Ready for Silence

Madeleine L’Engle

Then hear now the silence
He comes in the silence
in silence he enters
the womb of the bearer
in silence he goes to
the realm of the shadows
redeeming and shriving
in silence he moves from
the grave cloths, the dark tomb
in silence he rises
ascends to the glory
leaving his promise
leaving his comfort
leaving his silence

So come now, Lord Jesus
Come in your silence
breaking our noising
laughter of panic
breaking this earth’s time
breaking us breaking us
quickly Lord Jesus
make no long tarrying

When will you come
and how will you come
and will we be ready
for silence
your silence

“When it came close to the time… Jesus gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem.”

Luke 9:51 (The Bible)
“There is a threshold, it seems, where either the spirit cracks or some steel enters the soul.” Graeme Barrett

Recall a time in your life when you reached that threshold and how you responded.

Day 32: 14 April 2011
14.04.2011

“As (Jesus) approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.”

Luke 19:41 (NIV Bible)

Make yourself a small “holding cross” (use wood, nails, twigs, card, or wire etc). Hold it in your hand as you read or watch today’s news. Carry it in your bag or pocket today. What do you see happening in your city that Jesus would weep over? How might he want you to respond?b

“What we desire is not a class struggle but a class encounter, in which the rich save the poor and the poor save the rich.”   Mother Theresa.

What do you think she meant by this?

What might it mean for the way you live?

Disciplines for the Journey
Henri J. M. Nouwen

Are there any disciplines to keep us moving from dividing power to uniting power, from destructive power to healing power, from paralyzing power to enabling power? Let me suggest three disciplines that can help us look from above with the eyes of God:

The first discipline is to focus continually on the poor in this world. We must keep asking ourselves: Where are the men, women and children who are waiting for us to reach out to them? Poverty in all its forms–physical, intellectual and emotional–is not decreasing. On the contrary, the poor are everywhere around us. As the powers of darkness show their hideous intentions with increasing crudeness, the weeping of the poor becomes louder and their misery more visible. We have to keep listening. We have to keep looking.
The second discipline is to trust that God will truly care for the poor that are given to us. We will have the financial, emotional and physical support we need, when we need it, and to the degree that we need it. I am convinced that there is a large body of people ready to help with money, time and talent. But that body will remain invisible unless we dare to take new risks. If we want to have all our bases covered before we act, nothing exciting will happen. But if we dare to take a few crazy risks because God asks us to do so, many doors, which we didn’t even know existed, will be opened for us.
The third discipline is the hardest one. It is the discipline of being surprised, not by suffering, but by joy…. There is suffering ahead of us, immense suffering, a suffering that will continue to tempt us to think that we have chosen the wrong road and that others were more shrewd than we. But don’t be surprised by pain. Be surprised by joy. Be surprised by the little flower that shows its beauty in the midst of a barren desert. And be surprised by the immense healing power that keeps bursting forth like a spring of fresh water from the depth of our pain.
With an eye focused on the poor, a heart trusting that we will get what we need, and a spirit always surprised by joy, we will be truly powerful. We will walk through this valley of darkness performing miracles because it is God’s power that will go out from us wherever we go and whomever we meet.

Source: Power, Powerlessness and Power

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Day 17: 28 March 2011
28.03.2011

Easter eggs have been in the shops for weeks. Originally a pagan symbol of the rebirth of the Earth (Easter marking a northern Spring), early Christians adopted the egg as a symbol of the new life demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus.

What plans do you have to buy Easter Eggs this year?

How will you use them?

Is there anything you can do to better connect your use of them with the Easter story?

The usual day for giving them is Easter Sunday. See if you can hold off eating any until then.

Place an Easter egg on your purple place.

LENTEN REFLECTIONS
2011

Day 15: 25 March 2011
25.03.2011

O! God of all beings, of all worlds, of all times,

we pray, that the little difference in our clothes,

in our inadequate languages,

in our ridiculous customs,

in our imperfect laws,

in our illogical opinions,

in our ranks and conditions which

are so disproportionately important to us

and so meaningless to you,

that these small variations

that distinguish us,

those atoms that we call humans,

one from another,

may not be signals of hatred and persecution. Amen.

Voltaire (18th Century)

“All the Lord requires of us is that we take the near edge of some great issue and act at some cost to ourselves.”   Colin Morris

This is the International Week of Solidarity with Peoples Struggling Against Racism and Racial Discrimination.
Today talk to someone of a different ethnic background to you. Ask them to tell you about any times they feel they have been discriminated against because of their race. Perhaps this is your own experience?
How do you feel about what you hear?

(This should have been yesterdays reading. The days were accidentally swapped. My apologies)

Mark Pierson wrote this for a daily meditation for World Vision (c) 2011, to get the Flash designed posts daily, goto lentenreflections.org and subscribe.