Lenten Day VI [Eve]

Eve of Lenten Day VI [Tuesday]

Collect of the Day [Rite I]

Grant to thy people, Lord, grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee, the only true God; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Assigned Lesson

Isaiah 55:6–11 [ESV]

"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord , that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

http://bible.com/59/isa.55.6-11.ESV

Lenten Reflection

This reading offers the invitation to seek for the Lord and pursue the ways of God.  It is a lovely passage.  And yet there is one far lovelier that proceeds it in this very chapter, the 55th chapter, of the Book of Isaiah:

"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

http://bible.com/59/isa.55.1-5.ESV

We are often times so tempted to believe that the search for God begins by is seeking God.  Our eyes begin blind to the divine presence.  And yet once we have found God, it is always to our amazement that the more accurate statement is that we have been found by God.

I wish we remembered that more often.  I hear people from time to time speaking of how they found Jesus.  I so want to say always to these folks, "I didn't realize he was missing."  And yet I never do that, mostly because even when I think it, I envision Jesus shaking his head and telling me not to go there.

And should we not think more of the divine search from the side of God?  Is there anything more powerful and beautiful?   Is there a greater love story?  I know not of it.

The opening verses to this chapter of Isaiah open our eyes to a profound beauty and depth of love for which words seem so lacking.  God calls us, the people, not because we have desired God, and certainly not because we have what is needed to be in the presence of God.  God offers all of his gifts to us who have nothing to offer to attain them.  God showers us with these precious gifts and tells us that there is no price and we need not attempt to purchase them.  Our response is simply to drink in the wine of his mercy and favor.

Such a feast is appropriate this Lent.  You might wonder how I can say that in the midst of the great fast of the year.  Only remember we never fast from God.  We fast from those things that pull us away from God, and we feast on the abundance of the gifts of God with joy and thanksgiving.  From this feast we are fed and nourished by our God to grow in this springtime of the year.  That is, after all, what Lent is about.  This is not a time to be deprived.  The very word Lent means spring.  We are called to grow.  And as we grow, we are reminded again and again that in this quest for God, it is always God who is first seeking us.  Or, as Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you!"