Moored

When everything around us is in a swirl of constant change and we are exhausted by the unanchored reality of daily adaptation, something firm and unwavering offers us respite in the storm; something to offer stabilization and strength for our weary souls, minds, hearts and bodies. As a follower of Jesus and as a Pastor, naturally Jesus is the one to whom I long to be moored (‘moored’ is often used to describe securing a boat with ropes, cables or anchors. *As a side note, “moore” also happens to be the root of my wife’s maiden name, though I’m pretty sure in their ancestral naming it means ‘an expanse of boggy or peaty land’…but I digress). However, I wish I could say that Jesus is always the one I moored myself to, but that would be a lie. While I long for it to be the case, the reality is, I think like most of us, in times of turmoil I find myself grasping at the closest thing to me—the most immediate place of comfort or escape. Some of these are seem good places for comfort (like my wife and my kids), and many of them are not so good (chocolate, alcohol, shopping, watching shows, scrolling incessantly through the news, etc.). When we go to these things our body gives us an immediate dose of dopamine—a chemical in the body that gives us an experience of reward and motivates us to do whatever caused it again and again. Though it seems at first to be good (because it gave us a burst of pleasure), as you can imagine, it plays a significant part 3

in developing addictions as we keep chasing that rewarding “high” we first received. These things we go to, many of them in and of themselves are not inherently bad, nor is the pleasure, comfort or escape necessarily bad. However, there is a fine line between healthy enjoyment and crossing into unhealthy attachment or addiction; relationships with them that take the place of God in our lives. The biblical language for these is to call them “idols”—people, things, experiences, ideologies that become objects of devotion as we turn towards them to offer us salvation from the harsh realities of our lives. While they may seem to offer us what we are longing for in the moment, as they are not God, they only serve to untie the ropes that keep us moored, setting us even more adrift than before. And so, once again, we realize how desperately we need something that is truly anchoring—well, not something, but someone—namely Jesus. This of course begs the question, how then do I anchor myself to Jesus? While there are many ways to answer that question, one practice that I find very anchoring at this time is found in the rhythm of the Christian (Liturgical) calendar at this time of the year: Lent. Lent is the period of time leading up to Easter weekend. It is a time of journeying with Jesus as he approaches his betrayal and crucifixion. It is officially 40 days long, however those 40 days do not include Sundays. This is because in most Christian traditions Sundays are always the day of Resurrection; a day for celebration not for fasting. The reason Lent is 40 days long is to emulate Jesus’ time of fasting in the wilderness—like Jesus fasting for 40 days in preparation for ministry that would lead him to the cross, so we fast with him as a way of aligning ourselves with his ministry and his sacrifice. It also serves as a holistic reminder that Jesus is our Lord, not these other idols to which we find ourselves turning. And so, we give up something as an act of devotion which reveals our desire 4 for Jesus to be Lord of our lives; or we take up something as an act

of devotion which reveals our desire for Jesus to be Lord of our lives. For me personally, the rhythms and self-giving devotion of Lent not only help anchor me in God, but they also make very apparent to me that it is not actually my work of devotion that anchors me to God; it is God’s work in Jesus through the presence of the Holy Spirit in me that keeps me moored. The Bible offers many different ideas for what a time of fasting can look like. In the Lectionary (a collection of weekly scripture readings read by many different Christian traditions), the scripture passages for the first day of Lent (Ash Wednesday) give us a wide spread understanding of fasting. A time for repentance—turning away—from personal and communal sin and returning to God, remembering that he is gracious and merciful; a time of loosing bonds of injustice and oppression through caring for the hungry, homeless, and afflicted; a time of offering God a broken and contrite heart; a time of experiencing our momentary struggles through the lens of Jesus’ work of reconciliation; a time of humble devotion done in secret, not for the sake of being seen as righteous by others. I encourage you to prayerfully read over these passages and consider if in this Lent season there is something God might be calling you to as a mooring offering of devotion. The passages are below, and if you click on them it will take you to a lectionary website of all the passages together Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Isaiah 58:1-12; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21. As a church community, we will have a few opportunities to engage in the Lenten journey together. Please check out page 11 for details. Of course, part of our communal journey through Lent will be our our Sunday morning worship gatherings. We will be reflecting on Jesus’ journey to the cross through the lens of Hebrews 12:2b-3;

“for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

The journey to the cross has much for us to mediate on— the solemn and sobering reality of the impact our personal and collective brokenness has on one another and the world; the depth of love for us that Jesus enacts through his great suffering; and the paradoxical culminating joy of Jesus’ journey through death and shame to resurrection life. And so much more. Regardless of how you mark this season, as you go through the rhythms of Lent, may you be moored in God’s unfailing love through Jesus our Lord.