Hello, Friends!
       Throughout the season of Lent you'll find in this space some  reflections on intentional spiritual practice, and some suggestions  for focused prayer and meditation.  Last week our emphasis was on   making some space, opening to stillness and silence, so as to be more  receptive to Spirit wisdom.   Remember the suggested questions for   framing the day:  upon awakening, asking "How may I learn?" and at  day's end, "How have I learned?"
       Each week we'll add a new dimension to this opening, and   provide a slightly different emphasis.  By Holy Week, we will have   addressed four elemental spiritual disciplines, essential to any  faith journey, but especially relevant to our finding a new,  authentic, and deeper engagement of the Way of the Cross.   You'll   also hear these points of focus reflected in our learning time during  Sunday School, in morning worship, and evening prayer.
       They are, simply stated:   stillness, sacrifice, study, and   service.   While interdependent and certainly not mutually exclusive,   I believe there is value to our narrowing our focus of attention, and  devoting real time and energy to the enterprise of spiritual  growth.   Remember Tex Sample's thoughts on the "craft" of   discipleship?   You may consider these suggestions possible tools,   implements of intentionality, to enhance our practice of the craft.
      "Sacrifice" is not as easy for us to grasp as "stillness"; yet   we cannot overlook the centrality of self-giving to any construct of  what it means to follow Jesus.   Underneath our somewhat superficial   notions of "giving up something for Lent' there is a very deep and  valuable spiritual principle, understood by people of many faiths,  for many centuries.   Unless we become willing to surrender   attachment to things other than God, we cannot be at home in God.   
 Of course God dwells in all things, in all aspects of creation.   But   we humans are prone to unhealthy dependencies and unbalanced  illusions of power and control.   We idolize all the wrong things,   and squander our energy and attention in all the wrong areas.
       In addressing the clergy of our conference on Tuesday, Bishop   Bruce Ough of the Western Ohio Conference cautioned us against  getting caught up in what our churches are "doing", even when we're  doing good, for, he reminded us, "the essence of discipleship is not   accomplishment, but surrender."

       Does this mean that God expects us to give up our jobs, our   relationships, our creature comforts?   Probably not.  But what we   asked to do is to consider the degree to which our thoughts and  energies are preoccupied, distracted, pulled off center, led into  spiritual vacuums of forgetfulness, by "stuff."
       Our elders of many faiths offered sacrificial gifts to the   deities of their understanding--first fruits, animal offerings, even  human sacrifice, in an attempt to appease, mollify, and be connected  to holy power.   We are asked to surrender, to sacrifice, to offer to   God any and everything that we have allowed to take God's place, to  dominate our lives.   Sometimes that means changing our external   behavior--sometimes it's a change of heart, a redirection of  thinking, that needs to be surrendered.
      No one can tell anyone else what another's "idols" are (though   we surely do like behaving as if we can!).   To make contact with   holy guidance for your path, I suggest adding these questions to your  times of quiet, and prayer:
       "What/how am I called to surrender, today?"   and later,  before sleep, spend a few moments with this question:
       "What/how have I surrendered, today?"
      Always, in all things, we can count it all blessed, and thank   God, for whatever nudgings and notions, whatever awareness and  willingness we discover, along the way.   And please remember, while   some parts of the journey must be undertaken in solitude, we don't  have to feel lonely.   We have the love of God, the companionship of   Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.   I hope you'll let me   know, if I can assist or accompany you--and I hope you'll reach out  to others in your circles of trust, for mutual love and support.
       I look forward to letting go, with you, this Sunday, and all   our days to come.
 
 Shalom,