What did you give up for Lent?
Well it’s Ash Wednesday.
I didn’t go to church to get ashes.
Last year in my beloved community, we did a transitional ritual in virtual church where we burned a candle/or obtained the ashes or the soot from the Palm from Palm Sunday.
Revising rituals as needed. I had some saved from the last time I had a palm frond and we anointed ourselves with the reminder we would indeed return to the dust or the earth from whence we came. How fragile is the body and how everlasting is the Spirit and memories when we keep them alive.
The Lent of my youth is gone. Thankfully I am no longer young and enjoying aging tremendouly most days. I will use this time wisely for focus and experiencing grace and miracles in every day life notwithstanding the 24 hour news and alert feed.
I will rejoice in what gives me pleasure daily, even hourly and I will begin each day with gratitude… though at times what I am grateful for may best be known as speculative fiction by someone else with a decidedly different world view.
In the past my public Lenten practice seems quaint and even a bit mundane. I needed something concrete to give up! Tick the box, one and done. Next! Count the days down! Keep it simple! Change your behavior, tell someone and be held accountable. Give up dairy, give up buying books, and affirming a practice of expressing gratitude.
On a daily basis instead of just making a gratitude list, I would take the extra step of writing a thank you note. Whether they are living or dead, I would acknowledge someone who indeed inspired me to be a better version of me.
As I enter this 2023 LENTEN season… I feel the shift to make the best use of my 40 days to Resurrection…Renewal… RESTORATION. something eases to make way for something new however subtle. My liturgical calendar evolves so I get try new ways of being.
I won’t die and the world won’t stop spinning if I do things differently for a while and see how it goes. One of my favorite parts of the Easter story is the women went to the grave site and told folks the tomb was empty.
An ancient Lenten practice leading me to the spot where I can truly see the signs of wonder ever present as Grace in my life. Truly be detached with love from the outcome. Pray for wisdom and the heightened senses to enjoy being the joyful weird ELDER I wish to be…without thinking I know what’s best for people or even remotely thinking I know what they should do.
Time to reflect on my path
Time to practice getting the skills I need to be a good listener.
I am officially entering the Holy Witness training program designed to protect my children, grandchildren, and casual strangers from me telling them what I think they should do or really having much of an opinion about anything until they ask or even if they do ask. I can just be in open hearted listening and watching mode for 40 whole days.
I could seriously practice my faith in full confidence of letting go of my death grip in controlling every thing and assuming I knew best and I had the right answers if only someone would listen and see it my way.
If I truly wanted to test the belief that the answers to all your questions are within you. That theology would require a new level of quiet and a skill set I associated with neglect or not caring.
What a Lenten Devotional practice that would be for my next 40 days! Literally no sack cloth and ashes required. I am so not needed as the vending machine of sage advice.
Is it really possible that you don’t want or even need the most gentle reminders from me or even my encouragement in that regard? At first thought, it felt like I was abdicating my throne.
Just listen and be there and be still? A non-celestial living witness in the room, on the phone, no judgment or opinion required. That’s all?
As an Official Weird Elder, this Lent may be my personal best in perfect right relationship with the God of my understanding, I give myself full permission to be and do whatever I please. That leaves a whole lot wide open while allowing me laser focus on my relationship with God and what exactly is it that I might be tending to if I wasn’t worrying about what you should be doing and telling you.
This Lenten practice promises me the dual double benefits of peace beyond all understanding and the glory that can only come with praise for the job well done tending to my piece in my garden that only I am called to do.
Wish me Grace and a bit of luck.
NOTES
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/olli/class-materials/The_Growing_Edge.pdf
