The Cycle Continues

"Holy God, we offer you praise for the rigors of your love. As harsh winters enforce silence and rest, your harder demands summon us to that portion of faith usually ignored. Like the disciples with Jesus upon the holy mountain, we realize again the discipline required for prayer, the necessity for guidance from the past to direct the future, the urgency of listening to your voice. All praise be to you, O God, for austere mercies recalling us to the essentials of our faith. Amen."
- Diane Karay

Lent is my favorite time of the liturgical calendar. With my optimistic attitude and spunky nature, it's a tad ironic. However, I think that I love Lent because it's a time that allows me to be still and sit in silence. My friends Matt and Dana told me today that if they ever lived by my schedule they would go crazy...and I thought this year was a slower one for me! Driving home tonight, I got caught in traffic and became frustrated with the time being sucked away from me. Then I remembered - this is Lent. I need to relax, rest and use the time that is given as a gift. Instead of fuming in anger, I listened to music and sang loudly, lifting my spirits from the exhaustion of paper writing. Lent beckons me to sit and reflect on the way I use time.

Lent also invites me into moments of silence. Throughout the year, I attend the Friday Eucharist service at school, a service centered around the reading of scripture, the sharing of communion, and the partaking of silence. Each Friday, I walk into the service craving the short 10 minutes I might receive of a time with others, but without conversation - a time to steady my soul and synchronize the rhythm of my breathing as prayer. Silence is a practice not often used in worship as it makes the congregation feel more vulnerable and worried, nervous as the moments pass without anything to fill the void. However, without silence in my life, there is a void.

So I welcome Lent - I welcome the call to sit, reflect, meditate, and leave the words behind. In my life which is often structured around deadlines, expectations and requirements, Lent is a welcomed breathe of fresh air that centers my soul and rejuvenates my spirit. Reflection is good. Silence is good. Remembering is good.