The Lenten Journals - Days 4 - 6

Day 4 - Chains Are the Fitting Ornaments of Faith - Polycarp

I must be making the faith sound so attractive. My discussions on going through the desert, the difficulty of understanding my redemption, and the heartache caused by our struggling with our identity in Christ. The image of being in chains are equally as difficult an image. Paul was in chains when he wrote Phillipians 3:1

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

A friend of mine said that prison allowed Paul to have to write the epistles which make up a greater portion of the New Testament. If only my time alone as well spent. I hate being alone. I need to be on the go all the time, finding some errand to do. Christ went to the desert, Paul was in prison, and I have a house full of electronic crap to make enough noise to rattle my neighbors windows.


Day 5 - Blessed Are The Meek (Matt 5:5)
Be ye meek in response to their wrath, humble to their opposition. - St. Ignatius

The faith is so contrary to what we are taught in the world. Several months back I was in a bar to see a friends band perform. I was so taken back by what was going on around me I almost completely stopped listening to the music. People so despearate for love, for a connectioni, they attatched themselves to anyone who pays attention. Alcohol really helps in that respect. As a Christian I am asked to be meek and humble, to love and serve. My instinct is to blow these people off. To let them go down their path to destruction. Jesus probably would have acted a tad differently.


Day 6 - My Prayer For You
If I were to pick the one or two things I've seen as major themes with the church father's it'd be

1. We are to glorify God the father and we should love each other as Christ loved us.

Maybe I am reading a lot into this, but it seems to me that by loving and serving others we are able to point others to the Love of God and in turn bring glory to Him. Worship and prayer are the other side of the same coin.

In my journey through the desert I have forgotten I am not alone. For six days I have been focussing on myself, becoming self obsorbed, ignoring the people around me who are going through their own desert experience. Several people recelty talked to me abou ttheir own experiences here in the desert. So it is for you that I make this prayer:

That God may renew the broken relationships in your life,

for guidance in the difficult choices you are going to make, both the ones that come by choice and ones that do not.

May you seek Him in all you do and desire to know God in his holy and righteous love.

Amen.

I love you all, you have my support, my prayers, and my encouragement.