Lent 2017

Lent 2017 - The Storm

The Sea of Galilee had sudden devastating storms due to the clash of contrasting climates in the low sea and the surrounding mountains. Its water is not very deep, making it easily stirred and thrown by wind. Neither was the disciples’ boat very large: likely less than 30 feet long and less than 8 feet wide. Hopefully this helps you get into the story.

Jesus' calming the storm can symbolize the passage from desolation to consolation. Ignatius characterizes them as either abundance or lack of faith, hope, and love. Thus Jesus’ question to the despairing disciples: “Have you still no faith?" We experience storms—depression, doubt, stress, loneliness, worry—during which we feel like Jesus is asleep on the job. But he is always in boat, beckoning us to trust him. Ignatius also has ideas of how to brave the storms and enjoy the calm. In desolation, he counsels that 1) we don’t make big choices or changes, 2) we stay committed and even intensify our prayer and discipline, 3) we remember that God always gives us help to resist temptation and despair, and 4) we persevere in patience, seeking to learn and grow through the struggle. In consolation, he advises that 1) we truly enjoy the peace and store up for seasons of struggle, 2) we consider how we will handle future storms, and 3) we reflect on previous storms to humble ourselves and remember our constant need for grace.

  1. Read Mark 4:35–41.
  2. Ask God for calm and consolation through trust that he is present in the midst of storms.
  3. Stand in the boat, the deck thrashing beneath your feet. Squint through the rain into the swirling darkness on every side. Hear the deafening downpour, punctured only by crash of waves against the boat, quickly filling it and rising up your leg. Hear the muffled calls of your friends, desperately scrambling to stay afloat. Watch as Jesus wakes up, stands, and speaks. Feel the fear and astonishment as the storm suddenly dissipates, leaving behind a surreal stillness.
  4. Marvel at Christ’s command over creation. Especially if you are experiencing dryness, distraction, or distress in your life, hear him speak directly to you: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
  5. Have two conversations with Jesus. First, while he is sleeping in the midst of chaos, instead of making demands, ask for patience and inner peace. What might he be teaching you? Second, after the storm has subsided, express gratitude for his grace. Throughout today, repeat and listen to his words, “Peace! Be still!”—spoken not only to the storm but to your soul.
     

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC

Lent 2017 - The Kingdom

Being a former solider in the Middle Ages, the concept of “kingdom” had a certain shape and significance for Ignatius. He encourages us to reflect on our identity as servants and subjects in the Kingdom of Christ, starting by imagining our allegiance to an earthly king. For him, it was simply a given for any good and reasonable person to submit themselves to the king’s summons. In our very different political landscape, we assume a leader must be worthy of our allegiance. Either way, we can imagine the most virtuous, honest, and honorable political leader. Imagine this leader and nation, urging its citizens to promote justice and peace. Now Ignatius says to picture Christ with the whole world under his reign and realize how much more deserving is he—our divine, eternal King—and how much more our allegiance should be to him.

  1. Read Mark 4:1–34.
  2. Ask God for ears to hear.
  3. Let Jesus' parables sink into your mind’s eye. Picture the sower generously scattering seed, and watch as the plants grow or die in their place. See the lantern, shrouded and only glowing dimly. Pull the cover off and allow the light to flood your vision, blinding you temporarily, but slowly revealing the shape of everything around. Walk with the farmer patiently watching and tending his crop, not fretting or meddling but waiting for time to do its work in the ground. Hold the minuscule mustard seed in your hand, and survey the sprawling fields it grows.
  4. Reflect on the characteristics of Christ’s Kingdom: surprise, patience, illumination, expansion, humility, and whatever else you notice. What does this say about the way in which Christ is a King? And what does it say about how we live as subjects and citizens in his Kingdom?
  5. Imagine Christ seated on the throne of heaven and offer yourself to his service with this prayer:"Eternal Lord of all things, in the presence of your infinite goodness and your whole company of saints, with your favor and help, I offer you myself. It is my earnest desire and my deliberate choice to serve and praise you by living as you did, to imitating you in suffering all wrongs, all abuse, and all poverty, both actual and spiritual—should you choose for me such a way of life."
     

