Fourth Century

WHY KNOT?

"What's the best knot for attaching the jib sheets to the jib clew?" I don't know. Seriously? I've been sailing once in my life and proved myself less than a stellar crew member. I have, however, learned some essential life-lessons from sailing, like the knot.

Always tie a knot. Why? Because the sail might get out of hand, because when I release the rope I may not do a great job, and if all else fails (read I fail), then the knot at the end of the jib rope will hold the sail, even when I can't. If I let go Someone stronger and wiser will see to the righting of the ship. I didn't say it would be smooth sailing.

As a matter of fact, the captain tied the knot; the only one I knew was the simple loop it over and through ~ hardly anything that would hold in gale force winds. "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:27 I am supported, you are supported; strong loving arms are holding us when we can't hold on.

God's tender love holds us secure, like a nest for a family of birds; safety and security surround the babies as they grow and even the young are kept in their mother's care. "Even the sparrow has found herself a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young- near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God." Psalm 84:3, 4

Have you, "found yourself a home or a nest for yourself"?

Perhaps the arms of the Eternal God might be a good place to find shelter. One doesn't need to get to the "end of your rope" before you reach out for help. Why not let God's love be the knot that holds you no matter what seas, what storm, what trial, what temptation you face at this time. I have heard He has loving, healing hands. The One who calms the winds and the waves also knit us together in our mother's womb. He's probably a great knot-maker.

Medicine from Sacred Writings:

"If you require protection... take yourself to God, the common Protector and Savior and Benefactor of all, to that irresistible alliance, to that abiding shelter which is everywhere present, and is a wall for us on every side."

John Chrysostom   Fourth Century

SAILING ALONG

First, we stepped into a little boat, my friend straining hard against the oars with the wind against us as she rowed us through the harbor to where her sailboat was moored. It curtsied to us on the waves, a gentle greeting, as it bobbed gently up and down on the water. I was simply along for the ride I thought.

We readied our vessel: attaching sails, securing ropes that held sails, tying knots at the ends of ropes, stowing gear, and explaining my role in sailing. I was “on” the jib sail: when she said, “release!” I was supposed to lift up the rope that held the jib sail and let it go, then move to the other side of the boat and grab the rope from that side. We were ready to sail.

“Release!”

“What? How do I do that again?” Small panic rose within me as I tugged on the rope but it didn't release;  my friend, on the mainsail, was watching my terror as we heeled and took on water. She released her sail, letting it flap in the wind, and then helped me with mine; the boat listed left and righted herself again, my heart pounded as the fear of dumping us in the water slowly subsided.

It took me many "tacks" to realize that when I let go, the rope was still attached, it simply released the sail to move in a different direction. When I released the rope I allowed the sail to catch more wind as the captain turned the boat; when I clutched the rope, controlling, manipulating, maneuvering, I hindered the work of the sails and watched as the boat began to tip~ it wouldn't sink, the captain had the mainsail, but it sure made it harder to move forward in the water when my hands were holding the rope of the jib sail taut out of fear.

How many times my boat has been turned and God said, "Release!" Release my terror-like grip on my will and way, release my fearful hold on my children, release the pain of broken relationships, release the fear that holds me back from freedom.

"Release!" 

"What? Wait, how do I do that again?" Slowly God pries my fingers off the ropes and asks me to trust that He is my Captain in the midst of my fear and the storms of my life. He is in control and if I am willing to release the rope I hold onto, then the boat sails with more grace catching the powerful wind of His love and mercy. Look closely and you will see the arm of the Captain on your shoulder.

Are you listening for the commands of Jesus in the midst of your day to day life? 

When Jesus says, "Release!" He is asking you to let Him be the Captain, let Him tell you how to act and speak and what to do and when to release the very thing you think is impossible to let go of. In the midst of your struggle He says this: "Take courage, it is I. Don't be afraid." Matthew 14:27

Medicine from Sacred Writings:

"This word, "Be of good cheer it is I, be not afraid," removed their fear, and caused them to take confidence...He makes Himself known by His Voice."

John Chrysostom Fourth Century

EASTER'S MELTING

“I am looking for fruit in My garden, in our vineyard, fruit that will last. You know these fruits, for though you hold them up for the world to see, I see precious little of this in your soul: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control. These are not responses, child, you practice in moments of calm or crisis, these flow from deep within your soul."

The words in prayer surprised me, I felt a bit chastised, not having connected my inward aridity with what I present to the world. It isn’t a difficult disconnect. “I will try harder,” I tell myself as the schedule intensifies and the pressure mounts, and inwardly I am either melting down or boiling over.

If my soul is a vineyard and  God desires fruit, He might want  to reconsider and look in my kitchen instead. I can do berries, I can make jam, rows and rows of jars line my counter now, but inward peace and stillness, a gentle and quiet spirit. I am afraid God is looking in the wrong soul. Or is He?

