Feb 26 2008

The Impatience of Our Lives

We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives, We confess to you, Lord.

- From the “Litany of Penitence” on Ash Wednesday,
The Book of Common Prayer

The trifecta of sins plaguing humanity from ancient times to modern. Pride, the sin that caused the fall of our race. Pride says, “I know better than God,” and shows our true ignorance. Hypocrisy, the sin of the religious, “Woe to you pharisees,” and “Woe to us pharisees.” Impatience, the best performance enhancer of sin that has ever existed. Adam and Eve could have become more like God day by day in walking with him, but were impatient and desired it now. The Pharisees could have attained true religion, but found it more convenient to crucify the Christ. Together with us today: pride, hypocrisy and impatience. They attack us, challenging our faith. How do we fight this combination? Self-examination in humility, true confession to ourselves and others, and waiting on the Lord. Lent is painful, it calls us to these duties, growing our humility, honesty and patience.

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Feb 25 2008

Incandescent Light

I thought I was the only one who bemoaned our transition from the incandescent light to the unfeeling light of the compact fluorescent bulb (CFL). Dan Neil at the LA Times, one of my favorite columnists, wrote a story that could have come directly from my heart. It’s a modern coming of age story about the light bulb and a man learning to say good bye. I recommend this to you as heart-felt and “enlightening.”

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Feb 23 2008

Deaf To Your Call

We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit.
Have mercy on us, Lord.

- From the “Litany of Penitence” on Ash Wednesday,
The Book of Common Prayer
The Spirit’s purpose is to point us to the work of Christ. Before knowing Christ, seeking to know God, the Spirit points us in the direction of the cross of Christ. After finding Christ, seeking to please God, the Spirit points us to our cross fashioned after Christ’s. The Spirit desires desperately that we connect with Christ and partner with his work. When we are deaf to the Spirit’s call, his call to serve, we tell him that we are no longer interested in the work of Christ. That rejection grieves him indeed – Lord please have mercy on us!
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Feb 20 2008

We Have Not Loved

We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and
strength.
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.
Have mercy on us, Lord.

- From the “Litany of Penitence” on Ash Wednesday,
The Book of Common Prayer

What a stark wake up call this public confession is! I for one am too often lulled into a false sense of security because I mostly love God and I love more people than I dislike. I’m a pretty good person and hold generally positive feelings towards most people – that makes me a good Christian right? Here we see the standard of Christ held up against our lives and we see how far we really are from the mark. May we make our standard of love Christ, loving people as ourselves with our whole heart, whole mind, and our whole strength. May we forgive others as we have been forgiven by God – and may his perfect love and grace continue to fill in the gaps.
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no comments | posted in Lent