ncclaguna.org

by the Rev. B.J. Beu, Senior Minister

       
       We are busy people, crippled by schedules that are slowly killing us.  We think our kids must be exposed to every possible sport and activity, lest they be left behind.  We volunteer our time for noble causes.  We watch shows that teach us things about our world that we never even dreamed of… or we merely watch whatever is on to keep our minds occupied.  We work long hours and worry that our standard of living goes down every year.  We strive to be more productive, so that we can make more money, and be even busier than we are now. 
       We are addicts.  We are addicted to our culture’s seductive lie—the lie that we need more, more, more.  But more is not better, it is just… more. Richard Rohr wonders:  How is it that people in agrarian cultures can lead such simple lives, yet be so happy?  Don’t they know what they’re missing?  Don’t they need 300 cable channels to find fulfillment?  Don’t they want our addictions?
       As we continue in our Lenten journey toward Easter, it is tempting to simply get busier.  But I would encourage each of us to take a different journey.  Find time for silence and reflection.  Find time for rest.  Find time for God. 
       We are out of sorts because our lives are so filled with stimulation and noise.  We long for silence, but are afraid of it.  For when the outer world is quiet, we begin to hear our inner noise.  In that noise we discover that our lives are spent rehashing the past, or anticipating the future.  We discover that old arguments and future fears hold us in their grip.  We discover that we are anywhere but here… now.  And so we miss out on what is happening… really happening.  We miss the texture of each moment.  We miss the inherent sacredness of every second of every day.  We feel empty.  Surely on vacation, surely then we can be happy and really pay attention.  But on vacation, we act the same way… either reliving the past or fretting about the future.
       After Jesus’ disciples returned from curing the sick, he didn’t give them an “Atta boy, now get back out there.”  He said simply, “Come away to a deserted place and rest for awhile” (Mark 6:31).  Jesus was always withdrawing for solitude and prayer before returning to his ministry.  As followers of Jesus, we do not withdraw to escape our lives and our responsibilities, we withdraw for the time and space we need to attend to God.  Only then can we return to our lives with the peace and joy necessary to continue.
       This year, I would like you to withdraw from your busy schedules and find time for our Holy Week services.  This may seem like strange advice, adding two worship services into your schedule so that you can find rest.  It is not.  This year’s Holy Thursday and Good Friday services will lead you back to the center, where true life flows and true rest is found.  It is tempting to skip or gloss over the pathos of what happen during Holy Week, to simply go from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the glory of Christ’s resurrection on Easter, but it isn’t true to our faith, and it’s not true to life.  To survive the darkness you must live through it.  Ultimately, you must make friends with those moments of life when pain and loss are present.  Those moments are good teachers.  Though these services are an addition to your calendar, through them, you will find rest…and you will find God. 
                 Yours on the journey,
                      Pastor B. J.