The last Lindt Chocolate Easter bunny sat forlornly on my shelf, I waited and waited for it  to be eaten, but no one took a bite. So I melted it down, making chocolate covered strawberries. It seemed a delightful endeavor at the moment, but now it seems almost a picture of what God is asking. Will I take Easter joy, which I embraced then, and let it spill over onto my everyday life? Will I stop waiting for something to change around me and let the change happen within me? Will I refuse to boil over internally or melt into a heap of tears and instead look to the One who says, “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

The night won’t be shorter, but the promise of God’s joy being my strength, will see me through.

Are you melting down or boiling over? Need joy? Be still and know He is God and in that stillness ask Him for the grace you need for the day ahead.

Medicine from Sacred Scripture:

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

KEEPING EASTER IN MY HEART

How do I find a space in my heart for the wonder of Easter to continue, for the miracle to keep unfolding, for the power of the Resurrection to transform my life? These seem to be weighty, heavy, theological questions, but I am in need of weight and power and some kind of glory to inform the daily. Each time I read the papers, watch the news, indeed live my days in a broken world I feel fragile and somehow unable to meet life's demand for courage and fearlessness. I'd like to hide in an upper room if I could find one.

Yesterday I found my car driving to the coast~ for light, warmth, and perspective. I could not have faced the candlelight vigil for the two little girls slain in our town if I had not first had my own vigil at the ocean.

"The Lord is a great God. the great King above all gods.

 In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. 

The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.

 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our God our Maker; 

for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, 

the flock under His care." 

Psalm 95:3-7

I must bow when my heart is breaking; I must kneel when I cannot understand. I know this is a tragedy localized to our little town in rural New Hampshire, and yet it encompasses the suffering of the world somehow. How can evil have so much sway and how do I respond? 

"When I said, "My feet are slipping," 

Your love, O Lord, supported me. 

When anxiety was great within me, 

Your consolation brought joy to my soul." 

Psalm 94:19

~Hope is the anchor for our soul ~ 

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. 

It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain where Jesus, who went before us, 

has entered on our behalf." 

Hebrews 6:19, 20

In our deepest sorrow and confusion, in our lack of understanding, it is our soul that must lead: "Your consolation brought joy to my soul...we have this hope as an anchor for our soul." We cannot lean on our own understanding, but must see what God has to say. When calamity was upon the Israelites in Habakkuk's day , he said this:

"I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; 

I will look to see what He will say to me...

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord 

as the waters cover the sea." 

Habakkuk 2:1, 14

Have you stopped to look and see what God would say to you?

Medicine from Sacred Scriptures:

I keep asking the the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparable power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms." 

Ephesians 1:17-20

LENT'S FINAL WORDS

"It is finished"

Jesus speaking from the Cross 

John 19:30

TEARS IN LENT

Jesus weeps over death; the One who comes to bring us new life, weeps. Let this comfort your heart. Jesus declares: "I Am the Resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this? John 11:25 Yet He is mourning and sorrowing with His friends. Jesus holds the tension. He brings life, He knows there is life coming, and yet, He walks in the world filled with sadness and despair and death.

"When Jesus saw Mary weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. Where have you laid him? He asked. 

"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

Jesus wept." 

John 11:33-35

"Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life." 

Proverbs 4:23 

In times of inexplicable grief and trauma; we grieve, mourn and weep, but must be careful of what is in our hearts, and be mindful of how we think and believe. We are called to hold the tension Jesus held: He was bringing new life even as He grieved. We accuse God of so many things when tragedy strikes, "Where were you?" As if the God who made us could ever be separated from us.

"Who shall separate us from the love Christ?" Paul asks in Romans, and then goes on to list things..."Shall trouble, or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, not anything else in all creation, 
will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 
Romans 8:35, 37-39

"My Child, I know when the smallest sparrow falls from the sky. Do you really believe I have not seen the tragedy, the senseless lives that were not spared? Trust Me. You cannot understand because My ways are higher than your ways.  I know the suffering and pain causes your heart to rebel against me, but I want you to be quieted by My love, Let ME sing over you. I set My face like a flint towards Jerusalem so that I might make all things new, that I might destroy death and bring Life. Give the ache in your heart for these little ones to Me. Give Me the sadness and sorrow. If the angels of the little children always see the face of My Father, how much more, now,  do these children see the face of My Father. Trust me. Grieve  over evil and death and the world's sorrow and sadness, but hold My love closer to your heart than all this pain. Do not lose sight of My love, the love that led Me to the Garden, to the Cross and to the Tomb. This Love has power to make all things new, to bring life. Know that these little ones are safely in the bosom of their heavenly Father, My Love brought them there."

