Glen Avon Presbyterian Church

Be Still and Know that I am God…..

Welcome to Lent ! It’s a season in the life of the church when we are to set aside moments during our week to reflect creatively on our inner walk with God. Barbara Brown Taylor, author and pastor, calls this season the ‘greening of the human soul’. By this she hopes to suggest that instead of this being a burdensome mournful journey we are to see it as an opportunity to ‘prune with repentance, fertilize with fasting, spritz with self-appraisal, and mulch with prayer’. Maybe punishment and giving up chocolate are not things we want to build into our Lenten walk. How about seeing it as the spring of the soul?

For Jesus the journey involved time in the wilderness where he found himself framing his mission and work. It would be about the Bread that would feed deep within. Magic and show would not define this Messiah. No, instead he would choose servant hood to the Lost Ones of Israel, and a way of peace through the giving of his life.

Barbara Brown Taylor suggests… ‘the wilderness is still one of the most reality-based, spirit filled, life-changing places a person can be.’ Led by the Spirit and full of the Holy Spirit, Jesus entered the wilderness thrived and became grounded in his call and identity. Just imagine what our rich experience might be if we were to risk a step into the wilderness. A journey to the ‘greening within’ that these Lenten days offer?

Let’s consider a day with a bit less distraction? T.V. and music set aside for a moment of quiet. Could we risk putting the cell phone down, taking a step away from Face Book or LinkedIn and use the moments to pray? What of a walk with yourself to talk and walk with our Creator?

The days of Lent are few and quickly Easter will be upon us. Together, shall we taste of the Bread that satisfies deep, deep within? The Holy Spirit promises to meet us .We are not alone in this springing-of–the soul. Let’s give it up and discover a whole new level of conversation with ourselves and our Maker.

Pastor Robyn