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC

Lent 2017 - The Family

At this point, Jesus’ family thinks he had gone crazy. They come to confront him at home and try to get him under control. When they arrive, however, Jesus is inside surrounded by people. Rather than enter the place, they summon him outside to them. Because of their familiarity with Jesus, they expect him to meet them on their terms, away from the uncomfortable company of others (especially all these sinners).

  1. Read Mark 3:31–35.
  2. Ask God to replace your heart of presumption with a heart of obedience.
  3. Place yourself in the middle of this crowded room. The air is stuffy and loud, and you are surrounded by all kinds of people you might not usually associate with. Hear as Jesus responds to his family’s summons.
  4. Reflect on Jesus’ dismissal of his family and his insistence on obedience. How does it challenge you?
  5. Talk with Jesus—not outside on your own terms, but in this crowded room. Though he enjoyed perfect peace with the Father in heaven, he stooped to surround himself with the chaos of the crowd. Ask yourself these questions: 
    - What have I done for Christ?
    - What am I doing for Christ?
    - What should I do for Christ?

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC

Lent 2017 - The Strong Man and the Thief

The religious authorities, afraid of Jesus’ power, accuse him of being in league with the demons themselves. Jesus pretty much tells them that they are making no sense—why would evil cast out evil? He is acting by power of the Holy Spirit; for "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17)—liberation from the oppression of sickness, sin, and demons. 

Among other things, this challenges us to see what forces—whose are actually at work in the Church, his house. Where are we divided and fearful, and where are we united and free? This is not to point fingers at groups and persons but to be discerning about the secret patterns and powers that operate behind the scenes: “For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Ignatius actually had rules for being of “one mind” in the Church. They are extensive, but are centered around staying connected to the life of the whole Body through practices like worship, confession, Communion, devotion, prayer, and trusting the judgment of the Church throughout history more than one’s own personal opinions. This is important to practice, because the power and wisdom of the Spirit is not some special spark in an individual but God’s presence with his united people.

  1. Read Mark 3:20–31.
  2. Ask God for discernment to see the powers at work in your life and world.
  3. Listen to the accusation and Jesus’ response. How do you imagine the crowds reacting to it all? What does Jesus mean when he talks about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
  4. Repeat the meditation on the Two Standards (March 11), this time imagining the world as a house under the dominion of a "strong man" (Satan). His house is filled with precious treasures and goods (humanity and all creatures), which he hoards and neglects. This is the standard of evil: vanity, enslavement, greed, waste, abuse, and control—all with the illusion of wealth and power. Now a thief comes in the night (Christ), ties up the strong man, and plunders his house, rescuing everything that was held captive. This is the standard of Christ: liberation, healing, wholeness, purpose, and value. Where do you see these forces playing out in your life, community, and society?
  5. Ask Jesus for the presence and power of the Spirit in our church, so that we can be a force for freedom.

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC

Lent 2017 - Apostles

From among the crowds following Jesus, he appoints twelve from disciples (followers) to also be apostles (messengers). They have already left behind their homes and lives to follow him, and now he specifically calls them to three things: to be with him, to preach, and to drive out demons. While some of these men receive more focus throughout the New Testament, others are hardly mentioned again. The dignity of being a follower and messenger of God does not guarantee recognition or honor. 

  1. Read Mark 3:7–19.
  2. Ask God for the faith to follow the specific calling he has given you.
  3. Imagine yourself on the mountain with Jesus and the twelve. Go through the twelve names and consider each as a an individual person. They come from a humble way of life and yet are kindly called to the highest dignity—to be messengers of God. Think about the gifts and graces they were given, not by their upbringing or education, but by their encounter with Jesus.
  4. Remember that this is not their first or final call. Jesus repeatedly pushes and pulls them along the way when they get distracted, discouraged, and confused. Reflect on Jesus’ patience and trust in these twelve imperfect men to be his messengers.
  5. Stand with the apostles and ask Jesus about your purpose. Hear him call you by name and appoint you to a mission. How has Jesus created and called you to enjoy life with him, seeking and serving his Kingdom? Don’t think about past accomplishments or failures. Simply ask what he wants for you.

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC

Lent 2017 - Wineskins

These vignettes of Jesus challenging the religious norms stand out with special meaning during this season of spiritual discipline. They give us pause to challenge how and why we do the things we do. Here we are in the guide of spiritual exercises, reading Jesus’ critique of spiritual exercises. When we read, pray, and fast, are we just checking boxes? Or are we seeking to enrich our relationship with God and realize his reign on earth? The issue is not whether or not spiritual and religious practices are themselves good. Just because Christianity is a relationship doesn’t mean we altogether throw out religion. The issue is whether or not our practices shape the life and love of Christ in us.

