Lent begins today. I’d like to send you short meditations each day through Lent and the first week of Easter. They will be based on scripture texts used on that day in Roman Catholic churches and other churches throughout the world.
If your email life is full enough, please just let me know and I’ll take you off the mailing list. The devotions are also available and archived each day on the internet at the following web addresses:
http://www.christiancounselingservice.com/devotions
Today’s readings: Click on today’s date at http://www.usccb.org/bible/
Cozy with the ashes on
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Ash Wednesday
Matthew 6:6
Jesus said, “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”
Curled up in my closet, under the clothes, covered by my blankee, whispering to Jesus, I feel safe now. No roaring lions outside, or even frightening parents, but I still feel safer here alone, just with Jesus, saying secret things.
Jesus talks to me in secret too. And we are one in the Spirit. One in the Lord. We are keeping these secrets together.
How much better this, than to fill the air with words signifying … nothing. Go to your inner room. Shut the door. Close your eyes. Curl up and pray to your Father.
The words aren’t important. Being present is what’s important. God’s presence isn’t a problem, but mine is tenuous at best.
Frozen and hard like iron outside. The air is rough on my lungs. The air is thin. The ground crunches and breaks under my shoes. There is no place to hide from the cold. The birds aren’t singing, except a crow laughing at me under his breath. Where is your god now, David? Caw, caw.
This is Ash Wednesday. Little big man might have said, this is a good day to die. Jesus says, this is a good day to go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
So that’s I’m going to do.
Oh Lord, hear my prayers. And let me listen to your breathing too, in my ear, inside my mind, inside me. Let your wholeness make me whole on this first day of the rest of my life.
http://www.christiancounselingservice.com/archived_devotions.php?article_id=1332
