Pastor s Column: Benefiting from Lent
By STANLEY BOHN
First Mennonite Church
Lent is a time to take stock, check our map, note the big hourglass in the sky, and see if our life is headed where we want it to be headed. Churches that observe the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, Feb. 9, put this "check up time" of Lent in stark jolting language.
They mark a cross of ash dust on the forehead of worshippers while the minister often uses the solemn words we say at the graveside, "Dust we are and to dust we return." This way of beginning Lent tells us vividly that we are mortal and we should remember that we don't have forever.
But this time to reflect on our life and its purpose is beneficial. The six weeks of Lent is a good time to see our activities and our life the way God does. If anyone needs ideas on how to benefit from Lent, here are some "6 x 6" suggestions that might trigger your own way to use Lent for your good.
1. "Journaling" is a fancy name for writing down a conversation with God. If we dropped watching TV news once a week during Lent, we would have time to write one conversation with God a week for six weeks.
For many, journaling reduces stress. It often surprises us to read the thoughts that come out on paper when we try to explain our lives to God. The six writings could put in writing how we live our convictions. Until we see them on paper, we may be unaware exactly what they are.
2. We could make a list of six people with whom it would be good to be in contact. Each week, we would listen to God about one of them, appreciate who they are and what they do, and then get in touch with one of them — by mail, phone, e-mail, nursing home visit, meeting for coffee, or whatever. If we listen for God's view of them before we make contact, we won't visit them out of pity, but out of respect for who they are. Conversations with others teach us much about ourselves.
3. We could make a list of six causes, programs, or agencies that help make this world better. We could then make one financial donation to one of the six each week accompanied by a supportive letter or visit. That might teach us about the trust in God required for sharing wealth. We might even meet God in the people we see in such visits.
4. We could open a Bible to the Psalms and find six of them that interest us or speak to us. Schedule one psalm to ponder and think about each week until Easter. Some of those Psalmists seem to be continually observing Lent.
5. What bothers us? What injustices should be ended? We could put it in a letter and write six people who might help get change. We could write our two U.S. senators, our U.S. representative, the president, a newspaper editor, or whoever relates to our concern. For six weeks, at one letter per week, we could be an advocate for those whose voice isn't heard. It is a good way to experience that we are part of the human family and what hurts one hurts us all.
6. For health reasons or spiritual reasons we could skip six meals, one per week for six weeks. Not planning, preparing, and doing dishes afterward could free up time to do nothing, to sneak in a little "Sabbath" in the middle of the week. Both food reduction and "Sabbath time" could be a boost to our health.
You could make a "6 x 6" list that better fits you, listing six ways to profit from the six weeks of Lent. We need Lent's reminder that we are mortal and we don't have forever to do important things — things that affect our hearts and souls in the years we have been given.
