I was sitting outside under a star filled sky tonight, watching my “custard” cook over the charcoal fire. I was thinking, this has been a really good day, not just a good day, a good week. I never realized how much of an attitude change just unpacking my suitcase could make.
If I was Debbie, I would have told me to leave a long time ago! I am surprised that a few of my friends – the ones I can vent to – are even still speaking to me! Reality is, a friend told me last night, “You sound like the old you”. I am glad! Even I wasn’t liking the new me!!
Back to the subject…I was sitting here, enjoying the play of colors in the charcoal, watching the stars in the sky, and listening to assorted music coming from around me, rock, Christian, chanting from the Mosque, a few native drums in the rare moment of silence, thinking “Life sure is good” when it hit me. Ash Wednesday is this week! Usually, by now, I know what I am going to give up.
I looked around my room at what I have…
Peanuts? No, that is my source of protein,
Shirro? Nope, lots of vitamins and minerals in that, it is a good meat substitute.
Tuna? Nope, I have it, but I can’t open it anyway – I can’t find a can opener here! Some sacrifice that would be!
Any food items are out, they are so limited any way – tomatoes, onions, potatoes, garlic, limes, an occasional cucumber – that is about it, besides lentils, rice and macaroni. I have to stay healthy, I don’t think God wants us to sacrifice our health…
I know it is not really a “Presbyterian thing” to give up something for Lent, but, you haven’t met my mother. Every year for as long as I can remember, probably as many as I have been alive, she gives up her favorite thing – chocolate.
So, with those thoughts in mind, I pulled out my handy dandy “Interpretation” cd and typed in “sacrifice” in the search box. The first thing that popped up is
“By emphasizing the real humanity of Jesus, the Gethsemane narrative presents him as a model that ordinary Christians can follow. We can learn from him to stand the test by praying frequently and earnestly that our wills be aligned with our Father’s will. This is the practical point of the narrative. Its theological message is even more important. It suggests that Jesus’ most important sacrifice was not his blood but his obedience. The Epistle to the Hebrews, which draws on sacrificial language more extensively than any other New Testament writing as a way of talking about Jesus’ saving death, indicates that “blood” and “sacrifice” are but metaphors for the obedience that was Jesus’ real offering to God (see Heb. 10:5-10). The same theological point is made by Paul: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). For Christians, the Garden of Gethsemane is the reversal of the Garden of Eden.
Then on to…” The people were sprinkled with blood at the covenant sacrifice (Ex. 24:3-8). However, the sacrifice that cleanses the new people of God occurred on the cross. It ratifies their obedience to Jesus Christ, rather than to the law as in Exodus.
Next came a comment on Psalm 50, “That He may judge his people” “First, sacrifice is to be brought as an act of thankful praise; the praise may even serve as the sacrifice of thanksgiving, the Todah. Vows to God are to be fulfilled by thanksgiving, thanksgiving alone; there is to be no transference of property as payment
I stopped with “Portions of Joshua 24:1-28 (vv. 1-3a, 14-15) are suggested for use at or near the end of the church’s lectionary cycle. Thus the call to choose the Lord comes appropriately after the church celebrates Christ’s birth, contemplates his sacrifice on the cross, and claims again his resurrection. The call of Joshua to Israel to “choose this day whom you will serve” is also the call to the contemporary community of faith.”
What I learned in these readings is:
I don’t have to give up anything to God except my thanksgivings…Psalm 50… “Vows to God are to be fulfilled by thanksgiving, thanksgiving alone;”
The Call of Joshua to Israel to “choose this day whom you will serve” is also my call to the community of faith. I have chosen whom I will serve.
By emphasizing the real humanity of Jesus, the Gethsemane narrative presents him as a model that ordinary Christians can follow. We can learn from him to stand the test by praying frequently and earnestly that our wills be aligned with our Father’s will….. It suggests that Jesus’ most important sacrifice was not his blood but his obedience… indicates that “blood” and “sacrifice” are but metaphors for the obedience that was Jesus’ real offering to God (see Heb. 10:5-10).
And so, with these thoughts in mind, and knowing there is not a sacrifice, I can make that will ever be enough, this Lent, I commit to “give up” time. Time to pray in new and deeper and more meaningful ways that my will be aligned with our Father’s will,
to remember the words to Jeremiah 29:11 and their application for my life, here and now, in this place - not my plans, but God’s plans –
to renew my commitment each and every day to the call of Joshua to choose whom I will serve,
and to pray with thanksgiving for the amazing opportunities that I have been given to serve God, here, in this time and this place, for the amazing community of faith he has blessed me with,
Thanks be to God! Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment