We started the Season of Lent
with Ash Wednesday on the first of the month, and the above Scripture passage comes from the
Gospel lesson suggested for that day.
Over the generations lots of
people have had a lot to say about Lent. It’s interesting to note that we do
not find Lent in the Bible. A long standing tradition has been to use Lent as a
time to prepare people to be baptized on Easter.
A broadly held understanding is
that Lent is a time to give something up. The idea is that “sacrifice” helps us
better understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the Cross. However, as a child our family gave up eating
meat on Fridays during Lent so for me Lent merely meant we were having Tuna
Noodle Casserole for dinner -- again.
These days I think of Lent as
a season of spiritual renewal and discipline. It’s an understanding shared by
many denominations. I really appreciate the way Matt Rawle
thinks of Lent; he calls it an invitation into the “what” and the “why” of our
faith.
And Mr. Rawle describes Lent
as the church’s gift to itself…for us to give up distractions or adopt
spiritual practices that prepare us to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection well.
A great place for this to
start would be ‘in a room with the door closed’ as Jesus says above. Yet this “room”
comes up short in our English translation. Turning to the Greek text behind it,
it’s a secret chamber storing something precious.
I see this secret chamber as a
safe space that allows us to bare our hearts (something precious) before God.
And sometimes in baring my heart before God, what comes out of that “inner
chamber” can be rather rough and raw…
…yet never has God ever
flinched or given me the side eye.
Not even once.
As Lent bids
us to be intentional about renewal and restoration and repentance, may we let
it point us to new life known in a stronger relationship with God coming out of
that safe space.
Together We Serve,