New Lenten Blog...Kind Of

I'm doing something different with our youth group this year during Lent. Instead of handing out costly paper devotionals I'm jumping on the trendy-train and doing a daily Lenten blog for my students. Maybe they won't read it (like the devotionals I handed out last year) but I thought I might as well try.

Unfortunately this idea just struck me the other day so I didn't develop a long-term plan for a direction of this blog and as such the blog will likely change, grow, and develop throughout the Lenten season - especially as I receive feedback from my students. My initial plan is to poach information from the Asbury Readers that I edited while I was in seminary and add in some of my own thoughts for clarity. I also plan to explore various topics that come up that need some explanation so it might not be as systematic and ordered as I like. I guess we'll see how it goes. But you can bank on the fact that there will be a lot of scripture and quotes from the saints!

Since I'll be focusing a lot on that for the next 40+ days my posting on this blog might be a bit more sparse than it normally would be during the Lenten season (even though I just returned after a busy season at work). I may cross-post a few things but I'll try to keep that to a minimum. Fear not, I will return and I will eventually post the thoughts I've promised (*cough* filioque *cough*).

If you'd like to follow along with this feel free. The only thing that I ask is that if you read along over there try not to get into a theological discussion in the comments. Feel free to comment a bit since it might help the students feel free to engage but I don't want to scare my students away. =) If you have comments or questions email me or comment over here. My students are smart, but they're still learning the faith (as we all are). I'm trying to challenged them as much as I can without completely overwhelming all of them and it is very hard to try to write for students in grades 6-12 all at the same time.

The address is: http://saintlukeyouth.wordpress.com

May we all see Christ more clearly this Lenten season!

- Ben

Lenten Quote

I just read this quote from St. John Chrysostom in a book I'm using for Lent and I thought I'd share it. I know it's not Lent yet, but this starts earlier than Ash Wednesday.

When the fast begins, let us get ready and polish our spiritual weapons; as cultivators, let us sharpen our sickles; as sailors, let us order our thoughts against the waves of extravagant desires; as travelers, let us set out on the journey towards heave; and as wrestlers let us strip for the contest. For the Christian is at the same time a solider, a sailor, a plower and a wrestler. St. Paul states, 'We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of evil. Put on therefore the whole armor of God.'

Put on the spiritual armor, and become a soldier. Strip yourself of worldly cares, for the season of Lent is one of wrestling. Cultivate your soul. Cut away the thorns of evil. Sow the word of godliness. Subdue the body, and bring it into subjection. Keep down the waves of evil desires. Repel the tempest of evil thoughts.

- St. John Chrysostom.

Let us keep these wise words from St. Chrysostom dear to our hearts as we approach this most holy season.

By the Waters of Babylon

Lent, my favorite time of the year, is quickly approaching. I think I love the season of Lent so much because it places my sin, my weakness, my mortality, and my deep need for God at the forefront of my mind. The fasting inconveniences my life and challenges me to think of God at every turn and helps the increased devotional reading pierce my soul in ways it normally wouldn't.

I really do love Lent because it prepares me for Easter and helps me to clearly see my God. I think there may be no greater travesty among Protestants than the slow removal of Lent from our calendars.

During seminary while I attended St. Athanasius Orthodox Church I heard one of the most wonderfully piercing Lenten hymns I've ever experienced. This hymn brings me to tears every time I hear it because it reminds me of deep ravine that separates who I am from what I am called to become by the grace of God. I was reminded about this hymn today on an Orthodox blog that I often read - Glory to God for All Things. This is the blog of Fr. Stephen Freeman and it is a wonderful wealth of wisdom and spirituality.

The hymn that I'm talking about is "By the Waters of Babylon" and is based on Psalm 137. Here is are a few of the lyrics re-posted from Fr. Stephen's post (here).

By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Alleluia.
We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. Alleluia.
For there they that had taken us captive required of us a song;
and they that had carried us away required of us a hymn, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. Alleluia.
How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? Alleluia.
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten. Alleluia.
If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem as my chief joy. Alleluia.

How does this Psalm bespeak of Lent? It tells of the exile of Jerusalem and how they chose to worship God even when they were separated and driven from the true place they belonged. It reminds us of our condition that we meditate strongly on during Lent - that we too are exiled. We must keep our hope, we must continue to sing the Lord's song even in this strange land.

So let us prepare ourselves for this Lenten journey. Let us ready ourselves that we might truly embrace the fast and let us sing the Lord's song even as we remember our sin, our mortality, and our exile from Eden.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

- Ben

If you're interested there is a great Lenten "pastoral note" by Fr. Justin Paterson at the top of the St. Athanasius web-page (here). You can also scroll down if you are interested in learning more about Eastern Christian fasting practices during Lent.

The Feast of Transfiguration

I think this marks the end to one of my longer absences from this blog. It's been over two months since my last post and while I've intended to come back multiple times before now I have been consumed by a plethora of other things. While I'm not promising I'll be back in full-swing yet, I will try to post more regularly and try to finish up the series on the Filioque as well as post some other thoughts that have been brewing for quite a while.

What brings me here today is just a quick question that I really don't have time to answer but thought that some of you (if any readers still exist) may have more insight than I into this issue.

February 14 is the last Sunday before Lent this year and it is marked (as always) in the Methodist (Protestant?) lectionary as Transfiguration Sunday. My question is why and when did Transfiguration Sunday change dates in the Liturgical Year?

For the Orthodox Transfiguration Sunday is celebrated on August 6

For Catholics it is celebrated on August 6

For Anglicans it is celebrated on August 6 (according to the Book of Common Prayer )

This issue first raised its head last year when I was preparing to preach according to the Lectionary in one of our services on Transfiguration Sunday. At that time I noticed that the UM lectionary was different than the other lectionaries I was familiar with. This year as we approach lent I began to wonder about this issue again.

Why the change in the lectionary?

Why the change for such an important feast day of the church? Was it theological? Was it practical?

If any of you have any insights so my curiosity can be satiated I would be very appreciative. Like I said, I don't have a lot of time to dedicate to this now so I thought I'd just toss it out there.

- Ben