trust

Well, twice in the wilderness journeys of Israel the company arrived at a place called Rephidim. It was then nicknamed Massah and Meribah (quarrelling and testing.) Why? This was a desert sort of piece of geography and the Israelites complained against both Moses and God, saying they would rather have died in Egypt than here in the desert. Almost 40 years later they circle back to the same place to have the same experience! Psalm 95 is an interpretation of these events where we hear God saying that the Israelites tested Him even though they had seen what He had done for them. And so He declared that they would never enter the Promised Land. Seems severe, doesn't it? I was wondering why this was God's reaction to them. Then in a conversation with some friends when one said that the fundamental human problem is that we don't trust God a light went on in my head and heart and I think I got it! This is why God was angry with them. They had seen His power and provision and they still did not trust Him. I have to ask myself if I truly and consistently trust Him -in every area, with every aspect of my life. And I have to know that this really, really matters to my Christian formation. Has God ever been other than good as far as my life is concerned? And so am I trusting him implicitly? The image I have is that we are little children holding on to God hand in hand knowing that  can trust Him completely! He has always been, will always be trustworthy and He expects us to know this and act on it.  

water from a rock

In Exodus 17 and Numbers 20 we have two accounts of water drawn from a rock. Both are miraculous, and both reflect God's care for His people in their need. But after the fact there was a sort of closed door meeting with the players. Apparently Moses was furious. Apparently God was furious. Why? Both were furious with the people. Both understood that the people were taxing their patience and were doubters in their faith even in the face of recent miraculous intervention. But it also turned out that God was angry with Moses and forbade entry to the promised land because Moses and Aaron didn't treat Him as holy in the second occasion of striking the rock. Does God still feel that way towards His people and His leaders? Yikes! Let's talk tomorrow at Southside..

seeing with my heart

More from The Little Prince. What am I seeing today with my heart rather than with my eye? What am I trying to see with my eye that I ought rather to see with my heart? What is the difference? Who am I looking at with my eye whom I should rather look at with my heart? Riddles that childlike living might solve in a moment!

The Little Prince

In his wonderful classic The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exubery grown ups are spoken of rather disparagingly. The narrator early in the story describes pictures he has drawn - number one and number two. They are of a boa constrictor which has swallowed an elephant. But the appearance of the first is like that of a hat. When the six year old asks grown ups if they find the picture scary they ask "what's scary about a hat?" So he must draw the second picture depicting the actual elephant inside the snake. His conclusion? "Grown ups never understand anything on their own, and it's a nuisance for children to have to keep explaining things over and over again."

Jesus lauds the wisdom and comprehension of children. In this Lent season a good practice might well be to try to see the world through the eyes of a child. To be returned to simplicity, to wonder, to belief, to acceptance. Once again we will have to slow our days down to a child's pace! Take time to plod, to stop, to retrace your steps, to look. And al the better if you can spend time with a real child to teach your real inner child the simple complexities of life.

self portrait

This piece of art (Giovanni Boccaccio: 1313-1375) is interestingly entitled Marcia painting her self-portrait. 
The season of Lent is a good time to examine ourselves as we experience the tensions of being human, being mortal, but awaiting the effect of the resurrection of Easter to make us beings in-dwelt by eternity. In this in-between we must humbly reckon with what we are in order that we might hope to become what we will be. We must look honestly at ourselves to long all the more for what we shall be and to invite the "shall be" into the present. So the idea of this painting is fascinating to me. What would my self-portrait look like? How would I depict myself? Sometime ago I came across the idea of the FAE, the fundamental attribution error. This the propensity to excuse in myself what I condemn in others. Someone trips on the sidewalk and I consider them clumsy, I trip on the sidewalk and I mutter about the poor workmanship of those who built it with such unevenness that would cause a trip hazard! Or morally I excuse as understandable, as just a little slip up, that which I judge in others to be a pretty major moral failure. My Lenten self portrait should be accurate. So for some that means challenging the FAE. For some it means looking with new eyes at the "shall be" that is wondrously forming in light of Easter For some it means seeing the beauty and value of the one who is depicted but hadn't yet been admired and now notices behind her shoulder a Father who calls her beautiful.

St. Patrick

In preparation for the most important saints' day of the year - here again is the Lorica (otherwise known as the breastplate) of St. Patrick. Seriously - pray it daily through the weekend and during St. Patrick's Day!

Lorica of Saint Patrick (ca. 377)

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today

Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism,

Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,

Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,

Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today

Through the strength of the love of cherubim,

In obedience of angels,

In service of archangels,

In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

In the prayers of patriarchs,

In preachings of the apostles,

In faiths of confessors,

In innocence of virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today

Through the strength of heaven;

Light of the sun,

Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of the wind,

Depth of the sea,

Stability of the earth,

Firmness of the rock.

I arise today

Through God’s strength to pilot me;

God’s might to uphold me,

God’s wisdom to guide me,

God’s eye to look before me,

God’s ear to hear me,

God’s word to speak for me,

God’s hand to guard me,

God’s way to lie before me,

God’s shield to protect me,

God’s hosts to save me

From snares of the devil,

From temptations of vices,

From every one who desires me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone or in a mulitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,

Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,

Against incantations of false prophets,

Against black laws of pagandom,

Against false laws of heretics,

Against craft of idolatry,

Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,

Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.

Christ shield me today

Against poison, against burning,

Against drowning, against wounding,

So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through a confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation

Creation Groans

For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but we also ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, even the redemption of the body. (Romans 8.22-23)

What a poignant term this is "groans." This personification of creation is such a lovely image of the camaraderie of the wait. Our fourth little grandchild was born on Sunday and while our daughter was in labour with her husband by her side and AnnaBeth with them in that holy place of a new person, a new image bearer entering the world; with the wonder of texting our whole family was weighing in with "it will be over soon" messages. And it was! The pain and groaning gave way to joyful weeping and gratitude.

Today we will travel alongside people who are groaning. We will walk through the groaning forest together. We will hear the aching groans of the trees and the earth beneath us. And as Lent walkers let's notice and encourage one another that "it will be over soon." Over now because of the present Kingdom. Over later because of the coming Kingdom. Over, because of Easter.