My Lenten guilt started early the morning of Ash Wednesday, as Erik and I flew from Queenstown, New Zealand on the South Island to Auckland, on the North Island. Then we drove two and a half hours to the Coromandel Peninsula and, after being turned down twice, finally found place to lay our heads.
So, while we found food and lodging, we didn't find a church where I could get the ashes upon my brow and hear the words: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." I wrote about this already in a past blog.
I didn't get the ashes, though I still remembered that I was dust. And I felt guilty that I didn't do anything to mark the start of Lent, and I still haven't done much for Lent, other than going to church once and reading (most days) the devotional from PLTS/Luther seminary for Lent called "Water Marks."
Even though I'm on sabbatical, I feel like I should do something for Lent. Do you? Or don't you?
Given my protestant-midwest-farmer's daughter-mentality on doing, I was especially taken by a blog post on the Sojourner's website (God's politics blog) today that suggests doing nothing for Lent. Read it here.
You can ask my husband for verification, but I would say I'm just about the biggest loser when it comes to doing nothing. Can't do it. Gotta do something. All the time. Doing nothing is lazy and leads to failure. That's the tape that runs in my head.
The blog author for Sojourners (Cathleen Falsani, don't know her but like what she says) reflects on doing nothing for Lent. She didn't get the idea on her own. She heard it from Eugene Peterson, the author and pastor who did The Message Bible paraphrase (and who's latest book I reviewed in my last blog post). She attended a lecture where Peterson talked about doing and not doing.
Peterson quoted early monastics who said: "Stay in your cell. Your cell will teach you everything." Falsani took it further: "Stay in your life. Your life will teach you everything." Be here now. Be present. Quit planning and thinking about what you don't have yet or what's missing. Notice the blessings of what is, right now.
I saw a man wearing a T-shirt in New Zealand that said: "I'd rather be here now."
Yes, yes I would. And perhaps I could.
1 comment:
It's funny, how many times on vacation I've had the thought "this is great, but I can't wait to get home to normal" as I've missed my bed, pillow, friends or family or co-workers. Makes me think I should print up a shirt, too, that says "I'd rather be here right now." And yet at the same time, how often do I feel like I'm running through the motions of my day, and not fully present in the moment, as you mentioned in a post in January. And finally, a few times since your sabbatical began, I've caught myself thinking that Luis and PGlenn and I deserve a sabbatical or vacation upon your return...
Given all these thoughts, it's clear that there is something here in your sabbatical for me to learn, too. That each of us needs to find ways to really take sabbath rest regularly, to prioritize it, to ensure that we CAN be present in the moment, thankful for where we are, and respectful enough of ourselves to care for ourselves regularly.
Thank you, PLisa! Safe travels to Iowa, and I can't wait to hear more. --KF
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