This returns to Ignatius' “principle and foundation.” All created things (even religious customs) are given by God to lead us into life with him. When challenged about fasting, Jesus roots the practice in a relationship with him. When challenged about the Sabbath, he reminds us that “the Sabbath was made for man” as a gift meant to help us enjoy the life of God, who himself rested on the seventh day. If our spirituality reinforces self-righteousness and actually prevents us from doing good and saving life, we are missing the point.

  1. Read Mark 2:18–3:6.
  2. Ask God that you would not be devoted to prayer itself, but devoted to him through prayer.
  3. Follow Jesus through the fields and into the synagogue. Feel the scrutinizing eyes of the Pharisees and watch how Jesus behaves under their skeptical gaze.
  4. Reflect on Jesus’ freedom, as well as his focus on what truly matters. Get in the minds of the Pharisees and other Jews who are disconcerted by Jesus’ actions. What assumptions is he challenging and why does it outrage them? 
  5. Talk with Jesus about your reading and prayer, about why you are doing it. You might need to refocus and remember that this is all about encountering Jesus. Resolve to approach your devotion as if you are simply spending time with the most important person in your life.

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC

Lent 2017 - Sinners

Today, Jesus calls another follower: a tax collector named Levi (Matthew). For the Jews, a tax collector represented corruption, greed, and collusion with the enemy—Rome. Their profession was not popular, and whatever power and status they had was resented. In fact, even some of Jesus’ current followers might not have been too enthusiastic about this one. They might have seen him as dishonest crook, a political lapdog. People of many different backgrounds and beliefs were traveling with him. The only thing that matters and unites them is their response to Jesus. Whoever receives Jesus is received by Jesus. The simplicity of this inclusion is offensive to the religious leaders. They want clear boundaries—structure and standards. When they say “sinners,” they are not really referring to moral behavior or character but rather to whether or not they fulfill their religious duties and take part in the customs. Those who don’t are “unclean” outsiders. Jesus challenges the security of this system in which the Jewish leaders have placed their very sense of self.

  1. Read Mark 2:13–2:17.
  2. Ask God for his eyes to see all people.
  3. See Levi’s eagerness and his hospitality. Join everyone in Levi’s house. Look around the table: who do you see? Notice these “sinners" were already following Jesus. What’s the “vibe” in the room?
  4. What makes Levi so ready to receive Jesus as both his teacher and his guest? What makes Jesus so ready to receive him and his social circle as his friends and companions? What makes the Pharisees so perplexed and uncomfortable?
  5. As you sit at the table with all these people, talk to Jesus about the people you overlook in your life. Who do you actually expect to be Jesus’ crowd and “crew?”

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC

Lent 2017 - Healings

It can be tough to nail down the place and purpose of Jesus’ miracles of healing in his ministry. Some tend to overemphasize them, making exorcism and healing the primary purpose that Jesus came. Others tend to minimize their significance, saying that they were merely meant to convince people that he was the real deal. The middle way between these is to see the miracles within the context of Jesus’ message: the kingdom of God is at hand. Healing physical sickness and spiritual oppression opens a window into the reign of God that is being made real in Christ. Every time Jesus allows someone to see, to walk, or to be free of the forces of darkness, the light of the kingdom breaks through the shadows, and we can see what it looks like for it to be “on earth as it is in heaven."

  1. Read Mark 1:21–2:12.
  2. Ask God for healing from any and all brokenness—physical, spiritual, social, emotional etc.
  3. See Jesus’ attentiveness and compassion toward these people—some of whom are the lowest in society. As you imagine these miracles, let it stretch your expectations of what is possible. Imagine a conversation with one of those healed about their life, how it is changed by Jesus. What does it mean to go from sick to well, possessed to free, leper to clean, paralyzed to walking? How are they responding?
  4. Reflect on healing and sickness as symbols of consolation and desolation (March 11). In your current season of life, are you sick or well? Do you feel out of control, trapped, weary, rejected, or paralyzed? Are you serving others like Simon's mother-in-law and “freely proclaiming” the grace of Jesus like the leper? 
  5. Be honest with Jesus about what you expect (or don’t expect) him to be able to do. Do you really believe he can heal the broken patterns of hurt, sin, and sorrow in and around you? Pray the leper’s words throughout the day: “If you choose, you can make me clean.”
     

