We are now in the second week of Lent as we attempt to more intentionally focus ourselves on the ways in which God seeks us out in the midst of our days. The writer Annie Dillard once wrote, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. “ And John Lennon sang, “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” We are a busy faith community; there is no doubt about that. This congregation is incredibly generous with their time and resources and many of you are active in other groups beyond this church. These are things that matter to you which give your days meaning; I understand. I really do. It is a wonderful thing to be involved in ways that enrich our lives but sometimes and too often in this culture, business becomes a badge of honor, right? I fall prey to this as well. We’re all just so busy rushing here and there and it is hard to get off the merry go round. Years ago, Quaker and writer, Parker Palmer published a called the Active Life in which he shared stories about balancing action and contemplation. He sought a deeper spiritual life and wondered if he was meant to perhaps live within a contemplative community. What he discovered is that while he was not called to monasticism, he needed to carve out more quiet time to achieve some measure of balance, to pause and just listen to the ways in which God was speaking to him. Who among us has not faced this challenge? Today, we have this reminder in the Gospel story of Martha and Mary… and like our other readings during Lent, we’re invited to see it with fresh eyes and to uncover the complexity of the middle ground. Let us pray,
For far too long, poor Martha was viewed as the one who missed the big picture, as if offering hospitality and service was not what was called for as her sister Mary parked herself at Jesus’ feet to be present. I’m sure we have all been beneficiaries of someone’s hospitality which has allowed us to feel welcome. Too, we appreciate the moments when our host sits down and visits with us; often that is the best part. But, it is hard to slow down when so many voices are telling us to hurry, hurry. Lent is the invitation to do that, as if you needed permission. I’d invite you to pause for a moment and consider How do you spend your days? How busy are you and what are you busy about? How much time do you allow yourself for conversation, reflection, prayer? And why is it so hard for many of us to just be present to others in our lives.
Last week, Jesus shared the story of the Samaritan who acted compassionately toward someone in need; he spoke about what we need to do to follow him. And this morning, we have another invitation, equally important, to rest and listen to God speaking. This indeed may be the far harder task. If we consider the Mary and Martha story alongside the Gospel from last week, we see Jesus emphasizing mercy in action, and then praising Mary’s faithful presence. In two very different contexts, Jesus honors the value of faith and works. Jesus himself was busy in his ministry but he always modeled how important it was for him to step away to pray, to speak with God, to be renewed.
In 2019, Parker Palmer composed a reflection entitled The Gift of Presence and the Perils of Advice where he shared a part of his own journey with mental health challenges. He wrote, “During my depression, there was one friend who truly helped. With my permission, Bill came to my house every day around 4:00 PM, sat me down in an easy chair, and massaged my feet. He rarely said a word. But somehow he found the one place in my body where I could feel a sense of connection with another person, relieving my awful sense of isolation while bearing silent witness to my condition.
By offering me this quiet companionship for a couple of months, day in and day out, Bill helped save my life. Unafraid to accompany me in my suffering, he made me less afraid of myself. He was present — simply and fully present — in the same way one needs to be at the bedside of a dying person.
He continued, “It’s at such a bedside where we finally learn that we have no “fix” or “save” to offer those who suffer deeply. And yet, we have something better: our gift of self in the form of personal presence and attention, the kind that invites the other’s soul to show up. As Mary Oliver has written: “This is the first, the wildest and the wisest thing I know: that the soul exists and is built entirely out of attentiveness.”
In times when we feel overwhelmed, all the busyness in the world is not going to comfort our hearts and minds. I think we can all understand why too many people we love suffer from anxiety in such times as these. And the truth is nobody can do it for us. To carve out time for quiet, time to rest at the feet of Jesus is hard and it may mean a complete shift from the way we have always done things. One of the things I have learned is that it is easier for me to do it when I have made it a habit, when I have scheduled the time to pray, to reflect, to contemplate. Two mornings a week, I join a contemplative prayer group on line to share a prayer or reading and sit in silence for 20 minutes. It has made a difference for me to know I have a group to sit with. It has been easier for me to schedule it. So this morning, in this community, I want to invite us to be together in a simple guided meditation and to taste the peace that may come from being present to one another and to God.
Waiting on God
“When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions. Wait for hope to appear.” (Lamentations 3:28-29 MSG)
The concept of waiting on God is a spiritual habit. It is the single greatest antidote to anxiety and tension. It’s a spiritual discipline that is so important to learn…
This is what it means to wait on God: we sit down and listen. We find a place to be quiet and sit still in silence. We don’t read anything. We don’t need to speak words of prayer. We can take some deep breaths, sit before God and say, “God, I’m just going to wait on you.” It’s amazing what a calming ability this has on your heart and mind.
So I invite you now to get comfortable, close your eyes and to breathe deeply and calmly. Then say, God, I’m just going to wait on you… and then we shall be still and sit together for a few minutes…“Those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. … They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31 NLT).
-Parker Palmer The Active Life
-Waiting on God, adapted from Rev. Rich Warren, Saddleback Church
-everything between faith & works, Sanctified Art