From Pastor Joe

LENT:
One of my favorite pastor-theologians is Gregory the Great who lived in the sixth century. In fact, I named my Wi Fi at home after him. I like how he did theology –showing how the Scriptures answered the questions of the day and how practical it was for daily life. He meditated deeply upon the word of God referring it to "a river shallow and deep, in which lambs can walk and elephants can swim."

He wrote hymns too. Two such hymns, "Again We Keep this Solemn Fast" and "Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days" have this as their first stanzas.

Again we keep this solemn fast,
A gift of faith from ages past,
This Lent which binds us lovingly
To faith and hope and charity.

Lord, who throughout these forty days
For us did fast and pray.
Teach us to overcome our sins
And close by you to stay.

I find it fascinating that our Lenten Pilgrimage is very much connected to the saints of old. Reading this song not only grounds my faith but connects me to an ancient community. We are not alone in our walk.

PSALMS EXPERIENCE
The word "psalm" essentially means praise. Thus, all the Psalms are centered upon praising God. Their voice teaches us to praise God –in intensity, spontaneity and in sincerity. There is no greater place for the psalmist to be than to be in the praises of God. The modern church has an incredible witness if we follow the voice of the Psalms.

Even when the Psalmist is in the pit (Psalms 30:3;40:2), he yearns to be in the place of praise. The pit is an interesting place. This is the place of the silence, the forgotten and of the dead. It is a place of disorientation, confusion and abandonment. Think of the story of Joseph (Genesis 37:20).

It is easy to relate to the Psalmist when he is in the pit. Who has not been in place like this? For me, this is when the Psalms are real. And this is when we find out if God is real. Only God can save when you in the pit. You cannot save yourself. The key is to realize that God is in control. Learning from the Psalmist as he prays his way out is essential for one to experience a God who saves.

PASTORAL EXPERIENCE
There are times when we put ourselves in the pit. Bad choices have horrible consequences. Some of us are living those consequences from choices long ago. Do you want to experience the freedom of spontaneous praise? Instead of praying, "Lord, take me out of the pit!" Follow the voice of the Psalms. His prayers are inspired by God –these prayers should guide ours. He essentially prays two reasons why God should take him out of the pit. 1) Because God is unfailing in his love (Psalms 31:6; 40:11). 2) Because I can't praise you in the pit. The psalmist wants a reason to shout his name (Psalm 6:5; 30:9).

My prayer is that the voice of the Psalmist becomes your voice and thus you will learn how to supplicate before the Lord. May God be with you on your journey. You are not alone.

Pastor Joe