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC

Lent 2017 - Follow Me

The disciples’ response to Jesus’ call to follow is both inspiring and perplexing. They embody Ignatius’ ideal of “indifference” or “spiritual freedom.” They are able to immediately let go of everything in and about their lives for the opportunity to know and follow Jesus. Their response may seem reckless and unreasonable, but it shows on the surface what spiritual freedom really is. We may not have to literally abandon our home, possessions, family, and livelihood. (The disciples were even able to come back to their old way of life when they thought Jesus had failed.) We are, however, created and called to see absolutely everything as either an opportunity or an obstacle to life in Christ. We are called to be ready to surrender anything and everything, to "regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord“ (Philippians 3:8).

Read Mark 1:14–20: 

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
  1. Ask God for freedom from whatever holds you back from following him.
  2. Enter the story in your imagination. Walk along the Sea of Galilee. Feel the breeze and smell the fishy air. Hear the sound of the water, the fishermen’s crass jokes. Observe their equipment, their work, their rough demeanor and lifestyle. Watch things unfold as Jesus—who is more like them then we usually imagine—approaches and calls them.
  3. Notice how free and ready these men are to abandon everything. What makes them able to do that?
  4. Have a conversation with Jesus by the water. Hear him say directly to you, “Follow me.” What are the immediate hesitations that hold you back? What are your nets and boats? Who is your Zebedee? Talk to Jesus about how and why these things have a hold on your heart.
     

Lent 2017 - The Temptation of Jesus

Ignatius draws on his military past in an exercise reflecting on what he calls the Two Standards (meaning “flags” or “banners” under which an army would march). One represents the kingdom of Christ; the other represents the dominion of “the enemy of our human nature.” Both desire to rule the world, but they have opposing tactics, values, and motivations. The enemy draws followers through promises of riches, worldly honor, and pride, and he rules by corruption and oppression. Christ calls his followers to poverty, wordly rejection, and humility, and he rules by gentleness and liberation. At first, the choice seems easy, but as Jesus’ own temptation teaches us, the strategies of Satan can be subtle, seductive, and even sound sensible.

Ignaitus says to imagine these kingdoms as two "great plains.” One is ugly, confused, withering, chaotic, and fearful. Satan sits on a high and terrible throne. The other is beautiful, simple, flourishing, peaceful, and free. Christ sits low and humble with his people. Ignatius’ vision is very medieval, but we can update this exercise by imagining nations and regions that are either dominated by riches, violence, and oppression or guided by justice, freedom, and peace. There is no middle ground. With every choice and desire, we align ourselves with one of these kingdoms.

Ignatius also saw that life unfolds in two kinds of seasons (that are somewhat like the two standards): consolation and desolation. He describes them as “movements of the soul.” Consolation describes the state of being in love with God—peaceful, joyful, focused on others, steady in faith and striving for virtue. Desolation describes the state of being restless and cut off from God—miserable, isolated, self-obsessed, full of doubt and drawn to harmful things. Strands of both consolation and desolation are woven throughout the seasons of our life, and God can use them both to draw us closer to him. Just as God himself led Jesus into the desert, we are sometimes led into desolation.

  1. Read Mark 1:12–13: "At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him."
  2. Ask God for perseverance in temptation and for purity of heart.
  3. Why does the Spirit lead him into this? Feel the heat of the desert, tedious dragging on of empty time, the dry and invasive dust, the debilitating hunger. Beneath all of that, feel the push and pull of temptation, the battle between the "two standards.” Feel the impulse to give up, to give in to an easier way. 
  4. Consider the specific temptations (from Matthew and Luke) as they relate to the Standard of Satan: turning stones into bread, making a spectacle by throwing himself off the temple, bowing down to the enemy to receive worldly power. Reflect on Jesus’ endurance, self-denial, and focus.
  5. Even in the desert, consolation and desolation are both close at hand: “He was with the wild beasts and angels waited on him.” Talk with Jesus in the desert about your life right now. Where do you see wild beasts—patterns of desolation? Where do you see the angels—patterns of consolation? Where do you feel the tension between the kingdoms of good and evil? Commit yourself there in the desert to serve Jesus as your King and his Kingdom as your homeland.

