Presby-Musings

It seems strange to defend observing Lent in the middle of Lent.  However, I'm wondering if some folks are still unconvinced or uninspired to spend the last couple of weeks before Easter in reflection, contemplation, repentance, and the like.  Look, I get that a lot is happening around us.  I get that worries, challenges, and probably an existential crisis or two are in our lives.  I've got my own to be sure.  That is why I believe it's all the more important to resist all of it and tend to our souls.   There's more at stake here than we realize, and now is not the time to start waffling on adhering to our traditions, practices, and disciplines.   The great reformer Martin Luther once said, "I pray for an hour each day, unless I am swamped, and then I pray three hours."  I paraphrased the quote a bit, but you get the idea.   Emerging generations need to experience this, too.  It's incumbent on us to teach them better and h...

When we are going through difficult times, it can often seem as though God has taken a few days off when it comes to us.  We might find ourselves wondering, "Why me?"  We can think that God might be angry at us, or that we've done something wrong to incur God's silence.   But the truth is, no matter what is happening in our lives, God is near us and also completely understands what it feels like to feel grief, suffering, and even God's seeming absence.   Author Rob Bell captures this sentiment beautifully when he writes:  “Our tendency in the midst of suffering is to turn on God. To get angry and bitter and shake our fist at the sky and say, ‘God, you don't know what it's like! You don't understand! You have no idea what I'm going through. You don't have a clue how much this hurts.’  The cross is God's way of taking away all of our accusations, excuses, and arguments. The cross is God taking on flesh and blood and saying, 'Me too.'”...

I like to be in control of my life. I feel most comfortable when I can make plans that unfold exactly how I want them to.   As you might imagine, this often results in a great deal of angst because my plans seldom turn out how I imagined they would.  Something unexpected always occurs to throw a wrench into the works.  You may resonate with this (I imagine we all do to some extent). Truthfully, I've been learning more about what it means to surrender my desire for control lately—much more than I want to.  This season of Lent has been a primer on letting go of control and learning what it means to surrender.  I'm starting to figure a few things out.   As we journey through the sacred season of Lent, we are invited to reflect upon the profound and transformative act of surrendering ourselves to Divine purposes.  This time of introspection reminds us that faith isn’t a passive acceptance of life’s circumstances but an active, trusting engagement...

The season of Lent is a symbolic journey with Jesus, connecting us to the forty days he spent in the wilderness, fasting and praying after his baptism.   Jesus was tempted in the wilderness to end his hunger, to reveal his purpose dramatically, and to embrace earthly power.  Instead, he stayed true to the journey he was determined to complete in the way that he was called to complete it.  He emerged from this experience free from all the constraints that would distract him from his purpose.   As we continue our journey through the season of Lent, we find ourselves in a similarly sacred space—a time set apart for reflection, growth, and ultimately, liberation.  Traditionally regarded as a season of sacrifice and introspection, Lent invites us to delve deeper into the essence of our faith and Jesus' teachings. It allows us to examine the distractions, burdens, and habits that weigh us down and prevent us from fully embracing the life we are called to lea...