Lent Is 'a Very Good Place to Be'

I was told this story by a staff member. During Lent a few years ago a friend of hers, a faithful Roman Catholic, opened a conversation about Lent and expressed such jubilation that the staff member has never completely forgotten it. What has remained with her especially is the friend's concluding words, spoken with a contented smile: "Yes, Lent is a very good place to be."
 
The staff member had not thought of Lent in those terms – as a place of being, a center for existence, a destination. But she says that from that point on, that concept has been a part of her Lenten reflection.
 
It suggests that as Christians, we rest in a spiritual place of oneness with Christ, which transcends physical space. I like that from a contemplative perspective, and certainly penitence and prayer are an important part of our observance of Lent. But like every other aspect of our Christian walk, Lent also reminds us that "it's not about us."
 
Lent is a time for "spiritual spring cleaning," for taking inventory and then getting rid of those things which get in the way of our relationships with Christ and with others. It is about transformation to become more like Christ, and traditionally, it is a time for helping the poor through giving and acts of service.
 
Lent is outward- as well as inward-focused.
 
Two opportunities in the Sacramento area suggest themselves to me as excellent Lenten activities, and I invite you to look for similar ways to be involved in your own community. On Thursday, March 24, the Rev. Linda Kelly-Baker will conduct a workshop, "Word on the Street: Radical Hospitality with the Homeless," at First United Methodist Church in Sacramento. Details and online registration are available on the Conference website, but let me say briefly that the objectives of the workshop, to foster a deeper understanding of homelessness and to increase awareness of how to appropriately respond and support the homeless, are consistent with the Lenten discipline of practicing justice toward our neighbor.
 
The second opportunity also comes from Linda. On Good Friday and Holy Saturday, she will guide small groups on a pilgrimage of prayer through the area of Sacramento where the poor find services. She calls this journey "Stations of the Poor." Contact her if you would like to take part.
 
Lent is symbolic of Jesus' 40 days of prayer and fasting in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry. The United Methodist Church has no official guidelines for how individuals should observe Lent, recognizing that it is a very personal time. But whatever you choose to make of the experience, I hope that you will share with us how it has impacted you. You may add your comments here, or share your witness by submitting your story in the Ministry in Action section of the website.  
 
I pray that these 40 days truly will be a time of re-connection for you, with our Creator and with those we are called to serve. I pray that you will encounter Lent this year as "a very good place to be."
 
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By: Warner H. Brown, Jr. On 3/10/2011
Topics: Article

Comments

1. Larry Patten wrote on 3/12/2011 9:15:38 AM
Liked the "spring cleaning" image. My local supermarket now has a massive display of brooms, mops, sponges, soaps etc. near the entrance. At Christmas, they have Santa and the reindeer. Pilgrims and turkeys at . . . well, you when. For Lent, the market got it theologically correct without knowing it: spring cleaning. Soon, I'd guess, the mops will be replaced by a cardboard bunny. Not so theologically correct!