Lent 2017 - The Baptism of Jesus

John’s baptism was all about confession, repentance, and forgiveness—none of which Jesus himself needed. But he does not set himself above us, superior in his sinlessness. Instead, he submits himself to baptism, identifying with us precisely in our weakness, our need, our chaos. When Jesus comes out of the water and the Spirit descends and the Father speaks, the whole Trinity is manifest to affirm that a great mystery is coming to pass in the life of Christ. In his baptism, Jesus pulls together the ancient stories of creation and exodus with his future death and resurrection which initiate new creation and new exodus. Just as life and order emerges from chaos, just as slaves emerge to freedom, just as Jesus emerges from the Jordan—so also the whole universe emerges from bondage to death and decay when Christ emerges from the tomb. In Christ’s rising, all things rise.

Read Mark 1:9–11:

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Ask God for the grace to know Jesus and claim your identity in him as a beloved child of God.
Jesus joins the crowd and is baptized by John, but with him something special happens. Stand in the crowd or in the water. See the dove alight on Jesus, and hear the Father's voice—not necessarily booming up above but nearby, seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Hear the joy and tenderness in his tone.
Notice how Jesus—who does not need to confess or repent—joins himself to the rest of humanity in baptism. Reflect on his humility, compassion, and his desire to be in communion with us.
Use the scene of Jesus’ baptism to have a conversation with each person of the Trinity. Hear the Father speaking to you: “You are my beloved child.” Talk with him as you would a proud and caring Dad, sharing all your joys and worries. Talk with Jesus as your brother, thanking him for his fellowship and asking his advice. Picture the Spirit as a dove, and ask for the strength and insight you need to know, love, and follow God more.

Lent 2017 - The Beginning

Mark wastes no time. He jumps right into the action, starting with John the Baptist, who “appeared in the wilderness.” Though John opens Mark’s gospel, he is also the culmination of a long line of prophets preparing the way for God’s arrival in Jesus. He preaches to a people tired, low, and longing for change—a new world order, a new way of life. He announces the arrival of a new kingdom—but one that begins with them changing their own hearts and minds.

  1. Read Mark 1:1–8. 
  2. Ask God for what you desire—to know him more intimately, to love him more intensely, and to follow him for intently.
  3. Imagine gathering with the people at the Jordan river. Place yourself in the scene. Take in the sight (and smell) of this wild messenger. Turn to someone in the crowd and ask why they have come out here.
  4. Consider how strangely God chooses to reveal his plan. Reflect on John’s simultaneous boldness and humility. 
  5. As we said yesterday, the gospel begins with repentance. Join all those going to John to confess and repent by repeating the exercise of self-examination from yesterday. If it helps, imagine dipping your hands in water or splashing your face. Remember the power of baptism to forgive and heal.
     

Lent 2017 - Self-Examination

The forty days of Lent are a re-enactment of multiple stories in Scripture. We wait out the storm with Noah. We climb Mt. Sinai with Moses. We wander with Israel in the wilderness. We are warned about our sins by Jonah and Ezekiel. We walk with Jesus in the desert of temptation. All of these stories invite us into self-examination. The flood came because of humanity’s evil. Moses ascended the mountain to receive the law from God, while the rest of the nation stayed behind, afraid because of their own sin. A whole generation of Israel died in the desert because of their faithlessness. For forty days, Jonah pleaded with Ninevah and Ezekiel with Israel to turn to God. Jesus fasts and faces the frailty and temptations of human nature.

Awareness of our own sinfulness is the threshold of true prayer and worship, which is why self-examination is a central practice of preparation to remember Christ’s death and celebrate his resurrection. If we have no awareness of our need, we never even start to be grateful and free. Those who are forgiven little love little.

Using the guide from yesterday, practice the Examen today, specifically examining your conscience. Pray for clarity and conviction. Examine your day and take "an account of your soul”—sifting your thoughts, words, and actions for sin. Confess any sinfulness and ask forgiveness. Give thanks for the mercy we receive in Jesus. Commit to changing your heart and ask the Spirit’s help. If there is a particular shortcoming you want to improve, commit to paying attention to it throughout Lent. Keep track of how often it occurs each day and what triggers it.

