The Grace of Lent
. . . Yes, the grace of this Lenten time. It bothers me that many people think of Lent as
something of a burden, a time to "get through." Quite often. Lent is shallowly characterized as the time of year when we're not supposed to do things that we enjoy.
Please know that this kind of approach is way off the mark, and take this opportunity to
re-orient yourself to this very rich and deeply profound season of the Church Year. The
context of Lent—its "arena"—offers us access to a sense of God's presence and God's
renewing Grace that is unique.
While it is true that our Lenten worship takes on a certain austerity, it is important not to interpret that austerity as "negativity." The somber tone of liturgy in this season is indeed a reflection of the fact that Lent begins with a focus on our mortality and continues with an emphasis on our sinfulness and the call to penitence. But such themes are hardly about spiritual masochism! Quite the contrary: these points of focus, in our Sunday worship and in our daily devotions, are about self-discovery and spiritual growth. This is why Lent is often symbolized as a "wilderness" or "desert" time. Throughout Scripture, (most famously Jesus' forty days and nights following His baptism, but think also of the Israelites' forty years) being in the wilderness means a time of deep reflection for discernment and direction. Usually, it is also a time for cleansing and healing. Simply from our experience of daily life we understand that in order to have such quiet-time or thinking-time, we must be free of outward distractions and those things that might capture and divert our attention. So, Lent's desert-like austerity is about helping us to go inward, or at least reminding us of God's call for us to do so. In this season, each one of us is asked to make an interior journey by means of prayer, study, and reflection. Hopefully, this produces self-discovery and understanding that would bring cleansing and healing. The freeing Grace of this healing brings spiritual growth. Our spiritual growth then allows us a closer walk with God each and every day. So much for "negative!"
One aspect of this Lenten Grace is a particular favorite of mine—just the thing for people (like myself) who over-function, who push themselves with too much busyness and an un-nervingly complex life. Those of us who live like that most often find that we can't quite undo such a pace on our own. Either we just don't know how or we need some
kind of "permission" to slow down, ease-up, and nurture our inner selves. Lent shows us
how and gives us the permission! This is Grace on a silver platter. Here we can see Lent
as the means to a healthier, more even and sane life. God brings to us the kind of life and spirituality that we are created for, undoing what we have done to ourselves. Now Lent can be understood as the experience of life-as-it-should-be, rather than the exception within the year. Of course, the goal of Lenten practices in anyone's life is to create some real, ongoing, and lasting changes whether they be inward or outward. Hence, the more that driven, complex lives experience this particular "easing" Grace of Lent [and it's great when we have it!], the more that we could be ready and able to take things down a few notches during the rest of the year.
I look forward to seeing you and being with you in the wilderness I'll be the one holding
the permission slip and silver platter.
In Christ,
Shannon+
