Let The Light Into Your Soul
Dear Friends and Family of HBC,
Okay, a full confession – I was caught red handed and then I tried to cover it up. Before we go any further let me share the context behind this confession.
In January we started looking at various spiritual practices with the help of a book called “Silencio”. The purpose of these practices is to help us re-center, re-focus, and recalibrate in the Lord. We have considered practices such as Listening Prayer, Fasting, Silence and Solitude. We also looked at the spiritual practices of Confession and Journaling. This is where we return to my own confession.
After preaching the message on Journaling, I realized how much this practice is beneficial to my own soul. I know journaling is not interesting for everyone but as I have often said “Not all of the spiritual practices we consider will appeal or apply to you”. Journaling is something that appeals to me and is very helpful in keeping me focused, healthy and centered in the Lord.
I recently discovered a book that challenges its readers to journal not with words, but with pictures. The book suggests buying a cheap sketching notebook with some crayons and “journal” your thoughts in pictures. This was an intriguing idea to me and I decided this would be something I practiced privately throughout Lent. Everyday, I would draw a picture based on the prompts found in my new book.
I was alone in my church office one day in the middle of my drawing journal, when I heard two voices in the Lloyd Room. I quickly gathered my materials afraid of how immature and silly I would appear if caught drawing pictures with a box of crayons. In my haste to clean up, I knocked over the entire box of crayons and they scattered all over my desk. Just then the two people appeared at my door (you know who you are!).
One person curiously and innocently asked “What are you doing, coloring?” I do not remember what I mumbled in response, but I hoped it would be enough to change the subject or at least get me out of an embarrassing situation.
I have thought a lot about that incident and it has raised some soul-searching questions within me: Why was I so afraid to simply admit what I was doing? If this was a harmless practice helping me to be closer to God, why should I be embarrassed? Why didn’t I take this as a teaching moment to share my positive experience with others? Why did I feel a need to cover this up? (Another confession, I am still working through these questions and I’m not liking the answers so far).
It seems appropriate that this would happen in Lent. For me, Lent is a more intentional self-examining time of year.
It is a time to reflect and consider those things in my own life that Jesus took and bore on the cross. The prophet Isaiah gives me a heavy reminder “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities… and by his wounds we are healed”.
Lent is a time to be open, to expose the wounded cracks in our soul because according to singer Leonard Cohen “There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in”
So, I hope you too will take some time this season of Lent to expose to the Lord some of the broken cracks in your own soul. It is by admitting; confessing and exposing our wounds to the cross we are healed. This is where the light gets in. I’m still working on this too.
Be Still,
Dan
Categories: Pastors Message