Ash Wednesday
Friends,
Welcome to the Lent 2023 edition of All Good Things! I am honored by your choice to read this blog - I hope it becomes part of your daily routine throughout the coming days of Lent.
All Good Things is a seasonal collection of reflections written by members and friends of the St. Francis College community. The chief aim of this initiative is to provide a platform for people to share their spiritual perspectives so that everyone else can be enriched and inspired. Most frequently, contributors will write a reflection on the daily readings from the liturgical calendar, however, it is also commonplace to see poems, songs, and photographs on the blog.
I tasked myself with writing a reflection on Ash Wednesday last year as well, and I want to convey some of the same ideas. So, if these some of these words look familiar, it is because they are.
Lent is an excellent time for this project because reflecting is a central aspect of the season. Over the two years, I have developed a strong affinity for C.C. Filson Company, an outfitter based in Seattle, WA. They sell clothing and equipment to last a lifetime. Their website communicates that they are “a company founded on equipping folks headed into the frozen desolation of the Klondike goldfields in 1897.” Since then, Filson's reputation for trustworthy, dependable clothing and equipment lives on and allows people to go on expeditions that wouldn't be possible without such high-quality gear.
Where are you going with this, Tim?
Well, my thought is that Lent, while it is a journey, can also be thought of as time at base camp before the journey. Lent is a time to take stock of the gear you have been using in life, reflect on what has stood the test of time and what has failed, compare with the gear of others, see what you might be able to get to improve your life, and do more research on what gear is truly dependable and trustworthy to help you live a life of holiness, set apart to glorify God. Lent is a time to equip oneself with God's promises and to cultivate spiritual disciplines in one's life, especially silence, solitude, prayer, and fasting. We become closer to God when we meditate on God's promises because we understand His character more and more - we become sanctified in the truth (John 17:17). We become closer to God when we practice spiritual disciplines because we create space for God in our lives and we intentionally abide with Him - we make Him the end in itself, not the means to some end we may want. As we walk in the truth of God's promises and in the way of His disciplines for us, we will be living lives built on the same foundation as Jesus; in living live this way, we will grow closer to Jesus.
With that, let's stay at base camp for a while. God's Word is our outfitter - let's check it out together and obtain the best gear for the journeys that await us. Please utilize the comments section to encourage others with affirmations, links to helpful content, links to songs, or questions. We're in this together.
Blessed Lent!
Tim
Timothy Nagy
Assistant Director
Mission, Ministry & Interfaith Dialogue
St. Francis College
Beautiful! The metaphor is inspiring. We are indeed at the base camp, and we need equipment that should last us beyond this world, this life. Your words resonate with me: "We become closer to God when we practice spiritual disciplines because we create space for God in our lives and we intentionally abide with Him - we make Him the end in itself, not the means to some end we may want. "
ReplyDeleteThere isn't a person who can make this journey alone- so here's to our team and community as we embark from "base camp" upwards!
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