Skip to main content

Ash Wednesday

The season of Lent is upon us. In many ways I have been dreading this season, as it calls me to frugality and abstinence that I frankly don’t enjoy. But in other ways I have been really looking forward to it this year. I have been thinking about walking with you all as we each draw closer to God.
Today’s Holy Solitude reading is about drawing inward to sit with God in the quiet, listening. I usually start my mornings listening to the news before I exercise. I love to be surrounded by sound, feeling less alone. Today’s reading offered something different.
Two quotes that resonated with me:
  • “There’s a place inside you where God is waiting to sit with you.”  How absolutely lovely. God is already waiting, listening. We just need to show up.
  • “It’s not always easy to sit still with yourself or with God, especially for extended periods of time; but like a child resting in a parent’s lap, sometimes just to sit together is enough.” 

I’m reading the rest of Matthew 6 today as my scripture reading. The reminder of how to practice faith in quiet, non-showy ways seems the perfect start for the Lenten season.

Peace be with you. 
    jrg 2/14/18

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pondering the journey

Betty Hollister writes Judi assured me this week would be easier—more about a journey, maybe even something as simple as a walk in nature.  Ok.  Maybe. I admitted to her that even though I didn’t “like” the week of “Solitude and Struggle,” it did make me think, and I liked that.  And, the thinking, of course, didn’t stop this week.   Monday’s lesson reminded us how Jesus sought solitude by walking away from the crowds after periods of “greatest exertion or emotional distress. ”  That made complete sense.  If Jesus, fully human, but also fully divine, needed time alone to talk to His father and renew his strength to heal the next in line or preach to the next crowd that made complete sense.  Even Tuesday’s suggestions about labyrinth walks to “get lost in God’s creation” made sense to me.  Then, I read about the “blue-gray-green monks” who turned that color due to hardship and fasting and Mary of Egypt who wandered for decades alone in the desert “burned and bleached by the sun.” A
2 comments
Read more

Julian of Norwich

From Rachel Matthews: Today we read about Julian of Norwich, one of my favorite anchoresses. Tuesdays have been wonderful reflection points but today I find myself with not much to say. Things that I have put off since we moved here are looming over me. I turned down a wonderful gift of hospitality last night to be with the Monday Munchers. That made me sad but I did get some stuff done I really need to do. Mornings that are stressful are exactly when I am most grateful for the discipline that nudges me to sit and think and pray just for 10 minutes. The rush of life needs Julians who will listen and offer a prayer and word of guidance. I need Julian of Norwich to say to me, "All will be well, all manner of things will be well." She lived it. What strikes me most this morning about her is that she was there at a calling of God but she was not there alone. There were political structures that approved and encouraged and paid for her well being in that little house, the chur
2 comments
Read more

Friday Fast #2

I have to admit that I have not been looking forward to this fast from sound from the moment I read about it. While I am an introvert, needing time to recharge by myself, I also really don’t like extended periods of silence. I often have the TV on around the house, listen to audiobooks and podcasts and amuse myself by watching videos at my desk over the lunch hour. I am going to do my best to avoid all of that today.   In fact, because we had invited some friends to go to the movies this evening, I started my fast from extraneous sounds last night. I felt a bit cheated, not getting to watch the Olympics and the US women win the gold in hockey, but really do they need another viewer? Why does missing something on TV bother me so? We don't have a DVR at home, so when I miss it I usually just end up skipping a show, but maybe I watch too much TV.  Am I way too caught up in other people’s lives and accomplishments? Do I need to watch the news every day? What could I be doing with
2 comments
Read more