As I attended Ash Wednesday services this year, I was struck by the words of the Litany of Penitence (BCP p. 267-9). I have spoken these words each year for far too many years for me to count, yet this year I noticed the words more than I ever had before. At that moment, I made a promise to myself to continue to reflect on the words throughout the next 40 days of Lent, and beyond.
I don’t know how well I have done in that regard—honestly, I would guess that I have failed. I guess there is never enough prayerful thinking on those very words. More importantly, I cannot ever stop putting into action the heart and intention of the words that I spoke as I confessed to God for my failures and asked for God to accept my repentance.
Today, however, I reflect particularly on two portions of the Litany:
“We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us.
We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved
your Holy Spirit.”
Have mercy on us, Lord.”
and
“Accomplish in us the work of your salvation,
That we may show forth your glory in the world.”
As a ministry developer, I am called to model service to God and Christ and assist others in doing the same. Listening to that call and helping others to do the same is hard but rewarding work.
We all know that we are called to serve God and Christ, but it is not always easy to know what that call may be, where it might lead, or how it might unfold. We may not even recognize our own gifts. We have to rely on God’s mercy to assist us in that endeavor. We have to rely on prayerful seeking of God’s guidance and mercy in looking past the times when we said “not now” or “you have to be kidding!” instead of saying “yes, send me.” We have to rely on faith to keep on the right path and trust in God that we are doing God’s work, and are doing this work in accordance with God’s commands, on account of our faith in God and Christ.
But as a ministry developer, it goes much deeper and broader than this. We not only have to give up control so that God can “[a]ccomplish in us the work of [God’s] salvation” but also encourage others to do the same. That seems a daunting task. An impossible one.
As I reflect on those words, I realize that it is just the same all over again. It is a matter of my letting go of control and allowing God to lead me, use me, guide me in accomplishing God’s work so that I and others with whom I minister “may show forth [God’s] glory in the world.”
Hmmm. I think I will take advantage of the excuse of Lent and its cocoon-like environs to pray on this more heartily and listen to God more intently to guide me as we journey through Lent and approach the celebration of our risen Lord.
Will you join me?
Theresa
