fasting

Fasting is about repentance and change. The triad of spiritual disciplines we heard on Ash Wednesday - giving to those in need, praying, and fasting - were considered in Jesus' day, a way back to God (that's right, all together, a way - not three alternative ways...). As I noted in "The Restoration Project," Jesus wasn't saying if you can't fast rightly don't worry about it (Matthew 6). He was saying, yes, observe the fasts, and do so with all your heart. Seek God in it, to meet your Father, and engage him and know him, that your Father may truly be your reward. I found this reference to fasting from one the early church fathers:

Fasting is the change of every part of our life, because the sacrifice of the fast is not the abstinence but the distancing from sins. Therefore, whoever limits the fast to the deprivation of food, he is the one who, in reality, abhors and ridicules the fast.
(John Chrystostom)

text of Fasting sermon by John Chrystostom

a lenten prayer

The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian


I've finally (after probably six years since Julia Babb gave it to me) I have begun reading Great Lent: Journey to Pascha by Alexander Schmemann. A couple of years ago Jason Campbell, a pastor at Trinity Vineyard (our son Mark's church in Atlanta) also asked me about it and was very positive about it.

Here's a prayer the Orthodox pray in Lent, it is read twice a day, with prostrations. Schmemann says it could be called the lenten prayer.

O Lord, and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth,
faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.
Yes, O Lord and King!
Grant me to see my own errors
and not to judge my brother;
For thou art blessed unto age of ages. Amen.

These buildings are the main part of our new "campus."
The building on the right (top picture) is the main hall, where our classrooms and fellowship hall are. We will be worshipping in the fellowship hall for a while.
The two on the left (immediately above) are first the administrative building, and the one beyond is the pavillion.

This is the view from my office!

The office building is almost finished!

Here are some pictures of what will be my office.

The left one looks out over a wooded area.

My desk will probably be in front of the window on the right.

a chalice of grace

I had a chalice of "grace" the other evening courtesy of Dr. Tom Yearwood. What an amazing, beautiful, poignant... delicious picture from "Domaine Serene" - from the kingdom of peace.

Tom got this out because our son Ben is now in Portland, and worked at a vineyard this week. Ben worked at J.K. Carriere.

Once again, my favorite line from George Herbert, from the last stanza of "The Agony":

Who knows not Love, let him assay
And taste that juice, which on the cross a pike
Did set again abroach; then let him say
If ever he did taste the like.
Love is that liquour sweet and most divine,
Which my God feels as blood; but I, as wine.

(Thank you Brooke for getting me another copy Herbert's works for Christmas!)

Sin is...

I loved this definition of sin I heard from Rob Bell in a podcasted sermon:

"Sin is the culpable disturbance of shalom - the degree to we which have destroyed the peace God intends for things. And we are guilty of that."

leaf bug

Check that out. It's a bug. Not a bug carrying a leaf. But a leaf bug!

"Things in nature that make be believe in God: mimicry" by Peter Illyn