Medicine from Sacred Scripture:

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father." 

Matthew 18:10

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." 

Matthew 10: 29-31

"I offered My back to those who beat Me, My cheeks to those who pulled out My beard; I did not hide My face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign Lord helps Me I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set My face like  flint, and I know I will not be put to shame." 

Isaiah 50:6, 7

"He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."

 Isaiah 53:3

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away. He who was sitting on the throne said, 

"I am making all things new!" 

Revelation 21:4, 5

TERROR IN LENT

How can innocent children be murdered~ for their faith, for their place in the world: vulnerable, trusting, defenseless. I cannot fathom, my heart cannot comprehend the horror, the last thoughts, the senselessness of it all. How, in some places, in the name of religion children are martyred and in suburbia, children are found lifeless in their own home. Heaven help us.

"Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-22   

Weep and wail, we must; scream and cry, "It can't be, it isn't so." But it is. "Weeping may endure for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5  Morning seems impossibly far from me; mourning wraps my heart in fear and terror. "Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again, rejoice." Philippians 4:4 seems like a cruel command in the face of such violence. And yet, it is our hope, our only prayer, for Paul shows us next what will see us through any storm: "The Lord is near."  Philippians 5a It is as if God whispers:

"Rejoice, My Child, I am near. I will carry you through this sorrow, I will hold you as you grieve. The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon Me ~ for you~ I have been anointed to bind up your broken-heart, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve. I will provide for you, My Child, even in this grief that you find unbearable. My light will wake you when the terror of this nightmare threatens to undo you; when your feet slip on the chaos evil has strewn on your path I will hold you fast."

"Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." 

 Jesus' words from the Cross 

Luke 23:34

The One who suffered violence at the hands of evil men, who stumbled under the weight of a cross of shame came to set us free from sin and death that evil might hold sway no longer. We know that these children, taken from life before they had lived their days to the full, find themselves before the face of a Loving Father. He wraps them in His arms, and whispers:

"Welcome Home, My child. I know you were frightened, but I was always with you. My love held you, My unfailing love was your comfort. It was all a shadow land, a passing vapor, and now you are here! You are with me today in paradise and I am so glad you are Home. 

Nothing will ever harm you on my Holy Mountain." 

Medicine from Sacred Scripture:

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me, 

because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. 

He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted...

to comfort all who mourn, 

and provide for those who grieve." 

Isaiah 61: 1a,b  2b, 3a

"May your unfailing love be my comfort" 

Psalm 119:76

"Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise."

 Luke 23:43

"Behold I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind...They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, says the Lord." Isaiah 65:17, 25

SAME OLD LENT?

Last years leaves wither while waiting for Spring to arrive; so much like me this Lent, longing for Lent's revelations to transform me. What have I learned in this stripped season of waiting and struggle? That I am weak. I long to live wholly for God, but my own disordered attachments and affections ~my passions of pride and hurt, unresolved inner longings lead me astray. I cling to the old, the familiar, and find there is no new growth. No surprise there.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

The old plants are still in their pots, the old bush hangs limply over the pond, but I like structure~ even the form of frozen stems seems beautiful in the winter. Now is the time for new beginnings. I must go out and prune, rip up all that will not bear life and fruit in me. (seems this is what God does in Lent~ show us what is not life-giving). And as for the storms~ that is when the real recovery must begin. The wreckage caused by the storms in our lives- loss of loved ones, betrayals, traumas, misunderstandings, sheer weariness- even this is some kind of storm~ these require even more careful clearing out that we might make room for the new.

Jesus comes and says startling words: 

"I have come that you might have life and life abundant."

 John 10:10

What in your life doesn't look like life? It sounds silly, but it is true. Ask God to walk with you through the spring clean-up in your soul and to speak truth to you and make all things new.

 Have you lost a loved one? Jesus says, "I AM the resurrection and the Life." This promise is to bring you hope.

 Have you suffered a betrayal or misunderstanding and it has blinded you to the love of God? He says to you: "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do. I will not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16 

Have you lived through trauma and feel trapped in the prison of it? God says to you: "I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places so that you may know I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:2-3

What old things are you clinging to when the new has already come?

Medicine from Sacred Writing:

"But behold, both a  new soul, (for it was cleansed,) and a new body, and a new worship, and promises new, and covenant, and life, and table, and dress, and all things new absolutely...instead of circumcision, baptism; instead of the manna, the Lord's body; instead of water from a rock, blood from His side; instead  of Moses' or Aaron's rod, the Cross; instead of the promised land, the kingdom of heaven; instead of a lamb without reason, a Spiritual Lamb. With these and such like things in His thought He said, "all things are new." But "all" these "things are of God," by Christ , and His free gift." 

John Chrysostom   Fourth Century