How many of you enjoy looking at Pinterest or other idea-generating Internet sites? How many of the ideas you’ve saved have ever resulted in actual projects?
I think spectatorship has been elevated to an entirely new level with social media.
It’s easy to do in real life too! I can stand by and watch others getting involved and making a difference and convince my heart that’s the same thing as doing something.
Read the rest here: Lenten Reflections: Fasting Spectatorship-Choosing to Participate
You know what makes me very, very sad?
When those who follow Jesus are parsimonious they proclaim by action that the God we serve is Himself limited and stingy.
And that is a lie.
So today’s fast is stinginess.
Don’t get me wrong-don’t start a string of comments that pit one economic system against another, please. BUT-God’s economy is NOT a zero-sum “game” where if one person receives plenty another goes wanting.
Read the rest here: Lenten Reflections: Letting Go of Stinginess, Living a Generous Life
It’s particularly unfortunate that the term chosen for physically distancing ourselves during the recent pandemic was “social distancing”. Because we are not created to remain socially distant/isolated from other human beings.
The toll shows. Elderly folks stuck behind doors, unable to talk freely and often with others withered away from isolation as often as the virus. It’s become obvious that children have suffered as well.
ALL of us need connection.
Read the rest here: Lenten Reflections: Fasting Isolation, Choosing Community
If I read the Gospels and really put myself in the story, I would have to admit that I may well have wanted to “protect” Jesus from some of those that sought His help and His blessing.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of deciding who might be worthy of God’s time and attention.
Read the rest here: Lenten Reflections: Welcoming Those Whom Jesus Loves
Uncertainty is quite revealing. The unknown triggers different reactions in different hearts and exposes our souls’ defaults. Ambiguity reveals where we instinctively go to feel the illusion of security again.
Alicia Britt Chole
Wow! Can I identify with this!
One of the things I’ve learned in this life I didn’t choose is that the earthquake of child loss revealed all the weak spots in my character and my faith.
When faced with uncertainty and lack of control, I desperately want to bring order to my wildly disordered world.
Read the rest here: Lenten Reflections: Letting Go of Avoidance and Choosing to Engage
There have always been those who tried to reduce faith to something completely comprehensible.
But even a cursory reading of God’s Word and a casual experience with His ways makes that laughable.
When Jesus began teaching His disciples more and more about the Kingdom of God and His role as Christ, they were confused and dismayed. When I read His words they are still challenging and sometimes obscure even though I live on the other side of the resurrection.
Not everything can be explained.
Read the rest here: Lenten Reflections: Embracing Mystery-I Don’t Have to Understand Everything
As a people-pleasing firstborn pseudo-control-freak I’m all about fixing it.
I’m pretty sure I chose Psychology as one of my college majors because I figured it would better equip me to fix relationships around me.
But life intervened with first smaller unfixable crises and then the ultimate no-way-on-earth-to-fix-it death of Dominic. So I’m not nearly as inclined toward even trying now as I was a few years ago.
Still, I can find myself falling into the old habit of offering up advice instead of offering an ear. I might quickly delve unasked into my own experience and silence a heart that simply needs to be heard. I may well toss out trite “reasons” that “explain” why awful visited my friend while God seemed silent.
Read the rest here: Lenten Reflections: Letting Go of the Need to “Fix It”, Making Space To Watch God Work
“Revelations are often followed by trials. Perhaps they are preparation for them.” ~Alicia Britt Chole
My greatest trial has been the sudden death of my son, Dominic.
Just before he was killed in April, 2014 I wrapped up a multi-year slow walk through Scripture. What began as a discipline intended to force my heart to really focus and digest words I’d read so often they had (in some ways) become stale, ended up with me copying out nearly every chapter of the Bible into my journals.
I learned so much, received so much and was full to the brim of revelation and truth.
That was a good thing because when Dom died it was a long time before I could open my Bible on a regular basis and feast on the Word.
Read the rest here: Lenten Reflections: Making Room for Spiritual Hunger
There are several recorded incidents where Jesus withdrew seeking solitude and solace.
One of them is upon hearing of John’s beheading at the hands of Herod.
If we accept that our Shepherd was a perfect model in all things (and I do!) then this is a model for dealing with sorrow and loss.
Read the rest here: Lenten Reflections: Refusing To Speed Past Sorrow
In Jewish culture, “It’s an act of reverence to ask questions of the story. The Jews are confident that the story is strong enough to be tried and tested….Around the table, a Jewish child has ‘That’s a good question!’ drummed into his or her soul, not ‘You don’t ask that question’…Questions are a sacred as answers.” (Dr. Leonard Sweet)
If you’ve read a single word I’ve written in the past nine years you know how close this truth is to my heart!
I think we do a disservice to ourselves and others when we reduce the complexities of Scripture to something like Aesop’s Fables. Real people lived real lives and had real questions. The Almighty God is big enough to handle them.
Read the rest here: Lenten Reflections: Making Space for Authentic Faith
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