Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

810.0. "Lent?? Already??" by CSC32::J_CHRISTIE (On loan from God) Sun Dec 26 1993 15:42

    I've been asked to compose an entry for my church's 1994 Lenten
    devotional guide booklet based on John 13.1-20.  The finished
    result must be turned in by January 4th.  The Meditation portion
    must be a *maximum* of 125 words.
    
    I'm entering it here for your edification, comments and criticisms
    (in other words, the usual ;-}).
    
    Shalom,
    Richard
    
Christ Calls Us to Servanthood
==============================

Scripture:  John 13.1-20

Line or phrase: (John 13.15) "I have set an example for you, so that you
will do just what I have done for you."


Consider this from a collection of writings of 3rd century Egyptian monks:

"A brother asked a certain old man, saying, 'There be two brothers, and
one of them is quiet in his cell and prolongs his fast for 6 days and
lays much travail upon himself, but the other tends the sick.  Whose
work is more acceptable to God?'  And the old man answered, 'If that
brother who carries his fast for 6 days were to hang himself up by the
nostrils, he could not equal the other, who does service to the sick.'" *

It is no small irony that one of the highest callings is to serve others
in lowliness -- to serve without glamour, prestige, or promise of earthly
reward.  To fully imitate Christ, such unelevating work must not be avoided,
but embraced as ultimately glorifying God and revealing something of God's
true nature.

Prayer:  Gracious Sovereign, lead me into the ministry of the washbowl and
towel, into ways of serving in benevolent humility.  Let me not be too proud
or too afraid to stoop to doing the menial for the benefit of others.  Let me
become more like you.  Amen.

* _The MacMillan Book of Earliest Christian Writings_, edited by
   F. Forrester Church and Terrence J. Mulry.

Hi Richard,

I like it.  Too often I think we see Lent as a time to give things up.  That's 
not entirely bad, especially if it is something of a bad habit for ourselves.
It's also often a time to create additional suffering for ourselves, perhaps 
in an effort to equalizing the suffering of people, as the fasting brother 
illustrates.

Much overlooked I think is using Lent as a time to nuture good habits.  
Instead of increasing one's own suffering, go and reduce another's suffering, 
as the second brother does.

Peace,

Jim

    .1 Thanks, Jim.
    
    Peace,
    Richard
    

Thank you, Debby, for entering the Lenten meditations here in topic 862.

Of the Lenten meditations written by the members and friends of my
church, .0 of this string is today's (February 21).  I think this was
a delightful idea.  Some of the meditations were composed by people as
young as kindergarteners!

Shalom,
Richard