LENT - from "The Complete Library of Christian Worship" Robert E. Webber, ED.

The Christian observance of Lent may have originated as a period of fasting for candidates for baptism at Easter; the period varied in length and could be as short as one of two days.  Mention of a general forty-day period of fasting occurs in the fourth-century Canons of Nicaea, but the Western church did not settle on the present scheme until the seventh century, when the beginnings of Lent was moved back to Ash Wednesday so that Sundays (which could not be fast days) would not be counted in the forty days.  (The Eastern church still spreads the season over eight or nine weeks.)  The association of Lent with Jesus’ forty days of testing in the wilderness (Matt. 4:2; Luke 4:2) is acknowledged by liturgical historians to be an afterthought that did not affect the development of the season.  The name “Lent” comes from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “spring,” the “lengthening” of days with the approach of the vernal equinox.

            Lent offers the opportunity for the observance of certain biblical disciplines.  In Israelite religion, fasting or “humbling the soul” was directed for the Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:27, 29).  It was an act of mourning (Josh 7:6; 1 Sam. 31:13; 2 Sam. 1:12) or penitence (1 Kings 21:27; Joel 1:14) and was also practiced by prophets seeking direction from the Lord in Crisis situations (Moses, Deut. 9:18 and Elijah, 1 Kings 19:8; both forty days). Jesus assumed his followers would occasionally fast (Matt. 6:16-18), though he did not command it, and his disciples did not fast, as did the Pharisees, while he was with them (Luke 5:33-35).  In recent years the liturgical churches have moderated the strict fasting formerly associated with Lent, and evangelical Christians have never consistently observed it.  Fasting as a means of seeking direction from the Lord is often practiced in charismatic churches but not in association with any liturgical season.  Most Protestant communions that observe Lent have done so with emphasis on additional times of worship or special disciples of devotion and on self-denial in order to redirect funs toward worthwhile causes.  While the Christian life-style of self-denial should characterize the walk of the believer throughout the year and not just during one season, the discipline practiced during Lent has particular value in leading the church to a deeper experience of Christ’s passion in preparation for the more joyous experience of Easter.

- From Webber, Robert E. "Lent." The Complete Library of Christian Worship. Vol 1: The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worhsip. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc, 1993. p 200

Meaningful Traditions?

So it's the national "Blog about LENT" day, apparently.  So I must fulfill my role as a blogger.   My wife and I were talking about Lent last night.  Actually, she was talking and I was listening.  Lots of folks are sharing, tweeting, posting, and updating their status on what they're giving up for Lent.  This brought up a lot of questions.  Rather than give a direct opinion, let me share some questions I was thinking about.  I'm sure if you follow my train of thought, a perspective will come out eventually...

• Why do we share what we're giving up for Lent?
• Why do we give anything up for Lent?
• When we end - or break the fast - do we celebrate that we made it through Lent by indulging in what we gave up?  Is it like the end of a marathon?
• Is Lent for Us or for God?
• What is Fat Tuesday all about?  Is it the indulgence before the abstinence?  Is that the point?  Isn't that the opposite of what Lent is really about?
• Have we reduced something intended for spiritual focus to a religious, or even non-religious practice?
• Aren't there many events and practices of Spiritual nature that we've reduced to religiousity, or even a secular replacement?
• Christmas?  Easter?  
• Why are Christian traditions the only ones that continue to be retained as secular versions, and be stripped of their Spiritual intentions and meaning?
• Do Christians add to this watering down of tradition?
• Have churches thrown away liturgy and tradition because it has no meaning, or because those that still practice [Lent] do it for strict religious purposes, and not to grow in their Faith.

Hmmm....OK, you've followed me down this rabbit trail.  I know there are movements and intentional steps by some to brush the dirt and dust off of Ancient practices.  Back when they were designed, they had specific and profound spiritual purposes.  But what have they become?  What have we become because of them?

I read today in Matthew about how the Pharisees ridiculed Jesus and the disciples for not ceremonially washing their hands.
Matt 15:1-2
 ¹Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ²"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" 

It brings us to the same question.  Why do we do what we do?  I think that is the question of the day.  Not what is Lent, or what are you giving up for Lent, but Why do you practice Lent?

I'll probably have to visit this again soon.   For now, I'll let it linger and settle.

All systems go?

Social Mediums (would the plural be Social Media?)
Connecting them and making posting easier.  Is it working?

I'm trying to get twitter, facebook and blogger.com all working together.  We'll see if this post hits all three sites!

NEW TITLE, NEW ATTEMPT

Hi Friends,

If you're reading this, then some how you've found out that I'm jumping on the blogwagon again.   Blogging's a good thing if you can keep it up.  It makes me slow down and thing about what's going on with me.  It forces me to verbalize my thoughts and get them out there.  Hopefully what I write will relate to someone else.  Maybe even someone that stumbles onto this blog.

About the Title:
For the past few years now, an old phrase has begun echoing around me.  "Out of the Overflow"  It stems from two different, yet related scripture themes:
Luke 6:45 says The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.  (It's also in Matthew 12:34).

My hope is that this blog will be an honest representation of what is overflowing from my heart, and that it is pleasing and glorifying to God. 

The other theme is similar, yet a bit different. 

