Lent 1 reflection
And an announcement about Sunday School materials
Today is the first Sunday of Lent. Each week during the Lenten season I plan to reflect here. It may not be anything of value to anyone other than me — but I post here for my own accountability.
I sat down prepared to launch into the Wilderness, but right when I did, a band started playing literally on the street below me — drums and trumpets and people cheering, a parade that was so close, I couldn’t see them (I believe they were under my terrace — well, 6 stories down). I’m also fresh from hearing a sermon on resistance where the congregation learned and sang a resistance song as a closing benediction (Thanks, Rebecca!). And so I’m going to follow this seeming urging of the Spirit.
Friends, we know Wilderness (I know I just said I’m not going to dwell here — bear with me). It has surrounded us for longer than we’d like to remember. Some have carried it in their bodies passed down through generations. For some it is much more fresh. . . but if you aren’t experiencing Wilderness, you haven’t been paying attention. If it isn’t impacting your body currently, it is not far from you.
We talk about Wilderness throughout Lent . . . but Lent isn’t about Wilderness. Rather, it is speaking to people in Wilderness. For those on the outskirts, it is a call to pay attention and engage. For those in the center, it is a call of resistance.
In my doctoral work, I have been thinking about, reading about, and living exile. The late Walter Brueggemann wrote about exile as being a theological choice, not just a geographic reality. People forced from their land could choose simply to assimilate and not consider themselves exiles. People who are right where they have always been can be exiles by standing against the powers that be, standing against the injustices.
In this week’s Scriptures, we see Jesus (in the Wilderness — just saying) resisting the calls to the power of Empire. It is the same pull of Empire we must stand against today.
Whether our resistance songs are sung with a choir or a parade, with words out loud or on parchment, with the wittiness of being able to turn the Adversary’s words against them or simply with the steadfastness of one who will not be moved, we are called to be exiles refusing to believe that the current way is inevitable, refusing to allow it to be normal. Instead, we must usher in a new home, celebrating together that which is life-giving, standing against all that is not (and there is so, so much that is not), and ushering a new, better way into being. And if there are drums and trumpets, I will not complain! May it be so.
—
Starting with the first Sunday in March — next week! — I will be creating at home Sunday School-style materials. The initial impetus is for my own family, but I have decided to create a version that others can use, since I know we are not the only ones currently without a local (inclusive) church. These will not be curriculum — if you want the FULL experience, there are some great sites out there — but more a reflection on one or more lectionary texts that is kid-friendly (and hopefully also grown up-friendly) and some discussion questions to inspire conversation. There may sometimes be background lessons or links to resources I find helpful (I don’t want to over-promise, especially while my commentaries are all still in the US).
Eventually I hope to provide a whole month at a time — after three weeks of coughing (I think I’m improving, but it is rather hard to tell . . . I could sing on pitch today, as long as I didn’t launch into a coughing fit, which is way better than last week when I could mostly just squeak and play a guessing game about which note would pop out at any point) that point is not now. At this point I’ll have the first lesson out by Saturday.
If you want access to these materials, I will ask for a monthly donation (for as long as you want them) of at least $5 given here with my name in the comments/message section (if this is a hardship, just let me know and I’ll get them to you anyway), then send me a message — you should be able to do this through Substack.