Revise our taking - Walter Brueggemann

A Lenten prayer:

You, you giver!

You have given light and life to the world;

You have given freedom from Pharaoh to your people Israel;

You have given your only Son for the sake of the world;

You have given yourself to us;

You have given and forgiven,

and you remember our sins no more.

And we, in response, are takers:

We take eagerly what you give us;

we take from our neighbors near at hand as is acceptable;

we take from our unseen neighbors greedily and acquisitively;

we take from our weak neighbors thoughtlessly;

we take all that we can lay our hands on.

It dawns on us that our taking does not match your giving.

In this Lenten season revise our taking,

that it may be grateful and disciplined,

even as you give in ways generous and overwhelming.

Amen.

I Need Resurrection

In the season of Lent, we confront the sin in our own hearts. From the heinous to the subtle, and the colorful to the plain. Regardless of how we dress and decorate it, at the end of the day it's all sin that took Jesus to the cross. The sin and our lack to overcome it is a symptom of a deeper condition. We find death where we were intended for life. There is a corpse within all of us, yet we know that corpse was intended for greater things.

I identify with Jon Foreman's lyrics in his song, "Resurrect Me":

I’ve become the empty shell, of a man I don’t like so well
I am a living, breathing hell, come on and resurrect me!

I tried to drown the pain with a friend of mine
It didn’t seem to help
She’s got a pretty face with her wedding lace
But I’m still waking up with myself

I’ve become the shell of a man, I can’t begin to even understand
Have I forgotten who I am? Come on and resurrect me!

I read Jesus' words in John 11:25-27 earlier today that connect with this:

"Jesus said to Martha, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?' She said to him, 'Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.'"

The first interesting thing is that Jesus said this to Martha, the "busy" one. The one who could get things done, accomplished, and checked off her list. Jesus slows her down and says, "You need me. Despite all your outward workings and signs of life, I see the Lazarus inside of you, and I want to call him from his grave and free him to dance again." This is so hard for a prideful generation to hear, but just because it's hard doesn't mean it's wrong. I heard a song once say, "the truth is a hard sell, cause it burns out the lies."

Jesus says that He is the resurrection and the life. He knows well our condition, but also has the power to do something about it. So many people can diagnose our shortcomings, even offering short-term solutions, but Jesus knows that the solution is far beyond just a couple tweaks and a change in mindset. We each need resurrection, our corpses need a second birth.

What was Martha's reply? "I believe that you are the Messiah." Today, what would my response be? Do I believe? Do I trust that the resurrection I need is not only found in Jesus, but is Jesus? Is our belief and trust not just in a nice principle, but rather in a Person who wants us to trust him as he leads us from our cold dark graves into green fields bursting with life? Give us eyes to see how dead we are apart from you.

I need resurrection. We need resurrection.

"Lachrimae Amantis" - Geoffrey Hill

What is there in my heart
that you should sue so fiercely for its love?
What kind of care brings you
as though a stranger to my door
through the long night and in the icy dew

seeking the heart that will not harbor you,
that keeps itself religiously secure?
At this dark solstice filled with frost and fire
your passion’s ancient wounds must bleed anew.

So many nights the angel of my house
has fed such urgent comfort through a dream,
whispered “your lord is coming, he is close”

that I have drowsed half-faithful for a time
bathed in pure tones of promise and remorse:
“tomorrow I shall wake to welcome him.”

Quote from D. Maddalena

(In response to David’s question in Psalm 79:5, “How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealous wrath burn like fire?”)

"Easter was the once-for-all-time answer to this question. Jesus took our place on the cross to appease God’s righteous anger. He went alone to be punished: separated from God and deserted by his friends. The drama of how this happened is the story of Lent… Before the Resurrection comes crucifixion; before crucifixion comes prosecution; before prosecution comes betrayal, doubt, fear, rebellion, and sin. Lent helps us experience our part in the Passion (suffering) of Jesus. We face our humanity during Lent: we learn that sin still dwells in us, that we still carry darkness. We learn that we would likely have fallen asleep as Jesus prayed for deliverance in the garden, and we would likely have denied knowing him as he silently accepted his death sentence."