the groan of creation

The Collect - Tuesday in Holy Week

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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For the sake of brevity and space, below is the scripture references to trace Jesus' footsteps on this, the third day in Holy Week -

Mark 11:20 - 13:37

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As we continue to make our journey to the cross, let us absorb ourselves into this Holy Week.

 

The weather outside is foreboding of this Friday to come. It is dark - desolate - not a star in the sky. Only the blackness of unforgiving clouds that seem to push the black space above this earthly sphere into eternity. Our warm days of the earlier weekend have been replaced with below freezing temperatures and the winds howl with the force of a Cape Horn gale - freezing up the soul. It puts new meaning to the words that Paul penned to the Romans so many years ago, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."

 

And it is almost fitting. For as the collect alludes to - we, along with all of God's creation knows what must occur on Friday before we can rejoice on Sunday.

 

Shame.

Torture.

Betrayal.

Denial.

Death.

 

And tonight, creation is groaning and howling in horrifying anxiousness at what is to come.

 

We must be ready.

the second day

"The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again.' And his disciples heard him say it.

"On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, 'Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’

"The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city."

As we continue to trace the footsteps of Christ during this Holy Week, let us reflect on the magnanimous build up to the triumphant day of Easter. Let our faith in Christ never be like the barren fig tree. We are easily susceptible to spiritual bareness throughout Lent because the journey is hard. It is all to easy to give up and fail to produce any fruit for the sake of egos and worldly convenience. We must continue to push through and strive to empty ourselves to make room for Christ and the life-restoring power of Easter. 

BE FRUITFUL.

 

THINK FIG.

so it begins

Lent is in its death throes. We have reached the pinnacle of our liturgical year - Holy Week.

If Lent has been hard - good. It should be. For nearly forty days now, we have sought to surrender to the self, our egos, and our wants. Our rallying cry has been, 'Not I, but CHRIST.' And on this Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, the palms have been laid out upon the road in front of us, helping to guide our final pathway down the most poignant stretch of our Lenten journey.

"As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, and said to them, 'Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' you say, 'The Lord has need of it'; and immediately he will send it back here.' They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it. Some of the bystanders were saying to them, 'What are you doing, untying the colt?' They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission. They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:

Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!

 

Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late."

 

The Triumphal Entry is a brief reprieve from the hardships of Lent and the impending darkness of the week ahead. Not only do we now get the selfless sacrifices of Lent that we are carrying but now, beginning with Palm Sunday, we are called to empty ourselves even more to be completely ready to experience Easter in all its glory, power, and awesomeness. Why? Because Paul says so: "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!"

 

So if you think you can't empty yourself out any more this Lent, if you think the festivities give you pause to re-indulge in your pre-Lenten ways, if you think that you'll have nothing left of yourself if you empty one single drop more - forget it all and push to Easter. Jesus Christ, the God of the Universe, stands ready in front of an open tomb to grab you up and fill your empty self up with His love. Our Lenten journey begins with solemnity. Our Holy Week begins with joy and happiness - but yet, we know what will transpire between Sunday and Friday. We press on in the beginning of this final stretch to Easter on fumes. But we end being filled with life.

 

Never be so happy to be so close to an empty gas tank as during Holy Week.

palm sunday burnt

Hopefully, by this point, we are fashioning ourselves as a Lenten people who resemble humble and contrite Dr. Jekylls instead of the woe-is-me, look-at-me Lenten Mr. Hydes. As we carry on in Lent, laying the groundwork for what not to do is important. It's almost more important that focusing on what to do properly. Why? Because in our fallen nature, isn't it always so much the easier for us to fall into temptations and inflate our egos than it is to abstain from temptations and step away from the lime-light? Of course it is. That's why we as Lenten people must identify potential pitfalls that await us in the shadows to hamper our Lenten observances at the beginning. Then we will have adequate armour to see us through the next forty days.

We must fight against laziness. We must dive into Lent because it is what God calls us to do. Not because our priest, preacher, or reverend has it on the calendar and everyone who is everyone will be at that nice, comfortably heated sanctuary service, but because we need Christ at our center. And if we come in just to get the black on our foreheads and quietly shuffle out the backdoor without taking part in the Eucharist, we are kidding ourselves. Again, from Father Larry Richards, " 'Can I just come and get ashes, I don’t want to go through Mass?' And I said, 'Are you out of your mind? You... haven’t a clue - 'Can I have the ashes?' Shut up! Here is the God of the Universe who is going to give us His life and some people say, 'can I just get ashes?'. If you want ashes, go outside and get dirt and put it on and look good. That is all it is. Ashes are nothing, you do realize that. They are nothing. They are Palm Sunday burnt. They don’t tell you anything, they don’t do anything for you, they just give you a nice black mark on your face. That is it. But God, the God of the Universe, is here at this Mass, and He will give us His own Body and Blood. 'Well, can I just have ashes?' Whoever even thought that has not a clue who Christ is. Sorry."

