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Copyright 2006 Rev. Amy B. Freedman Lent: Voluntary Surrender Growing up Unitarian Universalist, honoring the world's religions is
important to me. However, I must admit that I have some blind spots especially
in regard to Christian traditions that are not a part of my church experience.
There is one particular incident that my best friend in high school will
never let me forget especially now that I am a minister. As you know, high school can be a brutal place when it comes to dress and appearance. This was particularly true at Noble and Greenough, the prep school I attended in Dedham, Massachusetts. So one morning in greeting my friend Meredith, I rushed to her aid by quickly wiping her face saying, "Meredith, you've got some schmutz on your forehead!" Meredith's ready smile faded into disbelief. As she explained to me, it was Ash Wednesday and she had gone to Mass before school for the express purpose of receiving ashes to begin the season of Lent. Of course, I was very embarrassed to have wiped away the symbol of my friend's religious observance and although my mind raced to fix it, I could not put back the ashes I had wiped away. Even though our friendship has endured, I will never live down that moment, Meredith won't let me. The reality is at the time I was only vaguely familiar with the traditions of Ash Wednesday and Lent. Easter Sunday was one of the most highly attended services at my home church. Since Unitarian Universalists do not believe in the Resurrection of Christ, our Easter service focused more on the renewal of spring. We sang many of the joyful hymns associated with the holiday only with new lyrics celebrating the rising of green blades of grass and the blossoming of flowers instead of the rising of Jesus Christ. Those of you with a Catholic background may be very familiar with Lenten practices. Perhaps in the past you gave up something for Lent, the forty days leading up to Easter like sweets or meat or coffee or alcohol. Perhaps you made a promise to add something to your life. My mother who grew up Catholic remembers one year in observance of Lent going to Mass every morning before school. My grandmother made a commitment to saying the rosary each night during Lent. Are we as Unitarian Universalists missing something by skipping over Lent to celebrate Easter? First of all, it is not only Unitarian Universalists who generally do not observe Lent. Since the Radical Reformation period of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, many Protestant denominations objected to the practices of the Roman Catholic Church that "the rules of Lent had more to do with obeying Rome than obeying the Gospel. " Reformers also objected that fasting should not be viewed as a simple way to "cancel out sin and win points toward salvation". Wearing ashes is a practice that actually predates Christianity. In the Hebrew Scriptures, Job is portrayed as repenting in "dust and ashes". On Ash Wednesday, priests in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some other churches anoint parishioners with ashes. The priest marks the parishioner's forehead saying, "Remember now that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." This ritual is a reminder both of mortality and humility. Ultimately, our bodies will return to the earth. No matter what our station in life, each person is vulnerable and small in the grand scheme of Creation. For many Christians, the forty days leading up to Easter is a time to prepare for the celebration of Christ's resurrection. For the believing Christian, Christ brings new life in this existence and beyond. On this first Sunday of Lent, we join with many other churches in reading a passage from Christian Scriptures that has been upheld for centuries as the key spiritual lesson of this season from the Gospel of Luke. Similar passages are also found in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew. After Jesus has been baptized by John the Baptist, he wanders into the desert for forty days of solitude and spiritual reflection. As it is written, "He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished." Fasting is often viewed as a way to become closer to God and spiritual revelation. This biblical story is a lesson about Temptation and also Jesus preparing himself for public ministry. After forty days of fasting in the desert, the devil tempts Jesus three times and each time Jesus responds with a passage from the Hebrew Scriptures proving that he understands the way of the Messiah. First, the devil appeals to Jesus' basic needs by telling him to turn stones into bread. Of course, that must have been a tempting proposition since Jesus was not just hungry but "famished". However, Jesus responds, "One does not live on bread alone." The second temptation appeals to Jesus' desire for power and authority. In an instant, the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus could rule all the land he surveys, if agrees to worship the devil. Jesus responds, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him." Third the devil tempts Jesus to prove his identity. It's the classic
bully trick of saying, "Oh yeah, if you are so great, prove it!"
The devil takes him up to the top of the Temple in Jerusalem. While they
are standing on the pinnacle, the devil dares Jesus to jump by quoting
the Hebrew Scriptures saying, "If you are really the Son of God,
surely the angels will catch you before you touch the ground!" Jesus
responds, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." The Serendipity Bible poses a question that is worthwhile for each of
us to consider, "If the devil had three shots at you, what three
temptations would he use?" Whether or not we believe in the devil
as the personification of evil, the reality is that each one of us struggles.
No matter how calm and together our outward appearance may be, each one
of us battles with anxiety, conflict, and guilt. Whether or not we admit
it to others or even ourselves, there have been times when we have misused
our personal powers. Even though it is impossible, I long to escape these struggles. Even though it is beyond my control, I would like to save people from suffering. I want to hold on to loved ones who are dying or who have already passed away. I wish to control the outcomes of life's most difficult challenges. These conflicts are a part of human existence. No matter how much we may try to push away these longings, anxiety, and despair, each one of us is mortal and small in the grand scheme of creation. The things that distract us from this fact are the very things that tempt us away from living up to our ideals. Temptations can become addictions that overshadow our ability to care for others and ourselves in a balanced way. Addictions such as overeating, alcohol abuse, drugs, pornography, gambling, and overwork. Each temptation has its appeal and its price. In this context, I invite you to consider giving up something or adding something for Lent, the days leading up to Easter. Only you know what food you love best. Coffee, sweets, snack food, meat, or alcohol are common choices. None of those are inherently evil, but by choosing not to consume them for a set period, you are practicing some discipline and becoming more conscious of your personal habits and longings. Personally, I have given up sweets and suddenly the pastries at Panera
have never looked tastier. At the end of a time without sugar, a chocolate
Easter bunny will certainly taste sweet. After all, that is the reason
behind special Easter candy in celebration of the joy of the season after
a more solemn period of going without treats. I have made a commitment to a half an hour of spiritual practice daily. Some of you are thinking, "Sure, Amy, that's easy enough for you. After all, you're a minister. It is your job to be spiritual!" Just like some health care professionals who struggle to take care of their personal well being, clergy can sometimes find it difficult to practice what we preach. Although I often pray on behalf of others, I struggle to find the time for a regular spiritual practice in my often hectic days in service to others. This is a voluntary commitment. I chose to give up sweets and engage in spiritual practice because I want to be more disciplined in my living. I do not believe that I am winning points to guarantee my entrance into heaven but I am convinced that the more mindful I am in my daily life, the more capable I become in creating the kingdom of heaven on earth that Jesus proclaimed. Listen again to the words of T.S. Eliot: Temptation surrounds us! Advertising is a whole industry that appeals to our basic needs, our desire for power and authority, and our yearning for recognition. It takes discipline and commitment to resist. Instead of feeding our impulses, much more can be gained from the practice of waiting, for those things we most long for may not be the best for us or may be beyond our control. In order for us to truly experience the joys and wonders of life, we
cannot skip over the struggles that make us human. "Remember now
that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Let us have courage
to acknowledge our shortcomings and as we encounter our limitations- not
hope for or love the wrong thing. The one person that I have the power
to change is myself. Only when I face my failings, struggles, vices, despair,
and longings will I be able to transform them. |