What I Did Over Lent!

I feel like I am back in grade school and writing the historical/ traditional, “What I Did over My Summer Vacation” paper; only this one is entitled, “What I Learned from My Lenten Fast”.  In fact, I find myself missing Lent even though we are almost finished with the celebration of the Easter season.  As most of you know I set a course to fast over the Lenten season this year.  Now some might argue that my fast wasn’t a true fast, but I limited my intake of food to water and four bottles of Ensure a day, resulting in an intake of 880 calories.  That is a fair amount of nourishment some might say—but not for one who loves to eat like I do!

I set this goal of fasting way back in November; in January we did a Bible study on fasting in Adult Bible class and what the purpose of fasting was—a time of denying oneself for the sake of coming before the Lord in humility, prayer, and sorrow for sin for the sake of receiving forgiveness and the strength to repent and walk again with the Lord.  My thought back then was not only for me but that others might want to share in that experience as well.

Now in giving up something for Lent, one must also realize and plan on not going back to it after Lent as well.  For in giving up something during Lent, the purpose is to continue on in the victory of this new life in Christ—leaving the old behind and moving on with the new.  One must also keep in mind that in “giving up” something for Lent the purpose is for spiritual growth and renewal, not physical, temporal gain, even though that may also be a subsidiary result.

So for six weeks I drank my Ensure and water; I skipped Lenten dinners and declined dinner invitations out;  I tried to keep what I was doing as quiet as possible so the fast was about drawing closer to my Lord than about me (Yes, I know the whole world knew anyway, but you get my Biblical drift).  And what followed was the most amazing, wonderful, and powerful experience in my faith and life!

I found myself spending more time in the sanctuary kneeling in prayer at the chancel rail even though it was cold in the room.  As my personal worship time increased, so did the ease of fasting.  It wasn’t a chore; it actually became very liberating—sort of like being a clock-watcher.  Instead of thinking about food and watching the clock to see when the next time I could eat was, I would find myself busy with whatever the task at hand was, not keeping an eye on when could I eat again as I had in the past.

I would wake up in the middle of the night as I always had, but now, instead of going downstairs to get on the computer, I would get out my phone and set it to night mode and start reading through all of the devotional apps I have on it.  And the Lord would show me so many things from His Word that I couldn’t go back to sleep for a while because my mind would be racing with thoughts on devotions to share on my pastoral visits, Bible Studies to do, thoughts to put in sermons, etc.  I found myself beginning to memorize Bible passages again, something I haven’t made a conscious effort to do in a long while.  I even found myself memorizing and meditating on the versicles and canticles from some of the minor services.

But now Lent has been over for several weeks; I have returned to eating again, albeit differently than before (more on that aspect next month); still keeping up with the spiritual disciplines of devotional life; and still growing more and more in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ as my Lord.  But it isn’t as easy (or at least seems that way) as it was during Lent.  I think that is why I miss it.  But through my fasting journey, the Lord has certainly solidified my faith and trust in him—it is definitely higher, wider, deeper, and longer then it was before.  Not that I wasn’t before, but I am more sure and certain of Him who died for me than ever.  When God says ask and it will be given you, he really does give it to you; when God says seek and you will find, you really do find him; and when he says to knock and the door will be opened to you, it really is opened to you.

I feel a spring in my step again, a new enthusiasm for ministry, and I am dreaming again and looking forward to the future with great relish.  For me I really didn’t give up anything for as usual God did!  He richly gave of himself to me in every way.  It was a wonderful Lent—everything Lent should be and more.  And it continues.

 AE

Getting In The Last Word

I love roaming through cemeteries.  To me the grave markers are “short stories” about the people whose final resting place they honor and memorialize.  Their grave markers provided the opportunity for the person resting there (or their loved ones) to share with the world one final thought that summarized their lives or their hope for their future after death.