Strong words, but we are men of faith. Men of God. We have to do more than just pay lip service to the man from Galilee we claim to follow. Claiming the name in speech is not enough, we prove our love and devotion to Him by nothing short of intense action. Lent is an indisputable playing field for our actions to take birth and grow. We must use it. We must show Christ through Lent - and not by proclaiming and boasting, but by our own inward discipline, contrite hearts, and worldly sacrifices for heavenly minded gains. For as we are inwardly disciplined, our light will shine out into the world without us having to speak a word.

jekyll and hyde

 ^"Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting....But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."

Fasting is, without a doubt, one of the most rigorous physical spiritual disciplines one can seek to undertake. Denying the body of essential food stuffs can be a slippery slope for sure. But when done responsibly and spiritually-minded, it will produce the greatest rewards. But what dangers do we who fast during this holy season of Lent put ourselves up against? The line between the humble and the hypocrites in the synagogue is an easy one to cross - and sadly, some have the propensity to cross onto the negative side than stay on the positive. It can become a case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

For those who are unfamiliar with fasting, they see it as ridiculous. How could someone consciously give up food for a whole day? It's unheard of! How could someone seek to give up food for a week? It's absurd! Eating only on Sundays? You must be insane! Even those who practice sun-up, sun-down fasts during Lent are looked at almost as lepers in today's predominantly secular-minded world. They view the discipline as an essential loss to what it means to live in a McWorld's America where food is climaxed at a near demigod status. But what the world sees as an essential loss is our essential gain.

Fasting is anything but a loss - it is one of the truest gains of deep spirituality possible. And it's not about the food - never has been. It's about spiritual self-control and discipline. It is saying to the natural and worldly desires of the flesh that they no longer define us but that we, through Christ, define them. When we hunger during a fast, it is the conscious decision to switch our pangs of hunger away from the satisfaction of a Big Mac to the satisfaction of hungering for God and nestling deeper into his bonds of love and understanding. We transform our hunger for worldly food into a hunger for spiritual food - more precisely, a deeper and more focused dependence on God and not in our physicals needs and desires.

Easier said than done, of course and that's where Mr. Hyde waits, ready to strike from the shadows. Most who attempt the fast and fail do so because they are in it for the wrong reasons. They do it to be different, to stand out, to entice the outside world at their holiness and piety. They are doomed from the start. The renowned Father Larry Richards address their missteps head on. His words speak to those who attempt to fast as Mr. Hydes instead of Dr. Jekylls, and it is a true warning: "I can’t take the Lenten people. I can’t take people who are always focused on Lent - always focused on suffering. Always focused on, ‘I have to deny myself.’ I just can’t take it. Why? Because we are focusing on me. What I give up, how I need to suffer, how I need redemption, how I need to have peace, me, me, me, me, me. How I need mercy without giving it to anybody else....You can’t receive mercy unless you are willing to give it. So if Lent was supposed to truly be real, then instead of just receiving...you give it. That is what Easter focuses us on. That Jesus went through the suffering. He had to go through it. So do we. But now we went through the suffering, not for ourselves (Jesus didn’t go through the suffering for Himself), He went through it for us. So we go through Lent not for ourselves, we go through Lent for others."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the difference.

dies cinerum

After a hiatus that has been without question too long, there seems to be no better moment to press on once more in this writing journey.

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Today is Ash Wednesday, Dies Cinerum - the day of ashes. It is a day that also has the potential for embarrassment, judgment, and ridicule. But we are men. We must rise above it.

What does this mean: embarrassment, judgment, and ridicule? Perhaps at no other point in our journey through the liturgical calendar year do we face these obstacles so seemingly head on. From Christmas to Easter and most all beautiful feast days and celebrations, we go about excited, happy, and very "normal" in our everyday lives. No one gives us a second look - not a second thought. We wear those infamous Christmas sweaters during the holiday season and choose a brand new outfit to debut on the morning of Easter Sunday for the whole congregation to gaze upon and marvel at.