Psalm 119:171 May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees.

Romans 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18b, 19 be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 

I'm reminded of the old VBS song "Oh fill my cup (Fill my cup let it overflow)."

As a worship leader, I grabbed hold of a similar phrase "Worship out of the Overflow."  It comes from the idea that we are to be constantly and continuously filled by the Holy Spirit.  (In the Ephesians passage, the verb "be filled" should really be translated "be being filled." It's a perpetual act.)  Specifically for worship artists, worshiping out of the overflow means that we hopefully have been filled by the Spirit and our overflow is what others are seeing and hearing.  Our expressive worship, our light shined, our fruit produced is that overflow.  We don't have to perform or create enthusiasm and energy.  It is truly not us, but the Holy Spirit oveflowing out of us.

So, taking this thought out of the worship leader context, I really pray that this is how I can live - out of the Overflow.  The reality is, something will always be flowing out, and that will be the reflection of what is filling my heart. 

So this blog is me, overflowing onto your screen, out into the ether that is the internet and blogosphere. 

Sunshine and Lucy

How fresh does it feel when the sun finally comes out after a few days (or weeks) of clouds and grey? I think it feels amazing. I frequently see the sunrise thanks to my dog, Lucy. At first it was the worst way to start the day - grumpy, tired, cold, and getting dragged around my apartment complex by a 50lb 1-year old. But I've come to a new conclusion. 90% of the time, when Lucy and I are taking our stroll, no one else is around. The birds have returned to sing in the arrival of green and spring. I can finally wear sandals outside, even if my feet get wet with the dew. I've begun to look forward to those moments when the sun crests the horizon and shoots through the trees. It's fresh, new every morning.

It has challenged me to make sure that I rise with the Son every day. What an over-used comparison, right? But I've realized that I can either wake up and wait for a shower, a cup of coffee, and noon until I wake up and become affective to the world and for Christ, or I can welcome in the chill of the morning air and be grateful. The same way, I can either trudge through the day and eventually pick up scripture, or mumble a prayer, or listen to some Christian music and eventually be reminded that I'm a child of God. Or I can begin each morning with the Son shooting through the pages of the Bible. I can breathe in the fresh breath of Life as the Holy Spirit infuses me with a purpose. I can walk freely [barefoot even] with God and know that He will always love and cherish me. His compassion is new every morning.

So I'll look forward to the sun. I'll look forward to the dew. I'll look forward to what the Son will do. And I'll still look forward to coffee.

Worship & Sin

Sin and worship are opposites. Sin separates us from God and destroys our relationship with him. Worship connects us with God and renews our relationship with him. Even when we sin against others, we're not honoring God, which means that we're doing the opposite of what He has called us to do. And Grace is the gift that covers our sin and allows us to Worship. It is Grace that lets us enter God's throne room. It is grace that has caused the reunion between Father and child. It is grace that has saved us through Jesus Christ and is sacrifice of mercy. And it is Grace that allows us to return back to our Father when we sin. Not that we should keep on sinning so Grace can increase. But we must keep worshiping and giving honor and glory to the source and giver of that Grace. We must never take for granted the intimate relationship that God wants to have with us. Even when He is just and wrathful, his mercy and grace are still available for us and allow us to repent and return to Him.

The difference between SIN and SING is one G. Let that G be Grace.

It's been forever

Moving is fun, but being done with moving is better.

Looking into podcasting.

I need to utilize this blog.

I think I might.

How many days

How many days can it rain before you lose all resistance to mopiness?

How many soggy steps can you take in the grass before you begin to leave footprints?

How many clouds can you let fly overhead while dodging their shadows?

Laying it all down

The paradoxes of Christian Faith are sometimes easier to accept if you don't try to figure them out.

Surrendering sets you free. What an amazing truth. By giving up control, decisions, problems, desires...you gain a freedom and a peace not found elsewhere.

The human injustice of the Crucifiction is non-existant compared to the divine justice of the Cross. Man's wrath was placed on one Man so that God's wrath would not be placed on all men.

Enough for now. Later.

I'm glad I have Monday's off

Jumping into work on Tuesdays is a bit easier than Mondays in some ways. I don't have horrible headaches on Sunday night. I get that extra rest and mind break. It's good.

But, I also sit down on Tuesdays and think that I've got to sprint to the finish every week. I'm a run hard, rest hard type of guy.

People who take naps for 15 minutes, or 30 minutes...I don't get it. A nap is at least as long as half of a football game. Or maybe a LOTR disc.

The ballance between it all is still being connected with the Spirit. Not completely checking out when I'm "off" and not pushing right past the moments when I'm "on."

hopefully today I can find the inbetween. I don't want merely to get things done. I want to complete the tasks set before me.

OK, off to more working.

TAKE 2 off

The end of a week. Friday is here. Enjoy your first non holiday weekend for a change.

Look Up.
John

Let's See How Long This Lasts

Hello there friends and strangly curious people.

This first post is going to be short. Just like me. Check out my details if you'd like. Basically, a friend started her own blog, and it inspired me to do the same. Sometimes my thoughts will be profound, sometimes they'll be disjointed. Sometimes they won't even be original.

But, I hope this is at least a good procrastination tool.


Look Up.

Chili