Author: lakewooducc

Lent is a season in which people typically give something up. Have you given up something for Lent this year? Have you practiced that spiritual discipline in the past? What have you given up? How has that gone for you? Is it hard? Did the time pass quickly? What was it like when Lent was over and you went back to “normal”? At church we have talked about how we have given up the word “alleluia” for Lent in anticipation of the glorious “alleluias” on Easter Sunday. There are many benefits to this Lenten discipline.

Even when we give something up, we may still find that our lives are incredibly full: Full of obligations and commitments. Full of people to keep up with. Full of material possessions that need to be tended to and maintained. In fact, for many of us, life is too full. And maybe too full of that which does not satisfy.

This past summer when we walked the 500 mile Camino de Santiago de Compostela, it was surprising how little we actually needed. Even pared down to the bare bones, we still had things with us, that we carried for 500 miles, that we did not use. We were still too full. And we saw the freedom and liberation in having only what was needed. One set of clothes on the body and one clean set in the pack. One set of clothes on the body and one set on the laundry line. Two sets of clothes. That was it. My husband, Jeff, and I have talked about how we miss the simplicity of the Camino. Very few material things, a pared back itinerary of activity – get up, eat, walk, do laundry, eat, sleep. That was the basic flow. Uncomplicated. A relief, actually.

I am listening to the novel Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers. When I saw it in the library, I thought it was non fiction and that there would be insight into giving and service; ideas that would help me with increasing stewardship and giving at church. After listening to about half an hour of the book and waiting for something to indicate what I had expected, I looked at the box of cds and saw that it is fiction. As it turns out it is a very interesting novel, so far. The main character is teaching a writing course at an art college. He gives the students an assignment: “Convince someone that they wouldn’t want to grow up in your hometown.” The teacher “reads about all the top hazards, tedium chief among them. . . close behind comes isolation, bigotry, aimlessness, crushing homogeny, commercial blight, crimes against every known aesthetic, and the terminal malaise of abundance.” [p. 27] That last phrase caught me. “The terminal malaise of abundance.” All of our stuff – our commitments, activities, belongings, interests – can simply numb us and make us apathetic. It can kill us.

The antidote to this kind of demise can be found in Christianity. We are taught to live materially simple lives. “Consider the lily. . .” And to center our lives on worship, prayer, and service. We are to devote ourselves to creativity and community. To justice and peace. When we follow this path, we steer clear of the “terminal malaise of abundance.” Following the way of Jesus, we also avoid the tedium, isolation, bigotry, aimlessness, and crushing homogeny pointed out by Powers in Generosity.

Giving up something for Lent may be a warm up, a test drive, a rehearsal, for a more thorough giving up that saves us from the “malaise of abundance.” May your Lent be life-giving.

Prayer: We pray for discernment to know what is essential in life. With trust in God, may we dare to divest ourselves of all that saps us of life. May we invest ourselves in relationships and service which change us and the world. Amen.

What truly makes us happy? There are all kinds of studies of happiness and there are many new books about happiness. What does it mean to be happy? Are you happy?

In the book, Black Girl, White Girl, Joyce Carol Oates comments, “Between happiness and duty, I choose duty.” [p. 268] I choose duty. Does that mean that you can’t be happy? Is it one or the other?

Frankly, I think of duty as obligation, as doing what is right. Fulfilling expectations and responsibilities. Duty is something that we do for others, typically, not ourselves. Duty is holding up our end of a relationship.

In Christianity we teach that our highest good is found in service. We celebrate our call to serve others, to live compassion and generosity. The life of Jesus is a study in helping others, living for others, and serving others. That is our calling.

When we think about happiness and duty, I am wondering if we can be happy if we are not fulfilling our duty? When I am neglecting my duty, am I happy? Or am I haunted by regret? I think as Christians we must fulfill our duty to be happy. It is not either/or. It is if/then. If we are fulfilling our duty then we will be happy. Thus we will also fulfill our duty to be happy in Christ Jesus. So, choose happiness. Fulfill your duty.

Prayer: We pray that we would fulfill our duty as Christians; our duty to serve, to give, to love, to forgive. When we pursue this other-centered living, we find our highest good. We experience happiness. May we allow our faith to make us truly happy. Amen.

In the last devotion, we discussed being judgmental; the burden of judging and its adverse effects. This quote continues that theme:

“I tell you one thing – if you want peace of mind do not find fault with others. Rather learn to see your own faults.”
Sri Sarada Devi, The Holy Mother of the Ramakrishna Order, Hindu

I’ll come clean here. I think I am much more adept at assessing the shortcomings of others than my own. I am sure that my family members would agree! It is easier to see what others are doing wrong, or could be doing differently (subtext, “better”), or how they could improve. As long as my assessments are of others, that is energy and reflection that I am not directing toward myself. And can I change others? No. But I can actually take responsibility for growing and learning and changing myself.

So, when it comes to judging, applying our efforts toward ourselves has the potential to have a positive effect, helping us become more fully ourselves, more fully whole. But judging others can waste our time, bring out the worst in us, and damage our relationships. Our Christian tradition teaches us to let go of judging others and take responsibility for ourselves.

Prayer: As we journey through this Lenten season, we seek to know ourselves more fully. We seek to engage in spiritual reflection in ways that will nurture our souls and help us grow in the spirit of Christ. May we be very careful about judging and the negative effects it can have. May we also have the courage to be fiercely honest with ourselves. Amen.

This month’s selection for the book club that I have been part of for over 20 years is Race-Baiter by Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times. I highly recommend the book. As I am reading the book, it is glaring that we live in a culture that expects us to judge other people. With the increase in news outlets and information sources due to technology and the internet, we are exposed to vast amounts of information. But we are also exposed to far more opinion than we ever have been. And what is opinion? It is a form of judgment. And all of this judging is creating more and more divisions among people.

We have to have a way to sort through all of the information that comes our way. That is important. So we have to decide about news sources and the credentials of “experts.” But all of this information involves more and more judging.

So I believe that in our culture, instead of getting more discerning, we are getting more judgmental. We jump to conclusions based on limited information. We decide about people before hearing their story. We categorize and stereotype.

In the 16th century spiritual classic, The Cloud of Unknowing, by an unknown writer, we hear about judging. We are reminded of its significance and severity:

“Let me ask you something. Who can judge another person’s actions? . . . Passing judgment on another is a profound responsibility that must never be taken lightly. . .We must never forget that judging another human being is a terrible burden.”

Lent is a time to reflect on our lives and reconnect with God. What would it be like if we did less judging? We might find our burden lighter; our load not as heavy. It may actually be a relief. And instead of playing God by judging, maybe we will find ourselves feeling more closely connected to God, upheld by divine love, and closer to other people as well.

Prayer: It’s easy to fall into the pattern of judging others and making assumptions about them. May we relieve ourselves of this burden. May we realize the weight that judgment has and the toll it takes on others as well as ourselves. May we leave the judging to God who invites us to be made whole through love. Amen.