Lent 2017 - Finding God in All Things

As we learned last week, nothing is separate from our life with God. He is always speaking to us, always sowing seeds of his grace in both the miraculous and the mundane. If we want them to grow, we must tend to them with time and attention. Ignatius' most well-known exercise is called the Examen. It is a daily 15-minute practice designed to help us find God in all things by increasing our awareness and receptivity to his activity and presence in the fabric of our everyday life.

When writing a story, a good author wastes nothing. Even details and events that seem inconsequential become woven into the characters and story arc. The Examen is about seeing our whole life as just such a story, which God is unfolding day by day, wasting nothing. In all things he wants to shape us into the image of Christ. We cooperate by being attentive to all the little ways the Holy Spirit continues his creative work. The Examen involves remembering and reflecting on your whole day, trying to be attentive to the way God was at work. There are five steps to this exercise:

  1. Seek the Light. The promised gifts of the Holy Spirit include illumination, conviction, comfort, guidance, and transformation. Pray for the light of the Holy Spirit to help you see the blur of the day with clarity, even the things you don’t want to remember.
  2. Give thanks. Express gratitude for your day, for life and all God’s blessings. This frames our reflection on the day in thankfulness, preparing us to see everything as a gift, in and through which we can be led to love and listen to God.
  3. Reflect. Take the most time here. Carefully go back through the day—the big, small, good, bad, and ugly. Even the most dark or insignificant of things contains the presence of God. Choose and focus on a few events that stand out, noticing where and how…
    1. my conscience was moved
    2. emotions, desires, or habits influenced me, good or bad
    3. an event or encounter stuck with me—a scenario or conversation I keep running in my head
    4. a thought, word, feeling, or action led me toward or away from God

      In these events, how was God was speaking to me? How did I respond? How did I rely on God? How might I have forgotten or wandered from God? Why did I think and act the way I did? What can I learn about myself from it? What can I learn about God from it?
  4. Respond. Thank God for his presence, guidance, and gracious care. Own up to your failures; ask for forgiveness and for God to transform your heart.
  5. Resolve. Look to tomorrow. Hear Jesus’ words in the parable of the sower: “Through their resolve, they bear fruit.” Ask for continued grace for the future, to be ever more attentive to God’s presence in everything and to respond to these situations with discernment and love.

Take 15 minutes to do this exercise today, ideally in the evening. If you keep one discipline from this season as a part of your everyday life, the Examen is a great choice. Consider repeating a form of this exercise daily throughout Lent. Time and repetition is essential to opening our awareness to God.
 

Lent 2017 - Taste and See

The engine of Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises is the imagination. He urges those who pray to apply all five of their senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—to the gospel story in order more fully and personally encounter Christ. To pray in this way is also to imitate Christ, who became human and experienced the physical world the way we do—through our senses. The Incarnation means that God communicates to us not just in ideas but in flesh and blood and story. The earthly life of Jesus invites us to "taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:9).

Our imagination is especially tied to our desires and what we love. This is why advertising works. We are drawn toward what inspires our imagination through our senses. Picture yourself working outside on a blistering hot day. Not a single cloud gives you a moment of shade. Someone hands you an ice-cold glass of water, covered in condensation. Place it to your forehead. Hear the ice clink against the glass. Take a long sip, feeling it cool your lips and throat. Now try to say that you don’t want that glass of water. The imagination makes things real to us, which makes it the right tool for the job at hand—to cultivate loving desire for God in Christ.

Most of our reflections for Lent will be about immersing ourselves in the life of Jesus. For Ignatius, this patient imaginative exercise engages our understanding and helps us to come to new and deeper insights. It gets the gospel into our bones. If your attention wanders, don’t worry; just gently redirect it back to the story. You may even want to use an audio Bible to aid your imagination and focus. Today, we introduce this practice using Jesus’ birth story, which Mark omits.

  1. Read Luke 2.
  2. Ask to experience God’s grace in a new and tangible way.
  3. Enter the place where Joseph and Mary sit with their baby. (It may have been a stable, a cave, or just another room of a house. Use whichever best focuses your imagination.) Look around and imagine the details of the space. Observe the faces of the new parents. Hear the coos and cries of the infant, the words shared by his Mary and Joseph. Smell the raw aroma of the animals around you. 
  4. Reflect on the mystery that God himself becomes a vulnerable, dependent infant in this humble place. Reflect on Mary and Joseph—their obedience, their poverty, their tenderness.
  5. Every exercise will include what Ignatius calls a “colloquy”—having a conversation with God just as you would with someone right next to you, a trusted friend from whom you don't hide anything. Today, imagine Jesus as he is in this story, a helpless baby. Freely tell him what it means that he chose to take this humble form. Talk with Mary and Joseph about the amazing thing that they are a part of—what they are sacrificing and what they are being given.
     

