This last Sunday, the second in Lent, we looked at the narrative of Abram and Sarai, whose names were changed (humorously) to Abraham (Father of multitudes) and Sarah (Princess). The humor in the story is, of course, that they were 99 and 89 years old respectively when the incident took place. Don't look now, but we've stumbled once again into God's delicious sense of humor.
We considered the "long, slow, patient, deliberate work of God" on Sunday. God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would be the mother and father of many nations. Assumed within the text (and explicitly stated elsewhere) is that they and their family would become a blessing to the world, agents of God's healing of the creation, and that this would happen over an unimaginable number of generations.
Last Sunday I asked you to consider this long, slow, patient, deliberate work of God, and consider some of the ways that God's work in and through us can only be measured in generations. In other words, can we imagine that the way that we are living today could be a blessing to the world generations from now? If you look back in your family tree, you will certainly discover people whose lives impacted generations to follow--for good or for bad. I invited you to think about how your faithfulness to God, your relationships with family, friends and world neighbors, your relationship with the creation itself will influence generations to come.
This week I'm recommending a discipline that I might just call the discipline of 'slowness.' You could practice this discipline in one of two ways: 1) Consider, over the remaining weeks of Lent, doing without one of the time saving gadgets that you've become dependent on . In other words, try giving up your cell phone or your computer or your microwave during these weeks, so that you must slow down a bit and do things the 'old fashioned' way. Or, 2) another option is to do something during Lent that can only be properly done if it's done very slowly. For example, invite friends or family over for a gourmet meal that will require many hours of preparation. Or start an exercise regimen, such as swimming or aerobics or running. (It's impossible to get into shape quickly, after all.) Be creative. There are dozens of possibilities here.
The goal of this, of course, is to reflect in a fresh way on the good that requires much time. We want to embrace a different rhythm for our lives, a rhythm that is more in step with God's long, slow, patient, deliberate work.
I'd love to hear some of your ideas. Have you identified a 'discipline of slowness' that you're going to practice for the remainder of Lent?
4 comments:
Here are a few quotes that point in the direction of this weeks discipline.
“We do not live more fully by doing more, seeing more, tasting more, and experiencing more than we ever have before. On the contrary, some of us need to discover that we will not begin to live more fully until we have the courage to do and see and taste and experience much less than usual.”
Thomas Merton, No Man Is An Island pg. 122
“If we twist our lives out of shape in order to fill every corner of them with action and experience, God will silently withdraw from our heats and leave us empty.”
Thomas Merton, No Man Is An Island Pg. 127-28
“The person who lives more and more rapidly so as to miss nothing lives more and more superficially, and misses the depth of experience life offers. In that person’s world, everything is possible, but very little is real”.
Jurgen Moltman, God For A Secular Society pg. 89
Something what helps me, even when it's not Lent, is to embrace delays or empty times. You know, when you have an appointment and the doctor, or whoever, is not ready for you and you must wait. Perhaps you left on time, traffic was light, there were no delays, and you're early. In stead of thinking about 42 different things you should be doing, or planning the 12 things you're going to do when you're done, or being anxious, frustrated, or agitated try reflecting. Maybe you could whisper a prayer for one of the other wait-ers (patients or clients). Or combine both weeks' disciplines and embrace the moment, let you mind clear and just be with God where you are. I get to attempt this exercise most weeks as I wait at airports, or wait in airplanes, or wait in lobbies. Sometimes, not often enough, I experience His Lordship in a profound way in a common time.
Sometimes
In
all
the
rush
and
hurry
of
our
lives
we
need
so
much
just
now
and
then
to
find
an
island
Kenneth Steven, Scottish Poet
Sometimes
In
all
the
rush
and
hurry
of
our
lives
we
need
so
much
just
now
and
then
to
find
an
island
Kenneth Steve, Scottish Poet
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