It has been a few weeks since I have last posted any devotional reflections. I just returned from vacation, a wonderful chance for sabbath rest and renewal for body and spirit.
There are two related topics I'd like to wrestle with this morning: regular confession and daily immersion in God's Word and prayer.
Confession and Weeds
Weeds humble me. No matter how I try to stay ahead of them, they always seem to get ahead of me. Add a week's vacation and some rain and sunshine in the mix and they quickly get out of control. But even when I'm home, if I let them grow too long, they seem to grow "wicked fast," as my Boston friends say.
One of the podcasts I listen to equated "staying ahead of the weeds" with regular practices of soul tending. Weeds are a wonderful metaphor for the sins that--if not dealt with properly and regularly--quickly grow out of control. Struggling with sin is our daily task. By the power of the Spirit, we are to be about the regular work of rooting out sins regularly, daily (sometimes more often), before they grow quickly out of control.
There are several ways to practice regular confession/weeding:
1.) Praying the Jesus prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner) regularly, especially as you notice a sin or evil thought creeping and growing within you. It is helpful to accompany this with the sign of cross, which helps our whole body pray.
2.) Practicing confession and speaking words of forgiveness within your family regularly. Rather than "I'm sorry" being met with "That's OK," why not say instead: "I forgive you." The group Ambassadors of Reconciliation offers a pamphlet entitled "Announcing God's Grace through Confession and Forgiveness" that I find very helpful for use in the home.
3.) Participating regularly in the rite of confession and forgiveness at the beginning of Sunday worship.
4.) Participating in individual confession and forgiveness. A neglected practice among Lutherans is the order for private confession and forgiveness. If you have a green Lutheran Book of Worship it is on pp. 196-197 and in our new hymnal it is on pp. 243-244.
Word and Prayer: Car Maintenance
For us as Christians, our daily bread is Jesus Christ himself. We receive him weekly in the Meal of Holy Communion. On a daily basis, we encounter him in the practices of daily Scripture reading and daily prayer. It doesn't so much matter which Scripture readings you are reading daily, but that we are reading Scripture and praying daily. (From the Church's earliest days, the Psalms have been a regular part of daily prayer.) Some online resources are the Moravian Daily Texts and their new venture, the "daily chapter." One of the "all in one" resources I use is the For All the Saints series. I like it because each day contains three Scripture readings, a writing from one of the saints and two prayers--all in one resource. We are currently in Volume II, which will take us through the end of November this year.
I don't know what your daily "Word and Prayer" journey is like, but I would put these practices under the category of "preventative maintenance." I think of it like regular oil changes for my car. One of the most destructive things you can do to a car is not change the oil for a year. But with regular car care and maintenance of the "little things" like oil, tire pressure, air filters, wiper blades, etc. a car lasts longer and is able to weather extremes of temperature and use. Surely we are more complicated and valuable than our vehicles. And yet, I'm wondering if our neglect of our own "daily maintenance" is not much more destructive than skipping an oil change.
And let's not forget the grace. The Psalms consistently speak of the Law and instructions of the Lord as delight. Scripture is described as sweeter than honey. As our Communion prayer begins, "It is indeed right, our duty and our joy..." There is great delight in these things, delight that far exceeds the satisfaction of a freshly-weeded yard or a car that makes it to 200,000 miles.
May God give us grace to do these thing, that God may be glorified in us. Peace we with you this week.
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