I would like to go wander in the woods alone to simply receive and contemplate.
I attended our Ash Wednesday service at church last night and there were many things that spoke directly into my soul.
There was a "read and response" to open our time together. I've completely chopped up what was spoken. I've written it down and moved it around and mixed things up. I've taken pieces from other parts of the service and mixed it in.
Here is what it comes down to for this "season of discernment" (Lent).
For everything in me that may hide God's light
To receive this blessing, my heart must break open
What is in me that hides God's light?
A lack of reverence for truth and beauty
Going along with mean and ugly things
Arrogance that "knows it all"
Artificial living. Artificial worship.
Being pompous. Being rude.
Cynicism about others
Intolerance and Indifference
Being satisfied with the church and the world as it is
Failing to share my outrage about injustice
Selfishness, self indulgence, self pity
Token concern for those in poverty, who are alone, who want to be loved
Confusing faith with good feelings and emotional responses
Confusing love with wanting to be loved
From dust I came and to dust I will return
How are you using this season of Lent? Is there a call on your heart to draw closer to God? Are you feeling nudged to take more action? To draw within yourself?
I read an article on Vox and it ended with these words:
Lent is specifically designed to dismantle the egotistical ideas we sometimes have about ourselves, to identify the places in our lives where we’ve grown arrogant or complacent, to remember that we are going to die someday, and to repent and renew our dependence on God. Lent is meant to be uncomfortable. And it’s meant to end in gratefulness.
What in me is hiding God's light?
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