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC

Lent 2017 - Discernment

As we read the life of Jesus, we might find ourselves asking “How did he know what to do? How does he always and only know and do the will of the Father?” His secret insight almost seems unfair. Rarely are our lives so straightforward and simple that we make life decisions without any hesitations, reservations, and doubts. How do we figure out what God wants and follow with pure heart, clear mind, and resolute faith? Life does not unfold in a straight line, and we can never see as far ahead as we would like. We pray for clarity (because we want control) when God wants us to live in trust. We ask God what his will for my life is while forgetting what he has already told us is his will for every life. In other words, if you want to know what God’s will is, start by obeying what you already know, without concern for anything more. Love your neighbor. Pray for your enemies. Forgive. Practice generosity.

We grow in insight into God’s will by doing precisely what we are setting out to do this season: immersing ourselves in the life of Jesus, who “can do nothing on his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing” (John 5:19). We imitate his example of prayer, discipline, attentiveness, and love. The secret is we already have what we need to know and follow God’s will. We have been given the very ”mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). We have been given “everything needed for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). We have been given "the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ” (Ephesians 1:7–9). We need only to stay in touch with the source of those riches in order to bring them out in our lives.

Ignatius was very concerned with how we discern, deliberate, and decide. He taught how to make choices in alignment with God’s will. We make everyday choices more or less automatically, but we face some that snag our minds and hearts, making us worry and stress. Lent is long enough that there is a good chance we will all face a life decision of some significance. When this happens, return to this reflection and do these exercises:

  1. Place before your imagination the thing that you are trying to making a decision about.
  2. Ignatius says that “our intention must be simple.” Reflect on the first and final aim of your life—“to seek and serve God.” Lay all other concerns aside and ask yourself: “How can this decision help or hinder me in my pursuit of this goal?”
  3. Pray for God’s Spirit to move your will and desires according to his will and desires.
  4. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of your options, not by what will be most safe or self-serving but by what will most bring God glory and praise.
  5. Be attentive to how the choices make you feel (worried, excited, relieved, etc.) Take note of those feelings, and then set them aside to decide what choice seems most reasonable. God may be speaking to you through either or both.

Lent 2017 - Freedom and Desire

Our purpose—our aim and intention—is knowing, loving, and following God in Jesus. As this journey unfolds, everything along the way—relationships, possessions, events and experiences—can either lead us closer to or farther from our goal. Ignatius urges us to become “indifferent” to all these things, caring only about how help us to know, love, and follow God. Indifference has a neglecting or even hostile ring to it. A better term for “indifference” or “detachment” might be spiritual freedom—meaning that our desires are not so attached to things that we fail to recognize the divine presence in and around those things. When we love the world properly, we are loving God through the world. Creation is the medium, the milieu, the stage, the environment where God communes with us.

Read this somewhat longer but updated translation of the Principle and Foundation:

"God who loves us creates us and wants to share life with us forever. Our love response takes shape in our praise and honor and service of the God of our life. All the things in this world are also created because of God's love and they become a context of gifts, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily. As a result, we show reverence for all the gifts of creation and collaborate with God in using them so that by being good stewards we develop as loving persons in our care for God's world and its development. But if we abuse any of these gifts of creation or, on the contrary, take them as the center of our lives, we break our relationship with God and hinder our growth as loving persons. In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance before all created gifts insofar as we have a choice and are not bound by some responsibility. We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a more loving response to our life forever with God. Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God's deepening life in me” (trans. David L. Fleming).

We experience spiritual freedom not by simply scorning or rejecting created things, but by finding God in them. As James says,  "Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). All things are gifts that reveal the Giver. This means that our life with God beings here and now. We are not waiting to escape all this and finally experience life with God somewhere else. God communes with us in and through his creation. The practice of prayer is all about taking hold of that eternal life here and now.