Today, should you carry the mark of Ash Wednesday for the duration, obstacles are bound to loom. Forget the second glances - they are replaced with third, fourth, fifth, to ad nauseum glances and second thoughts become outright questions or ridicule. Paul's words, "...for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus," ring louder today than at any other moment. For when we choose to keep those ashes in plain view on our foreheads, we make the outward commitment to show Christ to the masses.

It is a massive tool.

                                      Be ready for massive repercussions.

We must meet the potential repercussions head on and, as Peter implores us, "Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are." Less than six full hours since the imposition of the ashes, I have been mocked, gawked at, laughed at, and even cursed at. This is what we face should we take this leap of faith. Yet through it all, there is good - when the burden of ridicule seems to much to carry and a wetnap across the forehead looks as good as lemonade on a hot summer's day - you get a thumb's up, a hug, or a "Where did you get your ashes today?" When we choose to carry a physical and very visible mark of Christ on our body for one day, even in the most desolate moments, we can find reprieve through our faith and the faith of others.

There is no doubt that Ash Wednesday has the potential to be tough. Self-examination and repentance by prayer, fasting, and self-denial is no cake walk. Lent is meant to be hard and our choice to display the ashes shows the world an visible sign of our invisible imperfections. Lent is a beautiful paradox - troubling yet eternally satisfying. And, as Christ was tempted for forty days, so we also face off against our damnable egos, self-interests, and, at times, overwhelming temptations. Is it possible we will stumble? Yes. But if we take no risk and never step out of our comfort zone, there will be no result and no spiritual rewards or growth. If we choose not drive headlong into this Lenten season then Holy Week and Easter looses its full power and holiness. Our denial of this world for forty days is His gain. In our denial, we find joy - the joy that is promised us in John's gospel. So today we take the ashes and we will be called on that decision at some point today. Do we respond to the negatives and the questioning with joy or as frustrated and defensive constipated Christians. The choice is yours.

Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.

the arrival

PICTURES TO FOLLOW SOON

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Sleep came fast and waking  up came either earlier as church services started at 7am. With coffee and water on hand, we entered the church directly beside the rectory and school. The service was amazingly formal and happily had many of the doctrinal similarities of a very high Episcopal church. The service was not only amazing but the people were open, friendly, and received us with open arms when we were recognized before the whole congregation.


After brunch we loaded the truck up once more, said "orevwa" to Hinche and started down the treacherous road to Cerca-la-Source. If the road was paved, we would have easily covered the distance up to the gates of the school in probably less than thirty minutes. It took us nearly three hours. The route was horrible, scary, and unlike anything I have ever experienced. But on entering the gates, the staff and children made us feel not only welcome but like old friends and we quickly forgot about our aching backs and stress. The school and community opened themselves up to us and made us welcome, safe, and secure. Immediately upon getting there, barely having any time to even set up our "rooms" (which were truly high tin ceiling rooms with concrete floors and walls that also doubled as the children's classrooms) we were needed outside in the common area where Father Walin was getting ready to begin his 5pm church service. With quickly clouding skies it only took a handful of minutes for the sprinkles to turn into quick a steady rain and only a huge blue tarp with some random holes through in protected the huddled congregation underneath. They sat in the long bench-like desks of the students at the school and had most of the entire liturgy and hymns memorized because a Book of Common Prayer was beyond a rarity. This service, much longer than the one in Hinche, lasted two hours but I could have stayed glued to my chair and listened to their marvelous acapella singing forever.


After the Eucharist and our introduction to the churchgoers and community members there, we spent the rest of the evening getting our sleeping areas (which made the rectory in Hinche look like the Ritz), visiting more with the children and staff led by a delightfully wonderful gentleman named Wozne Belo, eating a delicious meal and just trying to relax. For all the fun we had had already that day, a bitterly uncomfortable sleep ensued with not much at all separating our backs from rock hard concrete floors and no fans. A huge wind storm blew through that whipped the even larger tarp around and slammed it with frighting voraciousness down upon the edges of the tin roof creating what sounded like cannons firing right outside. Donkeys brayed, dogs snarled, fought, and whined, the horses neighed throughout the night, and the voices of men and the engines of mopeds and their honking horns were constants. Then roosters seem to be intent upon waking us up starting at 4am and did not abate it their chorus after that. Luckily (if there be luck in this) the heat - or lack thereof - would prove much kinder than we would have ever expected in this place.