A Daily Lent

Inner Experience of Oneness Friday of the First Week of Lent – March 6, 2020 To engage the interior work of the spiritual life means that we begin a journey which will be long, slow, and messy. I don’t know any way around that reality. I first made conscious contact with God in the context of a faith tradition which promised – both implicitly and sometimes explicitly – that conversion was a one-time decision that would set you up for a lifetime. The goal was the moment of conversion, and any growth or becoming after that initial experience was a bonus. I quickly realized within my own self that simply responding to an altar call and mouthing some words about giving my life to Jesus did not change all that was sideways in my life. But at that time, I had no idea what to do about it. My best guess was that every time I “sinned,” I lost Jesus and had to go back through the process all over again – I must not have “really meant it” when I gave my life to Jesus all those previous ti...

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Daily Reading : Matthew 5:17 – 19 Focus Passage : "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matt. 5:17) Many contemporaries of Jesus would have heard these words and fought for a more rigid code by which to live. It is can be a good thing to have a code of ethics which orders life, distilling life down to some fundamental rules to keep and regulations to follow. I am among the many who want someone to tell me what the rules are and what is expected of me. Then, I can work toward doing all the right things, thus bringing happiness and fulfillment. In my mentality, if you can show me what the expectations are, I can work to meet or exceed them. I can be a very accomplished rules-keeper! But rules-keeping is not to be confused with a full and authentic life. In fact, in my efforts to do right by the regulations, I may in fact miss what is deepest and most...

Monday of the First Week of Lent Daily Reading: Matthew 16:13 –19 Focus Passage: "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 16:15 – 17) When Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say I am?” he had no interest in Peter’s opinion. Peter’s opinion was no more or less relevant than the next person’s opinion. The question was not about Peter’s belief system or about how much information he had accumulated concerning Jesus. Jesus asked Peter about his experience. “Who have you experienced me to be? What is the nature of our relationship?” It’s a good question, inviting us away from theory and prescribed answers. The question encourages us to consider our experience in the grit of life. After all, it is po...