The ultimate goal is life with God; the earth and everything in it composes the landscape on which we pursue this end. This really is the heart of Ignatius’ spirituality: there is nothing separate from your life with God. The purpose of everything “good" in the world—health, success, possessions, experiences—is to enjoy life with God. It is in this sense that Paul declares, “Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4). But created things also have the potential to draw us away from God. If we seek and enjoy things for their own sake, not loving God through them, they can become idols and obstacles to our life with God.

This also explains the purpose of the spiritual exercises themselves. They are means to this ultimate end—tools for cultivating love of God. They are not heartless habits; exactly the opposite! They are all about desire. They speak to and shape the needs and wants of our heart by pulling together the splintered fragments of our wild desires to draw and direct us toward God.

Pray through the following things…

  1. Ask God to search your heart. Honestly ask yourself what you really want. Hear Jesus asking you as he did his first disciples: “What are you looking for?”
  2. Take an inventory of your activities today—everything you use, enjoy, experience, and interact with. Think about each thing in its potential for drawing you closer to God. How does each thing shape what you want and seek?
  3. Use your inventory to consider what one thing you could give up during this Lenten season in order to experience greater spiritual freedom. Commit to fasting from it.

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC

Lent 2017 - Purpose

Ignatius opens his Spiritual Exercises with what he calls the “Principle and Foundation.” Every prayer and practice that follows is based on this basic belief. It can be a dry read, but one commentator calls it “an invitation for you to experience more deeply how intimately related you are to God and to all of God's creation” (Kevin O’Brien, SJ, The Ignatian Adventure). The heart of it is to realize that God created us to be in loving communion with him:

"The human person is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by doing so, to save his or her soul. All other things on the face of the earth are created for human beings in order to help them pursue the end for which they are created. It follows from this that one must use other created things, in so far as they help towards one's end, and free oneself from them, in so far as they are obstacles to one's end. To do this, we need to make ourselves indifferent to all created things, provided the matter is subject to our free choice and there is no other prohibition. Thus, as far as we are concerned, we should not want health more than illness, wealth more than poverty, fame more than disgrace, a long life more than a short one, and similarly for all the rest, but we should desire and choose only what helps us more towards the end for which we are created."

Today, focus only on the purpose for which we are created: "to praise, reverence, and serve God Our Lord, and by doing so, to save our soul.” This purpose is not utilitarian; it is a journey and relationship. We are not tools with a function; we are children with a Father. Our daily life is an unfolding adventure of loving God. None of the other fixtures and features of our lives—work, entertainment, experience, or even family—are the ultimate reason why we are here. Everything else is gathered into this one massive, mysterious goal—life with God. 

In what concrete ways do you personally praise, love, and serve God? How do you use and cooperate with creation (things, activities, places, people, etc.) to do those things? Pray that God teaches you to experience and embrace more fully the purpose for which you were created and called.

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC

Lent 2017 - The Hour of Our Death

Read Psalm 39 and Psalm 90.  Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent and is set aside to meditate on the fragility of human life and the inevitability of death. For most, death is an unwelcome thought and an even more unwelcome reality. For the psalmist, it is a source of wisdom. It brings focus on what truly matters. Death reminds us that we are not God. Whether we realize it or not, death has enormous influence over how we live. According to the psalms (here and elsewhere), those who are mindful of death are able to bend that influence toward good and loving purposes, while those who ignore death are foolish and deluded, wasting their lives.

Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises uses a reflection on death in a process for making life decisions. Deep down we make decisions based on what we love. So if I am facing a life decision, he says first to discern what choice is most reflective of my love for God and God’s love for me. He then asks how I would advise a someone else in the same situation. He then urges to me imagine what decision I would wish to have made “if I were at the moment of death. I will guide myself by this and make my decision entirely in conformity with it.” This is not death as a general concept. This is my death—the number of my days. I am going to die. When this truly “sinks in,” it can actually be a gift of great clarity, freedom, humility, and motivation.

Imagine yourself in the hour of your death. How do you wish you would have lived? What do you wish you would have done? What keeps you from living that way today? Let God’s love for you and your love for God be your only guide. What will cultivate God’s love in your life? Is there any particular decision looming in your mind and heart? How does this shed light into it? If this time of reflection leads to a resolution, offer it up in prayer for the Lord to bless and confirm it.

About the Author
Nick Chambers is the Director of Spiritual Formation at Calvary UMC