Friends
of Faith:
Yesterday
the Ash Wednesday reflection was about our relationship with Jesus, about
showing up to be with him. About showing up for him like we would for a friend,
giving him our attention – not when we need his attention, but when, like a
friend, he asks us to join him, to be present, so that he can have our
undivided attention.
It got
me to thinking about the empty pews we all see at church (regardless of which one
we attend) and the difficulty so many have in following the “Keep Holy the
Sabbath.” Commandment – even for only one hour on Sunday morning (or Saturday
night).
It got
me to thinking about why it’s so hard to just show up, for one hour to worship God,
to give him our glory, our troubles and our attention; to just show up and be
his friend.
Then
today’s reading said this
Moses
said to the people: “Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and
doom.
If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 1 Dt 30:15-20
If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 1 Dt 30:15-20
There’s
9 other commandments that this reading applies to – not just showing up for one
hour on Sunday, but for “do not kill” (showing up to protect life at all ages),
“do not take the Lord’s name in vain”(do not swear, including using “xxx’s” and
showing up with positive words) etc, etc.
May you
find this Lenten season to be a new time of commitment, a new time to take courage
to say no to all of those Sunday activities which interfere with God’s request
and to just SHOW UP!
And if
your relationship with Jesus is what it should be on Sunday – you’re showing up
-- then think about the other commandments that may take courage or change in
order to grow closer to him, to be a better listener, to be a better example of
Christian charity and mercy.
Blessings
on your Lenten journey,
Charlotte
