As I come as a newbie to the practice of Lent, I am drawn like a child to the wondrous Lenten stories.  The ironic fact is that in the last few years, I have let go of my entire lifelong collection of core theological beliefs, even some days, of my belief in God.  Why then I ask myself, celebrate Lent, or any of the Church Liturgical Calendar?  As I ponder that paradox, I have simply chosen to come to Lent in freedom, no strings attached, in beauty and simplicity.

I listen to the stories of the desert fathers and mothers, of St. John the beloved, of John the Baptist and St. John of the Cross, of Gregory of Nyssa, Julia of Norwich and St. Francis of Assisi.  And I feel connected to the great and mysterious timeline of our shared human history.  I find myself drawn to this wild and crazy collection of stories of our collective humanity and our relentless search for that which is timeless and eternal. The marking of my own time in this small space of humanity’s history moves me deeply as I contemplate this season.  Lent, and its place in the seven seasons of the Church Calendar, calls me to mark my time along with all those who came before me, and those who journey with me, as a celebration of the Mystery of God in our time.

Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time, all call me to celebrate the mystery of each season of the year, but also of my life. The expectancy of hope and new birth, all the innocence of childhood, the growing awareness of truth and understanding, the wilderness seasons of loss and death and letting go, the miracle of new life, the infusion of Spirit and the potency to reach for my dreams, and the long seasons of simple, day to day ordinary time.

As a woman, perhaps, the cyclical nature of this way of marking my time by the seven seasons of the church calendar resonates with the natural rhythm of the cycle of life. Or maybe my hunger for joining in this centuries old liturgical calendar is a way to recover a soothing rhythmic motion to my chaotic and unpredictable life.  As Diana Butler Ross said, in her book, A People’s History of Christianity, speaking of the rich tradition of the Church Calendar:

“Rich, poor, young, old, city dweller or stranger -all are invited into the mystery of God as experienced physically in human time.”

For now, I am simply enjoying the beauty of this spiritual tradition that resonates deeply with my own story as I mark my time in this great adventure we call life.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 11:23 am and is filed under church calendar, michelle. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.