Ancient Words of Lent

I find stories passed down through generations have a way of breathing mystery into their narration. When a story’s soul bares passion and life, I like to imagine the scenery and how people looked and sounded, depending on the time, place, and culture of the story.

In our Women of Faith gatherings, we’ve been exploring stories from scripture, using the Book of Faith series. The study guide questions and commentaries help bring life to the characters as well as the scenes and culture. This winter, as we read through and discussed the epic of Hosea and story of Jonah, I found myself reflecting on the passion and voice of the author.

Forgive my sidestep here, but I find myself chuckling at a commercial phrase passing through my thoughts “Can you hear me now?”  The stories, poetry, psalms, and messages written into scripture bring to mind the voices of our long ago ancestors. People like you and me, alive with all the joys, passions, questions, sorrows, mishaps, losses, and challenges of life we know so well….longing for peace, alive with joy, and sometimes feeling lost, looking for hope and God’s mercy. Any of this sound familiar?

Like you, some stories or books in scripture call out to me more than others. And yes, some scriptural narrations come to life for me much more easily. Even still, sometimes as I turn the pages of a bible, or gather with others to reflect on our readings, I can hear those ancient voices speaking, perhaps very quietly. “The God we called out to, the God who spoke to us, who cried with us and admonished us: the God who showed us love beyond measure is with you now. The ancient words that guided us will carry you through…on through the ages.     

A thought…Next time you read the bible, let your mind travel back to those ancient times and imagine yourself in one of the villages listening to Joseph, or David or Jonah.  Can you hear them calling out, ”We were given God’s words for the sake of humankind, yet you have been given the everlasting gift of God’s Grace.  Bathe in God’s Grace and know you are loved as you process the gifts you have been given.

I close with pieces of a prayer shared one year during a Lenten Diaconal gathering. 

Holy God who searches for the lost: as our season brings the lengthening of days, and longer light reveals what has been hidden; cleanse our hearts as we spring-clean our dwellings and give away what is no longer needed, so justice and compassion have ample room to live on through you in us.

God, You created us in your image. Help us to live as beacons of your light, of your mercy, and of your hope and love, so that others may too come to truly know your Grace.

In Christ, we pray

Amen and Shalom

Susan M.