I was recently in Philadelphia with Teryl while she was at a conference.  I went to see Christ Church, the church that George Washington and Ben Franklin attended.  Ben   Franklin is buried in the church’s cemetery.  For such a famous person, his grave marker was very simple—just noting his name and the date of his birth and death as well as that of his wife who was buried with himn.  But what fascinated me the most was what a plaque next to the marker said: 

“The Body of B Franklin, Printer.

Like the cover of an old book,

It’s contents torn out,

And stript of its Lettering and Gilding,

Lies here.  Food for worms. 

But the Work shall not be lost. 

For it will as he believ’d

appear once more

In a new and more elegant

Edition Corrected and improved

By the Author.”

What a great epitaph to put on a grave marker!  What a great way to look at our bodies as they are buried and what they will be like in the resurrection!  We will still be human, we will still look like ourselves, but we will be so much better because we will be perfect.  Unfortunately there was a disclaimer on the plaque concerning this epitaph.  Franklin wrote this when he was younger as a “mock” epitaph and was not intended to be used—and obviously it wasn’t.  How sad.  I don’t know if Franklin was a true Christian or not, but what a great statement of Christian faith and hope the words on that plaque would have conveyed if they had been put on his marker.

A little further along in the cemetery was the grave of Benjamin Gumbes.  His marker is worn and sort of difficult to read because of time and the elements wearing away the script on the granite, but two things are very readable:  He “bore his life with Christian Fortitude” and he “breathed his last with the fullest intent of a joyful immortality”.  He only lived 32 years—not very young by our estimation.  But if his marker is accurate, he had a great faith and trust that while his years in this world were short, he had all of eternity to live in the joy of resurrected holiness, righteousness, and perfeftion.  He and his family wanted to convey that hope to all who might possibly walk past his grave.  At the time they probably had no idea that those words would still inspire and speak to people nearly 230 years later.

We probably never stop to think how powerful our final words could be because we don’t stop to think that our final words are not words that are spoken by us on our death bed, but words that we would have written on our grave markers.  Hebrews 12:1 is right:  we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.  So what will our final witness to the world be?

AE

Hearalding

In the Office of Compline (prayer at the close of the day) the office begins with a prayer:  “The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last.”  Then follow two versicles—“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, O Most High; to herald your love in the morning; your truth at the close of the day.”

Right before we close our eyes in anticipation of blessed rest for the night we call upon our loving and heavenly father to bless us with a good night of pleasant dreams and good rest.  And in the same vein as the children’s prayer that we were taught (and if I die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take) we call upon the Lord to bless us with his peace should he call us home to glory while we sleep.

We look forward, not only to good and peaceful sleep, but to the day that will come upon us when we wake.  We look forward to it because it is another day of God’s good and gracious will in our lives and the opportunity for us to serve him in his kingdom.  That being the case we acknowledge how good it is for us when we give hearty thanks to the Lord for all blessings and gifts to us; how good it is to sing praise to his name for his grace and mercy toward us in Christ Jesus.

As Christians who have been brought from death to life we are eager to herald his love and the truth of his word.  Now there is a word—herald.  About the only time we hear that world is in conjunction with Christmas and the carol, “Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing!”  Herald is one of those words that has sort of fallen out of use, so you may not be quite sure what it means.  A herald is one who proclaims a message to the public; passes on exciting and important news.  A herald is one who actively promotes or advocates for something or someone.  That the angels sure did on the night when Jesus was born.  They came to the shepherds in the field that night and not only told the shepherds what had happened but highly nudged them to go into town and find Jesus and see for themselves!

One can’t help but think of the Samaritan woman at the well who went and told her family, friends, and neighbors all that Jesus had said to her.  John 4:39 is their response:  “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’  So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.  And because of his words many more became believers.  They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

The Samaritan woman was a herald!  She proclaimed and passed on a very important message!  She enthusiastically encouraged those around her to go and see Jesus for themselves.  Heralding isn’t just for Christmas, it isn’t just for Easter.  We should be heralds every day.  With the same great love and compassion that our Lord showed for us, let us herald his love in the morning and His truth at the close of the day!

AE