Psalm 25:1-10
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O LORD
Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
Have you ever gone on a trip or on a tour where there was a person who served as your guide? Whether you are on a 6 week trek across Africa or a 4 hour trip on a trolley car, the trip is enriched IF you have a guide who is engaging. A good guide does much more than name the place you are passing in your travels. The guides that we remember (and to whom we give the largest tips) are the ones who develop a relationship with us. It doesn't matter how short the journey....if there is somebody leading it who knows how to engage us and make us feel like his "special" entourage, we seem to learn more and remember more about the trip. How does a guide build relationships quickly with total strangers?
1. By revealing to us something about his/her own story. Something about how they came to be a guide...and what motivates them to stick around for years teaching others about places that are, quite frankly, normal scenery for the guide.
2. By enriching instructions with stories: Not only do we receive information about this or that place on the path, but we also are given stories of how others have experienced that place...stories of birth, death, joy, sorrow....miracles and unusual happenings...especially happenings that have a poignant lesson as part of their outcome.
3. If at all possible, a good guide will find ways that we can "touch" what is going on.... swim with the dolphins, sing with the street band, swing through the trees, walk out on the glacier... If we can experience for ourselves the "essence" of a place or a time in history, we are more likely to internalize the story of the place or the situation. Then we ourselves are more likely to claim it as part of our OWN life...and even tell others about it (like the guide told us about it) adding our own "flavor" based upon what we actually saw, felt, heard or tasted.
We know, of course that Christ is both our leader and our guide as we enter our Lenten Journey. It may be your first Lent or your 80th...but it is new territory. You have never been on this leg of your Lenten Journey before. Remember well who is leading you...and all that you have learned about Him during Epiphany. Listen again to all of the stories that will be opened again in the daily readings of Lent. And accept the ways that you can literally touch what is going on --
How will YOU be met by Christ, your guide? Perhaps you will see yourself as one of the characters in the bible stories. You may be part of the crowd, one of the witnesses...or perhaps you will pale under Christ's glance...or be humbled as he Humbles Himself and washes your feet. Perhaps you will be touched deeply by the transformation that occurs when you step aside from one of your many comfort zones so that you may comfort, serve, guide or welcome somebody less fortunate than yourself. Perhaps you will experience the nudge of instruction that will propel you into another phase of your OWN growth and transformation.
Imagine yourself standing at the doorway of these Lenten Days. To the Lord God, your companion and guide you say, along with the psalmist: To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul! Teach Me, Instruct me, Lead me...Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment