20/20 LENT

“20/20” I said to my beloved today.
He looked at me and said “Dateline?”

Shaking my head negatively, “20/20” I said again.
“Perfect vision?” He replied.

Shaking negative again, I said “20/20.. 20 days before, 20 days behind. We’re smack in the middle of Lent.”
“AHH...” He humors me a lot. “Really.”

Well, it’s true. We are right in the middle of Lent. The dark of winter is almost to a close. Tomorrow will be the first day of Spring. The long Dark now behind us along with the hardest part of the self-reflecting period where I challenged you to think about two questions. Are you engaging your thoughts on the twin questions?
"What would God like me to change?" and
"What would I have God change in me?"

For myself, this year has offered extra opportunity to think about my shadow. I don’t mean like in Peter Pan, the literal shadow of my self that I experience in relationship to the sun or other light source. I’m referring to what therapists refer to as the shadow. It’s a part of our make-up to have both good and bad qualities of the self. The part we dislike the most about our self and want to ignore, or conceal from others can become a heavy burden on the self. It also creates relationship tension. We tend to react negatively toward other people who exhibit the very traits which we dislike in ourselves. It seems to be the worst when we deny that part within our own self. In that case seem to become magnetic in our attracting repellant relationships. We see in others what we won’t acknowledge in ourselves.
“I’m NOT controlling.”
“I never get angry.”
“I’m a peacemaker. I don’t go around hurting people.” Well, you get the picture.

Spiritual growth depends on being able to face that within our self that keeps us trapped in repetitive non-productive cycles. Changing those patterns, behaviors, and beliefs all require looking at the worst part of our self in the full light of day. Alcoholics Anonymous is one group that emphasizes honesty for the welfare of each other. Growth occurs over time when the reality is kept in the light of conscious awareness, rather than being allowed to slip back into the recesses of our subconscious. At least that’s how I understand the process. I can’t quote whose theory it is. I just know that’s how it works for me.

Do we need to go around like members of AA and tell each other the details of our shadow in order to change? For the most part, I would say, no probably not. But I do believe there is value in having others with whom you are willing to share trusting that you will help each other, encourage each other and lift up each other in prayer. I have a circle of friends from seminary# which I use as my covenant. I do encourage the use of a small circle of trusted Christians build faith and friendship. I recently met a lay member in the Annual Conference who said he has a circle of men he has been in covenant relationship with for 20 years. They meet weekly.

When you work on your shadow you need to be prepared to experience a dark period before you see the light. Done properly, you will see a death of your old self and a new birth, by the grace of God. In the cycle of Christian Life, death comes before the new birth, new growth follows the cold of winter. Lent ends in the festivities of Easter.

So here we are 20/20 gaining 20/20. We are standing in the middle of Lent observing our shadow and reflecting on our new self to come into being, anticipating the Celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus and the power over death through the work of God. That power assures us of God’s ability to turn Bad into Good. Yes, even your bad into a “new you” good.

Before the resurrection we remember the journey of sorrows that Jesus endured leading up to his crucifixion. Through our remembrance of Jesus’ journey, we gain assurance that we worship and serve one who also knows sorrow, pain, and hardship but did so victoriously with God. This single week is more important to all of Christian faith, than any other teaching of the church. Even the birth of Jesus is second to this one week’s activities.

Holy week will be April 5 to April 12. Palm Sunday, April 5, recalls the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and entry into the Temple. Holy Thursday marks the last night the disciples gathered with Jesus before his arrest; it included specifically the remembrance of the Last Supper and the institution of the Holy Communion, April 9. “Good Friday,” April 10, is commemorated with a Tenebrae service that recalls the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Finally, on Sunday April 12, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, God’s great joke on Death and the Devil. I pray that you will come to the service held at the United Methodist Church here in Ashton through the week to remember, worship and receive the transforming Spirit of God.


#
We live and work across the West, from California to Washington, Arizona to Idaho, Oregon to New Mexico. We maintain that covenant through email. We miss meeting at the broken loaf of Claremont School of Theology and sitting down to share meals regularly. But now we’ve added to our reconnecting time by using Facebook just for fun. And no, you won’t find a special label on my covenant friends in Facebook.

Lenten resources, Lenten Reflection

Lent is a season of reflection and preparation. It seems a fitting time to look at what our Annual Conference membership offers and recommends as well as looking at our own personal practices.

The 2007 Annual Conference adopted a Strategic Direction for the Annual Conference. The Strategic Direction includes a commitment to 4 key points commitments. The First Point is a commitment to Practicing Personal and Social Holiness. At the 2008 Annual Conference, Bishop Hoshibata declared the year of 2008-2009 to be the “Year of Personal Holiness”. As we enter the Lenten season now is a good time for each of us reflect on what it means to live a life of personal and social holiness.

Does it feel that this is a radical expectation? If these words grouped together leave you scratching your head wondering how to live that out in your life, I suspect you are not traveling alone in your confusion. After all, our emphasis of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ sounds like a sure fire excuse to dispel any consideration of actions.

The Apostle Paul encountered similar opposition both to the message of grace available to all through Jesus, and to his calls for purity and holiness of heart among the believers. Christian life is a continual paradox. We are expected to live pure and holy lives. And yet we know that we cannot be perfect, so we trust in the merit obtained through Jesus as a salve for our troubled consciences. As Methodists we also have a heritage derived from the Oxford Movement, John & Charles Wesley, and the practice of belonging to accountability circles. Each of these urge everyone not to take our lives in Christ for granted, instead urging us to seek personal holiness, that which we commonly call “perfection.”

The practice of belonging to a study circle, or accountability group was integral to the growth of the Methodist movement in Britain. Long in remission in the United States, the Accountability Group is once again being revived in churches throughout the United States. Our General Board of Discipleship, supported by our apportionment dollars, provides excellent resources to assist local churches in starting and maintaining these covenant/accountability groups. In the groups, a commitment to confidentiality, care and concern for one another is established. From time to time members need to ask each other tough questions about where they are falling down in their Christian Life.

What are the hallmarks of being an Accountable Disciple? I have been referring to the "three simple rules," do no harm, do good, stay in love with God for daily guidance in Christian life as a summary of Wesley's preaching. This can be applied throughout each day.

In addition, whether you belong to a small group or not, Wesley’s model of faithful living as a member in the body of Christ stressed a practice of participation in four areas of life:

Acts of Worship
Acts of Devotion
Acts of Compassion
Acts of Justice

Through these four arenas of life each person can examine one’s own progress in moving on toward perfection in Christian love. Wesley found in his ministry that belonging to a small covenant circle provided strength and encouragement on the journey of faith called life in Christ. It seems quite proven to be a timeless truth for faithful discipleship.

Living in these open spaces of the west, leads to very independent thinking, in spite of our interdependence upon one another. Belonging to a small group with the specific intent of lifting one another up on the Christian Journey may also seem very contrary to your nature. It’s certainly scary to become vulnerable to a group when we prefer to pretend we have no faults needing correction. Nevertheless, I would urge members to prayerfully seek guidance about forming a small circle of 6-8 Christian friends with a commitment to lifting up one another in a weekly meeting as an avenue to live out our call to Personal Holiness. The personal benefit you can expect is a deeper relationship with God and several brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Grace and Peace,


Pastor Barbara