{"id":117,"date":"2014-04-14T00:26:24","date_gmt":"2014-04-14T07:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/?p=117"},"modified":"2014-04-21T14:59:42","modified_gmt":"2014-04-21T21:59:42","slug":"lent-weathering-storms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/?p=117","title":{"rendered":"Lent: weathering storms"},"content":{"rendered":"

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?<\/p>\n

~ Psalm 22<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Magdalene<\/a>In\u00a0A Clearing Season<\/em> this week, the chapter focuses on weathering storms — those inevitable setbacks and disruptions to our spiritual growth.\u00a0 The unexpected discouragement and frustration we sometimes feel in our journey with God.\u00a0 Parsons reminds us that “setbacks are friends to faith,” for they teach us we need God.\u00a0 She also writes, “Setbacks can cultivate true humility, the capacity to be one’s true self, [and] remind us of our glorious calling to be ourselves before God and the world.”\u00a0 Whether you are in the midst of a storm right now or know with certainty as I do that you will find yourself tossed about in a sea of frustration and anguish in this life, I think it’s helpful to remember that Jesus experienced these setbacks, too.<\/p>\n

We meditate this week on the story of our Lord’s Passion and wait in hopeful expectation outside the tomb, ready to rejoice in his Resurrection.\u00a0 Sometimes the race to that great Alleluia seems rather rushed, though, as if come Palm Sunday we’ve got the cake frosted, the balloons up and the confetti in our hands — we’re all gathered and giggling ready to turn on the lights with that huge SURPRISE!\u00a0 The anticipation is exciting, but in that sort of rush we miss out on the deeply transformative rituals and mysteries of Holy Week, so I invite you this week to slow down and contemplate Jesus’ life and ministry just a little longer.\u00a0 Who was he?\u00a0 How did he weather storms?\u00a0 What can we learn from his humanity?\u00a0 <\/p>\n

I’ve been doing this during Lent by following along with the daily readings in John’s Gospel.<\/p>\n

When I read John\u2019s Gospel, I can\u2019t get past just how many times Jesus points out the lack of faith in his followers.\u00a0 It seems on just about every page of that Gospel in my Bible, he\u2019s grumbling and poking and asking Why do you not understand what I am saying?\u00a0 <\/em>He grows weary, in my opinion, of those who remain blind to who he is, who can not have faith in his words alone but require signs.\u00a0 I love this weary Jesus.\u00a0 I love that he sighs, groans, rolls his eyes.\u00a0 It makes him human, this subtle impatience.\u00a0 I\u2019m pretty sure this eyerolling Jesus isn\u2019t the traditional reading of his character, but it\u2019s how I read him in this particular Gospel and his wry complexity makes the narrative interesting for me.<\/p>\n

Recently during our bedtime reading, my nine year old daughter and I put down Homer and read instead the day\u2019s scriptures, the readings that in the Catholic Church are said at daily Mass.\u00a0 Some of you may be familiar with John\u2019s story of the adulterous woman thrown before Jesus by an angry mob ready to stone her to death.\u00a0 Jesus famously responds with,\u00a0Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.<\/em>\u00a0 My littlest love is quiet and snuggling into me as usual beneath her cozy blankets, and after a minute or two of silence, she says to me, Shouldn\u2019t <\/em>Jesus have thrown a stone at her, then?<\/em>\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know what to say.\u00a0 She\u2019s sort of right, if you follow the logic.\u00a0 More complexity.\u00a0 And yet, he defies her logic and instead offers the woman his gentle hand of mercy.\u00a0 No one condemns you. AND NEITHER DO I.\u00a0 Go, and sin no more.<\/em><\/p>\n

Last Sunday we heard John\u2019s story of Lazarus raised by Jesus from the dead.<\/p>\n

When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.<\/em>\u00a0 When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and he said, Where have you lain him?<\/em>\u00a0 They said to him, Sir, come and see.<\/em>\u00a0 And Jesus wept.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many believe that Jesus weeps at Lazarus\u2019s tomb because he sees Mary and Martha and the others crying.\u00a0 Such an emotional scene would forge a lump in anyone\u2019s throat, and the usual interpretation is that he is filled with compassion and joins them in their sadness.\u00a0 But I think Jesus is \u201cperturbed\u201d and crying because they don\u2019t truly believe in him.\u00a0 I can almost imagine a soft and slowly emitted sigh just before he asks where they\u2019ve lain him because he\u2019s thinking, here I go again, having to prove myself.\u00a0 <\/em>My Bible has a footnote explaining that the word \u201cperturbed\u201d is a startling phrase in Greek and translates to \u201cHe snorted in spirit,\u201d and the editors suggest this snorting was perhaps in anger at the presence of death.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think he\u2019s angry, though.\u00a0 I think he\u2019s annoyed.\u00a0 This is the eyerolling Jesus I love so much, and he is about to perform the miracle of all miracles to prove once and for all he is the Son of God.\u00a0 He loves Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and when someone you love does not have faith in you, that is certainly cause for tears.\u00a0 Jesus wept for them and their disbelief.\u00a0 He is the light of the world, but people continue to live in darkness.<\/p>\n

O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you and endure you?\u00a0 ~ Luke 9:41<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Despite John’s depiction of this eyerolling, perturbed Jesus.\u00a0 Despite Luke’s showing us a Jesus weary and wondering how long he must weather our storm and put up with our disheartening faithlessness.\u00a0 Despite our unworthiness, our betrayal,\u00a0 condemnation and ridicule.\u00a0 Despite all this, Jesus suffers, dies, and rises again in forgiveness of our sins.\u00a0 And if he finds us worthy of such love, compassion, and forgiveness, shouldn’t we be able to do the same?<\/p>\n

Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.\u00a0 Forgive, and you will be forgiven.<\/p>\n

~ Luke 6:37<\/p>\n

\n

Let nothing disturb you,
\nLet nothing frighten you,
\nAll things are passing away:
\nGod never changes.
\nPatience obtains all things
\nWhoever has God lacks nothing;
\nGod alone suffices.<\/p>\n

~ St. Teresa of Avila<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n<\/blockquote>\n

Questions For Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n

How are you reminded of God’s presence in your life?\u00a0 Take some time this week in the space you’ve cleared this Lenten season and just feel that presence beside you.<\/p>\n

How might the need for forgiveness enter your own life?\u00a0 What burdens are you still carrying like a heavy stone?<\/p>\n

Are you ready to lay these burdens down at the foot of the cross?<\/p>\n

Related Posts: Ash Wednesday<\/a> | Lent: Exploring the Wilderness<\/a> | Lent: First Clearing<\/a> | Lent: Natural Rhythms<\/a> | Lent: New Growth<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? ~ Psalm 22 In\u00a0A Clearing Season this week, the chapter focuses on weathering storms — those inevitable setbacks and disruptions to our spiritual growth.\u00a0 The unexpected discouragement and frustration we sometimes feel in our journey with God.\u00a0 Parsons reminds us that “setbacks are friends to faith,” … Continue reading Lent: weathering storms<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,29,16,25,5,2,3,4],"tags":[14,39,28,30,18],"class_list":["post-117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faith","category-forgiveness","category-grace","category-hope","category-joy","category-lent","category-prayer","category-spirituality","tag-a-clearing-season","tag-forgiveness","tag-holy-week","tag-jesus","tag-sarah-parsons"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=117"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":131,"href":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117\/revisions\/131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theprovinceofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}