February 2012
Dear Friends,
Quite a few years ago, I received an amaryllis plant for Christmas, complete with flower pot, the bulb, a bag of soil, and planting instructions. To this day I’m still amazed when I remember how that plant just blossomed so beautifully!
Looking back, there is a kind of parable in that experience that corresponds to where we are in the church year.
Whenever we plant flowers we do so believing in a promise - the coming of something fruitful, and fragrant. In just a few weeks the season of Lent is coming, and traditionally we consider it as a time for taking stock of our faults or “giving things up for Lent” as a kind of sacrificial penance. Paying attention to the places in our lives and faith that need work is a good thing. But there is another way to envision this season.
The Lenten season can be like planting a flower, as we prepare the soil and plant the seed, and give it water and light. In the same way, Lent can be a time to prepare our hearts by; clearing away any debris that has accumulated in there. We prepare our souls by breaking open the hard packed places in our lives, so that we can receive the Spirit’s light and refreshment. Lent can also be a time to prayerfully consider how we may need to grow into a deeper faith, and a greater understanding of it. We can use this time to consider how we might need to change in order to be more fruitful in our discipleship. This season can be a wonderful opportunity to spend more time with God, and to find whatever we need to emerge from where we are into a more whole and holy life…… If we think about it, isn’t that what resurrection is about?
Love, Ed